Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz On the publication of Hamaayan's 250th issue, we offer sincere thanks to Hashem and to all of our readers, supporters, and distributors for making Hamaayan possible. Parashat Beshalach Volume VI/Number 16 (250) 13 Shevat 5752/January 18, 1992 Parasha Overview On the simplest level, this week's Parasha can be neatly divided into two parts. The first deals with the Jews' "escape" from Egypt, culminating in the miracle of the splitting of the "Yam Suf" (Red or Reed Sea), and the Jews singing "Shirat Hayam" (i.e. "Az Yashir"). The second part deals with Bnei Yisrael's complaints about their lack of food and water, and the miraculous appearance of the "Mahn" from Heaven. The Haftara (Shoftim 4:4-5:31; some communities read only part of this long selection) parallels the first part of the Parasha, as it describes Devorah and Barak's victory over the enemies of Bnei Yisrael and Devorah's song offering thanks to Hashem for His salvation. Parashat Beshalach always falls within a few days of Tu B'shvat, the "New Year for Trees" (see page 4). Several commentaries explain that the Parasha and the holiday represent two different, but complementary, types of praise of Hashem. The song which Bnei Yisrael sang at the Yam Suf is a song about Hashem's open miracles. It acknowledges that Hashem can override the laws of nature at will, and can make water flow backwards or even stand up like a solid. He can also rescue a scared, powerless, and disorganized "mob" from the most powerful army on the face of the earth. Tu B'shvat sings a different kind of song. "The Heavens relate the honor of G-d, and his handiwork the skies will tell" (Tehilim 19:2). As Rashi explains, the Heavens do not speak, but through observing nature, man sings Hashem's praises. What King David is expressing in this Psalm is the lesson taught by Ramban (B'reishit 46:15): There is no such thing as "nature" - rather, some of Hashem's wonders occur so regularly that they are predictable, while some occur so infrequently that we call them "miracles." The splitting of the Red Sea and the falling of the Mahn represent the two sides of this coin. Of the splitting of the sea - at first glance, an unprecedented wonder - Chazal say: "Hashem imposed a condition on the sea at the time of its creation. 'When the need arises, you will split'." It turns out, therefore, that the splitting of the Yam Suf is just as "natural" as the sea's normal state; both of these phenomena are built in to its creation. If the splitting of the Yam Suf represents the nature masquerading as supernatural, the falling of the Mahn represents the supernatural appearing natural. After all, many things rain down from the sky after being carried by the wind, so why not bread? The Mahn, however, was not bread. In the words of King David (Tehilim 78:12), "The food of the mighty ones, man ate," a verse interpreted by R' Akiva in the Midrash as a reference to the Mahn which is the food of angels. Do angels then eat? Yes, they "eat" from Hashem's "radiance," the power that sustains them. Similarly, writes R' Gedalya Schorr, the Mahn was not food in the normal sense, but was rather a mystical force within a physical wrapper that allowed Bnei Yisrael to hold it in their hands. (Obviously, a full explanation is beyond the scope of a publication such as this.) Devorah's song in the Haftara alludes to these ideas as well. "From the heavens, the stars fought [against Yisrael's enemies], from their orbits they fought against Sisra [the enemy general]" (Shoftim 5:20). Everything, "natural" or "miraculous," works together to fulfill Hashem's will. ************************************ "I have heard the complaints of Bnei Yisrael. Tell them, 'In the evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be satisfied with bread, an you will know G-d'." (16:12) "In the evening," i.e. as long as Hashem's light does not shine on you fully, your soul will long for the luxuries and delicacies of this world. However, "in the morning," when the light of knowledge and understanding shines upon you, then you will be happy with less. Why? Because then you will know G-d and will place less emphasis on the pleasures of this world. (Luach Erez) ************************************ "Each man, for those in his tent he shall collect [Mahn]." (16:16) A couple once came to R' Asher'l of Rimanov with a problem: the woman complained that her husband could not earn a living because he was "too" honest. Did he have that right, his wife wanted to know, when his family was starving? R' Asher'l answered: A person's obligation to support his family is learned from the above verse regarding the Mahn. This verse was said at a time when Hashem openly sent food to each family according to its needs. No one took another's share, and no one cheated. Similarly, now, even though Hashem's ways are less obvious, each person can, and must, support his family honestly, without any question of wrongdoing. (Iturei Torah) ************************************ TU B'SHVAT The 15th day of the month of Shevat is significant in both Halacha and Aggadah. In Halacha, Tu B'shvat - the Hebrew word "Tu" has a numerical value of 15 - is the "New Year for Trees" (Rosh Hashana 2a). The Halacha requires that when giving "Terumot" and "Ma'asrot" (the gifts given to Kohanim and Levi'im from each year's produce), one not mix fruits that grew in different years. The cut-off date is Tu B'shvat. Therefore, if one Etrog was picked on the 14th of Shvat, and another on the 15th, they must be tithed separately (Rambam, Hil. Terumot 5:11). Also, in counting the three years of "Orlah" (see Vayikra 19:23) and "Netah Revai" (id. 19:24), a year will sometimes end on the anniversary of the tree's planting, and sometimes on Tu B'Shvat. (See Hil. Ma'aser Sheni v'Netah Revai, ch.9 regarding how to make these calculations.) ************************************ A tiny seedling's development into a full-fledged tree is one of the most inspiring transformations in all of Hashem's creation, writes R' Menacham Mendel Schneerson, Shlita (the "Lubavitcher Rebbe"). First comes the development of the roots, then the trunk, branches, and leaves, and finally, the fruit. The roots are concealed from the eye, yet the tree derives its main life force from them. They also enable the tree to be firmly embedded in the earth and to withstand strong gusts of wind that would otherwise uproot it. The trunk and body of the tree constitute the majority of the tree's mass. This part of the tree is in a constant state of growth. Finally, trees produce some type of fruit. When that happens, the tree is complete, for it is the fruit which contains the kernel that produces future generations of trees. All of the above is a metaphor for man's growth. Man begins with his tie to Hashem, a force that is hidden from the eye, but provides man's support. Hashem is the One who prevents man from being "uprooted" by the forces that attack him. Man should not be content with this tie to the Divine, but should seek constant growth through Torah and Mitzvot. Finally, man must produce fruit, affecting his friends and neighbors so that they too reach their maximum possible spiritual level. ************************************ "The Mir" Our examination of the "modern Yeshiva" which began in Volozhin and followed the descendants of R' Chaim of Volozhin to Brisk, Yerushalayim, and New York, now turns back in time to the year 1816 (or 1817). That was when one R' David Eisenstadt founded a Yeshiva in the Lithuanian town of Damir ("The Mir"). R' David appointed his son, R' Moshe Avraham to lead the Yeshiva in a manner similar to the one in Volozhin, but it was under the next Rosh Yeshiva, R' Chaim Leib Tikochinsky, that Mir gained its early popularity. After fifty years, as Rosh Yeshiva, R' Chaim Leib was succeeded by his son, R' Avraham, who delivered "Shiurim" (lectures) regularly despite being blind. Mir - its students often place the definite article before the name - first gained world-wide renown under its next head (who doubled as town Rabbi), R' Elya Baruch Kamai. He continued the Yeshiva's Volozhin-like traditions - for example, lecturing to his students on every page of the tractate under study, rather than just addressing the most "interesting" aspects of the tractate. (By "interesting" we mean those sections on which the lecturer has composed original insights, in addition to those of the standard commentaries.) However, unlike Volozhin where every tractate of the Talmud was studied in turn, in Mir the students concentrated on the "Sedarim" ("Orders" or divisions) or "Nashim" (covering marriage and divorce) and "Nezikin" (covering torts). This practice is followed in many Yeshivot today, motivated by the belief that students can best develop their study skills through these relatively abstract tractates, and that having done so, they can study the "practical" tractates (e.g. Shabbat, Eruvin, and Sukkah) on their own. As we shall see in future weeks, many scholars (notably R' Elchanan Wasserman) took exception to this approach. Aside from the great scholars that it produced, the Mir Yeshiva is known, even outside of the Yeshiva world, for the years that it spent in Shanghai during World War II. (The remarkable story will be summarized IY"H in a future issue.) Today the Mir Yeshiva has branches in Yerushalayim and New York. ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Daily Mishnah Kelim 13:2-3 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Daily Halacha Orach Chaim (Mishnah Berura) 334:9-11 (Learn three paragraphs each day) Daf Yomi Beitzah 26 (Learn two sides of a page each day) Shmirat Halashon: "Hakdamah" paragraph beginning "V'Nir'ah" or Guard Your Tongue: L.H. 6:1-2 Rambam Chapter/Day: Hilchot Mechirah - Chapter 1 3 Chapters/Day: Hilchot Nedarim - Chapters 1 - 3 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh: P94; Su: P94; M: N157; Tu: P95; W: P95,P92,N209 Th: N202,N203,N204; F: N205,N206,N208,N207 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this week's Hamaayan is sponsored by: Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Edeson on the 2nd birthday of their granddaughter, Faith Talia Loretta and Manny Sadwin and family on the Yahrzeit of Loretta's mother, Anna Smolar The Marwick family in memory of Reba Sklaroff