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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
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Yaakov’s camp was not just comprised of shepherds but apparently also of people who joined with him as the representative of belief in monotheism. This follows the tradition of his grandparents, Avraham and Sarah, who traveled with the "souls they made in Charan" (ibid. 12:5). The theft of Lavan’s terafim (idols) should also be seen in this light.
As the journey continued, Yaakov turned to his encampment ("his household and all who were with him") with the following directive: "Remove the foreign gods that are in your midst and purify yourselves ... and we shall go to Beit El and make there an altar... They gave Yaakov the foreign gods in their midst and the earrings... and he buried them under the elah tree that was in Shechem" (ibid. 35: 2-4).
Who was Yaakov appealing to who had idols? Rashi, the Rashbam, and the Ramban say it refers to the whole group, who had taken from the booty of Shechem. He asked them to separate themselves from anything that could be related to idol worship. It is not clear, according to this, why a distinction is made between his household and those who were with him.
The midrash on the words that mention idols says that this is an indication that Yaakov had accepted converts like his grandparents. Thus, there were two requests. Rachel had to get rid of her father’s terafim and members of the broader camp had to remove their idols. These were people who were in the process of converting but had not yet totally purged themselves of idolatrous tendencies and possessions. It is fascinating to see that Yehoshua, upon his entry into Eretz Yisrael with the new nation, including converts who came with them from Egypt, had a "rally" with the people where he urged them to "remove the foreign gods that are in your midst." Where did it take place if not in thesame place, "under the elah" in Shechem (Yehoshua 24: 23-26)
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Various Events FOR WHOM NOT TO VOTE
Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook stressed that Israeli politics is G-dly, so I have no problem answering this common question on a Torani blog. Also, Free-Will is a G-d-given right and obligation, to "destine one's fate" (R. Soloveichik, Kol Dodi Dofek, 67), so I obviously don't tell others how to vote. But once not a few (especially young) have already asked, a couple of personal words from experience and thoughts from chazal & Rav Kook which may be of help to others, mainly for whom NOT to vote.
P'ninat Mishpat Fallout from Failure to Install Elevator – part II
based on ruling 85007 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
