Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Nasso Volume XVII, No. 35 4 Sivan 5765 June 11, 2005 Sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Robert Klein in honor of Mrs. Shonny Kugler and Mrs. Norma Burdett being honored by the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy (Rockville, Md.) The Katz family on the yahrzeit of Avigdor Moshe ben Avraham Abba Hakohen Katz hy"d and the other "kedoshim" of Oyber-Visheve, Hungary Today's Learning: Ma'aser Sheni 2:2-3 O.C. 363:4-6 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Shabbat 40 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Sanhedrin 14 One of the laws in this week's parashah is that of the "Nazir." This section is introduced with the words: "Ish or ishah ki yafli" / "A man or a woman who shall disassociate himself . . ." R' Avraham ibn Ezra z"l (1089-1164) observes that the word "yafli" also can mean: "Who does wonders." He explains that a nazir, who disassociates himself or herself from wine, is doing something wondrous--unlike the typical person, who is controlled by the pursuit of material pleasures. R' Simcha Bunim Alter z"l (the Gerrer Rebbe; died 1992) adds that the section of nazir teaches us how G-d helps one who undertakes to improve himself. Becoming a nazir is a wondrous thing--indeed, it is nearly impossible to be around people who are enjoying normal pleasures and to refrain from partaking. Nevertheless, because the nazir undertakes sincerely to be different, Hashem helps him. R' Alter adds: The same thing is true of any person who wants to change himself. Once a person makes a sincere commitment to change - even if change appears impossible - Hashem will help. This week's parashah is always read on either the Shabbat before or (more commonly) the Shabbat after Shavuot. The idea that Hashem desires our sincere commitments is closely tied to the holiday of the Giving of the Torah. How so? The Tosafot to Avodah Zarah (3a) teach that, although we are taught that the heavens and earth can exist only if we study Torah, in fact it is our sincere commitment to study, rather than the actual study itself, that keeps the world going. (Pardes Yosef) ******** "Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying, `So shall you bless Bnei Yisrael, saying to them'." (6:23) R' Moshe Isserles z"l (Rema; 1525-1572) writes that a non-Kohen who recites Birkat Kohanim transgresses the mitzvah of this verse, which implies that Kohanim should recite the blessing, but not others. [Ed. Note: It is not prohibited for a non-Kohen to recite the verses of the Birkat Kohanim after the Birchot Ha'Torah in the morning. In that context, the verses are read as a form of Torah study, not as blessings.] R' Yisrael Meir Hakohen z"l (the Chafetz Chaim; 1838-1933) comments on the above statement of the Rema: In this light, we have to wonder at the widespread practice that people - whether they are Kohanim or not - bless each other by reciting the words of Birkat Kohanim when they take leave from travelers. How is this permitted? The Chafetz Chaim explains: At first glance, one might argue that since the blessings are recited outside the context of the prayers - in other words, they are not recited the way a Kohen would recite them - there is no prohibition. However, this cannot be correct, since it is only a rabbinic ordinance to recite Birkat Kohanim during prayer. The Torah had no such thing in mind. Thus, when the Torah implicitly prohibited a non-Kohen from blessing others using this formula, it must have meant that the prohibition should apply all of the time. Rather, says the Chafetz Chaim, the widespread practice may be justified as follows: There is a dispute, beginning in the Talmud and continuing in the later authorities, about whether one fulfills a mitzvah if he does the act of the mitzvah but has no thought of performing a mitzvah. [For example, does one fulfill a mitzvah if he plays music on a shofar on Rosh Hashanah and happens to emit a Tekiah- Shevarim-Teruah-Tekiah, even though he had no thought of doing a mitzvah?] Says the Chafetz Chaim: The existence of the widespread practice mentioned above is proof that we hold that fulfillment of a mitzvah does require proper intentions ("mitzvot tzerichot kavanah"). Because that is what we hold, a non-Kohen would transgress the prohibition on blessing others with the Birkat Kohanim only if he had in mind to fulfill the mitzvah of Birkat Kohanim thereby. Without such an intention, he is not attempting to usurp the mitzvah of the Kohanim and thus commits no transgression. Alternatively, the Chafetz Chaim writes, perhaps the general populace accepts the opinion of R' Yoel Sirkes (the Bach; 1560-1640) that non-Kohanim are prohibited from using the Birkat Kohanim only if they recite the blessings with their two hands outstretched like the Kohanim do. Thus, when friends part along the road, they may bless each other with the Birkat Kohanim. (Be'ur Halachah 128:1) According to the foregoing, the questions arises: When one blesses his children on Shabbat night using the verses of the Birkat Kohanim, may one place two hands on each child's head or should one stretch out only one hand? R' Eliezer David Gruenwald z"l (died 1928; rabbi of Oyber- Visheve, Hungary and other towns) writes that one should not use two hands. Besides the reason just mentioned, R' Gruenwald states that the custom of the Arizal was to use only one hand. (She'eilot U'teshuvot Keren Le'David No. 24) The sefer Ma'avar Yabok notes that the fingers of one hand have 15 joints, just as Birkat Kohahim has 15 words. This is another reason to use only one hand when blessing one's child with the words of Birkat Kohanim. (Quoted in Minhag Yisrael Torah) R' Yaakov Emden z"l (died 1776) strongly defends the custom of using two hands to bless one's children. He writes that this is how one blesses another generously, and the fact that this is what the Kohanim do is proof that it is the right way to bless another. Likewise, Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to bless Yehoshua generously, so he used two hands (see Bemidbar 27:23). When Yaakov Avinu blessed Yosef's children, he used two hands. (Had there been only one grandchild to bless, Yaakov Avinu would have placed both of his hands on that one grandchild, R' Emden asserts.) It is absolutely clear, therefore, that one should use two hands, R' Emden concludes. [Ed. note: R' Emden does not address the fact that in none of the cases he mentions did the individual use two hands while reciting Birkat Kohanim. Thus, there is no proof that a non-Kohen may bless his child with the Birkat Kohanim on Friday night while placing two hands on his or her heads.] (Siddur Bet Yaakov: Hanhagat Leil Shabbat) ******** When the Kohanim bless the congregation, their hands are outstretched and they hold their fingers in such a way that there are three air spaces between the fingers of the two hands. What does this represent? R' Pinchas Zelig Hakohen Schwartz z"l (pre-WWII Hungarian rabbi) explains: The Midrash says that Bnei Yisrael complained to Hashem, "We do not want the blessing of the Kohanim. We want Your blessing." Hashem responded: "When they bless you, I am looking over their shoulders." In the words of Shir Hashirim (2:9), "He is standing behind our wall, observing through the windows, peering through the lattices:" (Ateret Paz) ******** R' Yaakov Shimshon of Shepetovka z"l R' Yaakov Shimshon was one of the most distinguished of the third generation of chassidic leaders. He was a follower of both R' Dov Ber, the "Maggid of Mezeritch," and of R' Pinchas of Koretz, and he was the rabbi of the towns of Shepetovka, Slavita, Uman and Bar (all in Ukraine). As one of the most learned of R' Dov Ber's chassidim, he was chosen as a spokesman for the movement, which, in his days, was still vilified by leading Torah scholars. According to chassidic legend, R' Yaakov Shimshon met with R' Yechezkel Landau (known as the "Noda B'Yehuda), who, together with the Vilna Gaon, was the greatest of the "mitnagdim" (literally, "opponents"). The legend relates that the Noda B'Yehuda changed his opinion of chassidut after this meeting. (Many dispute the veracity of all or part of this story, however.) In 1795, R' Yaakov Shimshon settled in Eretz Yisrael. Upon his arrival, he found that Polish Jews in Eretz Yisrael were on the verge of starvation because, unlike their brethren from other parts of Eastern Europe, Polish Jews had not established a support network in Europe to provide for their material needs. R' Yaakov Shimshon arranged for a chassid, R' Ephraim Fishel of Zaslow, to travel to Poland to raise funds and to bring the plight of the Eretz Yisrael Jews to the attention of their brothers in Europe. On his trip, R' Ephraim Fishel met with leading chassidic rebbes and obtained their financial and moral support for the chassidic Jews of Eretz Yisrael. R' Yaakov Shimshon himself traveled to North Africa and Iraq to raise money. R' Yaakov Shimshon passed away in Teveryah on 3 Sivan 5561 / 1801. Despite being recognized as a great Torah scholar, he left no written works. He is, however, quoted in the halachic works of other leading sages of the 19th century. (Source: Encyclopedia Le'chassidut)