Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Eikev Volume 22, No. 46 22 Av 5768 August 23, 2008 Today's Learning: Chullin 6:4-5 O.C. 181:2-4 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Gittin 43 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Sotah 27 Our parashah contains repeated warnings to love and fear G-d and to walk in His ways. Yet each such instruction is different. First we read (8:6), "You shall observe the commandments of Hashem, your G-d, to go in His ways and fear Him." First, go in His ways, then fear Him. Next we read (10:12), "Now, O Israel, what does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, your G-d, to go in all His ways and to love Him." In this pasuk, fearing Hashem is before going in His ways, which is followed by loving Him. Finally we read (11:22), "To love Hashem, your G-d, to walk in all His ways and to cleave to Him." Here, loving G-d comes before going in His ways, which is followed by cleaving to Him. Why? R' Yisrael Meir Hakohen z"l (the Chafetz Chaim; died 1933) explains: The Torah is teaching us that fear of G-d and love of G-d are steps on a ladder. As described in the first verse, the first step is to observe the Torah's commandments. One must then follow in Hashem's footsteps - just as He is kind, you must be kind; just as He is merciful, you must be merciful, and so on. This will eventually bring a person to fear G-d. Then the process begins anew. As the second verse describes, even after one has attained fear of G-d, he must again walk in Hashem's ways if he wishes to attain love of G-d. Now, of course, his performance of mitzvot will be of a higher caliber. Eventually, this will lead to love of G-d. But that is not the end. Beyond love of G-d is attaching oneself to G-d. How does one get there? The third verse tells us - one must walk in G-d's ways on a higher level yet. (Quoted in Otzrot Tzaddikei U'geonei Ha'dorot) ******** "He afflicted you and let you hunger, then He fed you the mahn that you did not know, nor did your forefathers know, in order to make you know that not by bread alone does man live, rather by everything that emanates from the mouth of G-d does man live." (8:3) R' Chaim ben Betzalel z"l (1515-1588; rabbi of Friedberg, Germany; often referred to as "Rabbeinu Chaim, brother of the Maharal of Prague) observes: The phrase, "in order to make you know that not by bread alone does man live," implies that man does not live by bread alone, but of course he needs bread as well. Yet, the next phrase, "rather by everything that emanates from the mouth of G-d does man live," implies that man does not need even bread--only the word of G-d keeps man alive. Which inference is correct? He answers: If a person merited, he could live without bread, as Moshe did on Har Sinai for 40 days and as Eliyahu Hanavi did also (see Melachim I 19:8). However, the typical person cannot do this. He does need bread. Nevertheless, know that man does not live on bread alone; he must combine the word of G-d with it. In particular, when he eats, he should bring the word of G-d to the table [for example, by reciting a Dvar Torah or studying a Torah work during the meal]. How do we know that a person should not feel guilty about the fact that he needs to eat? The Torah says (Vayikra 11:2-4), "These are the creatures that you shall eat from among the animals that are upon the earth. Everything among the animals that has a split hoof, which is completely separated into double hooves, and that brings up its cud -- that one you may eat. But this is what you shall not eat..." Isn't that last verse redundant? If the Torah says what I may eat, is it necessary to say what I may not eat? Could we not figure that out by ourselves through process of elimination? The purpose of the redundancy is so that we will not interpret the first verse merely as permission, but as a directive: A normal person needs to eat. (Sefer Ha'chaim III, Ch. 1) ******** "I grasped the two Tablets and threw them from my two hands, and I smashed them before your eyes." (9:16) Why does Moshe Rabbeinu mention that he "grasped the two Tablets" rather than just saying that he smashed them? R' Yitzchak Yehuda Trunk z"l (1880- 1939; rabbi of Kutna, Poland) explains: The early Talmud commentator, R' Meir Halevi Abulafia z"l (1180-1244; Spain) maintains that if one is holding a stone and he releases his grip and the stone kills another person, the first person is liable for murder. This is true even though the person who released the stone did not apply any force to it; he only removed an obstacle (his hand) that had been restraining the stone. This is similar to the case of a person who opens the floodgates of a dam and causes damage. Even though he merely removed an obstacle, he is liable for the damage he caused. One might have thought, explains R' Trunk, that Moshe Rabbeinu did not forcefully break the Luchot; rather, he merely released his grip and they broke. As in the two cases above, this would be called "breaking" the Luchot. Accordingly, Moshe found it necessary to emphasize that he was grasping the Luchot tightly. He did not drop them; he threw them. [Perhaps