Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Beshalach Volume 21, No. 16 17 Shevat 5767 February 3, 2007 Sponsored by Irving and Arline Katz on the yahrzeits of grandmother Henia Rachel bat Pinchas a"h (Tu B'Shevat) mother Fradel bat Yaakov Shalom a"h (19 Shevat), and father Chaim Eliezer ben Avigdor Moshe Hakohen a"h (21 Shevat) The Marwick family in memory of Reba Sklaroff a"h Micheline and David Peller in memory of his parents Hinda bat Yisroel Mechel a"h and Efraim Fishel Peller a"h Today's Learning: Nazir 5:3-4 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Ta'anit 26 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Eruvin 1 In this week's parashah, we find the beginning of the receiving of the Torah. On the verse (15:25), "There He established for [the nation] a decree and an ordinance, and there He tested it," Rashi z"l comments: "He gave them a few sections of the Torah in order that they might engage in study thereof -- the sections containing the command regarding Shabbat, the red heifer and the administration of justice." R' Moshe ben Nachman z"l (Ramban; 1194-1270) writes: This is wondrous! Why does the Torah not spell out the laws as it does in other places-"Speak to Bnei Yisrael and command them, etc." From Rashi's wording it seems that [Moshe did not teach these laws as "official" commandments; rather] he told them that this is what they would be commanded to keep in the future, when Hashem would give them the Torah at Har Sinai. In this light, says Ramban, we can understand why the Torah calls these commandments a "test." Bnei Yisrael were being tested to see whether they could accustom themselves to mitzvot and accept them with joy. R' Simcha Mordechai Ziskind Broide z"l (rosh yeshiva of the Chevron Yeshiva in Yerushalayim; died 2000) asks: How would these few mitzvot reveal whether or not Bnei Yisrael were ready to receive the whole Torah? He explains: Ramban teaches (in his commentary to Sefer Devarim) that the Torah expects more of us than merely keeping the mitzvot. We are called upon to learn from the mitzvot what Hashem's Will is. For instance, the Torah tells us not to speak lashon hara, not to take revenge, to stand up for our elders, etc., and from these examples of interpersonal behavior, we are supposed to learn how to interact with our fellow men. When Hashem taught the laws of Shabbat, the red heifer and the administration of justice in our parashah, the purpose was to see whether Bnei Yisrael would look behind those mitzvot to see the Will of Hashem that those laws represent. If Bnei Yisrael succeeded in doing that, it would indicate that they would know what to do with the other mitzvot as well. (Sahm Derech: Ha'yashar Ve'hatov p.19) ******** "And you [Moshe] -- lift up your staff and stretch out your arm over the sea and split it." (14:16) Our Sages teach that Moshe Rabbeinu did not hit the water to initiate the plagues of Blood and Frogs because he owed the water a debt of gratitude for saving his life when he was an infant. Instead, Aharon brought about those plagues. Why, then, asks R' Nosson Teomim z"l (1913-1983; the Krystynopoler Rav in Brooklyn NY), did Moshe not show the same deference to the water at the Red Sea? Indeed, the question is especially strong because our Sages say that the guardian angel of the seas was pained by the splitting of the Red Sea. Shouldn't Moshe have shown consideration for the Sea in this case? R' Teomim answers: Moshe, in fact, did nothing to initiate the splitting of the Red Sea. Rather, it was all Hashem's doing. The only reason Moshe was commanded to lift the staff over the Sea was to allow the Egyptians to think that Moshe was practicing magic. [Had an unambiguous miracle occurred, the Egyptians would never have chased Bnei Yisrael.] We read in our parashah (14:31), "Yisrael saw the great hand that Hashem had inflicted in Egypt." How did they see at the Sea the great hand that Hashem had inflicted in Egypt? R' Teomim explains that when Bnei Yisrael saw at the Sea that Moshe played no role in the miracle, they realized that, in Egypt also, it was Hashem that caused the miracles, not Moshe. We say in the Ma'ariv prayer: "Your children beheld Your majesty, as you split the Sea before Moshe: `This is my G-d,' they exclaimed; then they said, `Hashem shall reign for all eternity'." When Bnei Yisrael saw that Hashem split the Sea in front of Moshe, but Moshe himself played no part, then they acknowledged G-d. (Bar Pachtai) ******** "The angel of G-d who had been going in front of Bnei Yisrael moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and went behind them. It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Yisrael and there were cloud and darkness -- while it illuminated the night -- and one did not approach the other all night." (14:19-20) These verses seems repetitious, writes R' Eliezer Dovid Gruenwald z"l (1867-1928; Hungarian rabbi and rosh yeshiva). Isn't the