Today's Learning Sotah 9:4-5 Sponsored by O.C. 252:1-3 Rabbi & Mrs. Barry Greengart Shevuot 31 in memory of his father Yerushalmi-- Zvi ben Benzion Greengart A"H Ketubot 68 Manny & Loretta Sadwin & family on the yahrzeit of Loretta's father Alter Eliezer Yitzchak ben Litman Smolar A"H Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Nitzavim Vol. IX, No. 50 (434), 28 Elul 5755, September 23, 1995 Rav Moshe Alshich (the "Alshich Hakadosh") zatz'l writes: Chazal teach that whenever Moshe spoke to Bnei Yisrael, he honored the nesi'im (leaders of the tribes) by addressing them first. This week's parashah begins, however, "You are all standing today before Hashem." No preference was shown to the nesi'im over anybody, even the lowly water carriers and wood-choppers. This difference results from the purpose of the assembly described here: to enter into a new covenant with G-d. Everyone was "standing before Hashem." While among ourselves we must respect our elders and leaders, we do not really know who is great or small in Hashem's eyes. This lesson should not lead a person to feel haughty (thinking that perhaps Hashem considers him to be the greatest member of the congregation), but should rather be humbling. The story is told of a person who used to honor everyone, regardless of age or station. When his neighbors inquired of his reason for doing so, he explained, "If one is older than I, he has done more Mitzvot; if he is younger, he has committed fewer sins. If he is wiser than I, he should be honored for his wisdom; if he is less intelligent, he should be honored because he cannot be held as responsible for his sins as I am for mine." (Torat Moshe) ************************************ "And it shall come to pass when he hears the words of this curse and he will bless himself in his heart saying, 'Peace will be with me, though I walk as my heart sees fit'--thereby having the satisfied one support the thirsty." (29:18) Rav Shimon Schwab zatz'l explains: Thirst is a lack of water, and water is a metaphor for Torah. This verse refers to one who is accomplished in, and can rightly be satisfied with, his fulfillment of mitzvot. However, he is "thirsty" because he does not study Torah. Rather, "the satisfied one support[s] the thirsty," i.e., he feels that his mitzvah observance fulfills his religious obligations and he need not study Torah. What does the next verse say? "Hashem will not want to forgive him." (Maayan Bet Hasho'eivah) ************************************ "This mitzvah which I am commanding you. . ." (30:12), i.e. the possibility of teshuvah--repenting from one's sins, ". . . It is not in the Heavens, that you need wonder, 'Who will go up to the Heavens and bring it down for us'?" (30:13), i.e. the existence of sin and the possibility of repentance is not something that is contrary to G-d's design for the world, but is part of it. Teshuvah is not in the Heavens--out of reach. In truth, one might wonder--since the whole world was created to bring honor to G-d (see Yishayah 43:7), how can sin exist? The answer is that sin exists so that teshuvah can exist, for there is no greater honor to G-d than repentance from a life mired in materialism (the basis of all sins), and acknowledgement of a higher Being and purpose. "....It is not across the sea that you need wonder, 'Who will cross the sea and bring it to us'?" (30:13). The "sea" is a common metaphor for life in this world, and each person is likened to a boat (see for example the commentary of the Vilna Gaon to Sefer Yonah). Although teshuvah requires placing material things in their proper perspective, do not think that one must get out of the sea entirely. Instead, one must forge a path of holiness through the sea of this world. This is teshuvah. (Sefat Emet: Likkutim) ************************************ Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev zatz'l was late for selichot. The chassidim waited and waited. Finally, he arrived, stood before the aron hakodesh and said, "Master of the universe! I am a mortal, born of a woman; I am an old man who is no longer able to rise before dawn to say all of the selichot. But You are eternal, You are mighty, You do not become old, You do not sleep. Furthermore, the selichot that You recite are short. They consist of one word: 'Salachti'-'I have forgiven.' Please recite Your selichot and tell us, 'I have forgiven'." ************************************ The mishnah (end of Yoma) teaches: "If one says, 'I will sin and I will repent, I will sin and I will repent,' he will not be given the opportunity to repent." Why, asks the gemara, is the above statement repeated? The gemara answers that once a person has committed the same sin twice, it becomes permitted in his eyes. (In other words, a person who says, "I will sin and I will repent," may actually repent. However, once he says this twice, he will never repent.) Rav Chaim Hager of Kosov zatz'l offers another explanation for the double expression. Teshuvah is one of the 613 mitzvot, so it could be argued that a person is obligated to sin in order to fulfill this mitzvah. However, even if that were true, a person would only be obligated to sin once in his lifetime. Thus, the first time that a person says, "I will sin and I will repent," he may be doing so for the sake of the mitzvah, but the second time, we can be sure that he is, in fact, a sinner. In light of this, says Rav Chaim, we can understand Yosef's response to the wife of Potiphar: "How can I do this great evil and I have sinned to G-d." Shouldn't he have said, "How can I do this great evil and I will sin to G-d"? Rav Chaim answers that Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Yosef with the argument that it is a mitzvah to sin in order to repent. But only once, Yosef answered. Therefore, "How can I do this great evil and I have [already] sinned to G-d" and fulfilled the mitzvah of teshuvah. (Torat Chaim) ************************************ Must a person sin in order to do teshuvah? No, says Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook zatz'l (in his work Orot Hateshuvah and elsewhere). Teshuvah is much more than "repentance"; it is "return." Even a completely righteous person (if there were one) would stand far below the level of Adam before the sin. Thus, there is always somewhere to return to. ************************************ Rav Avraham Danzig zatz'l born 5508 (1748) - 4 Tishrei 5581 (1821) Rav Avraham Danzig was the author of the very popular halachic works, Chayei Adam and Chochmat Adam. Both of these are condensations of the Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries--Chayei Adam covers the laws of prayer, Shabbat and yom tov, and Chochmat Adam covers the laws of kashrut, family purity, and other subjects. Rav Avraham studied in Prague under Rav Yechezkel Landau (the Noda B'Yehuda) and Rav Yosef Leiberman. After his marriage, he moved to Vilna and engaged in business. He also served as a preacher (without pay) and was among the lay leaders of the Vilna community. Rav Avraham and the Vilna Gaon became related by marriage through their children. In his later years, Rav Avraham's business failed and he was forced to earn his living as a rabbi. In addition to Chayei Adam and Chochmat Adam, Rav Avraham wrote Nishmat Adam (a commentary on his own Chayei Adam), a concise work on the laws of Shabbat entitled Zichru Torat Moshe, and other works. The introductory Yom Kippur prayer, "Tefilah Zakkah," was composed by Rav Avraham and is found in Chapter 143 of Chayei Adam. Chapter 142 of that work contains a lengthy discussion of the High Holiday vidui (confession), and readers who are able to are urged to study it. ************************************ We read in this week's parashah, "Lo m'ever layam he"-"The Torah is not found across the sea," meaning that one who constantly comes and goes on business will never become a Torah scholar. Similarly, in Iyov (Job) (28:14) we read, "The depths declare, 'It is not in me,' the sea declares, 'It is not with me'." Says Rav Avraham Danzig: If you ask a rich man for a loan but his cash flow is insufficient, he says, "It is not with me." If you ask a poor man for a loan, he says, "It is not in me." This is the difference between one who travels the nearby seas in search of a livelihood for his family, and one who travels the faraway deep oceans looking for great wealth. The one who travels the depths must declare of the Torah (like the pauper), "It is not in me." The one who travels only the local seas and is satisfied with a modest profit can declare of his Torah (like the rich man who is short right now but still has hope for the future), "It is not with me." (quoted in Melizei Esh) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.