HaMaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Naso Volume V, Number 31 (217) 12 Sivan 5751/May 25, 1991 Parasha Overview The beginning of this week's Parasha, as was all of last week's, is devoted to the census of Bnei Yisrael which Moshe took in the desert. The question arises - since we know that the entire Torah is eternal, even its stories - what is the significance of this census? R' Menachem Schneerson, Shlita (the "Lubavitcher Rebbe") notes that in any generation, a person may contemplate his surroundings and conclude that he stands in a spiritual desert or wasteland. The discerning person may even conclude that such a desert exists within himself. It is unfortunately very easy to ignore such a situation, reasoning that there is nothing "I" can do. The Torah teaches that this attitude is incorrect. In the desert, Moshe demanded that every person stand and be counted. ************************************ "Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless Bnei Yisrael, say to them:'." (Badmidbar 6:23) The verses which follow set out the text of "Birkat Kohanim" - the priestly blessing. R' Moshe Isserles ("Rema") notes that the custom in the diaspora is that the Kohanim perform this Mitzvah only on Yom Tov. In most communities in Israel, Birkat Kohanim is performed daily. The reason for this distinction, says Rema, is that the Jews of the diaspora find it too difficult to concentrate on the performance of this Mitzvah. (Mapah, O.C. section 128) This explanation is astonishing, writes R' Moshe Sternbuch, Shlita. Since when can we excuse ourselves from performing a Torah Mitzvah by saying that we can't concentrate? Besides, don't we want G-d's blessing? Birkat Kohanim was one part of the daily service that the Kohanim performed in the Temple. Today, when the Bet HaMikdash does not stand, our prayers take the place of the Temple service. This is why Birkat Kohanim is recited as part of the Chazan's Shemoneh Esrei. However, not all prayers are equal. In fact, there are three categories of prayer. The lowest is "Tefilat Yachid" - the prayer of an individual. The second is "Tefilah BeTzibur" - prayer with a congregation. The third and highest level is "Tefilat HaTzibur" - the prayer of the congregation. What is the difference between the second and the third? The former is found when ten individuals pray together as a Minyan, each reciting his own prayer silently; the latter occurs when one person prays and the others stand silently and listen. Only the last type of prayer truly parallels the Temple service, for not every person brought the "Korban Tamid" (daily offering) to the Temple. Rather, the Kohanim, as agents of the nation, brought one sacrifice on behalf of all Jews. It follows, therefore, that only in the context of "Tefilat HaTzibur" (the third type of prayer) can Birkat Kohanim be recited, for only then does the blessing parallel that which was recited in the Bet Hamikdash. However, says Rema, we in the diaspora, being unable to concentrate on our prayers, never attain the level of "Tefilat HaTzibur" on a weekday. While the Chazan is repeating the Shemoneh Esri, each member of the congregation is off in a world of his own. One is reading from a Sefer, another is talking to his friend, a third is dozing, and so on. Only on Yom Tov, when the Shul is full, are we sure to have at least a Minyan that is paying attention to the Chazan. Then, having achieved the level of "Tefilat HaTzibur", we can perform Birkat Kohanim. The situation in Israel is different for several reasons. Before the last century, the Jewish community in Israel consisted of two groups: Sephardim whose ancestors were in Israel long before the practice arose for every member of the congregation to pray silently (they had only "Tefilat HaTzibur") and Ashkenazim whose ancestors had arrived with one of the "Yeshiva-based" immigrations (e.g. the students of the Vilna Gaon) that abandoned all material concerns and established communities in the Holy Land that adhered to the highest standards of observance. Both of these groups had no difficulty maintaining a sufficient level of concentration to allow for "Tefilat HaTzibur" and Birkat Kohanim. (Mo'adim U'Zmanim "Yom Tov" section 31) ************************************ "May Hashem turn His countenance towards you...." (Bamidbar 6:26) "For Hashem, your judge...turns His countenance towards no one, and takes no bribes." (Devarim 10:17) The Midrash notes the obvious contradiction between these two verses, and explains that one refers to this world and the other to the World-to-Come. In this world, elaborates R' Yehuda HeChasid, one person can pray for another, and Hashem will hear the prayer and "react" accordingly. In the next world, however, Hashem abides by the attribute of Justice. A person's fate in the World-to-Come is determined before the person arrives there; it is determined in this world by the person's own actions. This is only fair! Why should one person find greater reward than someone who is more deserving? (Sefer Chasidim, section 365) [R' Yehuda HeChasid was an important member of the German Tosafist school (which will be discussed in HaMaayan in the near future), both in his own right and as the teacher of such sages as R' Elazar Rokeach and R' Yitzchak "Or Zarua". He was also a major link in the transmission of ancient Kabbalistic traditions which had been passed from father to son since before the time that R' Yehuda's ancestor, R' Klonimus, brought advanced Torah study to northern Europe. ************************************ "Peireish HaKuntreis..." The experienced student of Gemara immediately recognizes the phrase "Peireish HaKuntreis" - "The notebook explained" - as the way that the "Ba'alei Tosfot" - the Ashkenazi scholars of the 12th -14th centuries - refer to the Talmud commentary of Rashi (1040- 1105). In fact, the "Kuntreis" and the "Tosfot" respresent the two primary contributions of medieval French and German scholars to our history of Torah study. According to an ancient tradition, there were Jews in Germany even before Shaul became the first king of Israel (circa 876 B.C.E.). (See note in Rashi, Shoftim 20:45.) However, it was to be 1600 years before the first Yeshiva opened in northern Europe. This occurred in either 787 or 876 C.E., at the instigation of one of the Carolingian kings (either Charlemagne or Charles the Bald). Many years passed before this Yeshiva produced its greatest son - R' Gershom ben Yehuda (960-1040), popularly known as Rabbenu Gershom "Me'or HaGolah" - "The Light of the Exile." R' Gershom authored Talmud commentaries which are still studied today and was also one the most important teachers in the history of Ashkenazic Jewry. However, he is best known to the layman as the author of the ban on bigamy which is observed among Ashkenazic Jewry. In the Yeshivot of the Rhineland (i.e. the border between France and Germany), the common method of study was through "Kuntreisim". Because the Talmud reflects both a language and a lifestyle which were unfamiliar to Ashkenazi Jews, it was the teacher's obligation to explain not only the intricate give-and-take of the Gemara's discussion, but also the meaning of the words and the underlying concepts. (Thus, for example, Rashi states repeatedly in his commentaries to Eruvin and Sukkah, "The Babylonians have flat roofs, unlike our sloped roofs.") For their part, the students valued every lesson that they heard and sought to retain not only the lesson's content, but the key terminology as well. For this reason, each student recorded the lessons, in minute detail, in his notebook or "Kuntreis". These notebooks were used in several ways. Firstly, each student used his own notebook to review the lessons that he had heard. Secondly, it was apparently common for students to exchange notebooks and to insert therein comments regarding each "author's" understanding of the lessons. Also, when a student studied a tractate for a second time, he would return to his earlier notebook and answer questions that he or his friends had noted there, clarify the material, and otherwise improve his grasp of the Talmud. Finally, these notebooks could be sent from one Yeshiva to another in order to compare the explanations of different teachers, and could be used by students who transferred from other Yeshivot in order to "catch-up" to their new colleagues. Many of these notebooks survived after the death of their authors and were studied by future generations. The best known of these are "Kuntreis Magenza" from R' Gershom's Yeshiva in Mainz, and the notebooks of Rashi's teachers, R' Yaakov ben Yakar and R' Yitzchak ben Yehuda. NEXT WEEK: "HaKuntreis" - Rashi's notebook par-excellence *********************************** Learning schedule for Shabbat, May 25, 1991 Daily Mishnah Chulin 2:9-10 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Daily Halacha Orach Chaim (Mishnah Berura) 266:13 - 267:2 (Learn three paragraphs each day) Daf Yomi Pesachim 71 (Learn two sides of a page each day) Pirkei Avot Chapter 1 (Learn one chapter each Shabbat afternoon during the summer) *********************************** The hard copy distribution of this week's HaMaayan is sponsored by: Dr. and Mrs. Irving Katz and family on the birth of a granddaughter The Vogel family in memory of mother and grandmother, Bluma bat Shabtai HaKohen (Blanche Vogel) ******************** Posted by Alan Broder, ajb@grebyn.com (uunet!grebyn!ajb), who should be contacted to request back issues of HaMaayan or to get on or off the direct email mailing list. Shlomo Katz can not receive EMAIL, however I will pass on any comment forwarded to me, or alternately, send your comments care of yehuda@gwuvm.bitnet