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שבת שלום - פרשת שלח
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Video Shiur
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Click play to watch the video shiur by
Rabbi Scott Kahn about ברכת החמה |
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News and Notes
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The yeshiva's kayitz
zman ended on Sunday
with our annual siyum
and banquet.
After
mincha, a festive meal
was served, at which
our shana alef student
Eitan Morad completed
Masechet Berachot on
behalf of the two shiurim
which had studied it
all year. This was followed
by two slide shows, prepared
by the students. The
main part of the banquet
took place when the roshei
yeshiva spoke movingly
about every student,
and gave each student
a personally inscribed
book. Numerous rabbeim
also spoke about their
memories of the year,
and gave advice to our
students as they embark
on the next stage of
their lives.
We
wish mazal tov to Yedidya
Gorsetman, Elie Lichtschein,
and Yosef Mitchneck.
as well as to our madrich,
Noch Spitzer, who all
completed Masechet Kiddushin
this past week.
Finally,
everyone in the Yesodei
HaTorah family wishes
a big mazal tov to our
alumnus, Michael Appelbaum,
on his engagement this
week to Alyse Stein of
Woodmere, NY. Shetizku
livnot bayit ne'eman
b'Yisrael!
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Yehoshua's Protection
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki
In Parashat Shelach, the Children of Israel sent spies to the Land of Israel to help them prepare for entry into the land. The spies came back with a negative report of the promised land. They proceeded to instill fear and despair in the people.
Two of the spies dissented. Calev and Yehoshua brought a positive and encouraging report. Yehoshua was the primary disciple of Moshe as well as his eventual successor.
Before the spies' departure on their mission their names are listed. Yehoshua's name is listed as "Hoshei'a the son of Nun".(13:8) At the conclusion of the list the Torah states:
"These area the names of the men whom Moshe sent to scout the land, and Moshe called Hoshei'a the son of Nun Yehoshua." (13:16)
The Torah is telling us that Yehoshua's original name was Hoshei'a. Yehoshua is the name that Moshe called him. The changing of one's name by one's master is not unique. For example, Pharaoh changed Yoseph's name when he appointed him viceroy over Egypt.
Numerous commentaries assert that the change of name took place at the time of the sending of the spies. The fact that Yehoshua is mentioned by this name earlier is the Torah referring to him by his future name in advance.
Rashi comments:
"Moshe called Hoshei'a the son of Nun Yehoshua: He prayed for him [saying] 'May God [Y-ah] save you from the idea [or plan] of the spies."
Rashi, quoting the Talmud (Sotah 32b), is making a word play with the two letter name of G-d, Y-ah, and the difference in spelling between the two names Hoshei'a and Yehoshua. In Hebrew the difference between the two names is only one letter. Hoshei'a is four letters - heh, vav, shin, and ayin. Yehoshua is the same four letters with a yud added at the beginning. The first two letters in Yehoshua are yud and heh - the same as the two-letter name of G-d, Y-ah.
This word play/prayer of Moshe is peculiar. If only a yud is being added to the name, why not simply refer to the usual name of G-d, the four letter name that also begins with yud? What do the sages single out the name Y-ah in the prayer for Yehoshua to be saved from the negative report of the spies?
This two letter name for G-d appears only twice in the Torah. The first is in the Song of the Sea that the Children of Israel sang upon crossing Yam Suf.
"The strength and retribution of G-d [Y-ah] was the cause of my deliverance. This is my Almighty and I will glorify Him; the G-d of my father and I will exalt Him." (Shemot 15:2)
The second use of this name of G-d appears soon after the first, just after the war with Amalek who had attacked the Children of Israel soon after the splitting of the sea.
"G-d said to Moshe; 'Write this as a remembrance in the book, and repeat it in Yehoshua's ears, for I will totally obliterate the memory of Amalek from under the heavens.' Moshe built an altar and called it G-d is My Banner. He said, 'For the hand is on the throne of G-d [Y-ah]: G-d maintains a war against Amalek from generation to generation." (Shemot 17:14-16)
Note the connection of Yehoshua to this second mention of the name Y-ah. Yehoshua was the one who led the battle against Amalek .
Both uses of the name are in the context of defeat of or battle against the enemies of Israel. The first refers to the defeat of the Egyptians, the second refers to the perpetual war with Amalek.
Onkelos translates "Y-ah" as "fear of God" [d'chila Hashem] in the first reference and as "fear of His presence" [ d'chila di'shchinteih] in the second.
Onkelos' translation/commentary fits well in context. This name clearly connotes the awesome G-d who strikes fear in and takes revenge upon the enemies of Israel.
In light of the above, we may suggest two ways to understand Moshe's prayer for Yehoshua.
Taking Onkelos' translation in its simplest terms, the name Y-ah connotes fear of G-d. Moshe prayed for Yehoshua to have an extra dose of fear of G-d. Fear of G-d would prevent Yehoshua from reporting anything other than a glowing report about G-d's chosen land. After all, if G-d chose it how could there be anything wrong with it?
A second approach - based on the comments of the Kli Yakar - would be to look at the name Y-ah in its full meaning and context. Yehoshua was the one who led the battle against Amalek. At the end of the war the text states,
"Yehoshua weakened Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword." (Shemot 17:13)
Yehoshua was someone who had tasted victory over the enemies of Israel. He had seen the fear in the eyes of Amalek. He had exacted revenge upon them. To a certain extent, as a result of this experience, Yehoshua possessed the characteristic of Y-ah.
The dispute between Yehoshua and Calev, and the other spies centered on whether or not the People of Israel have the ability to defeat the Canaanite nations who dwell in the land.
The spies said:
"We came to the land into which you sent us and indeed it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the nation is mighty, those who inhabit the land, and the cities are greatly fortified to the utmost, and we also saw the offspring of the giant over there. Amalek dwells in the southern part of the land, the Chiti, Yevusi, and Emori dwell in the mountain and the Canaani dwell by the sea and next to the Yarden.
Calev silenced the people to Moshe and he said: 'We can surely go up [to the land] and we shall possess it for we are surely able to overcome it.' But the men who went up with him said: 'We are not able to go up against the nation for they are more powerful than we.'"(13:27-31)
Put simply, the spies saw mighty nations - they saw Amalek - and they were afraid. Yehoshua and Calev were not afraid.
Here is their report:
"The land through which we have passed to scout; the land is very, very good. If G-d desires us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. However, do not rebel against G-d and you do not be afraid of the nation of the land for they are [as] our bread, their protection is removed from them, and G-d is with us; do not be afraid of them." (14:7-9)
For Yehoshua, the victor over Amalek, fear of the nations is nonsense. What saves Yehoshua from fear of the nations - the fear that the other spies felt - was the power of Y-ah, that G-dly power over the enemies of Israel which he had been a part of in the war with Amalek.
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