Today's Learning Sponsored by Shabbat 20:3-4 The Goodman family Kitzur 214:3-216:1 in memory of Bava Kama 73 Yehuda Zvi ben Shlomo haLevi zatz'l Yerushalmi-- Eruvin 34 Rachel, Adina, and Elisheva Katz on Menashe's and Leora's birthdays The Vogel family in memory of mother and grandmother Bluma bat Shabtai haKohen A"H HAMAAYAN/THE TORAH SPRING Edited by Shlomo Katz PARASHAT BEHAR-BECHUKOTAI The 41st day of the Omer Vol. VIII, No. 30 (365), 26 Iyar 5754, May 7, 1994 In this week's parasha we find the tochachah, literally "rebuke." This section foretells the curses and troubles which will befall the Jewish people when they abandon the Torah (and specifically, the mitzvah of shemittah.) Chazal say that this tochachah was fulfilled when the first Temple was destroyed and the Jews were exiled to Bavel (Babylon). Near the end of this tochachah we read (26:42), "I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, and also My covenant with Yitzchak, and also My covenant with Avraham I will remember and I will remember the Land." Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatz'l comments that even when the Jews are hiding themselves in their places of exile, even if they no longer wish to be identified as Jews, Hashem will not allow that. Something will always arise to remind Jews of their Jewishness. What is that something in our day? It is the end of the verse, "I will remember the Land," says Rav Soloveitchik. Hashem causes turmoil in Eretz Yisrael in order to awaken us to who we are. And why? The next verses explain: "I will not reject them . . . to break My covenant with them, for I am Hashem, their G-d"þHashem does not want the covenant of Sinai, i.e., the covenant of Torah and mitzvot, to be lost. (The Rav Speaks: Five Addresses p.150) ************************************ "These are the mitzvot that Hashem commanded Moshe. . . ." (27:34) The Ba'al haTurim comments: The gematria of mitzvot, with each of the letters spelled out, equals 612. This is also the gematria of the phrase "talmidei chachamim"þ"Torah scholars." What is this teaching us? asks Rav Elazar Rokeach. After all, there are actually 613 mitzvot! Chazal say that Moshe was excused from the mitzvah of being married and bearing children so that he would always be available to speak with Hashem. Similarly, any Torah scholar who cannot interrupt his learning for a moment, need not marry. Thus, the mitzvot that Hashem commanded Moshe (for his ownobservance) were only 612. So, too, talmidei chachamim who cannot bear to stop learning long enough to fulfill the obligations of marriage also need keep only 612 commandments. (Ma'aseh Rokeach) ************************************ Rav Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim (the Aderet) writes: The fact that the gematria of "talmidei chachamim" equals the gematria of "mitzvot" when the latter word is spelled out teaches that if one wishes to fulfill the mitzvot in all their details, he must become a talmid chacham. A lesser person cannot properly fulfill the commandments in their entireties. (Atrot Eder) ************************************ ". . . the city [Yerushalayim] was handed over to the Chaldeans who are attacking it, in the face of the sword, the famine, and the pestilence. . . . Yet You said to me, Hashem Elokim, 'Buy yourself a field with silver and appoint witnesses [to the transaction]'þbut the city has been handed over to the Chaldeans." (Yirmiyah 32:24-25; haftarah for Parashat beHar) The Gemara teaches that there were more than one million prophets in Jewish history, but only those prophecies which have eternal messages were recorded in Tanach. What then does Hashem's command that Yirmiyah buy a field in Eretz Yisrael teach us? Says Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook zatz'l: The prophet is teaching us that even when Eretz Yisrael is under siege (as it is today) and even when settling the land appears to be dangerous, the mitzvah to "buy fields" still continues. (quoted in Torat Eretz Yisrael p.187) ************************************ "What more impressive revelation of Divine Providence could there have been," writes Rav Joseph Breuer zatz'l, "than the fact that, even as He seems about to strike a fatal blow, G-d is preparing the future restoration of the land?" (Sefer Yirmiyah: Translation and Commentary) ************************************ PIRKEI AVOT Ben Bag Bag says: Turn it (the words of Torah) over again and again, for everything is in it. . . . Ben Heh Heh says: According to the pain is the reward. (end of Chapter 5) Rav Shlomo Kluger zatz'l writes that these two sages were converts, and each is offering his reason for converting. Ben Heh Heh says that one who is commanded to perform the mitzvot and does so is greater than one who performs them even though he is not commanded, because the yezter hara tempts the former but does not tempt the latter. Thus Ben Heh Heh converted so that his "pain" from observing mitzvot