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Let us take a look at coerced divorces in the context of our parasha’s main topic, the generation of the flood. The spiritual reasons that "precipitated" the vast ecological disaster were raised in Bereishit: "The sons of the powerful saw that the daughters of man were good, and they took women from whomever they chose" (Bereishit 6:2). The midrash (Rabba 26) says that this refers to the taking of married women. Ibn Ezra says that the husbands could do nothing about it because the perpetrators were the sons of the judges. Other commentators give other possibilities about the nature of this powerful group of elitists.
Unfortunately, history has shown us that there are various ways for the powerful to claim even the married women of their desire, including in "legal" ways. The powerful pressure the socially weak husband to divorce his wife or else ... Getting from there to finding a newly divorced bride is not too difficult.
To deal with cases such as this is certainly a worthy use of the restrictions on a coerced divorce. Another is to prevent a woman from abandoning a worthy husband because she has improperly fallen in love with someone else (see Nedarim 90b). In contrast, holding on to the claim of a coerced get in order to extract financial gain or to "take revenge" against a wife is against halacha. It also lends a hand to those who want to destroy the holy foundations of the Jewish, and universal, for that matter, family unit.
Noach’s ark served as a place of refuge for a normative family: father Noach, mother Naama, three sons and their wives, and even mates among the animal world. This is a message for generations. The future survival of man on our planet has more to do with our clinging to family values than to recycling and other ecological measures, which we also value. A mother, father, and upstanding children, not just for the Jewish people but for all of the nations of the world, are our security against foreboding horrible storms.
Specifically, after the "white holiday" of Yom Kippur, when we read about the prohibitions of illicit relations, and the "green holiday" of Sukkot, when we went out into nature, let us call on the rabbinical courts to strengthen the family unit. We encourage the survival of families based on the principles of mutual respect and fidelity, but not based on using elements of our system for any form of extortion.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
P'ninat Mishpat Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Chemdat Yamim The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
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Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
