Beit Midrash

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קטגוריה משנית
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To dedicate this lesson
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During the ‘peace treaty’ that Yaakov entered with Lavan, Lavan inserted a strange condition that obligated Yaakov not to "torment my daughters or take another wife in addition to my daughters" (Bereishit 31:50). While we can understand his wanting those results, why would he suspect that Yaakov would not be a good husband? Yaakov had worked so hard and with such integrity to gain Lavan’s permission to marry them! He had just made sure to receive their permission to return to the Land of his Fathers – despite an explicit divine decree to do so. Even if one will claim that Lavan was concerned with the plight of Leah, who after all, Yaakov had not planned to marry, it does not explain why he spoke in the plural about his daughters. Leah and Rachel both described the feelings that it was their father who had mistreated them, taking advantage of Yaakov’s eagerness to marry them and withholding the wages that he/they had earned. So who is the one who should be concerned about whom? It is true that the gemara (Yoma 77a) and several Rishonim understood Lavan’s concern as sincere, but after asking forgiveness of their opinions, we would like to suggest another scenario.
We have discussed in the past that Lavan had turned Yaakov into a captive of sorts, taking advantage of Yaakov’s fleeing from Eisav as a way to take away his freedom. By escaping from Lavan’s house with his wives, Yaakov was standing up to Lavan and declaring his independence. When Hashem appeared to Lavan and informed him that He would not allow Lavan to continue imposing his will on Yaakov, Lavan decided that it served his interests to enter into a treaty with Yaakov.
We have also seen that in the time of Tanach (and unfortunately still today in certain places), one of the ways to show one’s sovereignty over a conquered region was to distribute the women of the conquered nation among the leader and soldiers of the conquering nation. These women would be taken in addition to men’s own wives. On the basis of this background, we can understand Lavan’s condition as follows. His concern was not for his daughters, whom he used for deception, switching them on the night of Yaakov’s wedding to Rachel. Rather, he was concerned that Yaakov would come back to Aram and wage war against the people among whom he was a central leader. This would be accompanied, in his view, by Yaakov taking additional wives. In truth, if Rachel and Leah were to receive real freedom, it was by escaping from their father and his absurd treatment of their family.
To complete the freedom, though, Yaakov had to deal with the dangers posed by Eisav and his angel. When Yaakov stood up to the angel, he was given the name Yisrael, indicating that he had earned his independence for himself and his offspring.
Let us pray that our independence in the State of Israel will be used to continue the legacy of our physical and spiritual national father, Yaakov.
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Lessons
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    3 min
    Shlach Lecha

    For God's Sake Don't Go To Israel

    Israel National Torah

    Clarifying the spies' argument for not entering the Land of Israel...and then clarifying why it's so important to enter the Land anyway.

    Baruch Gordon | Sivan 19 5780
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    Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions

    Serving as Chazan on the Shabbat Before a Yahrtzeit

    How important is it for someone to be chazan on the Shabbat before a yahrtzeit? Is it is just for parents, or also grandparents/in laws? Some people in my [the rabbi] shul feel that people use it as an excuse to “grab the amud.”

    Rabbi Daniel Mann | Tevet 2 5777
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    Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions

    How Many Eggs Should be Boiled Together?

    When making hardboiled eggs, may one cook one or two eggs or must there be at least three? Also, does it make a difference if there is an even or odd number

    Rabbi Daniel Mann
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    P'ninat Mishpat

    Introduction and Biography of the Noda B’Yehuda

    After an extended period of presenting ideas of the Chatam Sofer on monetary disputes, we move on to a shorter series on the works of Rav Yechezkel Segal Landau, often called the Noda B’yehuda. (Although Rav Landau served as a dayan for many years, poskim do not usually publicize their rulings on cases in which they served as a dayan, but on questions asked by other rabbis. The Noda B’yehuda did not include many such cases in his reponsa.) Many view the Chatam Sofer and the Noda B’Yehuda as two of a kind. They were in the same basic time period (Rav Landau was around 50 years older), they were important rabbis of important communities at critical times, and the works of each are among the most respected and quoted by Acharonim.

    Various Rabbis | Tevet 8 5776
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    Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions

    Working in a Non-Kosher Establishment

    Rabbi Daniel Mann | Sivan 14 5775
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    Prayer

    Birkot HaShachar – The Morning Blessings

    Chapter nine-part one

    Chapter nine-part one

    Rabbi Eliezer Melamed | 5775
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    Jewish Holidays

    The Twentieth of Sivan

    "I noticed that the back of my siddur contains a large section devoted to selichos for the 20th of Sivan, yet I have never davened in a shul that observed this day. What does this date commemorate?"

    Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | Sivan 17 5780
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    Additional Lessons

    The Laws of Tumas Meis

    When the Beis Hamikdash is rebuilt, bimheirah beyameinu, the laws of tumah will affect us all, since we will be required to be tahor in order to enter the Beis Hamikdash, to eat korbanos and maaser sheini, and in order to separate challah and terumah.

    Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 5772
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    Various Subjects

    Redeeming a Firstborn Donkey!

    The Mitzvah of redeeming the first born Donkey - a long lost Halacha or a practical law for Donkey owners and riders in today's times ??

    Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 5770
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    Basics of Financial Laws

    How Does a Heter Iska Work?

    What is the prohibition of "Ribbit"? who does it apply on? How does the "Heter Iska" bypass the prohibition? and more...

    Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff | 5770
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    Marriage and Relationships

    Relationships during the Time of Engagement

    A young engaged man and his fiancée naturally have very strong feelings for each other. It goes without saying that these will be expressed after the wedding, but what expression, if any, is permitted in the meantime? And while we're on the subject, is the attraction of men and women to each other really a good thing to begin with?

    Rabbi Elyakim Levanon | 5770
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    Brachot on Food and on Smell

    Pizza, Pretzels and Pastry

    When is the Bracha Hamotzi and when is it a Mezonot?

    Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff
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