Today's Learning Bava Kamma 9:6-7 Sponsored by O.C. 301:13-15 the Rutstein family Horiot 6 in memory of father and grandfather Yerushalmi-- Nachman ben Osher Halevi A"H Nazir 6 (Nathan Rutstein) Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Vayigash Vol. X, No. 11 (448), 7 Tevet 5756, December 30, 1995 Siddur Avodat Yisrael writes that there is a chapter of Tehilim which corresponds to each parashah--this week Psalm 48. (This is also the shir shel yom - psalm of the day - for Mondays.) This chapter describes the beauty of Yerushalayim, which it refers to (verse 3) as "yefeh nof" -"more beautiful than Nof." According to Zohar Chadash (Vayetze 28b), "Nof" is Egypt. Thus, in the week when we read that Yaakov and his sons settled in Egypt, we read the psalm which makes us long for Yerushalayim. Verse 5 says: "For behold the kings assembled, they came together." The Zohar on this parashah (page 206b) and the Midrash Rabbah state that this refers to Yosef and Yehuda. (Parashat Vayigash opens with these two "kings" facing off over Binyamin's fate.) Many of the other verses in this chapter of Tehilim are interpreted in the Zohar with respect to Yosef. We read in the parashah (46:8), "These are the names of the sons of Yisrael who came to Egypt. . ." On the nearly identical verse in Sh'mot (1:1), the midrash Yalkut Shimoni comments: "Regarding this it is written (Tehilim 48:11--our chapter), 'Like Your Name, G-d, so is Your praise'." While many people have names that do not fit them, G-d's Name fits Him well. So, too, says the midrash, Yaakov's sons had names that fit them well. (See inside for an interpretation of this.) ************************************ The verses and commentaries on this page relate to the chapter of Tehilim associated with our parashah (see page 1). "As ('ka-asher') we heard, so ('ken') we saw--in the city of Hashem of Legions. . ." (48:9) The Vilna Gaon zatz'l observes: In Devarim (28:63) we read, "And it will be that just as ('ka-asher') Hashem rejoiced over you to benefit you and multiply you, so ('ken') Hashem will cause them to rejoice over you to make you perish and to destroy you." We see that the word 'ka-asher' is used in connection with good tidings, while the word 'ken' is used with bad tidings. This is consistent with our verse which speaks of Yerushalayim and says: "As ('ka-asher') we heard, so ('ken') we saw. . ." We have only heard of the good tidings for they were so long ago--as is written (Tehilim 44:2), "With our ears we have heard . . . the deeds which You performed in their days, the days of old"--while we have seen the bad in our own days. (Divrei Eliyahu) ************************************ "Like Your Name, G-d, so is Your praise." (48:11) The midrash Yalkut Shimoni comments: Many people have names that do not fit them, but G-d's Name fits Him well. What does this mean? Rav Aharon Lewin (the "Reisha Rav") HY"D zatz'l explains that if we say that a person performed an act of bravery, this may well mean that he is not brave. If all of a person's acts are acts of bravery, why talk about it? It is only the unusual things about a person that are worth talking about. Thus, the way in which we describe a person (his "name") actually may not fit him or be a true description of him. Not so Hashem. He is consistent and unchanging; therefore any way in which we describe Him is always true. His name fits Him well. This idea explains the halachah that praising another person sometimes is considered to be lashon hara. By highlighting an unusual act of righteousness which a person performed, one may be suggesting that it is unusual for that person to perform acts of righteousness. (Hadrash Veha'iyun: Devarim p. 134) ************************************ "Hashem said to Yisrael in a vision of the night, and He said, 'Yaakov, Yaakov." (46:2) Rav Aharon Cohen zatz'l (son-in-law of the Chafetz Chaim) explains: The repetition of "Yaakov" signifies Hashem's affection. This affection was needed all the more here, when Yaakov was on his way to Egypt, because of the perils of the exile. Indeed, this was a vision, not only in the night, but of the night (of exile). (Pirchei Aharon) ************************************ "I shall descend with you to Egypt, and I shall also surely bring you up, and Yosef shall place his hand over your eyes." (46:4) Many commentaries debate the meaning of the phrase, "Yosef shall place his hand over your eyes." Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin ("Netziv") zatz'l explains that a tzaddik's "eyes" refers to his greatest desires--in Yaakov's case to be "secure and solitary" (Devarim 33:28). "Security" comes from peace, which results from love amongst Jews. This is something that Yosef brought about by going out of his way to make his brothers comfortable in Egypt. "Solitude," i.e., that the Jews mingle with the outside world only to the extent absolutely necessary, also was a product of Yosef's efforts, for he arranged for the Jews to live in the province of Goshen. Thus, Yosef placed his hand over Yaakov's eyes. (Ha'emek Davar) Dayan Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss zatz'l offers another explanation: The Torah says that Yosef cried when he saw Yaakov (46:29). Chazal say that Yaakov did not cry because he was reciting the Shema. Why did Yaakov choose this particular time to say Shema? A person whose children do not observe mitzvot cannot say Shema with complete sincerity because it would be hypocritical of him to say, "And you shall teach them to your sons." When Yaakov heard that Yosef was in Egypt, he was certain that Yosef was not observant, and this had a negative effect on Yaakov's recitation of the Shema. Now, when Yaakov saw Yosef for the first time in 22 years and discerned that he was a great spiritual personage, Yaakov was able to say Shema with complete sincerity again. When we say Shema, we place our hands over our eyes. The phrase, "Yosef shall place his hand over your eyes," means that through seeing Yosef, you (Yaakov) will be able to place your hands over your eyes with complete sincerity. (Minchat Yitzchak) ************************************ Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz (founder of Artscroll) relates that he once entered the home of Rav Moshe Feinstein zatz'l just as the latter had finished arbitrating a dispute between two Jews (call them Reb Yoel and Reb Hillel). "Now apologize," Rav Moshe said to Reb Yoel. "I apologize for the aggravation that I caused you," Reb Yoel said. "Don't worry," Reb Hillel responded, "I obviously was meant to suffer some heartache. It's alright." Rav Moshe listened attentively, and then said, "Tell him explicitly that you forgive him." "It's fine," Reb Hillel said. "I'm not upset with him. Everything worked out fine." "That is not enough," said Rav Moshe. "You must tell him clearly and unequivocally that you forgive him." Realizing that Rav Moshe was insistent, Reb Hillel said, "I forgive you." Rav Moshe then wished Reb Yoel and Reb Hillel well and sent them on their way. "Why was the rosh yeshiva so insistent that Reb Hillel declare outright that he forgives Reb Yoel?" Rabbi Zlotowitz asked Rav Moshe (referring to him in the reverential third person). Rav Moshe explained: "Chazal teach us that the Jews suffered the terrible loss of the ten martyrs (i.e., Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues) because Yosef's ten brothers sold him as a slave. Rabbenu Bachya wonders about this and asks, 'Didn't the brothers ask forgiveness?' "The answer," said Rav Moshe, "is that Yosef responded (45:5), 'Don't be distressed and don't reproach yourselves for having sold me here, for it was as a provider that Hashem sent me here ahead of you.' It would seem from this that Yosef was not angry with his brothers; however, he never said that he forgave them. Because of this, the sin still hung over their heads and they were punished for it through their descendants." (Along the Maggid's Journey) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.