Letters

Death Sentence

Dear Editor,

England, France, and Germany have condemned Israel for making a death sentence for terrorists. Why don’t they criticize all the Muslim countries who have death penalty laws?! Most of them also do extrajudicial killings. In Israel, it is self-defense. The Palestinians murder so many Jews through wars and terrorism without proper condemnation from these “holier than thou” European nations. It seems that they are nostalgic for the Holocaust that they are responsible for.

The Palestinians murder their own people who are suspected of helping the Jews and for other reasons. These European nations are encouraging terrorism and wars in which both sides get killed.

Sincerely,

A Reader

Water Issue

Dear Editor,

Regarding the discolored and unhealthy water in our village, I am happy to announce that Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias has responded with full attention regarding this matter. A plan has been placed into effect whereby Liberty Water will replace the aging infrastructure in the village over approximately four years at the same time that the village will invest in necessary road repairs. Both will be accomplished together, which will result in smooth pavement and pristine clear drinkable water.

Reuven Guttman

Lawrence NY

Plainview Power

Dear Editor,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for making your paper available to the Plainview/Melville area. Every week we pick up three papers for our extended family to enjoy and to keep us informed. I am especially grateful that you finally covered the Schechter School of LI in East Williston where so far two of my grandsons are students. Hopefully, my two youngest granddaughters will attend there when the time comes. The boys are getting an excellent Jewish and secular education at the school. This Passover, the seven-year-old and the five-year-old read the Four Questions in Hebrew and English with proficiency and an expert accent. Keep up the good work reporting Israel, politics, and local events.

Madelyn Smallberg

Shnayim Mikra Initiative

Dear Editor,

As we all know, Chazal stated that there is an obligation to read the weekly parashah twice, and once with targum, Shnayim Mikra V’Echud Targum. (O.C. Siman 285). However, there are a few details not everyone is aware of, which in my humble opinion, seemingly puts the chiyuv of Shnayim Mikra in a class of its own:

The Chofetz Chaim and the Shulchan Aruch Harav state that every word of Chumash read out loud is a separate mitzvah of limud haTorah, even if it is not understood. This is as opposed to Torah Shebaal Peh, which must be understood in order to fulfill the mitzvah of limud haTorah.

The Vilna Gaon says that when Chazal state, “Talmud Torah keneged kulam,” it refers to even one word of Torah that is learned. In a similar vein, the Ramchal says that just reading Chumash out loud, even if it is not understood, has a very powerful hashpa’ah. The Tana Devei Eliyahu goes so far as to say that one who repeatedly reads the pasuk of “v’achos Lotan Timna—and the sister of Lotan was Timna” (Bereishis 36:22) all day is equal to one who learns very difficult masechtos, such as Negaim and Ohalos. This shows us the tremendous power of just reading Chumash.

I have personally seen Shnayim Mikra (Chumash) motivating learning for the unmotivated. Believe it or not, there are lots of unmotivated students out there. I had a weaker talmid insisting on going to recess 10 minutes late so he could finish his Shnayim Mikra! This was just not normal.

Also since every word of reading Chumash is a separate mitzvah, if you are careful to the weekly chiyuvof Shnayim Mikra V’Echud Targum, it leaves a massive impact and you can amass hundreds and thousands mitzvos (“Talmud Torah keneged kulam,”) every week, even without understanding what you are reading! What other mitzvah compares to this opportunity?

“Toras Hashem temimah… machkimas pesi”—Learning Torah “makes the fool wise. “When one reads the words of the Torah, even without translating, one becomes smarter. Is there a better way to get one back into learning than through the words of the Chumash themselves, which are “machkimas pesi”?

I was told Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, z’l, explained that when Chazal said, “Ben chomeish lemikra,” they also meant that children should be taught and should practice kriah with a Chumash, and NOT with a siddur or Tehillim. Based on this, it is beyond my comprehension why kriah is not primarily practiced from Chumash. Therefore, Shnayim Mikra or just reading pesukim from Chumash is the preferred method to help improve kriahskills, which are a major problem these days even in upper grades. Kriah skills, recognition of letters and nekudos, must be perfect. For example, if one knows every letter perfectly, except the difference in a shin and sin which unfortunately happens, it is a disaster and very embarrassing.

(Baal HaTurim) The letters of “Shemos” at the beginning of parashas Shemos are the roshei teivos for the weekly chiyuv of Shnayim Mikra V’Echud Targum as a hint to this very important mitzvah. The parashahbegins “V’aileh shemos Bnei Yisrael”—“And these are the names of Bnei Yisrael.” The Baal HaTurim says these words stand for (roshei teivos) “V’adam asher lomed haseder Shnayim Mikra v’echad targum b’kol naim yashir, yichyeh shanim rabos aruchim l’olam” or “And the person who learns the weekly parashah, Shnayim Mikra V’Echad Targum in a sweet straight voice, will live many long years (have an extremely long life)! (Referring to the weekly chiyuv obligation of Shnayim Mikra-O.C. siman 285.) The obvious question: Why is this hint only in Parashas “Shemos”?

Another question: The exact same words: “V’aileh shemos Bnei Yisrael” are also in Parashas Vayigash! (Perek 46-8). Why didn’t the Baal HaTurim make his comment in Parashas Vayigash, which comes before Parashas Shemos?

I was told that Rav Matisyahu Solomon, z’l, has said that Moshiach will come if we all do Shnayim Mikrawith targum and Rashi also!

Indeed, the Shulchan Aruch and Mishnah Berurah say even though you do fulfill the mitzvah by just doing Shnayim Mikra V’Echad Targum, nevertheless state one should try to do Rashi also! Based on what the Mashgiach, z’l, said, I think we can answer both questions:

One possible explanation why this hint to the mitzvah of Shnayim Mikra is specifically only in Parashas Shemos and why the Baal HaTurim did not make his comment in Parashas Vayigash:

Since Sefer Shemos is also called Sefer Geulah because of yetzias Mitzrayim, it also represents the future and final geulah!

This is possibly why the hint to the mitzvah of Shnayim Mikra is specifically only in Parshas Shemosbecause doing this very special mitzvah will also help bring the final geulah—Moshiach! Therefore, I think this is the reason the Baal HaTurim made his Shnayim Mikra comment in Parashas Shemos, and not Parashas Vayigash. Maybe this is also the reason why the Mashgiach said Moshiach will come with the learning of Shnayim Mikra with Rashi also, because of the pshat of the Baal HaTurim in that the hint for Shnayim Mikra is in the beginning of Sefer Shemos. Especially in this eis tzarah, let us all try and encourage others to do the halachic obligation of Shnayim Mikra and Targum, with Rashi also!

For a weekly schoolwide program, try implementing a Shnayim Mikra program per grade level, with a parent verification signature sheet. It will also help improve kriah, Chumash skills, and motivate the unmotivated. Yes again, reading Chumash will also motivate the unmotivated. I think this program should be a mandatory, not optional, part of every curriculum. If it is optional, most students will not join in, especially the weaker students that most need the benefits of Shnayim Mikra. I think it is so important; therefore, it needs to be a separate grade on the report card to ensure everyone does it! For the more advanced talmidim, add Rashi also.

I know some of you reading this letter have many doubts about this, but I strongly disagree based on my many years of experience doing this program.

This halachah has, unfortunately, become weak and neglected. In fact, the siman in Shulchan Aruch that discusses this chiyuv of shnayim mikra is siman 285, or reish pey hey, spelling the word rafah, “weak.”

Again, shnayim mikra is a weekly chiyuv, and NOT a minhag or just a good idea. It should be a priority in your learning Torah schedule, and not “if I have extra time….” For example, if you are learning and it’s time to daven Minchah, you must interrupt your learning to daven Minchah. Similarly, if you have not done shnayim mikra in its proper time, I think you must interrupt your learning schedule and do the weekly chiyuv of Shnayim Mikra. It is very difficult to catch up if you fall too far behind.

The motivational clincher:

“One who finishes the parashah with the community will be given extended days and years” (Brachos8b). Arichus yomim v’shonim—A longer healthy life!

What could be better than that?

These are some reasons, in my humble opinion, why I think Shnayim Mikra is in a class of its own. Don’t hesitate, just do it. What are you waiting for?

Let us all make Shnayim Mikra great again!

“If not now, when?”

Joel Yormark