Today's Learning Eruvin 7:8-9 O.C. 11:4-6 Sponsored by Bava Kama 115 Helen & Abe Spector Yerushalmi-- in honor of the graduations Pesachim 11 of their grandchildren: Miriam Marwick from Stern and Adam Spector from G.W.U. Rabbi & Mrs. Samuel Bramson on the yahrzeit of mother Evelyn Lewko A"H PARASHAT CHUKAT Vol. VIII, No. 36 (371), 9 Tamuz 5754, June 18, 1994 Many explanations have been given as to exactly what sin Moshe and Aharon committed in this parasha (in the incident of hitting the rock). This leads Rav Yitzchak Meir of Gur (the first Gerrer Rebbe) zatz'l to ask: Who are we to presume to interpret the deeds of Moshe and Aharon? He explains: Since Hashem gave us the Torah and left some details unclear, He implicitly gave us permission to study and interpret them [according to the rules of interpretation which were taught at Sinai]. In each generation, Hashem reveals such interpretations as are needed for that generation. This is why Rabbi Akiva discerned things which had not been revealed to Moshe; with the destruction of the Temple in Rabbi Akiva's generation, such additional revelation was needed. (Chiddushei haRim al haTorah) With this same idea, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatz'l answered those who ask, "How can the State of Israel be considered a gift from G-d? Do we--a generation of assimilation and mixed marriages-- deserve it more than the greater generations before us? No, Rabbi Soloveitchik, explained. Rather, we need it, while previous generations were capable of living as righteous Jews without it. This is the meaning of the verse (Yishayah 57:17), "I have seen his ways and I will heal him"--if Hashem would not heal us, our ways would lead to our being completely lost. (Yemei Zikaron p.244) ************************************ "This is the Torah, a person that shall die in a tent." (19:14) Literally, this verse is part of the laws of tumat met þ the impure state connected with a corpse. Homiletically, however, Chazal interpret: "In whom is Torah found? In one who 'kills himself' in the 'tents' of Torah study." Rav Shimon Schwab shlita asks: Why is Torah study equated to the impurity of death? He explains that when a person is alive, his soul is imprisoned within his body. However, when he dies, his soul is unrestrained and it is free to fill the house in which the body lays [as does the tumah of the corpse]. The same is true of Torah; its nature is to expand and spread. If a person tries to keep his Torah knowledge to himself, he will not succeed in his studies. Rather, he should "kill himself" over it, i.e., he should make it his nature to spread his Torah knowledge, just as his soul will spread out after his death. Rav Schwab offers another interpretation of "killing oneself" over Torah. We learn in Pirkei Avot (ch.6) that among the steps necessary to acquire Torah is, "Directing one's learning and saying something in the name of the one who said it." The first part of that phrase is related to the verb which describes thinking on one's own of an explanation which was previously taught by another. If you think of a "novel" Torah thought and later learn that another said it first, and if you then say it in his name and not your own, then you are truly "killing" yourself, i.e., negating your own ego, for the sake of Torah, and Torah will become yours. (Me'ayen Bet haShoevah) ************************************ Just as a Torah scholar feels a need to teach, as explained by Rav Schwab above, so he feels a continual need to study. Rav Yitzchak Hutner zatz'l notes that a wise man never views knowledge as a luxury. For a Torah scholar, any bit of Torah knowledge, however trivial it may appear, is worth learning. This explains the law that if a Torah scholar accidently kills and therefore incurs the penalty of exile, his students are exiled with him. Since a person learns even from his students, to deprive this teacher of his students is a fate equivalent to death, which he does not deserve. (Pachad Yitzchak: Shavuot IV) ************************************ Rav Moshe Shick ("Maharam Shick") zatz'l explains the mishnah, "Who is a wise man? One who learns from all people," in a similar vein. Whether one retains wisdom, he writes, is beyond his control; retention is a gift from G-d. Therefore, it makes no sense to praise a person for retaining knowledge, since it is not his own accomplishment. What is praiseworthy is searching for knowledge. And if a person is truly searching for wisdom, why should he care whether it comes from one who is "great" or "small"?! (Maharam Shick al Pirkei Avot 4:1) ************************************ "The Egyptians did evil to us and to our forefathers." (20:15) Rashi comments: From here we learn that the Patriarchs suffer when troubles befall the Jewish people. With this mind, says Rav Eliezer David Gruenwald zatz'l, we can understand the statement in the Haggadah: "We were slaves . . . and if Hashem had not taken our forefathers out of Egypt. . . ." Since the paragraph begins in first person, why does it switch to speak of our forefathers? The answer is that the Patriarchs were redeemed from Egypt with us. In fact, in the Patriarchs' merit, Hashem took Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt earlier than they deserved. (Chasdei David p.23) ************************************ "He waged war against Yisrael." (21:23) What should we learn from war? Rav Elazar Shach shlita asked in an address delivered during the Yom Kippur War. Those who don't believe that the Torah has a view on all aspects of life are likely to see war as nothing more than a natural occurrence. But Rambam--a philosopher and a worldly person, Rav Shach pointed out--tells us this is not so. Rambam (Hil. Ta'aniot 1:1-3) writes: It is one of the positive commandments of the Torah that we should cry out and blow trumpets over every trouble which befalls the public, as it is written [beMidbar 10:9], "Against an enemy who oppresses you, and you shall blow trumpets. . . ." This is part of the way of repentance: when trouble comes and they will cry out and blow trumpets, they will know that their troubles are all because of their sinful deeds. . . . However, if they do not cry out and blow [the trumpets], rather they say that this trouble befell them in the natural course of events, this is cruelty. Such behavior is cruel, explains Rav Shach, because it is like taking a knife and cutting one's flesh, in other words, that very attitude causes the suffering to continue. The one who has such thoughts is like a pursuer, i.e., one who attempts to cause harm to another, for he will not repent and help bring the suffering to an end. (b'Zot Ani Boteach p.19) ************************************ Rav Yerucham Yehuda Leib Pearlman zatz'l (1835-1896) was known as the "Gadol--the great scholar--of Minsk." When he was approximately sixteen, he left home (in Brisk) to study in Kovno. He carried with him a letter of recommendation from the Rabbi of Brisk, Rav Yaakov Meir Padua, which he delivered to the Rabbi of Kovno, Rav Yitzchak Avigdor. Rav Yitzchak Avigdor gave the letter a cursory glance and threw it on a pile of other letters on his desk. "Okay," he said to the youth, "go find a seat in one of the study halls in town and some kind Jew will probably feed you. If you have any questions in your learning or novel insights to share, I am always available." He then turned back to speak to those who were gathered around him. The youth was somewhat taken aback by the Rabbi's coldness. He stood by listening to the halachic discussion taking place, and finally said, "In my opinion, this matter is resolved by the following sources," which he then listed. Now it was Rav Yitzchak Avigdor's turn to be taken aback. Smiling at the youth, he said, "Go to the old bet midrash, where I pray, and learn there. The honor which you deserve will be forthcoming." When the youth left, Rav Yitzchak Avigdor reread the letter which the boy had brought from the Rabbi of Brisk. Letters of recommendation are known to exaggerate, he explained, but realizing that he had not given it the proper consideration he applied to himself the verse (Tehilim 116:11), "I said in my hurry, 'All men are deceitful'." (haGadol miMinsk p.22) ************************************ DONATIONS TO HAMAAYAN ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE