Today's Learning Shevuot 3:2-3 Sponsored by O.C. 330:7-9 Shlomo & Sharona Katz Menachot 35 in honor of Yerushalmi-- Art Boyars & Bev Morris Bava Kamma 18 on the bar mitzvah of their son Jackie Boyars Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Beha'alotecha Vol. X, No. 32 (469), 21 Sivan 5756, June 8, 1996 Siddur Avodat Yisrael writes that there is a chapter of Tehilim which corresponds to each parashah -- this week Psalm 68. There is an obvious connection between one of the verses in this psalm and one of the verse in the parashah. Verse 2 in the former says, "Let G-d arise and let His enemies be scattered, and let His foes flee before Him." Verse 10:35 in the parashah reads, "Arise, G-d, and let your foes be scattered, let those who hate You flee from before You." Another tie between this psalm and the parashah is in the fact that this parashah (9:1-14) discusses some of the laws of Pesach. According to Radak (quoted in the Artscroll Tehilim), this psalm refers to G-d's destruction of the Assyrian army under Sancheirev, an event which occurred on that holiday. Also, verse 7 alludes to the Exodus when it says, "He releases the prisoners at suitable moments." Rashi explains that Pesach was suitable for the Exodus because of the fine spring weather. (For another pair of verses connecting the parashah to this psalm, see page 2 inside.) ************************************ The verses and commentaries on this page relate to the chapter of Tehilim associated with our parashah (see page 1). "The chariot of G-d is twice ten thousand, two thousands; my Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness." (68:18) We see from here, says Rav Yehuda Loewe ("Maharal") z"l, that the Shechinah rests amidst 22,000 angels. Thus our parashah states, as well (10:36), "Reside tranquilly, Hashem, among the myriads, thousands of Israel." The plural "myriads" suggests 20,000, and the plural "thousands" suggests another 2,000. [Unless the Torah specifies otherwise, we assume that a plural form connotes "2" (the smallest plural number), rather than "3" or more.] Similarly, says Maharal, we find that the Leviim whose camp surrounded the mishkan also numbered approximately 22,000. What is the significance of this number? It is the fact that the beginning of everything was the Torah, which is made up of 22 letters. However, the number on which the Shechinah rests is 22,000, not just 22, because Hashem does not rest His Presence on individual things, but only on "complete" things. That one thousand is more "complete" than one may be seen in the letter "aleph," which connotes "one." The complete spelling of this letter's name is "aleph-lamed-feh," which spells "eleph" / "one thousand." (Gur Aryeh: Bamidbar 10:36; Chiddushei Aggadot: Bava Kamma 83a) Rav Tzadok Hakohen of Lublin z"l explains further that one thousand represents completion because it is the highest number is the Hebrew language. He explains that the word "revavah" -- translated above as 10,000 -- is not a number, but just means "many." Thus, for example, we read in Parashat Yitro that Moshe appointed officers over thousands, officers over hundreds, and so on down, but not officers over ten-thousands. This is why one and one-thousand share the word "aleph"/"eleph," i.e., because they are both basic units. (Yisrael Kedoshim 12b; Dover Tzedek 8a) ************************************ "Give might to G-d..." (68:36) How do we give might to G-d, the source of all might? Conversely, what does it mean (Devarim 32:18), "The rock Who gave birth to you is weakened"? Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato ("Ramchal") z"l explains that one of the two principles which Hashem created to guide the world is that of reward and punishment. By G-d's own design, our good deeds make Him stronger, i.e., they give Him the "freedom" to be good to us. Conversely, our own bad deeds "weaken" G-d because (again, by His own design) they "force" Him to turn away from us. (Da'at Tevunot) ************************************ "When the Ark would journey, Moshe said, 'Arise, Hashem, and let Your foes be scattered...'" (10:35) This verse and the next verse are set off in the Torah by upside down letters "nun." Rashi explains that this parashah doesn't belong here, but it was put here to separate between two unfortunate events in Jewish history. Why were verses about the Ark chosen for this purpose? Rav Yonatan Eyebschutz z"l explains: The verses immediately preceding these relate that the Ark traveled three days ahead of Bnei Yisrael. Had the Ark traveled among Bnei Yisrael, says Rav Eyebschutz, it would have destroyed them when they rebelled against Hashem. This is alluded to in the verse quoted above, "Vayehi be'nesoa" / "When the Ark would journey," because "vayehi" is a word that Chazal say alludes to sadness. (Tiferet Yehonatan) ************************************ "Why did you not fear to speak against My servant Moshe?" (12:8) Rashi quotes the midrash: "My servant Moshe"--"My servant, even if he were not Moshe; Moshe, even if he were not My servant." Rav Meir Dan Plotzky z"l asks: We can understand that one would have to respect Hashem's servant, even if he were not Moshe, but what is the meaning of "Moshe, even if he were not My servant"? The gemara relates that Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosa was more successful at praying for the sick than was Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai. The latter's wife asked her husband, the leading sage of his generation, "Is Rabbi Chaninah greater than you?" "No," said Rabban Yochanan, "but I am like a royal minister who enters only with permission, while he is like a servant who has the run of the house." Says Rav Meir Dan: The world stands on several pillars, including Torah and avodah (prayer or "service of G-d"). The "royal minister" in Rabban Yochanan's parable is the Torah scholar, while the "servant" is the master of prayer. So too in our midrash, "Moshe" represents the Torah scholar, while the "servant" represents service of Hashem. Thus the midrash says, "Should you not fear to speak against your brother even if he had only one of these traits? How much more so now that he is My servant and Moshe." (Kli Chemdah: Parashat Vayikra) ************************************ Rav Hillel Milikowsky z"l born 5581 (1821) - died 23 Sivan 5659 (1899) Rav Milikowsky studied in the Ramailles Yeshiva in Vilna under the leadership of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, the founder of the mussar/character development movement. Later, Rav Milikowsky was among the activists upon whom Rabbi Yisrael called to solve communal problems. His fluency in Russian helped him gain access to top decision-makers, and he frequently traveled to St. Petersburg (Russia's capital) to represent the interests of Russian Jewry. Rav Milikowsky served as rabbi of Salant, Ponovezh and other towns. Except for his salary, he accepted none of the traditional remuneration offered to rabbis (e.g., money for selling chametz). At the instigation of Rabbi Yisrael, Rav Milikowsky was offered the rabbinate of Paris, but declined it. Rav Milikowsky was completely objective, refusing even to write a letter of recommendation for his son. "You own deeds will draw you close or distance you from that which you seek," he said. Another of his teachings was that happiness is a sign of trust in G-d. Rav Milikowsky's understanding of the need for mussar study is revealed in his will, as follows: The gemara states that Hashem created the Torah as a counterpart to the evil inclination. "Torah" here refers to the laws of the Torah. However, just as the diet and exercise regimen which a physician prescribes for a healthy man may not be appropriate for one who is ill, so studying and keeping the laws is sufficient for one who is spiritually healthy, but not for our generation, which is ill. The additional medicine which we need is mussar study. Rav Milikowsky wrote that good character traits are inborn, but they are lost if they are not used. On the day of Rav Milikowsky's funeral, even the non-Jews in his town closed their shops out of respect for the deceased. (Tnuat Hamussar vol. 2) ************************************ http://acoast.com/~sehc/hamaayan/ send mail to: ajb@acm.org Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.