An Aggadah on Boundaries and Flight I. The Story and Its Questions The Talmud in Tractate Menachot (44a), in the context of a discussion about the mitzvah of tzitzit , presents a remarkable aggadah. Rabbi Natan teaches that every mitzvah carries its reward alongside it. As proof, he offers the following story. There was a man who was scrupulous in the mitzvah of tzitzit. He heard of a certain prostitute in the cities of the sea whose fee was four hundred gold coins. He sent her four hundred gold coins and fixed a time with her. When the appointed time arrived, he came and sat at her door. Her maidservant entered and told her: that man who sent you four hundred gold coins has arrived and is sitting at the door. She said: let him enter. She had prepared for him seven beds — six of silver and one of gold — with a silver ladder between each one, and the uppermost ladder of gold. She ascended and sat on the topmost bed, unclothed. He too ascended to sit opposite her, unclothed. At ...

A Dispute as Old as the Sources The Gemara in Menachot 34b discusses the order of the placement of the Tefillin. The first two parshiyot in which the Torah mentions tefillin are from the right, and the next two are from the left. Rashi reads this as two sets: to the person facing the wearer, the first set will begin from the right, and the second set will be to the left of that. So, the order is Kadesh, V'hayah, Shema, V'hayah (Menachot 34b, Rashi s.v. V'hakorei). Tosafot brings the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam that the first two parshiyot indeed begin from the reader's right, Kadesh and V'hayah, but the next set "begins" from left to right, Shema and V'hayah. This results in the two parshiyot that begin with the word V'hayah being in the center chambers (Tosafot, Menachot 34b s.v. V'hakorei). Tosafot cites R' Hai Gaon and R' Yosef Tov Elem (Joseph Bonfils) who preceded Rabbeinu Tam and ruled the same way (Tosafot ibid.). However, Rambam a...

In this week's parshah we encounter the declaration of נעשה ונשמע, "we will do and we will hear." The Talmud in Shabbat 88a records: אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִקְדִּימוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל ״נַעֲשֶׂה״ לְ״נִשְׁמָע״ יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה לָהֶן: מִי גִּלָּה לְבָנַי רָז זֶה שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בּוֹ? Rabbi Elazar said: When Israel said "we will do" before "we will hear," a heavenly voice went forth and said to them: "Who revealed to my children this secret that the ministering angels use?" This represents the pinnacle of willing acceptance - Israel so enthusiastically embracing the Torah that they speak in the language of angels themselves. But what is this "secret of the angels"? What does it mean that their mode is action preceding understanding? We'll return to this question. Just a few lines earlier, the Gemara presents something quite different: ״וַיִּתְיַצְּבוּ בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר״, אָמַר ...

Shabbat Shirah , we read the portion of the Torah of the Song of the Sea. After crossing the sea, Moses and the people burst out in song, praising Hashem for their deliverance. The Midrash (Aggadat Bereishit 60:1) marks this as a serial practice every time Israel is in a state of distress and is rescued. Aggadat Bereshit 60:1 - The Pattern of Distress and Song: The passage opens with the principle: וְהָיָה כִּי־תִמְצֶאןָ אֹתוֹ רָעוֹת רַבּוֹת וְצָרוֹת וְעָנְתָה הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לְפָנָיו לְעֵד  "This is what the Holy One Blessed Be He said: When these troubles find Israel and I save them from them, at that moment they will say a song to Me." (Deuteronomy 31:21) The examples: Egypt - They were enslaved. Once He saved them, they sat and ate, and immediately said song, as it says "The song shall be yours as on the night of the sanctified festival" (Isaiah 30:29), referring to that night of Passover. At the Sea - They were in great distress, as it says "and he pa...

This week’s parsha, Parshat Bo, contains the first commanded sacrifice in the Torah. While the patriarchs, Noah, and even Adam brought sacrifices, these were voluntary offerings. The Korban Pesach —the Paschal lamb—is thus the first mitzvah of sacrifice. In this essay, we will explore the elements of this first sacrifice, and consider how it may illuminate the nature of the ‘last’ sacrifice. We are also celebrating the completion of Tractate Zevachim , which pertains to animal sacrifices, and have commenced Tractate Menachot , which deals with mincha offerings—those made of grain. This progression from animal to grain offerings recalls the first sacrifices in the Torah. Abel brought from the firstborn and choicest of his flock; Cain brought from the fruit of the earth (Genesis 4:3-5). God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. What accounts for this difference? Was it something about the brothers themselves, or about their offerings? If the offerings, was it the type—animal ver...