Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Behar Volume VI/Number 32 (266) 20 Iyar 5752/May 23, 1992 NEW FEATURE "Bayamim Hahem, Bazman Hazeh" 20 Iyar 2449 Thirty three hundred and three years ago today, our ancestors left Har Sinai where they had camped for almost 12 months, and where they had received the Torah. Strangely, the Midrash Yelamdenu criticizes Bnei Yisrael, saying that they left Har Sinai like a child running from school. Can this be? Doesn't the Torah tell us (Bamidbar 10:11) that G-d commanded Bnei Yisrael to travel? Chazal's criticism of Bnei Yisrael may be, not for the act of traveling, but for the feelings with which they traveled. Although they left Har Sinai for the nobelst of reasons - they should still have felt some regret over leaving Har Sinai. However, they did not; in some measure, however small, they were glad to leave the place where they had learned so much Torah. Bnei Yisrael's experience is relevant to each of us: Few people are able to study Torah all day; livelihoods must be earned and families raised. However, one must take care to study Torah at every opportunity. Furthermore, the above Midrash teaches, when one must close his "Sefarim" (books) and devote time to other endeavors, it should be done with regret, not like a child fleeing from school. (The "Alter" of Slobdka: Ohr Haztafun; Lekav Tov, p.93) ************************************ Behar Parasha Overview This Parasha has two major sections, the first dealing with the "Shemittah" and "Yovel" (Sabbatical and Jubilee years, when the earth must lie fallow, slaves are freed, and debts forgiven), and the second dealing with other aspects of slavery. The Parasha ends with mention of the Mitzvah of Shabbat. R' A.Y. Kook writes that man has many innate spiritual qualities which are too subtle to show in the relatively rough-and-tumble workaday world. Fortunately, he notes, Hashem gave man one day a week to unwind, one day when, freed from the rat race, his true spirituality can come to the fore. What Shabbat is to the individual, continues R' Kook, the Shemittah is to the nation. For six years man toils to build his business, to cultivate his land, and to work his slaves. In such an environment, there is little room left in a person's thoughts for the rest of his nation, particularly the down-trodden and helpless. Then comes the Shemittah - loans are forgiven, slaves are freed, and the gates of the orchards and fields, which before had been so jealously guarded, are thrown wide open for whomever comes. Stripped of competition and subjugation, both the nation and the land can show their true spirituality. (Shabbat Ha'aretz, intro.) ************************************ Pirkei Avot Who is strong ("Gibor")? One who restrains his [evil] inclination. (ch.4) Why is this statement phrased in the present tense? R' Baruch of Seret explains that restraining one's desires is a constant challenge from which one may never rest. In fact, notes R' Chaim Meir of Vizhnitz (the former's brother), the Torah does not want us to finish the task. The Mishnah does not say, "One who has destroyed his inclination." True, one must restrain his impulses and evil inclination, but there is a time to use them as well. In Chazal's words, "Serve Hashem with both of your inclinations." (Mimayanot Hanetzach, p.195) ************************************ "It is the Yovel....do not plant." (25:11) Chazal teach that although grass was created on the fourth day of creation, it did not grown until the sixth. Why? The Midrash says that Torah was created 2,000 years before the rest of the world. That being the case, creation took place in the 2,000th year which, being divisible by 500, was the Yovel. In order to demonstrate the holiness of that year Hashem did not allow grass to grow until the sixth day of creation, which Chazal say was Rosh Hashanah of the next year. (Ma'ayanah Shel Torah) ************************************ Note on the Torah Reading This week, when communities outside of Israel read Parashat Behar, congregations in Israel will read the next Parasha, Bechukotai. The reason for this is that the eighth day of Pesach - which this year fell on Shabbat - was not a Yom Tov in Israel, where Pesach has only seven days. Thus, while communities in Israel read Parashat Acharei Mot on that day, those in the diaspora read the holiday reading, and thus fell one Parasha behind. The questions arises, however, why diaspora communities don't catch up immediately by reading Acharei Mot and Kedoshim together (as is sometimes done for other reasons) or by reading Behar and Bechukotai together (as is also common)? Why, instead of combining these short Parashot, wait until Av (August) and combine Matot an Masei? Perhaps the answer is as follows: While, in one sense, those in the diaspora are one Parasha behind schedule (because according to Torah law, Pesach should have only seven days, as it does in Israel), in another sense, those in Israel are one week ahead of schedule. This is because Parashat Bamidbar should be read on the Shabbat before Shavuot (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 428:4; for the reason see Megilah 31b and Tosfot "Kelalot"). This will not be done in Israel this year because they are a week "ahead" of schedule. If Acharei Mot-Kedoshim or Behar-Bechukotai were doubled, the diaspora communities too would be a week ahead in that respect. One can still ask, however, why wait until Matot-Masei before catching up? After all, there is precedent for combining Chukat and Balak, which come earlier! The answer may arise from our desire to read Parashat Pinchas during the "Three Weeks" before Tisha B'Av. Among the explanations given for this are that Parashat Pinchas refers to the holidays, thus alluding to the Prophet Yirmiyahu's promise that Hashem will turn our mourning to that reading about the Korbanot (sacrifices) which are discussed in Parashat Pinchas will more people to pray for the rebuilding of the Bet Hamikdash. In Israel, this year, Pinchas will be read before the Three Weeks, and we therefore do not want to catch up before then. ************************************ R' Elchanan Wasserman R' Elchanan Wasserman, born in 1875 in Boisk, Lithuania, and murdered in the Holocaust in 1942, was one of the towering educators and Torah leaders of the first half of this century. He is considered to have been the greatest student of the "Chafetz Chaim", though by the time he met that sage (1907) he was already an accomplished scholar. Previously, he had studied with R' Shimon Shkop, R' Chaim Brisker, and R' Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook. Although worthy of teaching the greatest of students, R' Elchanan devoted his career to preparing younger students (i.e. teenagers) for a life of Torah. R' Elchanan instilled in his students the fundamentals of Torah study, emphasizing "P'shat" - the plain, contextual meaning - and "Chazarah" - constant review. Students used to joke, "Why does it take R' Elchanan so long to finish the 'Shemoneh Esrei'? Because he is constantly reviewing and recapitulating what he has already said" (R' Elchanan, p.140). In "Ohel Torah", R' Elchanan's Yeshiva in the town of Baranovich, the curriculum included tractates not usually studied in Yeshivot. Most academies concentrate on the Talmudic orders of "Nashim" and "Nezikin", but R' Elchanan taught from "Mo'ed" and "Kodshim" as well. Also, unlike in most Yeshivot, R' Elchanan taught each tractate from beginning to end (including "Aggadeta" - the non-legal parts), without regard to the number of semesters required for that task. However, it was not his intention just to cover ground; he once said, "A meal is for finishing, learning is not!" (R' Elchanan, p.148) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Mishnah Yomit: Ohalot 13:3-4 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Halacha Yomit: OC/MB 398:6-8 (Learn three paragraphs every day) Daf Yomi: Moed Katan 18 (Learn two sides of a page every day) Rambam Chapter/Day: Hilchot Toen Vneetan - Chapter 4 3 Chapters/Day: Hilchot Keylim - Chapters 18-20 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:P106; Su:P104; M:P96; Tu:P109; W:P109; Th:P109; F:P109 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this week's Hamaayan is sponsored by: Mr. Dan Pittinsky (Highland Park, NJ) in honor of Mr. Marvin Blumenfrucht The Rutstein family on the Yahrzeit of mother and grandmother Pesha Batya bat Zemach and the birthday of son and brother Fishel Shmuel ben Menachem Mendel Halevi