Today's Learning Megillah 1:7-8 Sponsored by O.C. 117:2-4 Martin & Michelle Swartz Bava Batra 82 in memory of Martin's Yerushalmi-- grandmother Elise Hofmann A"H Shekalim 3 Moshe and Robin Teichman Zev and Marlene Teichman on the yahrzeit of Meir ben Moshe Aharon A"H Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Bo Vol. IX, No. 15 (399), 6 Shevat 5755, January 7, 1995 Before Bnei Yisrael left Egypt, Hashem told Moshe, "Please speak to the nation and let them borrow from their fellows silver vessels and gold vessels" (11:2). Chazal say that Hashem said "Please" in order that "that tzaddik" (i.e., Avraham in Gan Eden) should not accuse Hashem of keeping His promise to enslave the Jews and not keeping His promise of a great reward for them. We must understand, says Rav Meshulam Roth zatz'l: Does Hashem keep His promise only so that Avraham will not complain? And why is Avraham called "that tzaddik"? Rav Roth explains that the title "that tzaddik" alludes to a specific incident, i.e., when Avraham refused to take a share of the booty so that no one would say that the King of Sdom made Avraham wealthy. This was a great act of righteousness because it demonstrated Avraham's desire to have no master other than G-d himself. Just as Avraham did not wish to be beholden to the King of Sdom, he would not want his descendants to be beholden to the Egyptians. He would not want Bnei Yisrael to receive gifts from their enslavers. Therefore, Hashem said, "Please speak to the nation and let them borrow from their fellows," rather than taking gifts. The borrowed items would later become the Jews' possessions (as ownerless property) when the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea. "Please do not let Avraham say that I kept My promise in a way that displeases him," Hashem said. (Raglei Mevaser) ************************************ "Not so, let the men go and serve Hashem, for that is what you are asking." (10:11) How could Pharaoh say this? asks Rav Yitzchak Karo zatz'l (uncle of Rav Yosef Karo). This is not what Moshe had requested! Furthermore, why did Pharaoh say (in the present tense), "[T]hat is what you are asking"? He should have said, "[T]hat is what you asked," for surely Moshe was not now making his request for the first time! Pharaoh was treating Moshe like a businessman, Rav Karo explains. If a seller asks for $100, chances are he will take eighty. If he asks for $80, he will take sixty. Similarly, Pharaoh said, "True you have asked that all of Bnei Yisrael be freed, but that was merely your opening position. I understand that what you truly are asking is that the men be allowed to go and serve G-d." (Toldot Yitzchak) ************************************ There are three verses which address the wealth which the Jews took from Egypt: (1) "Each woman will request from her neighbor silver vessels, golden vessels, and garments." (3:22) (2) "Please speak to the nation and let them borrow from their fellows silver vessels and gold vessels." (11:2) (3) "Bnei Yisrael carried out the word of Moshe; they requested from the Egyptians silver vessels, gold vessels, and garments." (12:34) Why does the second of these verses not mention garments? asks Rav Yosef Meir Weiss (the Spinka Rebbe). He explains that of these three verses, only the second is Hashem's command. The first is Hashem's statement of fact, i.e., that is what will happen. The third verse is the Torah's statement of what did happen--exactly as Hashem had said. But the second verse is a command, and Hashem had no reason to command Bnei Yisrael to ask for clothes. The clothes which they wore in the desert grew with their wearers; as for newborns, since Bnei Yisrael should have entered Eretz Yisrael almost immediately (if not for their sins), there would have been no children born in the desert. (Imrei Yosef) ************************************ The midrash states: "'Thereafter they will leave [Egypt] with great possessions'--this is the meaning of 'All the Jews had light in their homes'." (The first verse quoted is B'reishit 15:14, the second is Sh'mot 10:23) Rav Nachum Mordechai Friedman (the Tchortkover Rebbe) zatz'l explains as follows: As quoted on the first page, Hashem was "concerned" lest Avraham feel that his descendants did not receive their due upon leaving Egypt. But why would Hashem expect that the tzaddik who refused the material wealth offered by the King of Sdom (see first page) would want the wealth of the Egyptians? Another question: Why did Avraham pray that Sdom should not be destroyed, but he did not pray that his children should not be enslaved? Rav Nachum Mordechai explains that there are two ways to contribute to the correction of Adam's sin--through Torah study and mitzvot, or through being exiled to a spiritual wasteland. Avraham understood that this was the purpose of his descendants' enslavement. First they would collect the spiritual "sparks" from Egypt, then they would receive the Torah. And this was Hashem's concern--not that Avraham would demand material wealth for his descendants. Rather, as the Arizal teaches, Bnei Yisrael's "cleaning-out" Egypt materially merely reflects that Egypt had become barren of spirituality as well. Finally, we may understand the midrash with which we began, i.e., that the great wealth with which Bnei Yisrael left Egypt was a spiritual "light." (Doreish Tov: Pesach) ************************************ Yet another explanation of this midrash is offered by Rav Meir Bergman shlita (son-in-law of Rav Shach). Of course, Hashem keeps His promises, not only because Avraham might complain. However, the great reward which Hashem intended to give the Jewish people was a spiritual reward, not a material reward. Hashem had "intended" that the suffering of slavery would refine the Jews and enhance their spirituality. But people have free will, and Bnei Yisrael allowed themselves to sink into the 49 Gates of Impurity. Thus, the spiritual reward which Hashem had intended was no longer fitting. Instead, Hashem had to shower the Jews with silver, gold, and clothing, simply for the sake of keeping His promise to Avraham. (Sha'arei Orah Vol. II) ************************************ Rav Yerucham Yehuda Leib Pearlman ("The Gadol of Minsk") born 5595 (1835) - died 7 Shevat 5656 (1896) Rav Yerucham Yehuda Leib was born and raised in Brisk. His prodigious abilities were immediately recognizable, and by the age of six he would eavesdrop on the Talmud lecture in Brisk's central bet midrash and even participate on occasion. At a tender age, he rejected the then prevailing pilpul method of learning; however, he admitted to his student and biographer, Rav Meir Halpren, that his own brilliance and method of learning presented its own problems. For example, when Rav Yerucham Leib accepted his first rabbinical post, his congregants sometimes found his rulings to be unacceptable. This was because he viewed every question through his encyclopedic knowledge of the entire Talmud and all of its commentaries. However, he learned (and taught his above-mentioned student), that there is also a time for not looking at a question too deeply, but simply opening-up a compilation such as Chayei Adam and quoting from it. In addition, each community's unique customs must be respected. For a time, young Rav Yerucham Leib exiled himself to Kovno, where he studied in the bet midrash of Rav Yitzchak Avigdor. Rav Yisrael Salanter attempted to attract the young genius to the mussar movement, but eventually concluded that this was that rare individual who had nothing to gain from mussar study. Interestingly, years later Rav Yerucham Leib appointed Rav Meir Halpren to the task of giving him daily mussar and questioning his actions. One recurring topic of discussion was the obligation of the Torah scholar to sacrifice his personal growth for the good of the community. (Some of the discussions are reprinted in Rav Halpren's biography of his teacher.) Rav Yerucham Leib greatest rabbinical position was in Minsk (from 1883), the city with which his name has become most closely associated. He wrote several works by the name Ohr Gadol, one of which is printed in standard Mishnah editions. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.