angel (messenger) of G-d who moved from in front of Bnei Yisrael to behind them the same as the pillar of cloud? He answers: We read in Tehilim (69:19-20), "Draw near to my soul, redeem it; because of my foes, deliver me. You know of my disgrace, my shame, and my humiliation; all my tormentors are before You." King David is saying that even though there are occasions when Klal Yisrael may not deserve to be redeemed, in comparison with their tormentors, they are always righteous. "Because [of the unworthiness] of my foes, deliver me." When they stood on the shore of the Yam Suf, Bnei Yisrael were being judged. Some of the angels argued that Bnei Yisrael had also worshiped idols in Egypt; thus, it was not at all clear that they would be saved. The angel who moved from in front of Bnei Yisrael to behind them was their defense attorney, so-to-speak. Since he could think of nothing to say in Bnei Yisrael's favor, he moved closer to the Egyptians as if to highlight the contrast between the oppressors and the oppressed. And his strategy succeeded - for the Egyptians "there were cloud and darkness," while for Bnei Yisrael, "it illuminated the night." (Keren Le'Dovid) ******** "It happened that when Moshe raised his hand Yisrael was stronger, and when he lowered his hand Amalek was stronger." (17:11) The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 3:8) asks: Did Moshe's hands make or break the war? Rather, when Moshe's hands were held high, Bnei Yisrael looked upward to Heaven and prevailed. R' Uri Feivel z"l (Krystynopol, Galicia; late 18th century) elaborates on the significance of hands in this context: Amalek, a descendant of Esav, derives its strength from Yitzchak's blessing to Esav (Bereishit 27:40), "By your sword you shall live." This is represented by the hands, which hold the sword. The Torah says that Amalek attacked Bnei Yisrael at a place called "Refidim," which the midrash Mechilta reads as an acronym for "Rafu yedaihem mi'divrei Torah" / "They [Bnei Yisrael] loosened the grip of their hands on the words of Torah." Indeed, Yitzchak had foretold (Bereishit 27:22), "The voice is Yaakov's voice, but the hands are Esav's hands." Our Sages explain: "Either the voice of Yaakov will prevail -- i.e., when Yaakov studies Torah -- or the hands of Esav will prevail." The Torah, it should be noted, was given from Hashem's "right hand" so-to- speak (see Devarim 33:2). (Ohr Ha'chochmah) ******** Tu B'Shevat The first mishnah in Tractate Rosh Hashanah identifies Tu B'Shevat / the 15th day of the month of Shevat as the beginning of the new year for trees. Because the Torah prohibits eating the fruit of a tree that is fewer than three years old, it is necessary to know a tree's age. However, we do not count tree-years from the date when each individual tree was planted, but rather from Tu B'Shevat -- the birthday of trees. Hence, the holiday of Tu B'Shevat. Except for agricultural purposes, there is little halachic significance to Tu B'Shevat. Over the centuries, however, many Sephardic and Chassidic communities adopted Tu B'Shevat customs -- some of them kabbalistic -- intended to demonstrate an affinity with Eretz Yisrael (through its fruits) and an appreciation of Hashem's bounty in general. The following description of Tu B'Shevat in the court of the late 19th century Chassidic rebbe, R' Eliezer Ze'ev z"l of Kretchnif-Sighet, is from the work Raza D'uvda: On the afternoon of the day of Rosh Hashanah for the trees, our rebbe followed the custom of his ancestors [the rebbes of Nadvorna] to wear Shabbat clothes, including the shtreimel. It is brought down in chassidic works that one should wear Shabbat clothes on Tu B'Shevat, the new year for trees, based on the verse (Devarim 20:19), "Ki ha'adam etz ha'sadeh," which may be read, "Man is a tree of the field." The table would be set in his room with large quantities of whatever fruits were available, including boiled etrogim, and candles would be lit on the table. In front of the rebbe was a large bowl filled with whatever fruits were on the table. He would stand to recite the blessing of She'hecheyanu, all the while holding the bowl. He would eat first from the etrog and the seven species with which Eretz Yisrael was praised, and then from other fruits. How his face shone and the emotions ran high at this table! He would speak about matters pertinent to the day. Many chassidim and others came, and he distributed fruit from his table to each guest. He would also repeat the saying of the tzaddikim that one should pray on Tu B'Shevat for a nice etrog. One of his blessings to those assembled at his table was, "May the trees be healthy. May their fruits be successful" -- his intention being to refer to the verse cited above, "Ki ha'adam etz ha'sadeh." When Tu B'Shevat fell on Shabbat, the fruit would be brought to the table after birkat ha'mazon of the day-time meal, and he would hold a separate tisch in honor of Tu B'Shevat.