Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Ha'azinu 3 Tishrei 5754/September 18, 1993 From our archives..... Parashat Ha'azinu which is written in the Torah in the form of a poem that is two columns wide, contains none of the Torah's 613 commandments. However, it is from a verse in this Parasha that Chazal derived the idea that three people should "Bentch" (recite the Grace after Meals) together (i.e. the Mitzvah of "Zimun"). That Pasuk is 32:3 which says: "When I will call the name of G-d, you (the plural "you") should give praise to Him." Since the minimum number that could be included in the plural is two, this verse may be interpreted to suggest that three people should join in praising Hashem, with one of them leading the other two. R' S.R. Hirsch offers the following rationale for this Mitzvah. He notes that the word "Lechem" (bread) is the root of "Milchamah" (war), because most wars are caused by a shortage of food. By joining together to thank G-d for our bread, we acknowledge that we need not war over our sustenance because G-d provides it all. ************************************ Throughout the month of Elul, and continuing until the end of Sukkot, it is our custom to conclude our prayers with Psalm 27, "L'David Hashem Ori...." (Ashkenazim recite this chapter after Shacharit and Ma'ariv; Sephardim, after Shacharit and Mincha.) What is the connection between this Psalm and the time of year in which we now find ourselves? The Torah tells that when Moshe Rabbenu ascended Har Sinai in order to receive the Torah, Bnei Yisrael committed the sin of making a Golden Calf. Subsequently, Moshe ascended Har Sinai a second time to seek atonement for the nation. The day of this second ascension to Har Sinai was Rosh Chodesh Elul. Moshe remained there for forty days, until Yom Kippur, when Hashem announced that he had forgiven Bnei Yisrael. (Similarly, for all future generations, the period between Rosh Chodesh Elul and Yom Kippur is a propitious one for atonement and return to G-d.) On each day that Moshe remained on Har Sinai the Shofar was sounded in the Camp of Bnei Yisrael to remind them that they should not sin again. However, the Shofar served an additional purpose, as well: The Midrash says that each time that the Shofar was blown, G-d's name was sanctified. The commentaries explain that this was because the sound of the Shofar represented Bnei Yisrael's repentance. As their Teshuva became more heartfelt and complete each day, G-d was sanctified and glorified further. What was the nature of their sin and how was their Teshuva brought about? The answer is found in Sh'mot 32:8 - "They have abandoned the ways which I have commanded them to follow, they have made a Calf." The Midrash notes: Once a person abandons the ways of the Torah which Hashem has commanded, he quickly turns to idol worship. It follows then, that their Teshuva consisted of returning wholeheartedly to the Torah. This must, however, be explained more deeply. Why did Moshe have to pray for repentance specifically for forty days? Is there any connection to the fact that Moshe had spent forty days receiving the Torah in the first place? Finally, why did it take Moshe so long to bring down the Torah? If Hashem had given Moshe only the Written Torah, He could, in fact, have done so in only a few hours, or one day at most. However, Moshe had to receive the oral component of the Torah - the explanation of the Mitzvot - without which the written Torah cannot be understood or kept. This, Moshe had to memorize, and he therefore remained on Har Sinai longer. (In fact, it's remarkable that it took only forty days, and the Midrash says that Hashem gave Moshe as a gift the ability to perform this miraculous feat of memorization.) Moshe's prayer for repentance took forty days because the "Torah" which Bnei Yisarel rejected (thus coming to make the idol, as described above) was the Oral Torah which was given over forty days. The Written Torah can be read from a book with relative ease; the Oral Torah, however, is studied from memory and thus, true devotion to it requires intense concentration. Any lapse, and the Torah is potentially lose, replaced by sinful or even idolatrous thoughts. [Ed. note: Although the so-called "Oral Torah" is now partially written in the Talmud and its commentaries, its true nature is to be studied orally.] If Bnei Yisrael's sin was caused by insufficient devotion to the Oral Torah, then obviously their repentance involved reestablishing and strengthening their commitment to that body of Torah. Each day they progressed farther, sanctified G-d's name more, and came closer to atonement, until, on Yom Kippur they were forgiven. The subject of "L'David Hashem Ori" is the Oral Torah. "Ohr" (light) is a common metaphor for Torah. Furthermore, David requests of G-d that he be allowed to sit in the study hall - the place of the Oral Torah - during all of his days. It is fitting that we should mention these thoughts at this time. (R' Yitzchak Sorotzkin: Gevurat Yitzchak) ************************************ Ein Yaakov edited by R' Yaakov ibn Chaviv and R' Levi ibn Chaviv In his introduction to his work, Ein Yaakov, the editor writes that one of Rav Ashi's [the editor of the Talmud] four goals was to record the "Drashot" (homilies) of the sages. These Drashot, writes R' Yaakov, should not be treated lightly as many people tend to do, because they contain many secrets and mysteries, and teach us the truth about G-d. Ein Yaakov was written to assist the would-be student of these Drashot. The homiletic or "Aggadic" material in the Talmud is scattered throughout the many tractates and volumes of that work. Thus, the first goal of R' Yaakov's work was to publish a set of the Talmud that contained only the Aggadic material (i.e. with the Halachic discussions left out). This is the Ein Yaakov. Unfortunately, R' Yaakov did not live to complete the work, and some of it was continued by his son, R' Levi ibn Chaviv ("Ralbach"), Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim from 1525 to 1545. (R' Yaakov himself lived from 1445-1516, and was among the victims of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.) Several portions of R' Yaakov's projected work were never completed. Whereas the volumes edited by R' Yaakov contain excerpts from the Talmud Yerushalmi as well as the Talmud Bavli, R' Levi's volumes contain only the latter. Apparently, he was unable to find a copy of the Talmud Yerushalmi. Also, R' Yaakov had planned to include several indices in his work. The main text of Ein Yaakov follows the order of the Talmud where "Drashot" and "Aggadot" often seem to appear in a random order (although some commentaries do attempt to explain the placement of each selection). Therefore, R' Yaakov planned to index the material by subject and by the weekly Torah reading. However, this was never done. ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Shevi'it & O.C. -- not available at print time Gittin 12 Yerushalmi - Ma'asrot 16 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this weeks Hamaayan is sponsored by: Marion and Samuel Markovitz in memory of their fathers Yisroel Moshe Markovitz A"H (Yahrzeit - Erev Rosh Hashana) Yitzchok Mordechai Gross A"H (Yahrzeit - Yom Kippur) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible