Today's Learning Avot 1:10-11 O.C. 371:6-372:2 Chullin 17 Yerushalmi-- Bava Batra 27 Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Nitzavim-Vayelech Vol. X, No. 45 (482) 23 Elul 5756, September 7, 1996 Siddur Avodat Yisrael writes that there is a chapter of Tehilim which corresponds to each parashah -- this week, psalm 81 for Parashat Nitzavim and psalm 65 for Parashat Vayelech. Psalm 81 is the psalm which the Levi'im sang to accompany the Temple service on Rosh Hashanah. Perhaps it was selected for this week because of that connection. (Parashat Nitzavim is always read on the Shabbat preceding the new year. On the one hand, we want to read the curses of last week's parashah at the end of the year; on the other hand, we do not want to go into Rosh Hashanah with those curses on our minds. The compromise is read the curses two weeks before Rosh Hashanah and to read Parashat Nitzavim this week.) Psalm 65 speaks of our longing for mashiach, a subject alluded to in this week's parashah. Also, this psalm contains a verse which appears in the selichot recited each day during this time of year (at least in the Ashkenazic liturgy): "O heeder of prayer, to You does all flesh come." ************ The following verses and commentaries relate to the chapter of Tehilim associated with our parashah (see above). "Blow the shofar at the moon's renewal, at the time appointed for our festive day." (81:4) Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook z"l writes: The Jewish calendar is based on the moon and the Jews are compared to the moon because the quality of renewal is typical of the Jews. Thus the full moon is a good omen for the Jews. [Ed. note: See next dvar Torah.] The new moon is a time of atonement for the Jewish people because the Jewish soul also goes through a process of renewal. True, repentance technically consists of regret, confession, and resolution for the future; however, every sin has its root in a lack of fear and love of G-d, and this illness must be cured before its symptoms can be healed. The reason that man experiences this illness is that his soul is constantly reborn [and is weak like a newborn]. Therefore, says King David, blow the shofar at the time of renewal. The shofar does not address specific spiritual problems; it just calls out to us to fear and love G-d and improves our personalities merely by instilling a fear of the Holy One. (Olat Reiyah II p.337) How can the full moon, or any predictable natural event, be an omen, good or bad? Maharal (16th century) writes as follows: It would appear to be inherently improbable that an eclipse of the sun or moon is a bad omen, says Maharal, since any astronomer can calculate their occurrence. But this actually proves the wisdom of the sages [for they were not afraid to express the truth, however implausible]. The explanation of Chazal's words is that they had no interest in teaching us the immediate cause of the natural events [since we don't need Torah scholars to teach us what any scientist can figure out]. Rather, Chazal are teaching why these events occur. True, they are predictable, but so is the fact that man will sin. Since G-d created a world where sin would be rampant, He also created omens to remind mankind of its failings. (Be'er Hagolah Part 6) ************ "Behold, you [Moshe] will soon lie to rest with your ancestors, and rise this nation will, and stray after idols." (31:16) The gemara (Sanhedrin Ch. 11) tells the following story. A Roman noblewoman asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah: "Where in the Torah are there allusions to your belief that G-d knows the future and that He will resurrect the dead?" Rabbi Yehoshua answered her: "Both are found in the above verse. G-d foretells that Bnei Yisrael will sin ('...rise this nation will, and stray after idols'), and also tells Moshe, 'You will soon lay to rest with our ancestors and rise'." The noblewoman responded, "What you say about Moshe rising is not seen from the simple meaning of the verse, for you must read the word 'rise' twice." "You are right," said Rabbi Yehoshua, "but at least take the one answer." Here the gemara's story ends. Rav Natan Adler z"l (see page 4) asks: How could Rabbi Yehoshua tell the woman to be satisfied with only one answer, when she had asked two questions? He explains as follows: The midrash says (based on Tehilim 95:11 which we say in our Friday night prayers) that although the generation of the Exodus died in the desert without entering Eretz Yisrael, they will enter the land in the time of mashiach. "They will not come to the first resting place," Hashem said, "but to a future one, i.e., another bet hamikdash, they will." Chazal teach that if Moshe had entered Eretz Yisrael, the bet hamikdash would never have been destroyed. The perfection of mankind, which now awaits mashiach's arrival, would have taken place immediately, and the need for a future in-gathering of exiles would not exist. Thus, the generation of the Exodus would, G-d forbid, be stranded in their desert graves. In fact, however, Hashem told Moshe that he would die, and that Bnei Yisrael would therefore sin. As a result, the generation of the Exodus would have a second chance. Thus, even if Moshe's resurrection is not alluded to (because a word would have to be read twice), the fact that Bnei Yisrael will sin makes possible the resurrection of the generation of the desert., and thus alludes to the concept of resurrection as well. (quoted in Torat Moshe) The above verse is one of the five in the Torah whose proper punctuation we do not know. Thus, the person reading the Torah should be careful not to pause before or after the word "vekam"/"rise." (Sha'arei Ephraim 3:16) ************ Rav Natan Adler z"l born 10 Tevet 5502 (1742) - died 27 Elul 5560 (1800) Rav Natan Hakohen Adler (uncle of the British Chief Rabbi of the same name) was born in Frankfurt-am-Main and spent much of his life there. Relatively little is known about Rav Adler, except that he was the teacher of the Chatam Sofer, the leading posek (halachic authority) of the next generation. One indication of Rav Adler's genius is the fact that he used only a braille-like code to record his Torah interpretations. He felt that since Torah was intended to be transmitted orally and was written down only because the generations were incapable of remembering it, one should not write more than necessary. The Chatam Sofer revered his teacher immensely, saying, "There was no angel who knew the by-ways of heaven like my teacher and master, for he was greater than fiery angels." The people of Frankfurt did not share that opinion of Rav Adler. This was because of his unusual behavior which was based on kabbalistic sources unknown to the community's leaders. Rav Adler also upset his contemporaries by holding a private minyan in his home and pronouncing the prayers with the Sephardic pronunciation. In 1783 or 1785, Rav Adler was expelled from Frankfurt, and was chosen as rabbi of Boskowitz. On his way there, he stopped in Prague to visit its rabbi (the Noda B'Yehuda), who was extremely impressed with him. After a short time he returned to Frankfurt, though he was not officially accepted back into the community until he was on his deathbed. A dvar Torah from Rav Adler appears above. ************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible