************************************ Hamaayan will not appear on Pesach. Look for the next issue on the following Shabbat. ************************************ Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Tzav Volume VII/ Number 24 (311) 12 Nisan 5753/April 3, 1993 Chazal say: "The 'Korban Pesach Todah' (the thanksgiving offering discussed in this week's Parasha) will never cease to be brought." Asks R' Aryeh Levin, zatzal (died 1969): Why is that a happy tiding? The Korban Todah is brought, after all, by one who has been saved from danger. If the Korban Todah will never cease to brought, that means that people will never cease to find themselves in danger! When Moshe asked (Sh'mot 5:22-23), "Why have You made things worse for this nation?" Hashem answered him, "You will see!" You will see, Hashem told him, that from every tragedy comes something good; from exile and persecution comes redemption. The Midrash says that when Yosef died, the Jews wanted to assimilate into Egypt. Hashem therefore made the Egyptians hate the Jews, thus causing the Jews to reunite and to support each other. Thus good -- the continued existence of the Jewish people - - came from bad -- the Egyptians' hatred. So, too, Chazal say that Eretz Yisrael is acquired through suffering. It is, however, as the Torah (Devarim 8:5) tells us, the "suffering" which a loving parent imposes on a child for the child's own well-being. (quoted in Ish Tzaddik Hayah p.303) ************************************ S h a b b a t h a G a d o l A well- known Midrash states that today is called "Shabbat haGadol" - the "Great Shabbat" - because of the miracle which happened on the Shabbat before the Exodus. Specifically, on that day the Jews set aside lambs to be sacrificed for the Korban Pesach, and the Egyptians, who worshipped the lamb, did not challenge the Jews or even object. Why is this miracle particularly worthy of a day commemorating it? asks R' Zalman Sorotzkin, zatzal (1881-1966; the "Lutzker Rav"). Surely, many more incredible miracles have taken place in our history! The typical person, notes R' Sorotzkin, is much more moved by an open miracle, i.e. one which is difficult to explain in natural terms, than he is by a miracle which can be rationally explained. In fact, however, the opposite should be true. G-d's using nature to accomplish His ends should be much more impressive than a sudden change in the course of nature. Why? Because the latter is temporary -- how can it compare to G-d's creation of all of heaven and earth, so long ago, yet in a way which continuously serves His purpose?! The miracle which happened on the first Shabbat haGadol is so memorable because there, in the midst of the open miracles of the plagues, Hashem performed this low-key and "natural" miracle, a miracle which can easily be explained rationally. In all likelihood, this miracle actually went unnoticed by the masses. Chazal, however, recognized its greatness, and they therefore called this day "Shabbat haGadol." (quoted in Birkat Chaim p.103) ************************************ Pesach/Shabbat haGadol It is a widespread custom to read a portion of the Haggadah on Shabbat haGadol because the redemption began on that day (O.C. section 430). However, says the Vilna Gaon, this reason appears to be contradicted by the Haggadah itself. There we read, "I might think that the Mitzvah of recounting the story of the Exodus begins at the beginning of the month... or on the 14th day of Nissan." These are apparently dates when, in some way, a step towards redemption was taken. The Haggadah does not, however, consider the possibility that the Mitzvah should start on Shabbat haGadol. If that was when the redemption started, why doesn't the Haggadah consider that as an appropriate time to begin the Mitzvah? R' David Cohen, shlita (prominent Rabbi and writer in Brooklyn) suggests the following explanation for the custom: Our Haggadah actually consists of two "Haggadot" -- that of the Talmudic sage Rav, and that of the Talmudic sage Shmuel. According to Rav, the Haggadah should focus on spiritual redemption, and we thus read that our ancestors were once idol worshippers but that Hashem has now given us the Torah. According to Shmuel, we should focus on physical redemption, and we thus read that we were slaves in Egypt and Hashem took us out. (This is consistent with Shmuel's view in the Talmud that the only difference between today and the days of Mashiach will be that gentiles will not rule over Jew; spiritually, there will not necessarily be a change.) It is thus only according to Rav that Shabbat haGadol is the beginning of the redemption, that day being when the Jews severed their ties to Egypt's idolatry by setting aside lambs (an Egyptian diety) to be sacrificed. The portion of the Haggadah mentioned by the Vilna Gaon, however, is apparently part of Shmuel's Haggadah. (Mas'at Kapi II p.60) ************************************ One year, R' Velvel Brisker (1887-1959) and his brother, R' Moshe (died 1940), went to Warsaw to bake Matzot for their father R' Chaim. Unfortunately, on the way home, every single Matzah broke. When Erev Pesach came, R' Chaim ordered his sons to try and piece together each Matzah, so that at least the family would preserve the appearance of having whole Matzot. Painstakingly, the brothers went to work. They were eventually joined by a third person and, much to their surprise, he pieced together seven Matzot for every three of theirs. How is that possible? they wondered, and the man explained that rather than looking for perfect matches, he simply broke off corners wherever necessary and put the remaining pieces together. Said R' Velvel to his brother: This is just like the two ways of answering Halachic questions -- the right way, which is to carefully and meticulously put together all of the necessary pieces, and the wrong way, which is to twist and turn things and to cut corners until everything appears to fit. (Haggadah Shel Pesach miBet haLevi p.298) ************************************ CLARIFICATION: In an earlier issue we stated that Moshe is not mentioned in the Haggadah. He is! What we meant to say was that Moshe's role in the Exodus is not mentioned in the Haggadah. ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Uktzin 1:3-4 O.C. 576: 14-16 Nedarim 47 Yerushalmi - Demai 17 Rambam Ch/Day - Hilchot Eeshut - Ch. 5 3 Ch/Day - Hilchot Tumat Tzaraat - Chs. 11-13 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:P111; Su:P102,P103; M:P99; Tu:P100; W:P106; Th:P104; F:P104;P96; ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this week's Hamaayan is sponsored by: Mr. Moshe Cohen in memory of his father R' Chaim ben R' Zvi haKohen z"l R' Chaim Wasserman on the third Yahrzeit of his father haRav Moshe Yitzchak ben Chaim Zvi z"l (Rabbi Morris I. Wasserman) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible