Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev

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Volume XIII - Issue 15

The DRS Weekly Torah Publication
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By Marc Eichenbaum, 12th Grade, Maggid
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I
would like to thank Jeremy Teichman for the following Dvar Torah. We know that when a person gets tzaraas he essentially has a
certain type of impurity that requires an him to separate himself from everyone else. What type of tumah, or impurity, is this? Is it
physical? Is it contagious? We know that there are ways of avoiding this punishment by possibly pulling out the white hairs t hat are
required in order for one to be classified as tumah; therefore, it can not be a physical tumah. Furthermore, there are times that we do not
even check the person, for instance on a chag or a recently married chassan who we do not want to separate from the kallah. Therefore,
this cannot be considered a contagious tumah either. So what is the essence of this tumah that is tzaraas that makes one leave the camp?
A second question we could ask is: what type of punishment is tzaraas all together? The way tzaaras habayis works is very bi-
zarre. We break down a wall and then we find behind this wall a great reward of money that the person did not have before. In addition to
that, the Torah describes it Knega, meaning like an affliction. Rashi explains that we say knega and not nega because we do not
even want to refer to it as something bad. So really, what is the element of this punishment if the end result is a better than what we start-
ed with due to the rewards it brings?
Rav Moshe Feinstein answers this second question in his sefer, Derash Moshe, explaining, that since you have to lose in order to
gain, its really not much of a reward. A Mashal to this idea is a basketball player who wins a game of basketball and scored an efficient
7 out of 12 shots taken during the game. Yet, he is upset because of the fact that he missed those five shots, in spite of the fact that he still
(Continued on page 2)


B
irth is one of the happiest and most significant occurrences in life. Yet,
in this weeks parsha we read A woman who conceives and gives birth
to a son shall be ritually impure for seven days (12:2). Tumah is usual-
ly associated with negative experiences such as death and tzaraas. If birth is one
of the most joyous of days, why is a mother who just gave birth become tamei,
ritually impure? Furthermore, why is there a difference between the birth of a
boy, where the mother is tamei for seven days, and the birth of a girl, where the
mother is tamei for fourteen days?

Rabbi Frand offers the following answer to this question. The gemara in
Nidah (31a) says that there are three partners in the creation of a person; the fa-
ther, the mother, and Hashem. From here we see that when a woman conceives a
child she is actually partners with Hashem, and therefore is closer to Him. Dur-
ing the entire pregnancy the woman is close to Hashem and very holy. The Ku-
zari defines tumah as the absence of kedusha; whenever kedusha leaves, tumah
fills its spot. After a woman gives birth, the extra kedusha of being a partner with
(Continued on page 2)
Room to Improve
By Avrumi Blisko, 12th Grade, Editor-in-Chief
PARSHAS TAZRIA -
METZORA
6 IYAR, 5772
APRIL 28, 2012

All Zmanim are calculated by myzmanim.com for
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2

Hashem no longer exists. Consequently, tumah takes the place
of the kedusha and the woman is considered tamei. This also
explains the difference between the births of boys and the birth
of girls. When a women is pregnant with a boy she becomes
holy and therefore is tamei when the kedusha leaves. However,
when a woman is pregnant with a girl, she becomes even more
holy, since she is not only a creator and partner with Hashem,
but she is carrying a potential future creator and partner with
Hashem. As a result, a woman pregnant with a girl attains dou-
ble the amount of kedusha than does a woman pregnant with a
boy; therefore, she also is tamei for double the amount of days
after childbirth than a woman pregnant with a boy.

Have a great Shabbos!
(Marc Eichenbaum Continued from page 1)
shot a respectable percentage and won the basketball game. The same is true
by a baseball player who hits a stellar .300 batting average. We consider him
to be terrific, yet the truth of the matter is that he fails to get a hit in 7 out of
every 10 at bats. This is what athletes do; they try to perfect every asset of
their game. This is along the same lines as what Rav Moshe exaplined.
Tzaraas is not a great reward, because a wise person realizes that failures
came before this reward. The fact that he had to knock down the wall in order
to get this reward takes the joy out of it, because this demonstrates to the
person the significance of his failure.
Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky writes in the Emes LYaakov that tzaraas
is extremely fascinating in that obviously it is not a physical, nor contagious
tumah since there are several ways to avoid being considered impure, as we
mentioned previously. If that is so, what is the purpose of tzaraas? Answers
Rav Yaakov an unbelievable chidush: The purpose of tzaaras is to be used as
a form of communication by Hashem to tell us what He thinks of what we are
doing, and to keep us on the same page as Him. Hashem is telling us where
we stand. Hashem gives us tzaraas to inform us that what we are doing is not
the right thing, for instance we are speaking Lashon HaRa, or doing one of
the 6 other actions mentioned in the Gemara that brings forth tzaraas. It is in
our hands whether we want to take these messages to heart, or if we want to
just ignore them and pull out the white hairs from the tzaraas to stay in the
camp with everyone else.
If we combine both these ideas together, we can learn a valuable
lesson. It is of utmost importance to not just settle for where you are standing
in your yidishkeit. Every single good coach, even after a 40-point victory,
watches the film of the game to point out the flaws and weaknesses of his
team to improve on them and perfect them in every single aspect. It is already
Iyaar, Shavuous is literally right around the corner, and we have the oppor-
tunity to say to ourselves, Look, I wanted to be at this certain level at this
point, but unfortunately Im at this level instead. Fortunately though, we still
have the time to work on ourselves before this year is over, to grow and im-
prove. However, we cannot work on ourselves until we acknowledge our
mistakes. We can pull out the white hairs we have and just ignore the
flaws, or we can sit, think, and work on those flaws instead. This is the lesson
of Parshas Metzora: Every time we do something bad, it doesnt mean we
should forget about it and cover up for it, rather we should analyze it and try
to work, in order to improve ourselves.

Good Shabbos!
(Avrumi BliskoContinued from page 1)
Torah Teasers
By Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum


Questions
1. Aside from , which other baby is circumcised
explicitly in the Torah?
2. Where does the number 33 appear in the ? b)
Where else in " is the number 33 mentioned?
(Once in the and once in (
3. Which colors appear in the ?
4. What word must be called out by a person in
the two times?
5.What other found in requires one to
call out a word twice?

Answers
1. In , the second son of is
circumcised by his mother ): (.
2. After the birth of a boy, the mother is for 33
days (:). b) In , when went down
to , the descendents from numbered 33
(: ). In the it states that ruled 33
years in ): (.
3. The following colors appear in the all
relating to the laws of - : white (:(, -
red (:(, ) yellowish gold (:), - black
(:), and - greenish yellow(:(.
4. A must call out the words " ):(."
5. In , a must answer the oath of the
with the words " ): (."

Questions
1.Which two people in the Torah were explicitly in-
flicted with ?
2. What inorganic object is described in this as
being alive?
3. What else in the is described as being alive?
4. What body part appears in this and nowhere
else in the Torah?
5. What country appears in the ?

Answers
1.In , the hand of Moshe was temporarily
inflicted with at the burning bush (: (.
In , was inflicted with for
speaking against her brother Moshe
(: (.
2.The water used for the purification of the must
be " " - living waters (:). It refers to water
from a natural spring : (. ) " "
3.The must take two birds for a . These birds
are desribed as " " - living birds):(.
4.Eyebrows are mentioned in the and nowhere
else in the entire Torah. The as part of his
purification must shave off all his hair includ-
ing " " - his eyebrows (:(.
5. appears in the since it is the place
where can appear on the houses (:).
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 3

1 Iyar
Egypt was afflicted by the first biblical plague.
An Israelite gathered wood on Shabbat in the Midbar. This
marked the first public violation of Shabbat.
Moshe was ordered, in the second year of the exodus, to
take a census of the Jewish people.
The foundation of the Second Temple was laid, 537 B.C.E.

2 Iyar
Shlomo HaMelech began the construction of the Beit
HaMikdash.
The Supreme Council of the Peace Conference recognized
the Balfour Declaration and proclaimed Eretz Yisrael a mandat-
ed territory under British administration, 1920.
The British army liberated the Belsen camp and its 40,000
inmates, 1945.

3 Iyar
Portuguese Marranos who had reverted to Judaism were
burned in Ancona, Italy by order of the Pope, 1556. The atrocity
of Ancona led the famous Dona Gracia of the House of Nasi to
spearhead a boycott against the port of Ancona as a counter-
measure to the Pope's repressive policies. This marked the first
Jewish effort, since the beginning of the Diaspora, at a far
reaching, concerted drive by the free Jewish communities of the
world to hit back at their enemies.
The establishment of Jewish congregations in Lower Aus-
tria was prohibited, 1857.
Mordecai Anielewicz, commander in chief of the uprising
in the ghetto of Warsaw, was killed in action, 1943.
Bet She'an was captured by the Hagana, 1948.

4 Iyar
Solomon ibn Gabirol was born in Malaga, Spain, 1021.
Rambam and his family left North Africa for Eretz Yisrael,
1165. He designated the anniversary of this departure a private
day of fast and prayer.
Yahrzeit of Rabbi Joseph Baer Soloveichik, head of Yeshi-
vah of Volozhin, author of responsa Bet ha Levi, 1892.


5 Iyar
A decree issued prohibiting the import by Russian Jews of
books in any language, 1800.
Joseph Rivlin laid the cornerstone of the first private home
to be erected outside the wall of Jerusalem marking the begin-
ning of the modern Yishuv, 1869.
Israel was proclaimed an independent state, 1948. The first
legislative act of the provisional government of the State of Isra-
el provided for the repeal of the British White Paper of 1939,
which had restricted Jewish immigration and the acquisition of
land in Eretz Yisrael. The Haftara on the Sabbath following the
promulgation of the law of unrestricted Jewish immigration into
Israel was the ninth chapter of Amos. "And I will return the cap-
tivity of my people Israel. And they shall build the waste cities
and inhabit them...and they shall no more be plucked up out of
their land which I have given them, says G d."

6 Iyar
Many Jews of Cordova, Spain, were massacred by the sol-
diers of Suleiman ibn Al Hakim, 1013.
Special privileges and immunities were granted to the Jews
of Burgos, Spain, 1295.
Yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi b. Gershom (Ralbag, a.k.a. Ger-
sonides), philosopher and exegete, author of a popular commen-
tary on the Pentateuch, 1344.
British mandate over Eretz Yisrael went into effect, 1920.
This date became known as San Remo Day.
The British mandate over Eretz Yisrael came to an end,
1948, exactly 28 years after it began.
The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon in-
vaded Israel, 1948
The Arab Legion captured Neveh Ya' akov, the last Jewish
settlement north of Jerusalem, 1948.

7 Iyar
The new walls built by Nechemya around Jerusalem were
dedicated, 443 B.C.E. This date was observed as a holiday in
ancient times. A little over 500 years later, the Jews surrendered
the wall, on the same day, to the Romans.
The Rindfleisch massacres of Jews began at Rottingen,
Germany and spread through more than 150 Jewish communi-
ties, 1298.
0 2012
This Week in
Jewish History
Collected By
Benjamin Watman,
11th Grade
Taken from http://tannentorah.com
4

As an introduction to this column, I
would just like to say that the articles will
only be covering a very small amount of the
beautiful and lengthy words of our Rabbis.
The amount we can learn from Pirkei Avos is
endless, and rightfully cannot fit into one arti-
cle. Everybody should take a little time and explore into the depths
of knowledge and wisdom and learn from every word.

Perek 2

Mishna 2: Raban Gamliel the son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: Torah study is good together with an occupation, for exertion of both
of them makes sin forgotten.
The Chasam Sofer writes that ones main occupation should be the study of Torah. If a person is not able to do so, he should
support those whose occupation is the study of Torah as well as set aside time for his own learning each day.
Furthermore, we learn out from the pasuk in Bereishis Bzeas Apecha Tochal Lechem that one should always have the inten-
tions that his/her actions throughout the day are leshaim shamayim. Whether it be working, eating, relaxing, or sleeping, we should al-
ways have in mind that we are doing these things in order so that we are able to serve Hashem.

Mishna 6: And in a place where there are no leaders, strive to be a leader.
Various Rishonim tell us that this is not mere advice rather this is a responsibility. This is something that we have to do. If Klal
Yisroel is lacking a leader, one should step up and take upon that role.
Other Rishonim interpret this Mishna to mean that a person should not ever sit back and relax his/her religious standards. Even
at a time when you are alone and there is no one there to see it, be a leader to yourself. Lead yourself to strive for greatness in Torah and
Emunah.

Mishna 8: In this Mishna we see a powerful lesson of true happiness. The Mishna starts by listing all the materialistic items which we
think brings happiness. The after each one the Mishna says how it will only bring pains and sorrows. Then the Mishna describes true
happiness. The Mishna lists all different ways how Torah affects life. More Torah learning leads to more life, more charity leads to more
peace It is clear that our spiritual life and our physical life are intermingled. We achieve true happiness through Torah and other Jew-
ish values and not through empty materials. We obtain happiness in our physical life with our spiritual life.

