Today's Learning Rosh Hashanah 1:6-7 Sponsored by O.C. 94:1-3 the Vogel family Bava Batra 47 in memory of mother Yerushalmi-- and grandmother Sukkah 20 Miriam bat Yehuda Leib A"H HAMAAYAN/THE TORAH SPRING edited by Shlomo Katz MIKETZ-CHANUKAH Vol. IX, No. 10 (394), 30 Kislev 5755, December 3, 1994 The haftarah for Chanukah opens: "'Rejoice and be happy daughter of Zion, for I am coming and I will dwell amongst you'--this is the word of G-d." Rav Shmuel Felkinfeld zata'l explains this to mean that in the time of mashiach Hashem will dwell openly among us. Currently, Hashem does miracles for us, but we don't recognize them. The Zohar explains the reason for this with a parable: A king banished his son who had rebelled, but he still watched over his son from a distance and protected him. However, the king did not want his son to know this, lest his son not take the king's anger to heart and fail to repent. In light of this we can understand the verses in Tehilim (ch.90): "Gladden us according to the days You afflicted us, the years when we saw evil. May Your works be visible to Your servants and Your Majesty upon their children." This means: Gladden us openly as You had done secretly during our exile. When the works that You had done for Your servants--a description of the Jews in their lesser status-- become visible, Your majesty will appear upon the children--the Jews in their higher status. (Bet Shmuel Acharon, Parashat Miketz--see the biography on page 4) ************************************ The gemara asks how we can recite the berachah, "He commanded us to light," over the Chanukah candles. Where did G-d give such a command? The gemara answers that this is included in G-d's command that we obey the sages, i.e., in Devarim 17:12, "Do not turn away from all that they will command neither right nor left." Rav Zvi Elimelech of Dinov zatz'l writes that this reference to "right and left" is also a reference to the occasion (in Parashat Vayechi) when Yaakov reversed his hands while blessing Menashe and Ephraim. How is that related to our discussion? Sefer Rokeach teaches that Chanukah is alluded to in the Torah (in Parashat Emor) where the mitzvah of lighting the menorah in the Temple follows the listing of the holidays. Indeed, Parashat Emor is a parashah largely devoted to the laws pertaining to kohanim, and Chanukah is a holiday that was instituted by kohanim (the Macabees). The menorah section in Parashat Emor begins --"Command Bnei Yisrael." The gematria of this phrase is 1,100, one more than the gematria of the opening phrase of the Al Hanissim prayer: "In the days of Matityahu son of Yochanan." From where do we know that gematrias which differ by one are considered equal? We learn this from Yaakov's statement that Ephraim and Menashe (gematria of 726) are equivalent in his eyes to Reuven and Shimon (gematria of 725). And when did Yaakov say that? On the occasion when he reversed his right and left hands. (Bnei Yissaschar) ************************************ Chazal say that the name "Chanukah" alludes to the fact that the Chashmonaim rested from their war on the 25th day of the month. Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld zatz'l noted that this is alluded to in the Torah. The 25th place (of the 42) where the Jews camped in the desert after the Exodus was "Chashmonah." (quoted in Sha'arei Zohar: Shabbat 21a) ************************************ "They lit lights in the courtyards of Your holy places." (from the Al Hanissim prayer) Was the menorah in the courtyard? No, it was in the building of the bet hamikdash itself! What then does this mean? A possible answer is that the miracle of the oil included that the small jug of oil from which the menorah was lit did not empty until many barrels of oil had been filled from it. A similar miracle is recorded in Sefer Melachim (in the haftarah for Parashat Vayera). To publicize this, the Macabees lit candles and lights throughout the Temple complex, including the courtyards. If we assume this, we can answer several questions. One is the famous question of the Bet Yosef: If one day's supply of oil burned for eight days, the miracle lasted only seven days! Why then are there eight days of Chanukah? The answer would be that the extra day (the first day) commemorates this other miracle just-mentioned. This also answers another question: From where did the Macabees obtain the oil with which to bring the oil sacrifices that were required as part of the daily meal offerings? (Ner L'Meah #80) ************************************ There is a well known dispute between Bet Hillel and Bet Shamai, i.e., whether we light one candle on the first day and increase to eight on the last day or start with eight and work down. What is the basis for their dispute? Rav Moshe Schwab zatz'l suggests that they are debating the relative importance of preparing to perform a mitzvah. According to Bet Shamai, how a Jew prepares to do a mitzvah is more important than the mitzvah itself. At the beginning of Chanukah, a person has eight full days before him; the preparation required for those eight days is on his mind and he lights eight candles. The next evening, the first day has passed; there are now only seven days upcoming. Bet Hillel argues that the mitzvah act itself, not the preparation, is key. Thus, on each day of Chanukah we wish to have our accomplishments "under our belts." By the first night of Chanukah, we have already completed a small part of the first day and we can light one candle. On the second night, we add a candle to symbolize the new day which is (partially) completed. Thus, we add a candle each night. (Ma'archei Lev) ************************************ Rav Shmuel Felkinfeld born 5497 (1737) - died 27 Kislev 5567 (1807) Rav Shmuel was a leading posek (halachic authority) of his time. He was known as the Bet Shmuel Acharon, the name of his works. Rav Shmuel was a descendant of several great Rabbis, including Rema, and he takes pains in his works to defend the positions of his ancestors. One of Rav Shmuel's contemporaries is reported to have said that there had not been anyone in Poland as incisive as he in two centuries. Rav Shmuel's wife was his cousin Rachel Hadassah. The derashah which he gave at his wedding was printed in the back of his responsa at his wife's request. His rabbinical posts included Bilgorai, Peshwarsk, Tarnopol, and one of the greatest Jewish communities of Europe, Posen (today, Breslau in eastern Germany). He was also elected Rabbi of Pressburg (Hungary; now Slovakia), but for unknown reasons he never assumed that post. Rav Shmuel corresponded with many of the great authorities of his time including Rav Ephraim Zalman Margaliot, Rav Yechezkel Landau (the Noda B'Yehuda), and Rav Moshe Teitlebaum (the Yismach Moshe). Starting in 1795, Rav Shmuel instituted the practice that every Shabbat for six months he would speak about the same section of gemara. These talks included both halachah and aggadah. In particular, Rav Shmuel's teachings and writings focused on laws pertaining to dinei mamonot--civil law. (A dvar Torah by Rav Shmuel appears on the front page.) ************************************ DONATIONS TO HAMAAYAN ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE