Today's Learning Bava Metzia 5:11-6:1 Sponsored by O.C. 306:1-3 Ida Wildman & family Zevachim 28 on the sheloshim of Yerushalmi-- Zvi Yisrael ben David A"H Nazir 41 (Howard Wildman) David & Micheline Peller in memory of his mother Hilda Beck A"H The Goodman family in memory of mother and grandmother Rivka bat Yehuda Leib Halevi A"H Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Beshalach Vol. X, No. 16 (453), 13 Shevat 5756, February 3, 1996 Siddur Avodat Yisrael writes that there is a chapter of Tehilim which corresponds to each parashah--this week Psalm 66. Verse 6 explicitly refers to the events of this parashah: "He changed the sea into dry land, through the river they passed on foot, there we rejoiced in Him." The sea is the Yam Suf which Moshe split. The reference to a river is to Yehoshua's splitting the Jordan River when Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Canaan. Rashi on our parashah (13:18) states that only one-fifth of Bnei Yisrael left Egypt, and the remainder died during the plague of darkness. This is alluded to in verse 10 of this psalm, "For You examined us, G-d, You refined us as if refining silver" (see Sforno). The Vilna Gaon lists this chapter as the psalm for the sixth day of Pesach (Ma'aseh Rav No. 194). (Those who follow the Vilna Gaon's order of prayer do not recite the regular weekday shir shel yom - "song of the day" - on holidays.) The last day of Pharaoh's chase of Bnei Yisrael, just before the Yam Suf split, was the sixth day of Pesach. ************************************ The verses and commentaries on this page relate to the chapter of Tehilim associated with our parashah (see page 1). "Go and see the works of G-d, awesome in deed ('alilah') toward mankind." (66:6) The word "alilah" suggests blame. An example of the idea expressed in this verse, says the Midrash Tanchuma, is that Yaakov's love for Yosef caused the exile to Egypt. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zatz'l explains that the choices which individuals make play an important role in bringing the Divine plan to fruition. For example, G-d decreed that Avraham's descendants would be exiled, but it was a series of choices made by Yaakov, Yosef, and their family which caused that exile to take place in Egypt at just the time when it did. Paraphrasing the above verse: G-d's works are awesome, but the blame for many events falls on mankind. This is one reason why a person must see everything for the best. One never knows how the trouble which he got himself into fits-in with the bigger picture. It may just be that he was nothing more than a pawn in G-d's Hand. (Sichot Mussar 5732, No. 9) Rav Samson R. Hirsch zatz'l makes the following related comment on verse 3 of this psalm, which he translates: "How tremendous is the total effect of the individual acts of [Your] sovereignty, the ultimate goal of which [Your] acts shall bring about." ************************************ "Go and see the works of Elokim, awesome in deed toward mankind. He changed the sea into dry land. . ." (66:6-7) The name "Elokim" signifies Hashem's attribute of justice. Thus this verse suggests that Bnei Yisrael deserved to have the Yam Suf split for them. One of the most awesome aspects of this miracle, says Rav Chaim of Czernowitz zatz'l, is how it differed from Hashem's ordinary "behavior." Usually, the attribute of justice (also symbolized by the left hand) destroys, while the attribute of kindness (the right hand) saves. The right versus the left hand symbolizes that Hashem's kindness is "stronger" than His justice. Here, however, the attribute of justice saved Bnei Yisrael, as seen above. Also, the Torah (Shmot 15:6) tells us that, in splitting the Red Sea, Hashem crushed the enemy with His right hand. (Be'er Mayim Chaim) ************************************ "Moshe said to the people, 'Do not fear! Stand and see the salvation of Hashem that He will perform for you today, for as you have seen Egypt today, you shall never see them again'." (14:13) The midrash breaks this verse into two parts. First Moshe said to Bnei Yisrael, "Stand and see the salvation of Hashem that He will perform for you." Bnei Yisrael asked, "When?" Moshe responded, "Tomorrow." Bnei Yisrael complained that they could not stand to wait any longer. Then Hashem showed Moshe the legions of angels waiting to destroy Egypt, and Moshe said, "It will be today, for as you have seen Egypt today, you shall never see them again." Rav Bezalel Stern zatz'l (of Vienna, Austria, and Melbourne, Australia) explains this midrash as follows: When Pharaoh asked Moshe to pray that the plague of frogs end, Moshe said, "I will pray today, but when would you like the plague to end?" Pharaoh said, "Tomorrow." Despite the immense suffering which Pharaoh endured from the frogs, he preferred to suffer another day in order to prove that a prayer said on one day cannot influence another day. This would confirm his belief that there was not one all-powerful G-d. Similarly, Moshe felt that, because the Jewish people had been influenced by idolatry in Egypt, he needed to show them that he could pray today for salvation to occur tomorrow. In response to Bnei Yisrael's complaints, Hashem showed Moshe that Egypt would soon be completely eradicated. This would wean Bnei Yisrael of their idolatrous views, and thus the salvation did not have to wait for the next day. Therefore Moshe said, "It will be today, for as you have seen Egypt today, you shall not see them ever again." We say in our prayers (from Tehilim 20:9-10), "They slumped and fell, but we arose invigorated. Hashem save! The King will answer us on the day when we call." When the last of the false ideologies has fallen, says Rav Stern, Hashem will routinely answer us on the day when we call, without having to prove a point by waiting for another day. (B'tzel Hachochmah: Vol. IV, Intro.) ************************************ "There he established for the nation a decree and an ordinance. . ." (15:25) Chazal explain that at this place (called "Marah") Hashem gave the laws of Shabbat and Parah Adumah. We may understand why Shabbat was taught even before the Torah was given, says Rav Moshe Shick zatz'l, because it represents belief in creation, a principle of our faith. But what of Parah Adumah? Parah Adumah, the red heifer whose ashes purify the impure, is the quintessential chok--a Divine decree whose reason is beyond our grasp. As a prerequisite to receiving the Torah, one must understand that a complete understanding of the Torah's depth is beyond man's abilities. (Maharam Shick Al Pirkei Avot) ************************************ Rav Shimon Greenfield zatz'l ("Maharshag") born 4 Cheshvan 5621 (1860) - died 19 Shevat 5690 (1930) Maharshag was considered to be one of the three leading rabbis within Hungary's post-Word War I borders. (Most of Hungary's great yeshivot, notably Pressburg, were outside of those lines.) Rav Shimon's father, Rav Yehuda Greenfield, was a leading chassid of Rav Chaim of Sanz and a leading Torah scholar whose contemporaries said that he never forgot anything. Maharshag himself was a student of Rav Moshe ("Maharam") Shick, one of the leading students of the Chatam Sofer. (A dvar Torah from Maharam Shick appears inside.) Maharshag wrote thousands of halachic responsa, many of which are found in his work She'elot U'teshuvot Maharshag. In his youth, he used to write very long responses with many proofs for his position. Later, however, he began writing shorter responses. There were two reasons for this, he explained. Firstly, he didn't want the rabbis who wrote to him to feel inadequate that he found seven proofs and they could find none. Secondly, he said, students should learn not to "over-prove" their point, for that which is permitted based on seven proofs is also permitted with just three proofs. In general, he objected to those who published excessive stringencies. Rav Greenfield also headed a large yeshiva in the town of Sanmihely. The style of learning there was different than in other Hungarian yeshivot. Whereas those institutions studied by sugya (topic), wherever it might lead them in the Talmud, Maharshag focused on the tractate at hand. He delivered two lectures a day, on two different tractates. One class covered the gemara with the commentaries of Rashi, Tosfot, Rabbenu Asher, and Rabbenu Nissim, all of which Maharshag considered to be indispensable to understanding the text. The other lecture was in greater depth, but also focused on the early medieval commentaries. Unlike many yeshivot, his emphasized the more practical tractates over others. He discouraged memorization, saying the most students could excel at understanding or memorization, but not both. Maharshag also differed from other roshei yeshivot in that he took the weakest, not the strongest, student as his study partner. Maharshag used to deliver a 2-3 hour long chumash lecture every Thursday night, particularly emphasizing Ramban's commentary. These lectures developed into his Torah commentary, Zehav Sheva. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.