he wished to emphasize the severity of Bnei Yisrael's sin in making the golden calf.] (Quoted in Otzrot Tzaddikei U'Geonei Ha'dorot) ******** "It will be that if you listen to My commandments that I command you today, to love Hashem, your G-d, and to *serve Him with all your heart* and with all your soul." (11:13) Rashi asks (paraphrasing the Sages), "Serve Him with a service that is in the heart, i.e., prayer, for prayer is termed service (`avodah')." R' Yaakov Krantz z"l (1741-1804; the Dubno Maggid) asks: What is the purpose of prayer? G-d already knows our needs and our desires. If something we want is good for us, let Him give it to us. If it is not good for us, then prayer can have no effect. We are all witnesses to the fact that a person will sometimes pray for something 1,000 times and still not be answered. The answer is that Hashem wants us to sense the difference between good circumstances and bad ones. If Hashem gave us everything we needed before we asked for it, we would never sense His beneficence. We would think that everything comes about naturally. For example, a person who is healthy, who is whole in body and limb, whose eyes can see and whose ears can hear, and so on, does not usually rejoice over his physical faculties. He is not aroused to bless his Creator for these gifts. Only a person who is lacking one of these faculties and then is cured is aroused to appreciate what he now has. To what may prayer be compared? To night watchmen who call out every hour, "It is such-and-such o'clock and all is well." Why do they wake up sleeping townspeople to make this announcement? Not because the townspeople need to know the time, but in order to prove that the watchmen are awake and alert. Likewise, Hashem does not need our prayers. Rather, we pray to prove that we are "awake." (Kol Bochim Al Megillat Eichah 1:5; Voice of Weepers, p. 14) ******** "For if you will observe this entire commandment that I command you, to perform it, to love Hashem, your G-d, to walk in all His ways and to attach yourself to Him." (11:22) Our Sages comment: "How could one possibly one attach himself to G-d, Who is described as a `consuming fire'? Rather, attach yourself to His attributes - just as He is merciful, so you should be merciful, etc." R' Yehuda Ashlag z"l (1886-1954; rabbi of the Givat Shaul neighborhood of Yerushalayim and one of the leading kabbalists of the 20th century) asks: How is this interpretation consistent with the simple meaning of the verse? He explains: The only way to "attach" oneself to something that has no physical form is to imitate it. Therefore our Sages teach: "As He is merciful, so you should be merciful, etc." The defining characteristic of G-d is that He acts for the sake of giving and never for the sake of receiving. He lacks nothing, and there is nothing we can give Him. Imitating these characteristics is the literal meaning of attaching oneself to Hashem. He continues: Unlike G-d, man must sometimes receive. How then can one truly imitate G-d? The answer is that if one receives with no intention other than to please the giver, then one's receiving is actually giving. (Matan Torah) ******** Letters from our Sages The following letter was written by R' Akiva Eiger z"l (1761-1837; rabbi of Posen, Germany and other communities), who is considered to have been among the most outstanding Talmud commentators and halachic authorities of recent centuries. The letter appears in Igrot R' Akiva Eiger, p.138. B"H, Monday night, 12 Nissan "Titzdak" [5594 / 1834], Posen Much peace and blessing to my honorable friends, the dear and honorable nobles, the unique individuals of the holy congregation of Strasbourg: Your [second] letter reached me today. Let your honors not be upset that I have not answered until now. There are many burdens placed upon me from this community and the surroundings, more than the hairs on my head, and the ability to speak is gone from me. My apologies. You did well to write to me again to remind me. Regarding the substance of your request - that I sign your charter to indicate my support and strengthen your enterprise - I find it wondrous. What need is there to strengthen or to confirm that which will bring joy to anyone who sees it? [This refers to] reciting Tehilim in public every Shabbat, spending the day in holiness and not wandering in the streets, visiting the sick and providing the needs of the ill poor, and properly observing the seventh day of Adar [the yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu, traditionally a day for strengthening the chevra kadisha / burial society]. Who could possibly question the merit of such activity? Indeed, I am so surprised that I wonder if there are facts that are being hidden from me. Also, since you already have appointed my friend, the rabbi, the light of the diaspora, the head of the rabbinical court of Golub, to judge and instruct you, it is fitting that you honor him to sign first. May Hashem be with you, and may you strengthen yourselves further and further in the service of Heaven, and may the pleasure of Hashem be upon you. The words of Akiva son of my teacher Moshe Ginz zt"l