The Wise Son: The Missing Answer

Among the Four Sons listed during the Seder, we identify most with the Wise Son. We don't really accept the premise of the Wicked Son (we might criticize children today for acting badly, but we don't identify them as "bad" or wicked children), and we like to hope that our children grow out of being either Simple or that they Don't Know to Ask.
Which leaves us with the Wise Son. Who among us don't really, deep down in our heart, consider our children "Wise"? Moreover, looking at his question, we recognize that his question is excellent:

חָכָם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר? מַה הָעֵדוֹת וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֱלֹקינוּ אֶתְכֶם?

What does the Wise Son say? "What are the testimonies, statutes and dictates that the Lord our God commanded you?"

In fact, we find this exact question in the Torah, as Moshe instructs the Jewish people,

כִּי-יִשְׁאָלְךָ בִנְךָ מָחָר, לֵאמֹר:  מָה הָעֵדֹת, וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֱלֹקינוּ, אֶתְכֶם.

When your son asks you in time to come, saying: 'What is the meaning of the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which the Lord our God has commanded you? (Devarim 6:20)

Ibn Ezra explains that the word מה – does not mean "what", but instead means למה – "what is the reason". In essence, the Wise Son asks, "Why do we do keep of these commandments?" It's not just an ancient question found in the Chumash. Rather, it's an eternal question, asked by children – good, wise children – throughout Jewish history.
Every Jewish parent should not only expect this question, but should hope for it. We want our children to ask. We want them to inquire about why we do what we do. But, if we want them to ask good questions, we better be ready with good answers. What indeed do we tell them when they ask us, "Why should I keep the Torah? Why do you keep the Torah?" (Because I said so only works for the first few years. After that, you'll need to provide a better answer.)
The Hagaddah provides an answer – and that's where we begin to run into problems.

וְאַף אַתָּה אֱמָר לוֹ כְּהִלְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח: אֵין מַפְטִירִין אַחַר הַפֶּסַח אֲפִיקוֹמָן.

You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of Passover, [up to] `one is not to eat any dessert after the Passover-lamb.

What is the relevance of the answer we give him to his question? He's asking why we keep the commandments, and we're talking about dessert and the Korban Pesach? This isn't my own question, either. Ritva, is his commentary to the Hagadah writes,

וקשה, מה ענין תשובה זו לשאלה זו?

This is difficult, as what is the relevance of the answer to the question?

Moreover, we ourselves need not search for an answer to this great question, as Moshe Rabbeinu has already provided us a wonderful, powerful answer. Right after telling us what our children will ask us in the future, Moshe teaches us how to answer them.

וְאָמַרְתָּ לְבִנְךָ, עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם; וַיֹּצִיאֵנוּ ה' מִמִּצְרַיִם, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה.  וַיִּתֵּן ה' אוֹתֹת וּמֹפְתִים גְּדֹלִים וְרָעִים בְּמִצְרַיִם, בְּפַרְעֹה וּבְכָל-בֵּיתוֹ--לְעֵינֵינוּ.  וְאוֹתָנוּ, הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם--לְמַעַן, הָבִיא אֹתָנוּ, לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ.  וַיְצַוֵּנוּ ה', לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת-כָּל-הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה, לְיִרְאָה, אֶת-ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ--לְטוֹב לָנוּ כָּל-הַיָּמִים, לְחַיֹּתֵנוּ כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.  וּצְדָקָה, תִּהְיֶה-לָּנוּ:  כִּי-נִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת-כָּל-הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת, לִפְנֵי ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּנוּ. (דברים ו:כ-כה)

Then you shall say to your son: 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt; and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house, before our eyes. And He brought us out from there that He might bring us in, to give us the Land which He swore to our fathers.  And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.' (Devarim 6:20-25)

This is a wonderful answer, especially when we read the text with care. In his answer, Moshe emphasizes our collective history, and our connection to our Forefathers and the Promised Land. More importantly, he describes the Torah and a life of adherence to the Mitzvot as "good", and the giving of the Torah as an eternal act of kindness that God did for us.
That's the true answer to this all-important question. We follow the Torah because we know that God wants goodness for us, and transmitted to us the ideal way to achieve that ultimate Good. While we don't always understand every detail, and cannot always perfectly answer each question, when we do answer the Wise Son, we must convey that sense of Goodness inherent in a Torah-true life.
This only makes the answer in the Hagadah all the more perplexing. Where's the connection to our history? What about the mitzvot? There isn't any mention of God! All we hear about is the Afikomen. Is that really a good answer for the Wise Son? Couldn’t the Hagadah have given us a better answer?
Ritva explains that the key word in the answer to the Wise Son is the word אף – "even". The answer provided here isn't the whole answer. Rather, it's the very end of the answer.
Of course we must provide the complete answer. and any Seder that doesn't address these critical questions, and focuses only on the minutia of the practical aspects of the Seder (How much Matzah to eat; how quickly to eat it, etc.) misses the most important element of the Seder. The very essence of the Seder is answering the underlying question of the Wise Son: "Why are we sitting here tonight?"
Only when we have finished answering his questions – all of them! – can we then proceed to the more intricate aspects of the Seder. Only then, וְאַף אַתָּה אֱמָר לוֹ כְּהִלְכוֹת הַפֶּסַח – "even teach him about the halachot of Pesach".
As parents, we sometimes fail in this critical mission. Sadly, we're good at details and minutia and "do it because I told you to," but fail miserably to convey the sense of goodness, fulfillment and love that the Torah brings into our lives. We fail to address the deeper questions, somehow afraid that we might say something wrong, give an incorrect answer, and mislead our children away from the truth.
Yet, the opposite is true. We must simply do our best and answer these challenging questions as best we can. We can start by studying the answers that appear in the Torah. But then we can and should answer the question our children really want to know: Not "why should they be Jewish?", but "Why are we Jewish, and why do we keep the Torah?"

Orot Invites You to Join us at our Upcoming Bat Zion-MTA Reunion

If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so here. Also, please join the Facebook Reunion page - and share your pictures and memories with fellow bogrot.

Unraveling the Puzzle of Megillat Esther

by Rabbi Reuven Spolter, Jewish Studies Lecturer

Megillat Esther is a brilliant work.
On the one hand, it masterfully and suspensefully relates the Purim story - a story we all know. Yet, like all great books, each re-reading offers a new and unexpected pleasure. I still get a kick out of how the Megillah refers to "all the people who loved [Haman], and Zeresh, his wife." (5,10)
But, as we know, the Megillah is much more than that. Woven into the fabric of the work - hidden beneath the surface - like Esther's Jewish identity, is a core of religious identity and belief essential to our identity as Jews.
Therein lay the brilliance of Mordechai and Esther: On one hand, they wrote an entirely secular story which they spread across the known world. But, read with the proper perspective, that very same work represents a core religious Jewish text.

I'd like to give one, very simple example of how Chazal read the book of Esther.
A very famous gemara in Shabbat (88a) relates that the Revelation on Har Sinai was a bit more dangerous than we might have considered:

ויתיצבו בתחתית ההר (שמות, י"ט, יז). אמר רב אבדימי בר חמא בר חסא: מלמד שכפה הקדוש ברוך הוא עליהם את ההר כגיגית, ואמר להם: אם אתם מקבלים התורה - מוטב, ואם לאו - שם תהא קבורתכם

אמר רב אחא בר יעקב: מכאן מודעא רבה לאורייתא

אמר רבא: אף על פי כן, הדור קבלוה בימי אחשורוש; דכתיב (אסתר, ט', כז) "קיימו וקבלו היהודים" - קיימו מה שקיבלו כבר

"And they stood at the foot of the mountain" (Shemot 19,17) Said Rav Avdimi bar Chama bar Chasa: This [verse] teaches us that God held the mountain over them like a barrel and said to them, 'If you accept the Torah - very well; But if not - here is where you will be buried!"
Said Rav Acha bar Yaakov: From this [statement] there is a great criticism against the Torah (Rashi - because the Jewish people were forced to accept the Torah).
Said Rava: Nonetheless, they later accepted [the Torah] during the times of Achashveirosh, as it is written, "The Jews fullfilled and accepted" - [this means that] they fulfilled what they had already accepted.

This short piece of Aggadah is rich with meaning, and raises many important questions. Yet, I'd like to focus on the final statement of Rava who derives the fact that the Jews willingly accepted the Torah during the times of Mordechai and Esther from the words קימו וקבלו היהודים - "the Jews fulfilled and accepted."
How does Rava arrive at his conclusion? Where does he see this deeper meaning hidden in the text? The answer is, in fact, right before our eyes, if we know how to properly piece the puzzle together.

In the text of the Megillah, the verse cited seems to have nothing to do with the Torah at all, but instead seems to be about the acceptance of Purim.

 קִיְּמוּ וקבל (וְקִבְּלוּ) הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם וְעַל-זַרְעָם וְעַל כָּל-הַנִּלְוִים עֲלֵיהֶם, וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר--לִהְיוֹת עֹשִׂים אֵת שְׁנֵי הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה, כִּכְתָבָם וְכִזְמַנָּם:  בְּכָל-שָׁנָה, וְשָׁנָה.

The Jews fulfilled, and took upon them, and upon their descendants, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing thereof, and according to the appointed time thereof, every year; 

Yet, when we consider the verse (and the phrase at hand) one of the words seems unnecessary and unusual. Why does the verse say that קימו וקבלו - "they fulfilled and took upon themselves" when it could have simply said, קבלו היהודים עליהם ועל זרעם - "the Jews accepted upon themselves and upon their descendants". What is the extra word telling us? How can one fulfill something before he even accepts it?
Yet, this very paradox reminds us of another, similar phrase found in the Torah:

 וַיִּקַּח סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית וַיִּקְרָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ד' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע

And [Moshe] took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the ears of the nation, and they said, 'Everything that God said we will do and we will hear."

It's precisely the same progression:

קיימו -- קבלו

נעשה  -- נשמע

This, I believe, is exactly what the authors of the Megillah were hinting to at the conclusion of the Purim story.
The Jews living at that time didn't just commit themselves to keeping the holiday of Purim in the future. Rather, what precipitated the tragedy of Purim was the wholesale abandonment of the Torah after the exile from Jerusalem. The tragedy of Purim forced the Jews to make a choice: do we want to just die like Jews, or do we want to live like Jews as well.

קיימו וקבלו היהודים.
They rechose, yet again, after the events of Achashveirosh. If we're going to suffer the hatred against the Jews, ought we not live by the values that God gave us as well?

Yet another piece to the Purim puzzle.

Orot Israel College’s Briah School Hosts Complementary Medicine Conference

By Sarah Bar Asher – Founder and Head, Briah School for Complementary Medicine, Orot Israel College

Crate after crate of organic eggs, sourdough bread, medicinal herbs, and natural cosmetics filled the lobby of Orot Israel College’s graduate studies building. The reason for all the healthy goodness? Orot’s Briah School was hosting its inaugural conference on complementary medicine.
Briah, which opened in the fall, invited the public to learn about the world of complementary medicine. The conference encompassed five lectures on a wide range of topics, and the attendees were offered a variety of delicious and healthy snacks, including dates, baked pretzels, mineral water, and tea.

Rav Professor Neria Guttel, President of Orot Israel College, greeted the attendees and spoke about a physician’s right to heal, based on the words: "וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא" (“and he shall provide for his healing” – Shmot 21:19). Next, Mrs. Sarah Bar Asher, Briah’s founder and head, focused on the food industry and nutrition. Her talk revolved around questions such as: Are the ingredient lists on food labels complete? Is low-sodium salt healthy, or is it the worst type of salt on the market? Why do the spices used in restaurants and hotels undergo radiation? Mrs. Anat Felmon reviewed the basic principles of Chinese medicine, and Mrs. Adi Yogev explained how medicinal herbs can be used to treat children’s winter illnesses. Dr. Eli Topper examined classic and modern homeopathy, and Mr. Avraham Dahan discussed cinnamon and how it was used by Jewish physicians from the Talmudic era through the Middle Ages.

At the conference’s conclusion, the participants raised their glasses and enjoyed a special wine prepared by Mr. Avraham Dahan, according to an ancient recipe attributed to Ezra HaSofer.

Master’s Degree Ceremony

On Tuesday, 27 Shvat 5774 (January 28, 2014) some 120 Orot Israel College graduate students – representing a broad spectrum of the Israeli public – were awarded master’s degrees in educational counseling, Tanach, and Rabbinic Literature during a gala ceremony held at our Elkana campus.

At present, approximately 560 graduate students study at Orot which now boasts a relatively new and prestigious Master's degree program in Educational Administration and Organization. Orot’s student body hails from every corner of Israel – from the Golan Heights all the way down to Eilat. B’ezrat Hashem, next year, we hope to open a graduate program in mathematics.

The speakers at the degree ceremony included Rav Professor Neria Guttel, President of Orot Israel College and Rav Chaim Fogel, chairman of Orot’s board of trustees. Rav Chaim Saban, Orot’s vice president, and Rav Dr. Moshe Rachimi, head of the graduate school, were also in attendance.

In his keynote address, Professor Avraham Steinberg, Israel Prize laureate, spoke about the challenges and importance of integrating Torah and science.


Professor Yisrael Aumann Participates in Orot Israel College’s Annual Faculty Colloquium

by Rav Yechiel Lash – Dean of Studies, Rechovot Campus, and Colloquium Coordinator

On Tuesday, 20 Shvat 5774 (January 21, 2014), Orot Israel College held its annual faculty colloquium in Elkana. Various faculty members delivered scholarly lectures to their colleagues on a wide variety of subjects.

Nobel Prize laureate Professor Yisrael Aumann participated in the colloquium’s first session, chaired by Orot Israel College President Rav Professor Neria Guttel. Rav Professor Guttel thanked Professor Aumann and recited the blessing of "ברוך שחלק מחכמתו ליראיו" (“Blessed is He Who apportioned of His wisdom to those who fear Him”) in Professor Aumann’s honor, and then Professor Aumann delivered a fascinating lecture about religion and science. He noted that he observes the Torah’s mitzvot because he loves to do so. Or as he put, “it’s enjoyable!” Following his well-received talk, Professor Aumann took questions from the audience, which also included students from Orot’s Excellence in Education Program.

Chaired by Dr. Yael Areli and Rabbanit Dr. Lea Vizel respectively, the second and third sessions were comprised of an additional six lectures – three at each session – pertaining to the Tanach, the Oral Torah, Chassidut, and Jewish history. The list of speakers included Mrs. Shulamit Lehman, Rav Dr. Yosef Priel, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, Dr. Michael Gross, Dr. Dror Hovera, and Dr. Ayal Davidson.

All the participants agreed that the colloquium was a huge success, and in spite of the late hour and the packed schedule, many not only stayed until the very end of the proceedings but remained afterwards to ask questions.

Orot Israel College Receives Prestigious Jerusalem Prize

Orot Israel College, headed by President Rav Professor Neria Guttel, was recently awarded the prestigious Jerusalem Prize for Education. The prize was given for Orot’s outstanding achievements and contributions to Israeli education.

Education Minister MK Rav Shai Piron presented the award. In his remarks, he stated that under Rav Professor Guttel’s leadership, Orot has become the country’s leading and largest educational college, whose primary focuses are academic, religious and pedagogical excellence. Rav Piron also noted the remarkable vision, creativity, and innovation that characterize Orot and its achievements. He explained that as the minister charged with overseeing the country’s educational system, he has the unique ability to appreciate and observe the results of Orot’s numerous accomplishments.

Orot Israel College was founded in 5739 (1978) by Rav Dr. Yehuda Felix. In 5768 (2008), Orot doubled in size and stature when it merged with Moreshet Yaakov College and thus became the largest and most diversified academic educational college within Israel’s religious-public educational system.

Rav Chaim Saban, Orot Israel College’s vice president; and Rav Chaim Fogel, chairman of the board of trustees, participated in the award ceremony.