Today's Learning Nazir 1:4-5 Sponsored by O.C. 216:1-3 the Sheinson family Sanhedrin 110 in memory of Yerushalmi-- Mrs. Evelyn Sheinson A"H Ketubot 13 Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Matot-Masei Vol. IX, No. 42 (426), 2 Av 5755, July 29, 1995 We read this parashah, "For you are coming to the land of Canaan. . ." (34:2). The midrash asks: "Why did Canaan merit to have the land named after him? Because when he heard that Bnei Yisrael were coming, he left." Specifically, the tribe known as the "Girgashi" resettled in other lands. This seems backwards, notes Rav Yitzchak Goldwasser shlita. When they left, it ceased to be their land! However, the explanation is as follows: The gemara (Berachot 35a) teaches that the world belongs to G-d, but it is given to man after he recites a blessing acknowledging that everything comes from G-d. (This is why we recite berachot before eating.) As long as the Canaanites lived in the Land, it was not clear whether they recognized G-d's ownership of it, and it therefore was not given-over to them entirely. However, when the Canaanites vacated the Land so that G-d could give it to Bnei Yisrael, they demonstrated that they did recognize G-d's control. Therefore, the Land became theirs, and was named after them retroactively. (quoted in Yalkut Lekach Tov) ************************************ "This is the thing which Hashem has commanded. . ." The Sifri says, "All of the prophets prophesied using the expression "Thus G-d said'" but Moshe prophesied with the expression "This is the thing which G-d has commanded." Some commentaries explains that the expression "This is the thing" connotes a more precise prophecy than "Thus G-d said." Because Moshe's prophecy was clearer than any other prophet's, it was more precise. In fact, Moshe did sometimes used the expression "Thus G-d said." Rav Reuven Margaliot zatz'l explains that on those occasions, Moshe actually was not prophesying; rather, he was interpreting previous prophecies using the rules by which the Torah may be interpreted, for example, "kal va'chomer" (a fortiori). On one occasion (Shmot 11:4), Moshe actually changed what G-d told him, saying that G-d would strike the firstborn "around midnight" rather than "at midnight." Moshe did this to prevent a desecration of G-d's Name in the event that the Egyptians could not tell time precisely, but in order to signal that he had deviated from the prophecy, he used the expression "Thus G-d said" instead of "This is the thing. . ." (Margaliot Hayam 89a, No. 23) ************************************ "One thousand from each tribe, one thousand from each tribe, for every tribe of Israel. . ." (31:4) Rashi comments: Including from the tribe of Levi. Why did the Levi'im go out to this war? asks Rav Eliezer Freidman shlita. Ordinarily, Levi'im did not fight in the army. The Levi'im were charged with the spiritual well-being of the nation. They were the teachers of Torah to the people. However, the war for which soldiers were being drafted in our verse was necessary because the Levi'im had failed in their duties. If the Jewish people had been spiritually healthy, they would not have sinned with the daughters of Moav (see end of Parashat Balak), and it would not be necessary now to go to war with that nation. (Hadrat Yirmiyah) ************************************ Bnei Yisrael's journey from Egypt to Eretz Yisrael consisted of 42 segments. In Parashat Masei, we read the names of the places where Bnei Yisrael camped along the way. Rav Shlomo Aviner shlita notes that our parashah in effect summarizes the story of Bnei Yisrael's formation, as each camp represents an event. Bnei Yisrael's experiences in the desert included both high points and low points. The prophets describe angels as "standing"--they have no potential for growth. People and nations, however, do not stand still; they move, sometimes in the right direction and sometimes the wrong way. This is how they grow. One of the holiest of Hashem's Names in His 42-letter Name. Rav Aviner explains that the most important of the ways in which Hashem reveals Himself in this world is through the history of the Jewish people. Thus that history began with 42 steps, paralleling that Name of G-d. (Tal Chermon p.291) ************************************ "And you shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I reside, for I am G-d who resides among Bnei Yisrael." (35:34) Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (The "Netziv") zatz'l explains that murder--whether intentional or accidental--the subject of this verse, has two consequences, both of which are alluded to in this verse: (1) "And you shall not defile the land in which you live"--murder causes exile. (2) "And you shall not defile the land . . . in which I reside"-- murder causes the Shechinah (Divine presence) to depart from the Holy Land. We can understand why the Shechinah would depart a place where the defilement of murder is found. But why does murder--even accidental--cause exile? The answer is: "For I am G-d who resides among Bnei Yisrael." The Shechinah cannot stay in a place which is defiled, but the Shechinah will not reside without the Jewish people either. (Ha'emek Davar) ************************************ Rav Menachem Azaryah of Fano zatz'l 5307 (1547) - 4 Av 5380 (1620) Rav Menachem Azaryah is known as the "Rama Mi'Fano" after his initials and his hometown. He was also known as Rav Emanuel. (He should not to be confused with "Rema"--Rav Moshe Isserles.) Rama was a leading scholar and philanthropist in Italy. His teachers included Rav Yishmael Chananiah of Vallmontone and Rav Ezra of Fano. Rama used his great wealth to support the poor as well as to publish sefarim (Torah works). Besides his own works, he was responsible for the publication of classic works including Rav Yosef Karo's Kessef Mishneh and some works of Rav Moshe Cordevero ("Remak"). Rama was accomplished in Talmud, halachah, and kabbalah. His best known works are in the last of these fields. Originally he was a disciple (from a distance) of Remak. However, when Rav Yisrael Seruk, a disciple of Arizal, arrived in Italy in 5357 (1597), Rama became Rav Yisrael's student. Rama is credited with playing a decisive role in making Arizal's system of kabbalah study the predominant one. Indeed, because Rav Yisrael Seruk was among the earliest students of Arizal, Rama's writings transmit teachings which are not found elsewhere. Rama's work Asarah Ma'amarot addresses the moral and ideological lessons of kabbalah, rather than its technical side. It also explains many verses and Talmudic statements. In Ma'amar Chikur Ha'din (II:28), Rama observes that there is a difference between the term "nachalah" and "yerushah"--both of which mean "inheritance." The former word is related to "nachal"--stream--and is used repeatedly in this parashah when referring to inheritance which flows directly from a father to a son (just as a river flows continuously and directly). The latter term is used when referring to indirect inheritance, whether a son inheriting from a mother, a brother from a brother, or a daughter from a father. The Torah says (Devarim 18:20), "Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue, so that you will live and possess ('ve'yarashta') the Land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you." Rama writes that the Torah uses a form of the word "yerushah" (the less direct inheritance) here in order to teach that we should not feel certain about holding-on to Eretz Yisrael. Similarly, the Torah is called a "morashah" (Devarim 33:4) because a son cannot inherit it from his father. Torah must be acquired by each person independently. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.