Perek 3

Mishna 1:
Akavia ben Mahalalel says: Consider three things and you will not fall into the hands of sin know whither you go to a
place of dust, worms and maggots.
Why does the Mishna say that everyone should remember that one day we will end up six feet underground in a coffin? How is
that going to keep one away from sin?
The answer to this is quiet simple. We must always remember that our purpose on this world is not really for us to gain as much
physical pleasure as possible rather to do deeds that will gain us pleasure in the world to come. On a daily basis people are faced with
physical versus spiritual dilemmas. Whether it be going to minyan or sleep a little more, or taking time out to help a friend instead of
doing something you find fun. If we all just remember that at the end of the day, what happened to those minutes that I took for myself?
Am I that much happier and have I benefited so much from those minutes that I took for myself? Everyone will see that clearly the
choice you really want to make is going the spiritual path and then take those rewards with you after your physical life is over.

Mishna 4:
Rabbi Shimon says: If three people have eaten a meal together and no words of Torah were spoken at the meal it is as if they
have eaten of offerings to the dead idols, as it said: For all tables are full of vomitand filth, without Omnipresent (Isaiah 28:8)
This seems to be a very extreme statement by Rabbi Shimon to say that just because some people didnt say divrei Torah at
their meal, so now they are idol worshipers? Maybe they were just having a friendly meal on their lunch break?
Rabeinu Yonah explains that in this situation, because the meal consists of three men, they are required to make a mezuman for
when they bench. Therefore since they have to wait for everyone to finish in order to say birchas hamazon, there is no reason not to say
divrei Torah. Furthermore, the Rambam adds that the context of the pasuk quoted by the Mishna is regarding someone that eats exces-
sively. So it is apparent that the Mishna is telling us that this is a case of a person, whose priorities are mixed up. The man is so caught
up in his eating that he doesnt take a little bit of time to say some words of Torah. We must all remember to keep all of our important
priorities in life on the top of our list and dont get confused about the order of the list. We must put our spiritual priorities first and fore-
most in life followed by our physical needs and wants. This is not to ay that you cant eat without saying any divrei Torah, but we must
remember that life is not just about the physical moment.
(Continued on page 5)
Corner
By Jonny Perlman,
12th Grade
Perek 2-3
Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 5

Parshas Metzora discusses the different types of tzaaras that could potentially afflict an individual; namely, bodily
tzaraas, tzaraas on clothing, and tzaraas on the walls of a house. Rashi distinguishes between the types of tzaraas. Tzaraas
on ones clothing or body is a sign that he has sinned and must perform teshuvah. However, the tzaraas on the walls of a
house signify that the former inhabitants hid valuable items behind the walls. Through this second type of tzaraas, the home-
owner receives the great news that there are hidden treasures in his house. Rashi uses this to explain why the law of tzaraas
on walls did not apply until the Jews entered Eretz Yisroel: Since the reason for the law is the former inhabitants habit of
hiding valuables in the walls, and this practice took place primarily in Eretz Yisroel, it makes sense that the law did not ap-
ply until Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisroel.
The Ramban disagrees with Rashi. He holds that there is no distinction between the varieties of tzaraas. According
to the Ramban, all three varieties are signs that one has sinned and Hashem is distancing Himself from that person until he
does teshuvah. Based on this, the Ramban argues with Rashis answer as to why the law only applies upon entering into Er-
etz Yisroel. Only once Bnei Yisroel have settled the land and obtained a level of tranquility and serenity could they focus on
coming closer to Hashem, which is the reason that one would get tzaraas in the first place.
An important yesod can be derived from this Ramban. That is, that we need menuchas hanefesh to maintain a strong
connection with Hashem. Sefer Orchos Tzadikim explains that worry can lead an individual to distance himself from Ha-
shem in terms of torah, tefillah, and mitzvos. Instead of worrying about unimportant matters, we should place our faith in
Hashem, and in this way we will have a deeper kesher with Hashem than we have ever had before.
Good Shabbos.

Adapted from Al Harishonim by Rabbi Aryeh Brueckheimer
Mishna 8:
Rabbi Elazar of Bartosa says: Give Him from His Own, for you and your possessions are His.
The Rav says that these words are saying that we have to remember that everything we have is not ours rather it belongs to
Hashem. Man should not withhold any of his wealth from being used for something that is of the wishes of heaven. The Meiri goes far-
ther to say that the Mishna is a call out to those who are stingy in their wealth. They must know that all their wealth is really Hashems
and we must be ready to return at an instant. Not only do we have to give back to Hashem what is rightfully His, we must always do it
in a happy and blissful manner.
(Pirkei Avos Corner Continued from page 4)
ber me? No, Im sorry did we meet before? she responded. "Yes. You see there is a particular reason I came into your store today I
used to live here and this time I was just passing by but I wanted to give you my business, even though I was only buying a few things.
What are you talking about? Yonis mother asked. Twenty years ago I used to live around here and came all the time to buy
milk and bread... One day you noticed that I looked really down and you were so nice and asked me why I was so down and I confided in
you. I told you that I was going through a very difficult time and on top of that I was pregnant and planning on having an abortion. As
soon as I said abortion you called your husband over and the two of you didnt seem to care about your own store but sat down and
patiently listened to me and I remember what you said.
You told me that it is true that I was going through a hard time but sometimes the good things in life come through difficulty,
and the best things come through the biggest difficulties. You spoke of the joy of being a mother and that the most beautiful word to hear
in the Hebrew language is Ima (mother) when spoken by ones child.. you both spoke and spoke until I was convinced that I actually
should have this baby- so you see G-d paid you back!
What do you mean? asked Yonis mother. I had a boy twenty years ago that you saved by telling me to think twice before doing
the abortion. With happy tears she declared, "My beloved Yair wouldnt have been alive if not for you. He was the one you were looking
for. He was the one who grew up to save your son, Yonis life!"
Note: This incredible story is true.
(Stories of Greatness Continued from page 6)
Hashem
Kesher with
Creating A
By Eli Lonner,
12th Grade
6


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With Yom Haatzmaut and Yom Hazikaron just a few
days ago, I decided to share a story that shows the
amazing miracles that take place in Israel today. This
story shows both the amazing dedication and kindness
between soldiers in the IDF, and the comradeship of
Israeli citizens. It is a mere glimpse of how great Isra-
el truly is. Taken from www.friendsofefrat.org:
Yoni, an Israeli Defense Force soldier sta-
tioned in Hebron, was shot by an Arab terrorist. It hap-
pened very early in the morning, and no one else was
awake to hear it. Yoni passed out and was bleeding
steadily, his life was heading toward a silent end.
But another soldier stationed nearby heard the
shot and went to investigate. He found a fellow Israeli
soldier bleeding to death. He tried the best he could to
stop the bleeding and called for help. Waiting for help
to arrive, he kept applying pressure to the wound- liter-
ally holding Yoni's life in his hands.
Yoni was taken to a hospital in Beer Sheva
where he underwent surgery. Yoni's parents were noti-
fied and they rushed to the hospital. Imagine the fear
of the parents who were only told "your son has been
injured and is in the hospital." When they arrived the
doctor told them that Yoni was shot but will be alright.
Had it not been for the immediate actions of the other
soldier, their son Yoni would have bled to death. It
was a miracle that the other soldier heard what no one
else heard, and managed to locate Yoni as quickly as
he did. The parents wanted to thank that soldier, but he
had just left the hospital after hearing that the soldier
he helped would survive.
While recuperating at home, Yoni and his
parents called the army to find out the name of the
other soldier so they could thank him personally. Un-
fortunately, that soldier's name was not recorded and
although they tried to ask around they simply couldnt
track down who that other soldier was.
Yoni's mother knew that the important thing
of course is that Yoni is well, yet she couldnt help
feeling that as long as she couldnt meet and thank the
solider who bravely saved her sons life- the entire
frightening episode is still not fully over. Not being
able to thank the soldier continued to give her an emp-
ty feeling but then she had an idea.
The couple owned a grocery store in Kiryat
Malachi (a town near Ashkelon), so they decided to
put up a sign in the store, describing what happened,
figuring that Israel is a small country and eventually
they might found out who the mystery soldier was.
Months passed with no response. Finally, one
morning about a year later, a woman customer noticed
the sign hanging by the door of the store. She recalled
how happy her son Yair was when he came home one
Friday night and told them how he heard a shot and
was able to save another soldiers life in Hebron. She
went back and told the owner of the store. The story
matched. The two women now decided to try to reach
their sons on cell phones and see if they could meet at
the store. Fortunately it turned out that both the young
men and even the fathers were able to all meet that
afternoon at the store.
The families soon gathered for an emotional
"rendezvous". The soldiers recounted army experienc-
es and finally after all this time Yonis mother could
stand up and thank Yair for saving her sons life or as
she put it, You saved my world. She looked forward
to feeling completion after all this time by thanking
the soldier, but little did she know that the story was
hardly complete.
After the tearful thank you, Yairs mother
quietly pulled her aside and asked to speak with her
outside. The two women went out alone. And she
asked Yonis mother: Look at me- you dont remem-
(Continued on page 5)