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THE WEEKLY SIDRA- B'CHUKOSYE
Rabbi Moshe Greebel

The words of our Chachamim (Torah scholars) of blessed memory, are as diamonds of immense and inestimable value. In addition to a beautiful literary style, and a complete familiarity with Shas (Gemarah) and Midrash, each and every word they uttered was carefully weighed and measured for its most thorough usage. Such a very fitting example of the exactitude of word usage in Rashi (1040-1105) of blessed memory, is offered in this week’s mailing.

One of the K’lalos (curses) of the Tochacha (admonishment) in this week’s Sidra for not keeping the Mitzvos of the Torah, reads: 
“And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight; and you shall eat, and not be satisfied.” (Vayikra 26:26)

What exactly is the curse of ‘Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven’? Rashi on this Passuk (verse) instructs the following: 
“Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven…..It denotes a shortage of wood.”

Now, how did Rashi know that the Torah here was specifically referring to a shortage of wood, and, not a shortage of say, ovens? Traditionally, this question has been posed by many M’forshim (Torah commentaries) down through the ages. Providentially, in the Sefer K’hilas Yitzchak (pages 165-166), we find a very Lomdishe (scholarly) response to our question, in the name of one Rav Eliyahu Kalish, of blessed memory.

In the Gemarah P’sachim 37b, we are confronted with a very interesting dispute concerning a situation whereby bread dough was initially cooked in an Ilfais (stew pot) over a fire, and then baked in an oven. Does such bread require the Mitzvah of taking Challah from it, or not? The Gemarah instructs:
“The Tanna Kama (first anonymous Tanna) holds that since he re-baked it in an oven, it is called bread (and is obligated to have Challah taken from it). While Rabbi Y’huda holds that nothing is bread, except that which is baked in an oven from the very beginning. And, since this was not baked in an oven from the very beginning (but in an Ilfais), we do not call it bread (and taking Challah from it is not required)…..”

The opinion of the Tanna Kama is based on a S’vara (rational assumption), as explained in Rashi there: 
“…..However the act of (cooking) in an Ilfais, which is not literal baking, but, is over fire, is close to the act of (baking) in an oven…..”

And, the opinion of Rabbi Y’huda is based on our above Passuk, as we see from the continuation of the Gemarah: 
“…..Rabbah said, ‘What is Rabbi Y’huda’s reason? Because it is written, “Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven.” Bread which is baked in one oven is called bread. But, that which is not baked in one oven is not called bread.’”

It must of course, be understood that the Limud (scholarly extrapolation) used by Rabbi Y’huda of ‘Your bread in one oven,’ was not in the M’sorah (tradition) of the Tanna Kama. 

In any event, Rav Eliyahu Kalish has us then move on to the Gemarah in B’rachos 31a, P’sachim 9a, Avodah Zara 41b, M’nachos 67b, and Nidah 15b, which deals with Ma’aser (giving one tenth of one’s produce to a Laivi): 
“Rav Oshaya said, ‘A man may resort to a device with his produce and bring it into the house while still in its chaff, so that his animal may eat of it without its being liable to Ma’aser.’”

That is, if a man brings some of his produce into the house (basically, a man made structure) prior to it being winnowed, which is not normally done, for the consumption of an animal, there is no obligation to give Ma’aser from that produce. Only winnowed produce brought into the house in the typical fashion, would be obligated in Ma’aser. This is the device or mechanism of which Rav Oshaya speaks, in order to legally bypass the giving of some of an owner’s Ma’aser, which seems to be permissible. 

Therefore, continued Rav Kalish, the Rashi which deals with a shortage of wood, makes very scholarly sense. For, if one is permitted to make a device in order not to give some of his Ma’aser, the giving of Challah should also have such a device. And, in a time, G-d forbid, where there is the K’lala (curse) of hunger, the logic would be to create such a device to save food, by initially cooking dough in an Ilfais, and then baking it in an oven, so that Challah would not have to be taken (according to the opinion of Rabbi Y’huda). 

Enter Rashi to inform us that in the time of such a K’lala, G-d forbid, this device could not have worked, simply, because there must have been insufficient wood for first cooking dough in an Ilfais, and then baking it in an oven. There would be so little wood in such terrible times, G-d forbid, that ten women would have had to share the same oven.

The words of our Chachamim, are exact, precise, accurate, and scrupulous. May we always be honored to be the descendents of such royal stock, and may we delve all our lives in their words. 

May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- speedily, and in our times. Good Shabbos.

 

NCYI's Weekly Divrei Torah Bulletin is sponsored by the Henry, Bertha and Edward Rothman Foundation - Rochester, New York; Cleveland, Ohio; Circleville, Ohio

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