Today's Learning Yevamot 11:5-6 Sponsored by O.C. 155:2-157:1 the Siegel family Bava Batra 159 in honor of Yerushalmi-- their son Jackie's bar mitzvah Chagigah 13 Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Shemini Vol. IX, No. 26 (410), 23 Adar II 5755, March 25, 1995 In this parashah, we read how two of Aharon's sons died during the dedication of the mishkan. Aharon concluded that his family members' status as onenim (the first stage of mourning) precluded them from eating one of the sacrifices of the day. Aharon finished his argument with the rhetorical question: "Would it be right in G- d's eyes?" (10:19) Rav Shalom Noach Brazovsky (the Slonimer Rebbe) shlita notes that Aharon did not say, "Would it be right in the eyes of the Torah?" or "Would it be right in the eyes of halachah?" Even when something is not explicitly prohibited by the Torah, a person must still ask himself: Would it be right? And what is "right"? It is that which brings man closer to Hashem. There is a well known story of the convert who wanted to learn the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel told him, "That which is hateful to you do not do to your friend." Is this the "whole" Torah? many ask. It is, says Rav Brazovsky. "Your friend" means Hashem, and the purpose of the whole Torah is to bring man closer to Him. That which is not "hateful," i.e., destructive, to your relationship with Hashem is "right." (Netivot Shalom: Introduction to Breishit) ************************************ "[Moshe said:] 'This is what Hashem commanded--you shall do, and G-d's glory will appear to you'." (9:6) Moshe said the above at the dedication of the mishkan. The midrashim add that Moshe told Bnei Yisrael, "Remove that yetzer hara from yourselves," and he also told them, "May it be G-d's Will that the shechinah will rest on your handiwork." To this Bnei Yisrael responded with the verse in Tehilim (90:17), "May He establish our handiwork for us; our handiwork may He establish." Rav Shlomo Halberstam (the Bobover Rebbe) shlita asks: What does the above verse mean--after all, the work of the mishkan was done already! Also, to what specific "yetzer hara" was Moshe referring? Finally, why did Moshe need to pray that the shechinah would rest on Bnei Yisrael's handiwork--after all, that was an obvious request because that was the purpose of the mishkan--and what did Bnei Yisrael's response mean? A Jew should live a life in which he enjoys this world, but only because it enables him to serve Hashem better. Thus, Moshe said, "If you want G-d's glory to appear to you, every one of your actions should be because 'This is what Hashem commanded you [to] do'." The yetzer hara which the Jews were instructed to rid themselves of was the inclination to enjoy life for the sake of the enjoyment itself. When Moshe prayed, "May it be G-d's Will that the shechinah will rest on your handiwork," he was not referring to the just-completed mishkan, the Bobover Rebbe explains. Rather, Moshe expressed the hope that in every activity that a Jew would undertake, he would take steps to make the shechinah rest on his handiwork. And when the Jews responded, "May He establish our handiwork for us; our handiwork may He establish," they meant, just as we trust that the shechinah will reside in the mishkan which we have built, so may It rest on all our activities. (Quoted in Shabbat Bet Ropshitz p.136) ************************************ Pesach Rav Baruch Ber Lebowitz zatz'l taught that the Jews' belief in G-d is rooted in the Exodus. A person who professes belief in Hashem but not in the Exodus is like someone who hopes to uproot a tree but keep it alive. If a person could ascend to the Heavens and know for sure that G-d exists, he would not be fulfilling his responsibility as a Jew. The task of a believing Jew is to look at every event in light of what the Exodus taught us about miracles, reward and punishment. (Quoted in Orach Yesharim) ************************************ We say in the haggadah: "Even if we all were sages, even if we all were understanding . . . it still would be incumbent upon us to retell the story of the Exodus." Rav Azaryah Berzon shlita explains this in light of the gemara (Menachot 99b) which relates that a man named Ben Damah asked his uncle Rabbi Yishmael, "Since I have learned the entire Torah, may I study Greek wisdom?" Rabbi Yishmael responded, "One is commanded to speak Torah day and night (Yehoshua 1:8). Find a time which is neither day nor night and study Greek wisdom." What was the logic behind the question and what was the answer? Ben Damah thought that the purpose of Torah study is to know the Torah. Rabbi Yishmael responded that that is only one aspect. There is another mitzvah, which is to occupy oneself with Torah. Similarly, the haggadah is teaching us that the purpose of retelling the story of the Exodus is not (only) to know the story. Rather, telling the story is an end and a mitzvah in and of itself. (Printed in Hadarom, No. 53, Nissan 5754) ************************************ During the plague of locust, Pharaoh hurried to call Moshe and Aharon, and to repent. Then Pharaoh changed his mind. What happened? Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin zatz'l explains that each of the previous plagues had lasted seven days. Therefore, Pharaoh thought that if he "repented" quickly, he could save his crops. However, after the locust departed, Pharaoh learned how much damage actually had been done, and he decided that there was nothing to gain from repentance. ************************************ Rav Binyamin Diskin zatz'l born 5558 (1798) - died 25 Adar 5604 (1844) Rav Binyamin's father was Reb Leib Chassid, a student of the Vilna Gaon. Reb Leib's parents settled in Tzefat in Eretz Yisrael when their son was only 13, but he did not accompany them. Eventually, Rav Binyamin became a prominent teacher and posek (halachic authority). His students included Rav Yitzchak Elchanan Spector, the leading Lithuanian posek of the late 19th century, and Rav Binyamin's four sons. The best known of these was Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin of Brisk and Yerushalayim. (A dvar Torah from Rav Yehoshua Leib appears inside this issue.) Rav Binyamin was rabbi of Horodna, and many stories are told of his tenure there. One Shabbat, a congregant began telling Rav Binyamin of the business trip which he had planned for the next day. However, ever time the man said the word "riding," Rav Binyamin interjected "walking." The next day, the man discovered that he had missed his coach. He began running after it, but at each stop, he missed the coach by a few minutes. Eventually he realized that he may as well walk the whole way, and then he remembered his rabbi's words. Upon returning home, the man told Rav Binyamin how his prediction had come true. "That was no prediction," Rav Binyamin said. "It simply is forbidden to talk on Shabbat of that which may not be done on that day." (Pillar of Fire p.23) Shortly before his death, Rav Binyamin became rabbi of Lomza. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.