Today's Learning Nazir 5:1-2 Sponsored by O.C. 221:1-222:1 Beatrice Sussman and family Makot 12 in honor of Yerushalmi-- Alfred Amsel Ketubot 26 Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Va'etchanan Vol. IX, No. 44 (428), 16 Av 5755, August 12, 1995 On Friday of this week, we observed "Tu B'Av"--the 15th day of the month of Av. In ancient times, the gemara says, this was one of the two happiest days on the Jewish calendar. One of the reasons for this is that the last donation of wood to the Temple was made on this day each year. Why is this important? Rabbenu Gershom explains that once the wood harvest was over, there was more time for learning Torah. Adds Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg shlita: Look how the sages valued Torah study! Consider how little time and how few people were involved in this wood chopping, yet for the small amount of additional Torah which could be studied after this day, Chazal ordained a holiday. Chazal say, "One who studies more Torah after the 15th of Av--and especially at night--will have reward added. One who does not will be buried." Why such a stringent punishment? Rav Scheinberg explains (based upon the writings of the Vilna Gaon) that man's mission on earth is not only to study Torah and to do mitzvot, but to do so in a way which overcomes his natural urges and tendencies. As the summer winds down and darkness comes earlier, one would tend to go sleep earlier (especially before the advent of electric lights). Thus, man's responsibility, his mission, is to make an extra effort to stay awake at night and to study Torah. (Derech Emunah U'bitachon) ************************************ "Please let me cross and see the good Land. . ." (3:25) Why did Moshe and other tzaddikim throughout history desire Eretz Yisrael? Was it for its milk and honey? Surely there are other countries with a more luxurious standard of living! Rav Shlomo Harkabi H"YD of Grodno explains: Chazal say that Hashem gave three gifts to the Jews, and all of them come with suffering. These are the Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World-to- Come. Why is this suffering necessary? Take, for example, the World-to-Come. This is not a "place" which is a continuation of this life--only better. Rather, "life" in the World-to-Come will be an existence which is completely different from any experience which we know. Therefore, suffering is a prerequisite to reaching the World-to-Come because if man is not weaned of his attachment to this world, he will be incapable of appreciating the World-to-Come. Similarly, the Torah is not just another subject matter to study. It is the very tool which man can use to attach himself to Hashem. Again, suffering is the mechanism which enables man to strip away anything which might separate him from G-d. In the same way, suffering is a prerequisite to inheriting Eretz Yisrael because it is not like any other land. Rather, it is the Land where man can strip away this world and rise to incredible spiritual levels. And that, alone, is why tzaddikim desire it. (Me'imrei Shlomo) ************************************ Midrash Rabbah states that Hashem gave Moshe a choice: either he enters the Land or Bnei Yisrael do. Hashem said, "When I wanted to destroy the Jewish people, I nullified My desire and gave in to you. Now it time for you to nullify your desire and give in to Me for the benefit of the people." Rav Eliezer Zvi Safran (the "Komarna Rebbe") zatz'l suggests that this type of calculation is what is meant by the mishnah in Pirkei Avot (chapter 2), "Nullify your wishes before His wishes so that He will nullify the wishes of others before your wishes." This can be read, "Give up the wishes which you have for yourself because they are contrary to His wishes so that He will nullify the plans which He has for others because they are contrary to your wishes." This means that if you give up what you want for yourself because it is contrary to Hashem's will, then in your merit Hashem will cancel punishments of which your loved ones may be deserving. (Zekan Beto) ************************************ The gemara makes a remarkable statement: Whoever recites "Vayechulu" (i.e. kiddush) on Friday night is considered as if he was a partner with Hashem in the creation of the world. The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh zatz'l asks: How can someone become a partner in a job which is already finished? He explains as follows: We read in the Aseret Hadibrot (not in the version found in this parashah, but in Parashat Yitro) that G-d created the world in six days. Interestingly, however, the literal translation of the verse in question says, "For six days G-d created the world..." This teaches us, writes the Ohr Hachaim, that when Hashem originally created the world it had the capacity to endure for only six days. What has made it last longer? The merit of Shabbat. Every person who keeps Shabbat adds to the world's capacity to exist for another week, and thus, the work of creation is never done. Rather, it must be renewed each week, and those entrusted with this task are the Shabbat-observers. This thought allows us to explain another teaching of Chazal. The gemara (Shabbat 118a) states: If one rejoices with the Shabbat, all the desires of his heart will be fulfilled. Why so? Because the person who keeps Shabbat is like one of the builders of the world, it seems only right that each of the partners in this endeavor should have something added onto the world for his own benefit. There is another reason why a person who keeps Shabbat should have all of his requests fulfilled. The gemara (Shabbat 88a) teaches that when Bnei Yisrael accepted the Torah the angels descended from the Heavens and crowned them with jewels. Later, however, after the sin of the golden calf, the angels returned and confiscated these jewels. What was the nature of the gift that Bnei Yisrael had held? Rav Simcha Bunim of Przysucha zatz'l explained (in the name of the Arizal) that Bnei Yisrael had been given the gift that their prayers would be answered even before they were articulated. However, because of the sin of the golden calf, this gift was taken away from Bnei Yisrael. But not completely! The Arizal taught that on Shabbat one's prayers are indeed answered before they are said. (This is reflected in the halachah that we do not make personal requests in the Shabbat prayers. They are not necessary.) This then is the meaning of the statement that if someone keeps Shabbat, all of his desires will be fulfilled; no special request required. (Ramatayim Tzofim) ************************************ Rav Chaim Soloveitchik zatz'l 5613 (1853) - 21 Av 5678 (1918) Rav Chaim, also known as "Rav Chaim Brisker" and "Rav Chaim Halevi," was born in Volozhin, where his father, Rav Yosef Dov Halevi, was rosh yeshiva alongside his cousin-by marriage, Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the "Netziv"). Rav Chaim began his illustrious teaching career in Volozhin as well, after marrying the Netziv's granddaughter, Lipshe. The closing of the Volozhin Yeshiva in 1892 coincided with the passing of Rav Yosef Dov, then the rabbi of Brisk (Brest-Litovsk), and Rav Chaim moved to Brisk to assume the rabbinate of that city. Students continued to flock to hear his interpretations of the Talmud and to learn his methods. Rav Chaim also was distinguished by his acts of kindness, and, although it is not as well known, was active in the creation of the organization which is today known as "Agudath Israel" (in Israel, a political party, and in the rest of the world, a service organization and lobbyist for Orthodox causes). Rav Chaim's two illustrious sons were Rav Yitzchak Ze'ev (also known as "Reb Velvel" or simply "The Brisker Rav") and Rav Moshe. Their children were (and are) among the leading roshei yeshiva in Israel and the U.S. respectively. Rav Chaim's name is inexorably intertwined with the style of learning which he popularized. While many yeshivot have unique styles of learning, most of these cannot readily be described by even the most seasoned Talmud scholar. "Brisk", however, is an exception. Call someone a "Telzer" or a "Slobodker", and you have identified where he learnt. However, call him a "Brisker", and you have described how he learns. The Brisker "derech" (method) itself is so widespread, he could have studied almost anywhere. The centerpiece of Rav Chaim's method (as explained by Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin) is the phrase "shtei dinim"--"two laws." A halachah can be analyzed two ways, each way producing different results. If the way that we have been looking at a halachah causes difficulty (e.g. contradicts another halachah), let us look at it differently. For example, we might ask: "Is the mitzvah under discussion an obligation of the person or of the person's object--for instance does the Torah require a person to have tzitzit on a four-cornered garment that he wears or does the Torah demand that all four cornered garments owned by people have tzitzit on them? (A practical difference between these two ways of analyzing the mitzvah of tzitzit is whether a four-cornered garment that I own, but will not wear in the near future, requires tzitzit.) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.