Today's Learning Bava Metzia 4:9-10 Sponsored by O.C. 305:3-5 Moshe and Zev Teichman Zevachim 21 and families Yerushalmi-- on the yahrzeit of their father Nazir 34 Meir ben Moshe Aharon A"H The Meth family in honor of Marcia's birthday AMV'SH Martin & Michelle Swartz in memory of Martin's grandmother Elise Hofmann A"H Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Bo Vol. X, No. 15 (452), 6 Shevat 5756, January 27, 1996 Siddur Avodat Yisrael writes that there is a chapter of Tehilim which corresponds to each parashah--this week Psalm 77. As understood by Radak, the psalmist here laments the long exile (which David foresaw prophetically) and wonders why we do not witness miracles like those of the Exodus. Verse 16 states: "With Your powerful arm You redeemed Your Nation, the sons of Yaakov and Yosef, Selah." One reason that the Jews in Egypt were called "sons of Yosef" is that he caused their descent to Egypt and supported them there. On a deeper level, Midrash Tanchuma says that Bnei Yisrael were redeemed from Egypt in Yosef's merit. Rav Moshe Aryeh Freind shlita explains that just as Yosef achieved great levels of bitachon -trust in G-d - so the Jews were redeemed from Egypt because of their trust that Hashem would fulfill His promise to the Patriarchs. (Ateret Yehoshua: Miketz; see Yalkut Shimoni: Tehilim 685) The Targum (Aramaic translation) renders this verse: "You redeemed your flock with strength--the children that Yaakov fathered and Yosef sustained forever." How did Yosef sustain his family "forever"? Perhaps this alludes to the bitachon which he taught them. ************************************ The verses and commentaries on this page relate to the chapter of Tehilim associated with our parashah (see page 1). "And I said, 'Chaloti is changing the right hand of the One Most High'." (77:11) This word "chaloti" is translated many different ways. Rav Azaryah Figo zatz'l explains: "Chaloti - my sickness - is a spiritual illness which comes from changing G-d's priorities, making what should be "right" "left" and vice versa. (Binah La'ittim) ************************************ "You led ('nachita') Your nation like a flock, by the hand of Moshe and Aharon." (77:21) Midrash Tanchuma says that 'nachita' is an acronym for "Nevi'im, chassidim, yesharim, temimim"--i.e., "You caused there to be amongst Your nation prophets, pious men, upright men, and perfect men." The midrash continues, "Just as the flock goes wherever the shepherd goes, so the Jews followed wherever Moshe and Aharon went." Rav Mendel of Kossov zatz'l explains: The Torah is eternal and the Exodus recurs in some fashion in every generation. Similarly, every generation has its own Moshe and Aharon in the form of its own leaders. When we relate to our leaders as sheep to a shepherd, then we find amongst ourselves nevi'im, chassidim, yesharim, temimim - prophets, pious men, upright men, and perfect men. Our own exodus occurs when we escape from the forces of impurity which our sins create. This happens when we follow our "Moshes" and "Aharons." (Ahavat Shalom: Matot-Masei) ************************************ "Hashem said to Moshe, 'Come to Pharaoh. . .'" (10:1) One would expect Hashem to say, "Go to Pharaoh." Rav Moshe Gruenwald zatz'l explains that Moshe was afraid to go to Pharaoh lest he be affected by the impurity which reigned in Pharaoh's house. Chazal explain this with a parable: One who enters a tannery leaves with the smell on his clothes even if he touched nothing. Therefore Hashem said, "Don't worry. I'm going there to inflict punishment on them. Come with me." (Arugat Habosem) ************************************ "This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be for you the first of the months of the year." (12:2) This is the first mitzvah which was given to the Jewish people as a whole, i.e., to look for the new moon and to set the calendar accordingly. Chazal derive from Vayikra 23:4 that even if the Sanhedrin errs in performing this responsibility, G-d will accept the judges' decree. (For example, Hashem will judge us on the day which the Sanhedrin says is Yom Kippur.) Ibn Ezra here notes that eating on Yom Kippur and eating Chametz on Pesach are offenses punishable by death. Thus, the fact that some "minor" mitzvot are described in the Torah in excruciating detail, while the Torah says almost nothing about the new moon, indicates that the Torah meant the Sanhedrin to have the final say. Similarly, says Rav Yissachar Shlomo Teichtel HY"D (see his biography on page 4), the Torah says very little about the ultimate redemption because it is up to the Sages to take steps to bring the redemption. Certainly, it is wrong to simply sit back and wait for mashiach to come and carry us to Eretz Yisrel on the wings of eagles. (Eim Habanim Smeichah p.173) ************************************ "In every generation a person must view himself as if he had taken part in the Exodus from Egypt." (the Pesach Haggadah) Rav Shimon Schwab zatz'l explained this difficult mitzvah as follows: If a person breaks his left arm, he may still point to it decades later and say, "I broke this arm." In fact, with the passage of time, there is not a single molecule in that arm which was in the "arm" that broke. Similarly, the physical content of the Jewish nation is different than it was thousands of years ago, but we must see ourselves as the continuing embodiment of those people. (Ma'ayan Bet Hashoevah) ************************************ Rav Yissachar Shlomo Teichtel HY"D born 5645 (1885) - died 10 Shevat 5705 (1945) Rav Teichtel was a leading rabbi and rosh yeshiva in pre-Holocaust Slovakia, serving from 1921 to 1942 in the town of Psiatyn. In his yeshiva, "Moriah," he taught "practical" rabbinics to approximately 50 elite students. From age 15, he studied under Rav Shalom David Ungar zatz'l, who, with his son-in-law, Rav Michoel Ber Weissmandel zatz'l, later saved many Slovakian Jews from the Holocaust. Rav Teichtel also studied under Rav Moshe Gruenwald, author of Arugat Habosem (see inside). Rav Yissachar Shlomo was a chassid, and would spend Elul and Tishrei with the Belzer Rebbe. He was friendly with many gedolim, and sent one of his sons to the Lithuanian yeshiva of Slobodka after meeting one of its heads at a summer resort. In his life-time, Rav Teichtel was acclaimed for his halachic work, Mishneh Sachir, published in 1924. When the Nazis YM"SH entered Czechoslovakia in 1939, Rav Teichtel's family received visas for Belgium. Rav Teichtel sent his younger children, but himself delayed because he was preparing to publish a second volume of his work. Unfortunately, that manuscript was destroyed and he lost his chance to escape. In 1942, while hiding in an attic in Psiatyn, Rav Teichtel recalled the first Lubavitcher Rebbe's (Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi) statement that he was released from prison (in 1798) in the merit of Eretz Yisrael. Thus, Rav Teichtel began writing Eim Habanim Smeichah in praise of the Land. There he discusses the mitzvah of settling the Land and that mitzvah's role in bringing the ultimate redemption. Because he takes positions contrary to those of most Hungarian rabbis (of whom the Satmar Rebbe zatz'l was typical), the work became popular in the religious-Zionist camp. However, as related in the publisher's preface to the 1983 edition, Rav Teichtel later wrote to his son: To my great pain and sorrow, there are many who have not understood my intentions in writing [this book]. When I wrote this book, my eyes flowed with tears for the indescribable horrors from which G-d's people sigh and cry. I saw in Eretz Yisrael a ray of light and a refuge, and although I knew and feared that people would say things in my name that I never said or meant, the Knower of Secrets knows how I prayed that my words should not mislead others. [Presumably, he is referring to the difference between settling the land and supporting secular, political Zionism.] After fleeing Psiatyn, Rav Teichtel wandered for a year. The Debrecener Rav, Rav Moshe Stern shlita, relates how Rav Teichtel refused to enter Jews' homes lest he endanger his hosts. Later, Rav Teichtel was active in the Budapest community until his expulsion to Auschwitz. He was murdered on a death train by Ukrainian POWs after protesting at a Ukrainian who had stolen food from a Jewish "passenger." ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.