Today's Learning Sponsored by Shabbat 15:3-16:1 Chanan Vogel Kitzur 206:8-207:1 in honor of his nephews Bava Kama 59 Yehuda, Moshe, Eliezer & Ze'ev Katz Yerushalmi-- and nieces, Miri & Tali Mandelbaum Eruvin 13 The Rutstein family, in memory of mother and grandmother Pesha Batya bat Zemach þ"þ (Bessie Rutstein) The Singer family, in honor of Joshua's bar mitzvah PARASHAT ACHAREI MOT--KEDOSHIM The 27th day of the Omer Vol. VIII, No. 28 (363), 12 Iyar 5754, Apr. 23 1994 We read in this week's parasha (19:28), "You may not cut your flesh for the dead . . . I am Hashem." Rashi writes earlier in the parasha (19:17) that the expression "I am Hashem" means "I can be trusted to pay the reward of your good deeds." Look in what context Hashem promises to reward us, says R' Isaac Sher (Rosh Yeshiva of Slobodka). "Don't injure yourselves, and I will reward you." This is just one reminder of Hashem's immense love for us, notes R' Sher. Another is the verse in Shir haShirim (6:3), "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me." Hashem actually allows us to call Him, who is so exalted, our "Beloved." Not only that, but that verse concludes, "Who shepherds us amongst roses." What does this mean? That Hashem desires to make our lives as pleasant and "sweet- smelling" as possible. The above mitzvah (regarding injuring oneself) is taught again in Devarim (14:1): "You are Hashem's children; do not cut yourselves . . . ." Again, we see that Hashem rewards us as His children even for doing what is obviously good for us. However, we also see what is expected of us. Chazal say that the term "children" also means "students," particularly, of Torah. We must therefore act like Hashem's children, firstly, by learning Torah, and also by carrying ourselves with the regal bearing and pride in our Torah that children of the King of Kings should. (Leket Sichot Mussar II p.7) ************************************ One of the mitzvot in this week's parasha (17:13) is "kisui hadam" --covering the blood of certain animals after they are shechted-- ritually slaughtered. This mitzvah applies to those species which are classified as "chayot" (e.g., deer) and to birds. However, it does not apply to behemot--domesticated animals such as sheep and cows. The Sefer Chassidim (R' Yehuda heChassid; 1150-1217) writes ( 372) that the reason for kisui hadam is so that the angel which watches over wildlife will not see the blood and complain that the innocent animals under his charge are being murdered. Why is this a concern only regarding birds and not regarding behemot? R' Chaim Eliezer Shapiro (the Munkatcher Rebbe) zatz'l writes that Hashem permitted the eating of animals and birds because by doing so one makes the animal or bird part of himself. Thus, one raises the slaughtered creature from the lower level of spirituality which a non-human organism possesses to the human's much higher level. However, this is the case only if the creature is eaten for the express purpose of achieving spirituality; if the one eating is a rasha and eats only to fulfill his gluttonous desires, then the animal's spirituality is not raised. A sheep or cow cannot be eaten by one person; it is therefore inevitable that at least some part of the animal will be eaten by a person who will possess the proper intent. Thus, the blood of a cow or sheep need not be covered because one who slaughters one of those animals is doing it a favor. A bird, however, can be eaten by one person; if he does not eat it properly, the angel that watches over the birds will complain. [Ed note: R' Shapiro writes that he offers the above only as the beginning of a possible answer. It does not account, however, for the fact that the blood of a deer must also be covered, even though a deer, too, cannot be consumed by one person.] (Divrei Torah II  103) ************************************ R' Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook zatz'l notes a common thread which connects kisui hadam with the shemittah, particularly with the law that the fruits of shemittah may not be eaten by humans after the time of year when they are no longer available in the wild for animals. Both of these laws increase our sensitivity towards animals which, in turn, refines our souls. [Note that sensitivity towards animals is not an end in itself--see Ramban, Devarim 22:6.] In particular, man must understand that it is not might, i.e., man's ability to kill animals at will, which makes man superior to other living things. Rather, it is man's ethical sensibilities and pursuits which make him the superior creature. (Orot haMitzvot) ************************************ PIRKEI AVOT "One whose deeds ("ma'asav") are greater than his wisdom . . . all the winds in the world may blow, but they will not move him, as it is written [Yirmiyah 17:8], 'He will be like a tree planted by the waters, that sends forth its roots to the veins of water and will not perceive that the heat is coming, whose leaves will be always be fresh, and he will not worry in a drought year, and he will never cease to yield fruit'." (Chapter 3) R' Yaakov Chaim of Baghdad zatz'l (1854-1921; son of the more famous R' Yosef Chaim of Baghdad) suggests that the word "ma'asav" used here means "creations." Specifically, the mishnah refers to a person's students. Chazal say that one's students are his creations. We are also taught in Pirkei Avot that if one's deeds (or, according to R' Yaakov, his creations or students) are numerous, his wisdom will last. This may be understood, says R' Yaakov, in light of the proverb, "I learned most of all from my students." (Z'chut Avot) Why is it that a person learns so much from his students? R' Shimon Shkop (died 1940) explains that Torah, like money, is entrusted to a person by Hashem. If a person proves himself a reliable caretaker, he is entrusted with even more wealth. Thus, one who gives charity is rewarded with greater monetary wealth, while one who teaches Torah is rewarded with greater knowledge. * * * * * The verse from Yirmiyah quoted above refers to one who places his faith in Hashem. (The previous verse is, "Blessed is the man who will trust in G-d. . . .") R' Joseph Breuer (1882-1980) comments on these two verses: Blessings will accompany those who, whatever the obstacles[,] will keep their lives firmly and enduringly rooted in G-d and who are upheld by the profound awareness that not even the most potent resources on earth can replace the one true Source of power and might [represented by the river], near which alone the tree [i.e., man], as it were, must place itself. The tree must eagerly send forth its roots to the veins of water flowing from that source if it wishes to survive the withering hot desert in ever-verdant freshness. If it chooses this course, the tree will never have cause to fear the scorching breath of the desert winds, which it will never have to experience. [Note that the last sentence is a play on the similarity between the Hebrew words for fear and seeing.] (Sefer Yirmiyah: Translation and Commentary) ************************************ Rav Netanel Weil died 15 Iyar 5529 (1769) R' Netanel Weil is best known as the author of the commentary on the Rosh by the name of Korban Netanel. He was a descendant of the leading German authority Mahari Weil (died 1455), and he likewise served as Rabbi of a number of German and Austrian towns, most notably, Karslruhe. The name "Rosh" refers both to the person of Rabbenu Asher ben Yechiel (14th century Germany and Spain) and to that scholar's major halachic work. In R' Netanel's introduction to Korban Netanel, he explains (in verse) that the purpose of his work is to resolve any apparent contradictions in the text of the Rosh and to explain the Rosh's words, as Ashkenazic Jews at that time considered the Rosh to be the final halachic authority. R' Netanel also composed a brief Torah commentary, known as Torat Netanel. Much of his commentary is oriented towards halacha. It is interesting to note that, in the first paragraph of his commentary on this week's parasha, he takes the relatively unusual step of adducing a point of halacha regarding family purity from an aggadic source. Commenting on the verse in this week's parasha (16:16), "[I am G-d] Who dwells amongst [the Jews] in the midst of their impurity," the midrash states that the impurity of the Jews (when they sin) is that of a nidah, not that of a corpse. While a kohen cannot enter a room in which there is a corpse, even a kohen gadol may sit on the same bench with his wife when she is a nidah, as long as the bench does not move. R' Netanel writes that the poskim overlooked this midrash. (For an interpretation of this midrash, see the below.) ************************************ What does the midrash (see above) mean when it states that Jews who sin are impure like a nidah and not like a corpse? One obvious difference between the two forms of impurity is that the corpse's tum'ah (ritual impurity) is permanent, while the nidah can be purified in a mikvah. Moreover, the tum'ah of a corpse comes from the fact that it is dead and it serves no more purpose; the tuma'ah of a nidah, on the other hand, is part of a reproductive cycle, and thus has a constructive component. The prophet Michah wrote (Michah 7:8), "For I have fallen, I will arise." Chazal say that when the righteous fall, it is only so that they may rise. Likewise, the present impurity of sinful Jews is merely part of the process by which they will rise to new levels of purity. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible