Today's Learning Nedarim 3:1-2 Sponsored by O.C. 193:3-5 the Meth family Sanhedrin 68 in honor of the Yerushalmi-- 24th wedding anniversary Yevamot 56 Marcia and Sheldon Sharona and Shlomo Katz in honor of their wedding anniversary Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Beha'alotecha Vol. IX, No. 36 (420), 19 Sivan 5755, June 17, 1995 The midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Beshalach and Yalkut Shimoni, Tehilim ch.78) states that enough mahn fell every day to feed Bnei Yisrael for 2,000 years. (The two sources cited give two different calculations as proof of this fact.) What was the purpose of this abundance? Rav Yechezkel Abramsky zatz'l explains: The Jewish people doubted Hashem's ability to feed them and, at this crucial point at the beginning of our history, He had to prove Himself. We cannot appreciate what a trial life in the desert was for Bnei Yisrael. However, we can gain a glimpse of their trials from the verse (Yirmiyah 2:2) "I remember for your sake the kindness of your youth . . . your following Me through the desert in a land which was not planted." So difficult was it that Hashem actually credits the Jews for following Him through the desert--as if they had done Him a favor. Why were the ten plagues not sufficient proof for the Jews? Rav Abramsky explains: Because the plagues took place before the Torah was given. Without the Torah, Bnei Yisrael were not yet capable of the clear vision and recognition necessary to see G-d's hand. (Chazon Yechezkel: Kovetz Ma'amarim) ************************************ "Not for one day shall you eat, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days. Until an entire month of days, until it comes out of your nose and becomes nauseating to you. . ." (11:19- 20) Why did Hashem "insist" on providing Bnei Yisrael with meat for an entire month? Says Rav Meir Rubman zatz'l: This is the punishment for inappropriate desires--G-d fulfills these desires until one wishes that he had never seen or heard of that which he previously pined for. (Zichron Meir) A related thought is found in the interpretation by Rav Zvi Pesach Frank zatz'l of the verse in Tehilim (145: 19), "He fulfills the will of those who fear Him and He will hear their cries and He will save them." G-d sometimes fulfills man's wishes so that man can see that this is not what is best for him. Then, G-d hears his cries and saves him from what he had wished for. (She'eilot Uteshuvot Har Zvi) ************************************ "Do not leave us, for you have known our encampment in the desert, and you will be our eyes." (10:31) This was Moshe's entreaty to Yitro to remain with the Jewish people and not to return to Midian. Rav Yehuda Assad zatz'l explains: A person can become so accustomed to miracles that he fails to notice them. Bnei Yisrael were a "high risk" for this type of result. Therefore Moshe said to Yitro, "You have known our encampment in the desert," but you did not see the miracles of the ten plagues, the splitting of the sea and the giving of the Torah. "You can be our eyes," because you are less likely to take G-d's miracles for granted. (Divrei Maharia) ************************************ "And the man Moshe was very humble. . ." (12:3) Rav Moshe Feinstein zatz'l once was walking along a street in his neighborhood when he heard a voice calling, "Moshe, Moshe!" Looking up, he saw that the voice was that of an acquaintance, who was behind the wheel of his car. Without blinking an eye, Rav Moshe walked over to the car. Upon realizing that Rav Moshe had assumed that he was being called, the man turned crimson with embarrassment. He said, "I was calling my son, who happened to be in the street as I drove by. I would never dream of addressing the Rosh Yeshiva in such a disrespectful manner. Besides, if I had something to discuss with the Rosh Yeshiva I would have gotten out of my car and gone over to him. I would not have dared to ask the Rosh Yeshiva to come to me." Rav Moshe assured the man that there was nothing to be concerned about. "It is already many years that these things mean nothing to me." (Reb Moshe p.229) ************************************ "And Yehoshua bin Nun--the servant of Moshe, one of the young men- -answered saying, 'My master, Moshe, arrest them'." (11:28; see Rashi) Among the signs of respect that one owes to his rebbe (teacher of Torah) is to not address or refer to him by his proper name. Specifically, writes Rav Shabtai Kohen (the "Shach"), one may say, "My teacher, Rabbi so-and-so," if one is speaking about his teacher. When addressing one's teacher, however, one may not mention the Rabbi's name at all, but should say simply, "Rabbi" or "Rebbe." Many poskim (halachic decisors) disagree with Shach's ruling and hold that even in the presence of one's teacher one may mention the teacher's name so long as it is prefaced with a title of respect such as "Rabbi" or "Master." These poskim derive their opinion from our verse wherein Yehoshua addresses his teacher as "My master, Moshe." One can say in Shach's defense that our verse represents a unique case. Rav Baruch Halevi Epstein zatz'l suggests in his Torah commentary Torah Temimah that the reason one must address his teacher simply as "Rabbi" and not as "Rabbi So-and-so" is that the latter is disrespectful to the teacher in that it implies that the speaker has another teacher as well. If he did not, why would he find it necessary to clarify to which Rabbi he was speaking? Based on this rationale, there would be nothing wrong with Yehoshua's saying, "My master, Moshe." Everybody knew that Yehoshua had no teacher but Moshe, for not only was Moshe the teacher of the entire generation, the Torah itself testifies that Yehoshua maintained constant contact with Moshe. Even when Moshe ascended Har Sinai, Yehoshua sat at the base of the mountain for forty days so that when Moshe came down, Yehoshua might immediately resume his studies. (Perhaps it is for this very reason that our verse reminds us of Yehoshua's subservience to Moshe--i.e., "the servant of Moshe, one of the young men"--even though we have already learned of it from other verses, as if to say, "Do not mistakenly think that Yehoshua implied any disrespect for his teacher.") Rav Moshe Feinstein zatz'l offers another defense of Shach. He writes that Yehoshua had to mention Moshe's name in order to emphasize that "Even you, Moshe, the humblest of all men, must now defend your honor and punish Eldad and Medad." (Igrot Moshe, Y.D. I, ch. 133) ************************************ Rav Yehuda Assad zatz'l died 23 Sivan 5626 (1866) Rav Yehuda Assad (known as "Mahari Assad" for "Moreinu Harav Yehuda"--"Our teacher, Rabbi Yehuda") was the rabbi of a number of Hungarian cities during the first half of the 19th century. He was one of the major poskim (halachic authorities) of his day and his responsa are gathered in She'eilot Uteshuvot Yehuda Yaaleh. He also authored Divrei Maharia, a Torah commentary (see inside). It is told that Mahari once was present at a wedding where his contemporary, the Ketav Sofer, was showing off a real half-shekel coin dating to the time of the mishnah and the Temple. The coin passed from hand to hand until, suddenly, its owner realized that it was missing. Immediately, the Ketav Sofer--one of the two giants of the generation--ordered the doors locked and demanded that everyone present turn out his pockets. Just as quickly, Mahari Assad--recognized as Ketav Sofer's equal--requested that everyone wait fifteen minutes before complying. Reluctantly, the Ketav Sofer agreed. Fifteen minutes passed and he repeated his demand, but Mahari immediately requested a second reprieve. Fifteen minutes later, the same exchange took place once again. When forty-five minutes had passed from Ketav Sofer's discovery of his loss, he demanded that, finally, everyone assembled comply with his orders. Just then, the door from the kitchen opened and a busboy entered carrying a half-shekel coin. The Ketav Sofer was elated to learn that his coin had not been stolen, but only accidentally cleared off of the table. "How did you know?" he asked Mahari Assad. "I didn't," Mahari said. He reached into his own pocket and removed an identical half-shekel coin. "I too brought this rare coin to show off, but when I saw the pleasure which you were having I could not bring myself to show off my own coin. But what if I had emptied my pockets? Who would have believed that two such rare coins could be present in the same room at one time?! I therefore begged your indulgence and prayed feverishly that your loss should be restored to you." ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.