Today's Learning Yevamot 14:7-8 Sponsored by O.C. 160:7-9 Mr. Moshe Cohen Bava Batra 173 on the yahrzeit of Yerushalmi-- his father Mo'ed Kattan 5 R' Chaim ben R' Zvi hakohen A"H Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Metzora Vol. IX, No. 28 (412), 8 Nisan 5755, April 8, 1995 In this week's parashah (and last week's), we read that a metzora must leave the camp or city for seven (or more) days and sit alone. Chazal say that this is a punishment for the antisocial behavior of speaking lashon hara. Rav Yaakov Emden zatz'l points out the many benefits which man can attain only when he is part of society. Indeed, Chazal say, "Give me a friend or give me death," and the Torah says, "It is not good for man to be alone." All alone, man could not obtain all of his physical needs, including proper food, drink, clothing, and shelter. A person also could not fulfill the Torah if he were alone. For example, he could not carry out the laws of property, the laws of marriage, and the laws of child-rearing. A person who is all alone can never pray with a minyan or have his Torah questions resolved by scholars, and thus he can not properly practice a single one of the six pillars (listed in Pirkei Avot) on which the world stands: justice, truth, peace, Torah, prayer, and acts of kindness. Also, how can man emulate Hashem if he is all alone? For example, just as Hashem is merciful, man must be merciful to his fellow men. Of course, there are times for being alone, but even in those times, man should not roam too far from home. Man is even capable of achieving the concentration that comes from solitude while he is surrounded by people. (Migdal Oz: Perek Aliyat Habedidut) ************************************ The mishnah (Nega'im 2:5) states: "A person sees all nega'im-- tzara'at wounds--except his own." Literally, this means that a person, even a kohen, may not be the judge of whether he himself has tzara'at. Rather, he must go to another kohen. Figuratively, however, this statement is frequently interpreted as referring to the fact that people are rarely objective about their own faults. A person sees everyone else's faults, but not his own. If so, asks Rav Eliezer David Gruenwald zatz'l, how can a person assess where he stands? The answer is found in another mishnah: "One does not search [for chametz] by the light of the sun and by the light of the moon, but only by the light of a candle." The strong "light of the sun" represents wealth, and the weak "light of the moon" represents lack of success. Neither of these is an accurate indicator of whether Hashem is happy with a person. Only the "light of a candle," an allusion to the verse, "A mitzvah is a candle" is an accurate indicator. What does this mean? If a person wants to know where he stands in his service of Hashem, he should look at his attitude towards mitzvot. If a person considers mitzvot to be a burden, then he has a long way to go. However, if he enjoys performing mitzvot, then he is on the right track. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Chasdei David, p. 11b) ************************************ One of the "pieces" of the metzora's sacrifice was an ezov, a type of grass. Chazal say that it must be a plain ezov, not an "ezov romi," nor an "ezov kuchli," and not any other type of ezov that has an adjective modifying its name. Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita explains that the lowly grass represents humility. True humility is "plain," with no conditions (i.e., the adjectives). It is not "romi" ("high"), i.e., a false humility. It is not "kuchli" ("makeup"--from "kechol," a type of eye shadow), i.e., something that one "puts on" for others to see. (Ta'am Vada'at) ************************************ Hamaayan will not appear during Pesach. The next issue will be Parashat Acharei Mot (April 29) ************************************ Pesach We have a number of holidays that commemorate victories over our enemies. How do they differ from each other? The Jewish people has two kinds of enemies. There are those who oppose the existence of the Jewish nation, and there are those who oppose that nation's service of Hashem. Rav Yitzchak Hutner zatz'l teaches that Pesach represents the defeat of the first kind of enemy, while Purim represents the defeat of the other. In each case, the enemy that was defeated was the purveyor par excellence of the type of enmity which it represented. Chazal refer to the "Seven Nations" and the "Four Kingdoms" which have opposed the Jews. The reference to one set of enemies as "Nations" and the other as "Kingdoms" is significant. To be a servant, Rav Hutner explains, one must meet a two-part definition: (1) he must be acquired by a master, and (2) he must be informed what the master's will is and be given the means to carry out that will. The Four Kingdoms opposed Bnei Yisrael on the first level; the Seven Nations opposed them on the second. The Four Kingdoms that have oppressed the Jewish people attempt to subjugate and enslave them so that they will be servants of these Kingdoms, and not Hashem's servants. This is an action taken by kingdoms, in opposition to Hashem's kingdom. The first nation that did this was Egypt. The Seven Nations, on the other hand, did not oppose the "nationhood" of the Jewish people. Rather, they attempted to prevent Bnei Yisrael from conquering Eretz Yisrael. In so doing, they sought to withhold from the Jewish people the means to carry out the will of its Master. Since no subjugation of the Jewish people is involved, no kings are necessary. Even the common man, i.e., the nation, can be the enemy. The first nation that did this was Amalek, the ancestor of Haman. At the time of the Exodus, the Jews were acquired by Hashem as His servants, and they ceased to be the servants of Pharaoh (see Megillah 14a). This is Pesach. Then, before Bnei Yisrael could receive the Torah and be informed of what the master's will is, Amalek (the ancestor of Haman) attacked them. When he was defeated, the Torah could be given. (Similarly, after Haman was defeated, the Jewish people accepted the Torah anew (Shabbat 88a).) (Pachad Yitzchak) ************************************ Miriam A"H born 2361 - died 10 Nisan 2487 Miriam the Prophetess was the daughter of Amram and Yocheved and the sister of Moshe and Aharon. The name Miriam--from the root "þþ"- "bitter"--represents the fact that with her birth the bitterest part of the Egyptian exile started. Specifically, Chazal say that only after her birth did the Egyptians begin to subject Bnei Yisrael to hard labor. This continued until the Exodus, when Miriam was 87 years old. Before she was six years old, Miriam prophesied that her mother would give birth to the redeemer (Moshe). Indeed, the name Miriam can be seen as the acronym of "Our teacher, Moshe, the redeemer, will be born" (Rav Avraham Stern zatz'l: Melitzei Esh). She also used to try to save Jewish children from being drowned in the waters of the Nile. Therefore, it was in her merit that the well of water traveled with Bnei Yisrael in the desert. (When she died, it ceased, thus leading to Moshe's hitting the rock.) Miriam married Kalev ben Yefuneh of the tribe of Yehuda. (From among the twelve spies, he was one of the two spies who brought back a good report about Eretz Yisrael.) Miriam's son was Chur, and her great-grandson was Bezalel, the architect of the mishkan. ************************************ "Shabbat Hagadol"--as the Shabbat before Pesach is known-- commemorates the setting aside of animals for the first Korban Pesach (pascal sacrifice). Many commentaries ask why this event is commemorated by the day of the week on which it occurred, and not by its date. One answer is that the date, the 10th of Nisan commemorates Miriam's yahrzeit. It would not be appropriate for this date to be a day of thanksgiving, as Shabbat Hagadol is. ************************************ Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.