Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Bris Milah Performed Before the Eighth Day or By a Non-Religious Jew

1. The Torah writes, "On the eight day bris milah should be performed" (Vayikra 12). Most Rishonim understand that the Torah commandment of Bris Milah must be performed on the eight day after birth, and if it is done earlier it is invalid. However the opinion of the Rosh (Shabbos 19,5) is that a bris performed before the eight day is considered valid.

2. What is the halachah? In one place the Rema (Yoreh Deah 262,1) seems to rule like leniently like the Rosh, yet in another place the Rema (Yoreh Deah 264,1) seems to rule stringently, that a bris performed within eight days is invalid.

3. Some explain that the Rema permits a milah done within eight days if it was performed by a Jew, but invalidates a milah done within eight days if it was performed by a non-Jew (Biur Hagolah, Yoreh Deah 264).

4. Most poskim disagree with the Rema (Taz, Shach, Gra, Chachmas Adam, Aruch Hashulchan, etc.) and consider a milah done with eight days to be invalid. The halachah follows these opinions, and one had a bris before the eighth day, e.g. the doctor in the hospital performed it, the bris should be repeated.

5. There is a second dispute amongst the Rishonim regarding a bris milah done by a non-religious Jew. The Rambam appears to be lenient, while other Rishonim consider such a bris to be invalid.

6. What is the halachah? While the Shulchan Aruch rules leniently like the Rambam, the Rema rules like the stringent opinions, and writes that even if the mila was already done, a small amount of blood should be removed by a religious mohel (hatafas dam bris).

7. Although one should definitely not use a non-religious mohel lechathila, a number of prominent poskim (Gra, Rav Akiva Eiger, etc.) write that if one already did the mila it can be relied on.

8. Modern day poskim (Minchas Yitzchak, Teshuvos V'Hanhagos, etc.) rule that in both of these questions one should preferably perform hatafas dam bris. However if it is very difficult, e.g. the person involved is very nervous to have blood drawn, then one can rely on the lenient opinions that the bris milah done early or by a non- religious Jew is valid. In all case a rav should be consulted.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Simcha of Succos

Written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis

(based on a derasha from

HaGaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita,

Ravad of Yerushalayim)


The High Point

While every Yom Tov is a time for simcha, on Succos marks a high point of joy. When we had the Beis Hamikdash Succos was celebrated with music, dancing and all kinds of rejoicing. Chazal tells us, "Whoever did not see the Simchas Beis Hashoeva, never saw simcha in their life." Why was the joy of Succos so much greater than any other time of year?

During Elul, Rosh Hashanah, the Eseres Yemei Teshuva and Yom Kippur, each and every Jew would do teshuva, and reaffirm his or her commitment to the mitzvos of the Torah. However, such a big undertaking entailed a risk that a person would be left feeling overburdened by the responsibility of keeping 613 mitzvos.

For this reason, straight after Yom Kippur the Torah gave us the festival of Succos, which is celebrated in a spirit of merriment. Seven days of non-stop celebrating in the Beis Hamikdash was more than enough to help anyone realize that our commitment to Torah and mitzvos is not a burden. On the contrary, we cannot contain our joy over this privilege.

On Succos we leave our permanent home to enter temporary ones. Our relocation to makeshift huts symbolizes the recognition that our stay in this world is fleeting. Lasting fulfillment cannot be found in this world, and can only be had in the world to come.

This concept is beautifully illustrated in the famous story of a wealthy individual from overseas who visited the house of the Chafetz Chaim in Poland. The guest asked his host why his home was so bare of furniture and comforts. The Chafetz Chaim replied by asking his guest where was all of his furniture. The traveller answered that he was just passing through and naturally had left most of his belongs at home. The Chafetz Chaim responded, "I am also just passing through this world on the way back to my real home, and I also do not want to overburden myself with belongings on my travels."

The Chafetz Chaim’s simple perspective on life shows us how we can experience true joy on Succos. By temporarily "leaving behind" all of the furniture and conveniences that fill the rooms of our homes, we hope to taste the eternal pleasures that lie in store for us in the world to come. If we incorporate this outlook into our daily living, we can experience the pleasure of Succos all year long.

Special Korbanos

On Succos we find a unique phenomenon that we do not see on other festivals. We are commanded to bring a total of seventy sacrifices, which Chazal tell us are for the benefit of the seventy nations of the world. Why is Succos the time when we bring korbanos for the non-Jews?

We can understand this directive with the following story. Rav Avraham ben Avraham was from a family of gentile aristocracy, yet decided to give up his status to become a righteous convert. His family, who were very devout in their religious beliefs, ordered him to renounce his Jewish faith or be burned at the stake. Rav Avraham refused to compromise, and chose to die al kiddush Hashem.

Rav Araham was very close to the Gaon of Vilna, who told him that he could release him using one of the names of Hashem. The righteous Rav Avraham refused the offer, explaining that if he was freed people might think that he had agreed to renounce his faith. He was not willing to risk such a misconception.

As the holy Rav Avraham was being led to his death, the non-Jews who were instructed to carry out his sentence trembled. They recognized the holy spark in Rav Avraham’s soul and, being devout believers, they were concerned about Divine retribution for perpetrating his execution. Fearfully they begged Rav Avraham to renounce any claim before the Heavenly Court against those who were instructed to burn him.

Rav Avraham responded sharply, "Do you think that when I get to Heaven I will spare a thought for you! I will be basking in the Divine Presence and will be completely distanced from this world and people such as yourselves!”

Seferim say that when Rav Avraham made the blessing on Kiddush Hashem the entire universe shook as a result of the tremendous sanctification of his act.

We rejoice on Succos after experiencing the purification of Yom Kippur. Every Jew who did teshuva properly sits in the shade of the Shechinah – in his sukkah – and experiences the World to Come. There is no greater joy to be had in this world.

So too, a Jew sitting in his sukkah exists in an entirely different dimension than members of the other nations who dwell on Earth. Therefore, the Torah commands us to bring the seventy sacrifices during Succos in order to show that this seemingly massive offering that is brought in their merit, is a drop in the bucket compared to the reward that we experience in this world and the world to come. Like Rav Avraham the righteous convert, we are in a class of our own and have no real connection to them at all.

Separate But Together

On the Yom Tov of Succos we hold the lulav, hadasim, and aravos in one hand, and the esrog in the other. What is the deeper meaning behind the dividing of the arba minim between two hands?

The Medrash explains that each of the minim represents a different type of Jew. Lulav is a Jew who is strong in Torah learning and weak in mitzvos, hadasim a Jew strong in mitzvos but weak in Torah, and aravos represents a Jew weak in both areas. The esrog symbolizes the true talmid chacham who excels in both Torah and mitzvos.

Chazal stress the importance of all of these Jews living together. Each one has a contribution to make, and their unification is the beauty of Klal Yisrael. This is symbolized by the bringing of all the minim together.

Yet while unity is extremely important, a talmid chacham must maintain some level of separation. His place is with Hashem and if he gets too close to others he will lose his elevated level. Therefore the esrog is held in a different hand than the rest of the arbas haminim.

Succos is a time when all Jews rejoice in the knowledge that we are close to Hashem after Yom Kippur. Every Jew can reach an unparalleled level of simcha that he can not feel the rest of the year.

Let us hope that this year we will celebrate Succos in Yerushalayim with the building of the Beis Hamikdash and the coming of moshiach tzidkenu.

(Rabbi Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim and is the author of Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy – A Daily Tefilla Companion" a practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. For more information about his work contact dytravis@actcom.com.)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Giving With Joy A Different View of Simcha

Written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis

(based on a derasha by

HaGaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita,

Ravad of Yerushalayim )


Giving To Ourselves

"When you come to the land that the Almighty has given you as an inheritance and settle there. And you have taken the first of every fruit – the bikurim – from the land that the Almighty has given you and put it in a basket…and the Kohen will take the basket from your hands” (Devarim 26: 1 - 4).

The bikurim were among the many gifts that the Jewish people gave to the Kohanim and Leviim in exchange for their service in the Beis Hamikdash. They were also sustained by gifts of fruits and vegetables in the form of terumos u'maaser, wool from the reshis hagez, and meat from the zaroyah lechayim v'keiva. At first glance the Torah seems to have assigned the tribe of Levi to an eternal fate of being "schnorers," forever dependent on the “hand-outs” of their fellows Jews for every aspect of their existence.

But if we look deeper, we will see that just the opposite is true. Kohanim are the agents transferring Hashem's blessing to the Jewish people through Birkas Kohanim. By assigning the Kohanim to be the ones to bless the Jew people, the Torah is showing us that in truth when we give to them we are actually on the receiving end.

Giving these gifts allowed us to form a partnership with the Kohanim and Leviim. The Torah gives us the opportunity to support the ovdei Hashem and thereby acquire a share in their holy service. In this sense, the gifts to the Tribe of Levi were the ultimate bargain – mere worldly produce in exchange for a priceless connection to the Almighty and the World to Come.

Recognizing Good

"And you shall rejoice with all the good that Hashem has given you" (Devarim 26,11).

Many of us find ourselves beset by problems in our lives which, if we let them, could cause us to sink into a state of despair. When overwhelmed with responsibilities and troubles, how can we recognize all of the good that the Almighty has bestowed upon us?

By giving to others we can get a real glimpse into how much we have been given by Hashem, and this brings us to a state of simcha.

Since it is not always easy for us to feel simcha upon giving away our hard-won earnings, the mitzvah of Bikurim is accompanied by a special viduy. We humbly concede that we have listened to "the voice of Hashem" and done all that He has commanded. In order to grant the mitzvah its full impact, we need to bear in mind that the Almighty has specifically asked us to give away our money.

Shulchan Aruch obligates us to give tzedaka with joy. Whatever we are able to distribute, we should do it with simcha. Even if we give a large sum, if we do so with a sour face, we are transgressing the Torah's will, and we do not fulfill the mitzvah of tzedaka.

One Gaon once said, "It is difficult for me to give tzedaka as I do not have any money. However it is even harder for me to refuse in the proper way." If we can only give a small donation, we should give it joyously and express our appreciation for the opportunity to have a share in this mitzvah.

The Torah obligates us to give charity for our own benefit, for the giver actually reaps more benefit than more than the receiver. For this reason these gifts are referred to as tzedaka, from the word tzedek, justice. Money distributed to tzedaka is really owed, and by giving it away, we are merely carrying out our obligation to distribute it.

Even someone so poor that he is not able to give tzedaka can find ways to enjoy the Almighty's overwhelming kindness. Rav Shternbuch's Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Shneider, related that the talmidei talmidim of the Vilna Gaon learned Torah in a state of dire poverty, something which could potentially lower one's spirits. How did they ensure that they would stay b’simcha and focus on all the good that Hashem bestowed on them?

Every erev Shabbos they would visit the local hospital in Vilna. When they saw all of the sick people there, they felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to the Almighty that He had preserved their health for another week. In this way they always recognized all of the good that they received and remained in a state of joy.

Seize the Moment

"Because you did not serve Hashem with joy and good-heartedness when you had everything" (Devarim 38,47).

Based on the above we can understand why the Torah promises such harsh treatment if we fail to serve the Almighty with joy. Hashem gave us Bikurim and other mitzvos to help us to recognize how much good we have. If we are not able to appreciate all He has bestowed upon us, it will be taken away so we can look back and realize how blessed we actually were.

We can apply this concept to the month of Elul and the upcoming judgment on Rosh Hashanah. If we recognize now what is incumbent upon us and prepare ourselves properly while the opportunity is still in our hands, we can hope to receive a year of beracha.

Rav Chaim Brisker offered the following parable to help us wake up and internalize our situation as we progress through Elul:

There was once a Jew who hired a wagon driver to smuggle his entire fortune over the border. Since the Jew stood to lose all of his money if his plan failed, he was plagued by nervousness for the entire month prior to the fateful day.

The wagon driver, on the other hand, was used to this type of work, and although he would be punished severely if caught, he only started worrying a week ahead.

Only one member of this team was calm from start to end – the horse that pulled the wagon. He had no clue that he was participating in such a dangerous operation, and that something bad could happen. Both before and during the smuggling operation, the horse was completely calm.

So, too, said Rav Chaim, those tzadikim who recognize how much they have to lose on Rosh Hashanah, start to worry during at the beginning of Elul. They fill the entire month with prayers and pleading for Divine mercy. Individuals with less awareness and less at stake only wake up a week before, during selichos. Unfortunately, some people are like the horse and even on Rosh Hashanah they have no idea what is transpiring.

Wake Up!

Chazal describe two levels of sleep, sheina and tenuma. Sheina is a normal state of sleep, and if a person is shaken he can be woken up. Tenuma is a heavy state of slumber, and arousing a person in this state is much more difficult.

The tochachos that we read on Parshas Ki Savo were meant to shake us out of our sleep. In our generation, our hearts are less sensitive and waking up is much more difficult. Only someone who is ready to open up his heart and dedicate himself to Hashem, stands a chance of waking up from the deep slumber that encompasses the world today.

(Rabbi Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim and is the author of Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy – A Daily Tefilla Companion" a practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. For more information about his work contact dytravis@actcom.com.)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The Secret Weapon, Strategies for a Meaningful Elul

Written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis

(based on a derasha from

HaGaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita,

Ravad of Yerushalayim)


Going to War

"When you go out to war against your enemy, and Hashem delivers him into your hands…” (Devarim 21:10). One might expect the Torah, when talking about victory in battle, to address the entire army. So why does the pasuk use the singular form of “you,” apparently addressing each person individually?

Seforim explain that the enemy referred to here is the yetzer hara which attacks each person daily. The Torah reveals that we are incapable of fighting this enemy on our own. Only if Hashem delivers the enemy straight into our hands can we hope for success.

The Chofetz Chaim points out another aspect of this struggle. "When you go out to war" implies that a person can only win this fight if he is willing to engage in combat. Once he has taken up arms, Hashem will take charge and help him to win the war.

Strategy, tactics, and armaments are just a few of the factors that play a key role in military victory. So too, when battling the yetzer hara, without weapons and a battle plan, a person has little chance of prevailing.

What would happen if a person chooses not to fight, and rather lets nature take its course? Without taking the initiative to do battle, he has no chance of winning. His life will surely be destroyed by the tailor-made tactics of the yetzer hara. Furthermore, since every Jew is obligated to strive to overcome his yetzer hara to the best of his ability, and one who lays down his arms stands of losing part of his portion in the World to Come.

While melachim were created with no evil inclination, man has a yetzer hara which burns eternal within him. From the moment he is born until he breathes his last breath, he is engaged in a constant struggle. Only someone who understands the serious nature of this war will ever come out on top.

Releasing Captives

"And you see amongst the captives a beautiful woman" (Devarim 21,11). The Zohar explains that the captive referred to in the pasuk is our mitzvos. When we transgress, our mitzvos are taken away from us.

How can we free these prisoners of war? Mitzvos taken captive are not lost; they can be freed. Teshuvah allows us to get back the mitzvos we lost, and return them to our credit.

Some sifre mussar state that one way to overcome the yetzer hara and bring ourselves to teshuvah is to recognize the insignificance of our own existence compared to the Almighty Creator. "The difference between man and beast is nothing," and by grasping how small we are we can serve Him properly. The end of man is the worm. The Ba’alei Mussar say that if we can develop an awareness of this harsh truth while we are still alive, we can yearn for true greatness in the World to Come.

Others take an opposite approach and recommend that a person focus on the G-d-given potential for greatness that lies in each and every Jew – even you. Hashem has placed Man at the center of the universe, and the entire heavenly assembly must wait for Man’s cue before it can do anything. Developing awareness of this great responsibility should instill a feeling of awe within us, and propel us to reach higher level of Divine service.

These two approaches regarding the proper approach to serving Hashem, are expressed in Hilchos Shofar. Those who favor the approach of humility rule that the shofar should be curved, to show that we are bowed before G-d in humility. Others say that the shofar should be straight, symbolizing how a Jew should stand upright and proud in his Divine service.

Choose Your Weapon

Tefilah and Torah are the primary tools we have to fight the yetzer hara. However transgressions taint our actions and weaken the potency of even the most powerful weapons. Under such circumstances, Hashem no longer has interest in our actions.

Many of us are plagued by irrelevant thoughts that disturb our prayers. The Zohar explains the source of these interruptions. Klipos of tumah which are created when we transgress are summoned especially to disturb our prayers.

Rav Eliyah Lopian once pointed out how careful we must be to protect ourselves from this outside interference. Hashem hears what is passing through our mind as if it was actual speech. Imagine the disgrace when our tefilos arrive in Shamayim together with all of the irrelevant thoughts that accompanied our prayers!

"I created the yetzer hara and I created Torah as its antidote" (Kedushin 30b). Torah is a powerful weapon against the yetzer hara when learnt with the proper intentions. Torah studied like any other academic discipline does not have the power to overcome this masterful enemy.

"We should all know Your name and learn Torah with pure intentions". Torah requires that a person recognize who his Source is. At the same time we should try and study Torah with the intention of bringing ourselves closer to Hashem.

Rav David Karliner used to learn Torah with the words "Place Hashem before you at all times" written on his shtender. Rav Reuven Bengis once asked him, "Why do you need this?" Rav Karliner replied, "I don't want to forget for even one moment that I am studying the Torah of Hashem!"

Getting the Most Out of Elul

While most of the world does not recognize Elul as different from any other time of year, Klal Yisrael knows that this month is a period of tremendous Divine mercy and compassion. During this time Hashem yearns for us to return to Him. Those who make use of this time will be rewarded greatly, as expressed in the following parable told in Medrash Tehillim.

A king once made an elaborate banquet. To his great dismay, no one turned up to the affair, and. As he awaited his guests alone in his grand dining room, the monarch was filled with anger and was ready to issue a harsh decree against his subjects.

The king was just about to act, when a few beloved subjects turned up to his banquet. He was pacified, and decided to forego his decree. Said the king, "Because you came, you saved everyone from punishment."

So too, even though we have been invited by the King and He awaits our presence, many people still fail to “show up” for Elul. Those loyal subjects of the King who do take the time and effort to make Elul what it should be, give tremendous nachas ruach to Hashem. Every one of us should look within and sincerely try to use this precious time to come closer to our Creator.

(Rabbi Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim and is the author of Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy – A Daily Tefilla Companion" a practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. For more information about his work contact dytravis@actcom.com.)

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