Today's Learning Ta'anit 4:1-2 Sponsored by O.C. 113:1-3 Marcia Goodman and family Bava Batra 75 in memory of mother and Yerushalmi-- grandmother Rivka bat Yehuda A"H Ta'anit 22 The Getz family in memory of their son Yisrael Yaakov ben Moshe Hillel A"H Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Va'era Vol. IX, No. 14 (398), 28 Tevet 5755, December 31, 1994 In this week's parashah, we read that the sorcerers of Pharaoh used black magic to imitate the plagues brought by Moshe. Where has this magic disappeared to? asks Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky zatz'l. Why don't we see it today? Rav Kamenetsky explains that Hashem created the world with the forces of good and evil perfectly balanced. This is the only way that we could exercise our free will to do good or to sin. So long as prophecy abounded, black magic did as well. Today, however, when G-d is less visible, He has made the forces of evil which He created less visible as well. Accordingly, we can understand why Rambam writes that demons do not exist ("shaidim"), in clear contradiction to numerous statements of the Talmud. While the sages of the Talmud were not prophets, each possessed such spiritual greatness that he could revive the dead. To balance this good influence, Hashem allowed demons to roam. By Rambam's time, however, there was no need for them. (Emet L'Yaakov) ************************************ "...I am G-d, and I will take you out from doing the work of the Egyptians, and I will save you from their service, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with strong judgements. And I will take you as my nation..." (6:6-7) [The four italicized phrases are called the "Four Expressions of Redemption," each one represented by one of the four cups of wine which we drink at the Seder. There also is a fifth such expression: "And I will bring you to the land..." (Sh'mot 6:8). This parallels the fifth cup--the cup of Eliyahu--the subject of our discussion.] The Haggadah commentary Divrei Negidim, a work that many attribute to the Maharal of Prague, notes that the kindness which Hashem displays in providing our daily sustenance is greater than the kindness that He showed in creating the world. How so? To be a "creation" (rather than a creator) means to be dependent on another. It therefore means being inherently deficient. Thus, despite Hashem's kindness in creating us, we are necessarily lacking because we are no more than "creations." However, when Hashem gives us food, He gives us the ability, to a certain extent, to stand on our own. Thus, Hashem's kindness in feeding us is the greatest kindness of all. This explains the structure of Psalm 136 which is known as "Hallel Hagadol"--"The Great Hallel." In this chapter of Tehillim we recall Hashem's wonders in creating the world and in redeeming us from Egypt. Each line of the Psalm culminates with the expression "For His kindness endures forever." How does this chapter conclude? "He gives bread to all flesh, for His kindness endures forever. Acknowledge the G-d of the Heavens, for His kindness endures forever." This expresses our recognition (noted above) that this last kindness--giving us bread--is greater than the earlier ones. The fifth cup of wine which some have the custom to drink at the Seder represents the kindness that Hashem does for us when He feeds us. After we retell the story of the Exodus and drink four cups of wine, we recite Hallel Hagadol and turn our attention to the fifth cup of wine. (Some people first pour the cup at this point.) In many homes, it is the custom that the head of the household alone drinks this cup, because it is that person who has primary responsibility for receiving Hashem's gift of bread. In other households, this cup is left for Eliyahu Hanavi--known as the "Angel of Peace"--for peace is a prerequisite to receiving all of Hashem's blessings, sustenance included. (See Mishnah Uktzin 3:12) (Haggadah Shel Pesach L'Maharal, London ed., p. 174) ************************************ "I, too, have heard the suffering of Bnei Yisrael from the slavery that the Egyptians have enslaved them, and I remembered my covenant." (6:5) The gemara (Berachot 5a) teaches that suffering cleanses one of sin. The Talmudic sages Rabbi Yochanan and Resh Lakish offer two different sources for this lesson: Rabbi Yochanan says, "If the Torah ordains that a Canaanite slave should go free if his master knocks out his tooth or his eye, then certainly a person's suffering [sent from his master, Hashem] cleanses him of his sins." Resh Lakish says, "We learn this lesson through a gezeirah shavah (comparing two verses that share a common word, one of the 13 divinely-ordained methods for interpreting the Torah). The word 'brit' (covenant) is used in connection with suffering, and it is used in connection with salt. Just as salt cures meat, so suffering cures man." [Until here from the gemara] What is the practical difference between the two ways of deriving the above lesson? The halachah is that a slave goes free only if his master intentionally knocked out his tooth or eye. However, salt cures meat whether the salt was poured on the meat intentionally or not. Similarly, Rabbi Yochanan maintains that suffering cleanses a person only if he is aware of the cause of that suffering, and Resh Lakish disagrees. Hashem said to Moshe, "I have heard the suffering . . . from the slavery that the Egyptians have enslaved them." Bnei Yisrael saw the Egyptians as the source of their suffering, and forgot that Hashem brought them to Egypt for a reason. They were not aware of the cause of their suffering and, therefore, according to Rabbi Yochanan, they could not be redeemed. However, Hashem says, "I remembered my covenant (in Hebrew 'brit')," alluding to the opinion of Resh Lakish that they could be redeemed nevertheless. (Rav Sar Shalom of Belz) ************************************ A merchant once asked Rav Moshe Sofer (the Chatam Sofer) for a blessing, explaining that business had been very bad recently. "I have heard," answered Rav Moshe, "that your brother is very poor, and you are not helping him." "But I just told you," said the merchant, "that my business is not doing as well as it used to." "Let me ask you," responded Rav Moshe, "what is meant by the verse, 'I, too, have heard the suffering of Bnei Yisrael.'? What is added by the word, 'too'? "The answer is," continued the Chatam Sofer, "that even though each one of Bnei Yisrael was undergoing great suffering, each one noticed the suffering of his friend, and it pained him. In just that merit, Hashem too heard their suffering." (Al Hatorah) ************************************ Rav Moshe Shick ("Maharam Shick") born 21 Adar 5567 (1807) - died 1 Shevat 5639 (1879) Maharam Shick was one of the greatest students of the Chatam Sofer. Despite being orphaned at age six, little Moshe knew all of Tanach and Mishnah by age ten. The next year, he joined the yeshiva of his uncle, Rav Yitzchak Frankel (also known as Reb Isaac Shusberg), and at age 14, he went to the famed Pressburg yeshiva of the Chatam Sofer. When Rav Moshe was 20, his teacher proposed to take him as a son-in-law, but Rav Moshe chose to marry his own cousin instead. In 1861, Rav Moshe became rabbi of Khust (today in the Ukraine). He was recognized as one of the leading poskim (halachic authorities) in Hungary and also established a large yeshiva there. His routine in the yeshiva was as follows: After davening, he taught halachah (from the Orach Chaim section of Shulchan Aruch) while still wearing tefilin of Rabbenu Tam. He delivered an in-depth gemara lecture every Sunday through Wednesday, while Thursday was reserved for testing the students. He wore his Shabbat clothes while lecturing, and introduced each class with 1/2-hour of mussar. In the evenings, he lectured on other subjects, including halachah and chumash. Rav Moshe was one of the leading fighters against reform, both in Hungary (where he was a leader of the 1869 conference of Orthodox Rabbis) and in Germany. The name "Shick" represents his opposition to the modern trends of the day, as it is the acronym of the phrase "Shem Yisrael Kodesh"--"A Jew's name is holy." Maharam Shick left behind many works, including books on halachah, Talmud, and chumash. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.