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שבת שלום - פרשת
נח - ראש חדש
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Video Shiur
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Click play to watch the video shiur by Rav Yosef Kaminetsky
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News and Notes
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Rabbi Kahn and Rabbi Kwass brought their talmidim to hear Rabbi Yochanan Zweig, shlita, give a special shiur on Masechet Ketubot to open the z'man. Rav Zweig, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Talmudic University of Florida, has been staying in Jerusalem for Sukkot, and we are extremely fortunate to have had the unique opportunity to hear his chiddushim in person.
Everyone at the Yeshiva wishes a big Mazal Tov to Rabbi Moshe and Shoshana Lichtman on the bar mitzvah of their son, Eitan Asher. May he go machayil l'chayil, and continue to give nachat to you and the entire community.
We also wish mazal tov to Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Spitzer of London, England, on the birth of two grandsons over the past ten days. May they be raised l'Torah ul'chupah ul'maasim tovim!
The Yeshiva began the new z'man this past Wednesday following a meaningful and fun Sukkot vacation. Simchat Torah at the Yeshiva was an experience no one will forget, with a full beit midrash of students, along with many rabbeim and their families, dancing late into the evening.
Finally, we salute our intrepid madrich, Avishai Gebler, who led eleven Yesodei HaTorah students on a hike from the Mediterranean Sea to Yam Kineret - mi'yam l'yam - between Sunday morning and Tuesday night.
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The Passive Covenant
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki
"I will establish my covenant with you. You shall go into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you." (Ber. 6:18)
This verse is the first instance in the Torah of the word "covenant" - or in Hebrew, "brit." The commentaries disagree regarding the precise meaning of this word.
Ibn Ezra (1089-1164) comments as follows:
"The meaning of 'covenant' - 'brit' is an agreement or matter that two parties have chosen from the [same] root as 'beru lachem' - 'choose for yourselves'(Shmuel I 17:8)."
Ramban (Nachmanides 1194-1270) disagrees:
"A covenant is the word of G-d that, when decreed by Him, is said without condition or stipulation and will be upheld."
According to Ibn Ezra a covenant is an agreement between two parties. According to Ramban a covenant is an irrevocable commitment made by G-d.
After the flood, this term - covenant - appears once again. In perek 9 verses 9 through 17 the word 'brit' appears 6 times. In this section G-d promises Noach and all future generations that He will never again destroy life on the earth through a flood. G-d establishes the rainbow as a sign of this covenant.
Here, the covenant is not conditional on any specific behavior on the part of Noach and his offspring. G-d promises not to bring another flood, plain and simple. Later in the Torah, when G-d enters into covenants with Avraham and later with the People of Israel, demands are made on them. Avraham must circumcise himself in order to ratify his covenant. Israel must accept the yoke of G-d's Torah to ratify theirs. Here, Noach is not commanded or asked to do anything. This appears to be a one-sided covenant - a promise by G-d with no quid pro quo from man.
A closer look reveals a different understanding. Immediately before the passage detailing G-d's promise not to bring another flood, G-d commands Noach.
"Of the blood of your souls I will demand an account; from the hand of every beast will I demand it. From the hand of man, even from the hand of man's own brother, will I demand an account of man's soul. He who spills the blood of man, through man shall his blood be spilled, for in the image of The L-rd, He made man." (9:5-6)
G-d commands mankind to care for the value of human life. This is not merely a command not to commit murder. The last line commands the creation of a punitive system for those who commit murder. Immediately before stating His promise not to destroy all human life, G-d gives clear directives regarding the value of human life. Perhaps there is a quid pro quo after all.
From this and other passages in the Torah, our sages of blessed memory derived seven laws that are incumbent upon all humanity. These are commonly referred to as the seven Noachide Laws or the seven Laws of the Children of Noah. They are:
- To set up a system of law and order.
- Not to blaspheme the Name of G-d.
- Not to adhere to pagan beliefs or practices.
- Not to commit murder.
- Not to commit adultery or any other forbidden sexual relationship.
- Not to steal.
- Not to eat the flesh of a live animal.
It is striking that 6 of the 7 are negative commandments. The exception is the establishment of a legal system. Even this positive command differs from most other positive commandments in the Torah in that it is not a ritual. This list contains no rituals to be performed. It contains no service to G-d, no holidays, and no positive commitment on the part of the individual member of society. These seven commandments can be condensed into one sentence. "Be good and morally upstanding."
G-d's promise to Noach - that He will refrain from destroying life on Earth - is similarly passive. G-d does not promise to do anything for humanity. He promises only something that He will not do.
G-d's later covenants with Avraham and Israel are quite different. In these covenants, G-d promises to do certain things - give the land to Avraham's children, redeem Israel from exile - and commands that certain specific actions be done. These covenants are not passive at all. They are not covenants about what each side will not do. Rather, they are commitments by each side to do something specific.
The covenant of Noach is a Passive Covenant and the later covenants with Avraham and Israel are Active Covenants. There are many people who are described by themselves or by others as "good people." Often the person being described is morally upstanding, faithful, honest, and generally good. Such a person is a loyal adherent to the Passive Covenant - the Covenant of Noach. This person's relationship to G-d, while admirable, is a passive one.
There is a higher level of existence to which a human being can aspire. This is characterized by the Active Covenant. This relationship to G-d is active. Through adherence to G-d's rituals and specific commands one achieves something unattainable through the Passive Covenant. This is what is commonly referred to as holiness. Holiness is that relationship with G-d that goes beyond being 'a good person.' It is the interactive relationship between G-d and those who have entered into this committed relationship with Him.
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