would be greater. Ben Bag Bag disagrees and holds that one who is not commanded is greater than one who is, because the former is a volunteer. Why then did Ben Bag Bag convert? Because of the greatness of true Torah study, which is the unique province of Jews. Alternatively, says Rav Kluger, the two sages are arguing whether one should study Torah exclusively or whether one should work for his livelihood. Ben Bag Bag praises Torah study. Ben Heh Heh, however, states that one who studies Torah while coping with the pain of seeking a livelihood is greater, so long, of course, that the person is pained by having to interrupt his Torah study in order to work. (Magen Avot) ************************************ Rav Yehoshua Heller zatz'l of Telz writes: Ben Bag Bag's statement "Turn it over again and again . . . and don't move away from it" is based on the verse in Kohelet (11:6), "In the morning sow your seed and in the evening don't be idle." Note that the structure of one parallels the other: both start with a positive directive and continue with a negative injunction. Moreover, the imagery is the same, i.e., turning over the Torah as one turns over land in order to sow. Ben Bag Bag is teaching, then: study the Torah in depth and implant it within you in your youth and you will not leave it when you are older. (Toldot Yehoshua) ************************************ ANNOUNCEMENT In response to readers' requests, the following is a reminder of how to use the "Learning Schedule" on the first page of Hamaayan. The first line is the "Daily Mishnah," a program of Mishnah study covering two mishnayot every day. For annual calendars contact Rabbi Elias Karp 4701 15th Ave. Apt. 3C, B'klyn NY 11219. The second line is the "Daily Halachah." This program covers the Orach Chaim section of Shulchan Aruch at a pace of 3 paragraphs a day. However, the program is presently studying Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in order to cover certain important halachot not covered in Orach Chaim. The next cycle of Orach Chaim begins on Sunday, 5 Sivan / May 15. Address as above. The third line is the "Daf Yomi," covering the Talmud Bavli at one page a day. For calendars contact Agudath Israel of America, 84 William St. NY NY. The last line is the "Daf Yomi" in the Talmud Yerushalmi. The learning listed for "Today" is always for that Shabbat. ************************************ Rav Sa'adiah Gaon born 4652 (892) - died 26 Iyar 4702 (942) Rav Sa'adiah is one of the best known "Geonim" þ the term used to describe the heads of the two major Babylonian yeshivot after the year 589. (The period of Jewish history from 589 to 1038 is also known as the era of the "Geonim." In contrast, that word is today used to mean "genius.") Rav Sa'adiah Gaon was born in Egypt. At age twenty he authored his first work, on grammar. (Some say that the grammarian and poet Donash ben Labrat was his nephew and student.) Beginning at age 23, Rav Sa'adiah became a leading fighter against the Karaite movement, which denied the Oral Torah. So famous did Rav Sa'adiah become that the yeshiva in the Babylonian city of Mata Machsaya took the unprecedented step of bringing him from Egypt to serve as Gaon. At that time, Rav Sa'adiah was 36 years old. At first Rav Sa'adiah's appointment was ratified by the Exilarch (the political leader of the Jews in Bavel), David ben Zakkai. However, within a few years they had a falling out over what Rav Sa'adiah believed to be an incorrect legal ruling by the Exilarch. As a result, Rav Sa'adiah moved to Baghdad. It was during the next seven years that Rav Sa'adiah composed most of his works (many of them in Arabic). These include his arrangement of the siddur and compilation of the laws of prayer, his work on the fundamentals of Judaism, Emunot v'Deot, and his compilations of the 613 mitzvot in both prose and poetic forms. (The latter are known as "Azharot.") After seven years, Rav Sa'adiah was returned to his position as Gaon. Rav Sa'adiah also wrote commentaries on a number of books of Tanach. In the introduction to his commentary on Daniel he comments on the verse in this week's parasha (26:42), "I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, and also My covenant with Yitzchak, and also My covenant with Avraham. . . ." (This verse follows the curses which Chazal say describe the destruction of the first Bet haMikdash and the first exile.) Rav Sa'adiah writes: The Torah alludes to us that the second Temple would stand for 420 years, the number of years that Hashem had a covenant with the Patriarchs. This is why the Patriarchs are listed in reverse order. Yaakov lived 147 years, all of which were in a covenant with Hashem. So too Yitzchak's 180 years. The first time the word "berit"þcovenantþis mentioned in connection with Avraham was 93 years before his death. And 93+180+147=420. ************************************ DONATIONS TO HAMAAYAN ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE