Today's Learning Eduyot 2:8-9 Sponsored by O.C. 344:1-345:1 Yitz and Arline Gedalowitz Menachot 70 in honor of Yerushalmi-- David Gedalowitz's graduation Bava Metzia 9 from Kellogg Business School Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Matot-Masei Vol. X, No. 37 (474), 26 Tamuz 5756, July 13, 1996 Siddur Avodat Yisrael writes that there is a chapter of Tehilim which corresponds to each parashah. This week's psalms are 111 and 49, corresponding to Matot and Masei, respectively. According to Midrash Shocher Tov, psalm 111 praises Hashem for the death of our mortal enemies. In Parashat Matot, Hashem orders the Jews to avenge themselves on the evil Midianites. The prophet Bilam also is killed in this week's parashah. Psalm 49 describes the foolishness of devoting one's life to amassing wealth. (This psalm traditionally is recited twice a day in a mourner's home.) The phrase, "You can't take it with you," may originate in verse 18 of this psalm--"For upon his death he will not take anything, his splendor will not descend after him." In Parashat Masei (as well as in Matot), we read about of the allocation of Eretz Yisrael, and also about the tribe of Menashe's complaints against giving land to Tzelofchad's daughters. Perhaps this psalm reminds us, as Rav Chaim of Volozhin told two neighbors who fought over a strip of land, "The Land doesn't belong to us; we belong to it." (See Around the Maggid's Table, p.121) ************************************ The verses and commentaries on this page relate to the chapter of Tehilim associated with our parashah (see page 1). "The strength of His deeds He declared to His nation, to give them the heritage of peoples." (Tehilim 111:6) Rashi (Bereishit 1:1) quotes the midrash which asks, "Why does the Torah begin with creation, rather than with the first mitzvah?" He answers with the above verse, explaining, "If the nations accuse the Jewish people of stealing Eretz Yisrael from its previous inahbitants, we will answer them, 'G-d created the world, and He gives its territory to whomever He sees fit. First He gave it to other nations, and now He has given it to us'." Rav Eliyahu Meir Bloch z"l explains that the midrash does not mean that that this argument will convince the gentiles of the legitimacy of our claim. Rather, this argument is meant to reinforce the resolve and the faith of the Jews themselves. If the Jews waver and question their own right to dispossess the gentiles who have lived on the land for centuries, they should study the first verse of the Torah to remind themselves who is the ultimate Master of the Land. (quoted in The ArtScroll Tehilim, p.1352) Also, Rav Bloch explained, we need to be reminded of who is Master of the Land so that we do not think that we conquered it by our own might. (Peninei Da'at) ************************************ "But as for man, in his glory he shall not repose, he is likened to silenced animals." (Tehilim 49:13) Rav Moshe Chaim Luzzato ("Ramchal") writes: This refers to Adam (the word used for "man" is "Adam"), who did not repose in Gan Eden even one night before he sinned and was expelled. When that happened, he fell to the level of an aminal. There are three levels to man's existence, explains Ramchal. They are: (1) what man was before the sin, (2) what man is after the sin, and (3) what man could have been but for the sin. When Adam sinned, he lost not only what he was -- so lofty that the angels themselves thought he was a god -- but what he could have been. This latter level now will be achieved only at the end of time, specifically, after techiyat hameitim/the resurrection of the dead. (Da'at Tevunot) ************************************ "If a man takes a vow to Hashem or swears an oath to establish a prohibition upon himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth he shall do." (30:3) In his classic mussar (ethical) work, Orchot Chaim, Rabbenu Asher z"l writes: "One should be watchful of the stumbling block of vows, and of cheating others, whether monetarily or verbally." The ba'alei mussar (19th and 20th century mussar teachers) offer several explanations of why Rabbenu Asher combines a mitzvah between man and G-d--i.e., "be watchful of the stumbling block of vows"--with one between man and man--i.e., "and of cheating others, whether monetarily or verbally." Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv (the "Alter of Kelm") z"l explains: Rabbenu Asher is teaching that our observance of mitzvot between man and man is not only because society demands it, but because G-d demands it. Moreover, the mitzvot between man and man are a stepping stone to the mitzvot between man and G-d, as the midrash says, "If today man denies that his friend did him kindness, tommorow he will deny that Hashem did him kindness." Rav Avraham Yoffen z"l explains: The way to avoid sins that people take lightly--for example cheating in business--is to take a vow to be more meticulous in the observance of the relevant laws. Needless to say, a prerequisite to this is to be meticulous in the observance of the laws of vows. Rav Abba Grossbard z"l explains: Both the stumbling block of vows and the sin of cheating others originate from the trait of lying. If a person lies to himself by making false vows, he will inevitably lie to others. (quoted in Orach Yesharim, an anthology of commentary to Orchot Chaim) ************************************ Rav Shlomo Ganzfried z"l born 5564 or 65 (1804/5) - died 28 Tamuz 5648 (1888) Rav Ganzfried was born in Ungvar, now in the Slovak Republic. He was orphaned at age eight and was raised by the local rabbi, Rav Zvi Heller (a/k/a "Rav Zvi Charif"), who was also his teacher. Rav Ganzfried first was a businessman, and his rabbinical career began when he was 39 years old. From 1850 until his death, he was av bet din/head of the rabbinical court of his birthplace, Ungvar. Rav Ganzfried wrote a number of works, but he is best known for his concise code of Jewish law, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. This work enjoyed incredible popularity, and in the author's lifetime alone, it was reprinted 14 times. Another popular work by Rav Ganzfried is Kesset Hasofer ("The Scribe's Pen"), a compendium of the laws of writing a Torah, tefilin, or mezuzah. Rav Moshe Sofer (the "Chatam Sofer") wrote that no person should be given a sofer's kabbalah (license) unless he is proficient in this work. Rav Ganzfried wrote this work when he was 30-year old businessman. In Central Europe of the 19th century, Jews were required by law to pay dues to the local Jewish community council. In 1869, Rav Ganzfried became one of the first to call for Orthodox Jews to have the right to secede from communities that had been taken over by the Reform movement. (The best known warrior in this battle was Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch z"l. See Collected Writings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Vol. VI.) ************************************ http://acoast.com/~sehc/hamaayan/ send mail to: ajb@acm.org Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible