Torah Down Under

The passuk says in this week’s sedrah (23:4) אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי ה' מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם בְּמוֹעֲדָם These are the appointed times of Hashem, the holy convocations, which you should declare in their appointed time. The mishna says in Rosh Hashanah (2:9) שָׁלַח לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל :   גּוֹזֵר אֲנִי עָלֶיךָ , שֶׁתָּבֹא אֶצְלִי בְמַקְלָךְ וּבְמָעוֹתָךְ , בְּיוֹם שֶׁחָל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לִהְיוֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנָךְ . הָלַךְ וּמְצָאוֹ רְבִּי עֲקִיבָא מֵצֵר . אָמַר לוֹ : יֶשׁ לִי לִלְמוֹד , שֶׁכָּל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, עָשׁוּי , שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: (וַיִּקְרָא כ"ג, ד') אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי ה' מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ , אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם ; בֵּין בִּזְמַנָּן, בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא בִזְמַנָּן , אֵין לִי מוֹעֲדוֹת אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ . [There was a machlokess between Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabban Gamliel when rosh chodesh was for the month of Tishrei.] Rabban Gamliel sent a message to Rabbi Yehoshua, “I decree on you that you must come to me on the d...

The Rambam says in Hilchos Kilayim (10:32): כהנים שלבשו בגדי כהונה שלא בשעת עבודה אפילו במקדש לוקין מפני האבנט שהוא כלאים ולא הותרו בו אלא בשעת עבודה שהיא מצות עשה כציצית “If cohanim wear bigdei kehunah while they are not performing the avodah even if they are not in the beis hamikdash then they receive malkos because the avnet contains kilayim and it was only permitted for the cohanim to wear this garment while performing the avodah .” The Ravad argues with the Rambam and says: טעה בזה שהרי אמרו (ביומא בפרק בא לו) כהן גדול במקדש אפילו שלא בשעת עבודה מותר כו' “The Rambam has made a mistake in this halachah because the gemara says (Yuma 69a) that a cohen gadol is allowed to wear the bigdei kehunah in the beis hamikdash even when he is not performing the avodah .” The Binyan Halacha explains the opinion of the Rambam as follows: Gid hanashe in a korban olah There is a machlokess in Chullin (90a – b) between Rebbi and the Rabbanan whether or not the...

The Rambam says in Hilchos Klei Hamikdash (4:15): אין מעמידין כ"ג אלא ב"ד של שבעים ואחד “Only the beis din hagadol in Yerusholayim can appoint a cohen gadol .” However, when the Rambam enumerates the things that require a beis din of 71 at the beginning of the 5 th perek of Hilchos Sanhedrin, although he mentions appointing a king, he does not mention appointing a kohen gadol. Why is this? Dayanim today The gemara in Bava Kamma (88) explains that we do not have semicha in an unbroken line from Moshe Rabbeinu. Therefore, we are not qualified to judge any case where the Torah requires dayanim. Nevertheless, the chachamim said that in order to maintain law and order we still judge any type of monetary   case which is frequent and which involves a monetary loss . The gemara explains that we can do this becuase  שליחותייהו עבדינן   - beis din today are the sheluchim of the dayanim who did have semichah in an unbroken line from Moshe Rabbeinu. The Ra...

The possuk says in this week’s sedrah: וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ כִּי-אֶת-לֶחֶם אֱלֹקיךָ הוּא מַקְרִיב קָדֹשׁ יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה' מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם. The Rambam derives two halachos from this passuk: 1. Honouring the cohen: In Sefer haMitzvos (mitzva 32) the Rambam explains that וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ means that you should honour the cohen: מצוה ל"ב היא שצונו לכבד זרע אהרן לפארם ולנשאם ושׁנשׂים מדרגתם מדרגה קודמת וראשונה ואפילו ימאנו לא נשמע להם וזה כולו הגדלה לקל יתעלה אחר שהוא לקחם ובחרם לעבודתו ולהקריב קרבנותיו והוא אמרו יתעלה יתברך שמו וקדשתו כי את לחם אלקיך היא מקריב “Mitzva ל"ב is that Hashem commanded us to honour the decendants of Aharon to glorify them and to respect them and to always ensure that they come first.  Even if they refuse we should not listen to them. This is respect for Hashem who chose them to do the avodah and to bring His korbanos as He said - וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ כִּי-אֶת-לֶחֶם אֱלֹקיךָ הוּא מַקְרִיב – you should sanctify him because he brings the bre...