Today's Learning Menachot 6:3-4 O.C. 453:5-7 Sponsored by Bechorot 2 Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Edeson and family on the yahrzeit of Mrs. Edeson's brother, Elliott Salsbury a"h Martin & Michelle Swartz in memory of Martin's grandmother Elise Hofmann a"h Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Vaera Vol. XI, No. 14 (497) 3 Shevat 5757, January 11, 1997 In this week's parashah we read of the first seven of the ten plagues. Many commentators ask: Why was Pharaoh punished for implementing G-d's word? After all, Hashem told Avraham that his descendants would be enslaved as punishment for Avraham's questioning the fulfillment of G-d's promise (see Bereishit 15:8). Rav Rephael Yom Tov Lipman Halpern z"l (the Oneg Yom Tov-- see page 4) explains as follows: There are two different ways that Hashem deals with the Jewish people. Sometimes He deals with them in a completely miraculous manner, without regard to the laws of nature. At these times, Hashem makes specific decrees as to what will happen to the Jewish people, whether for good or for bad. At other times, because of our sins, G-d leaves us people to be ruled by the laws of nature, and He stands by and does not interfere, whatever happens. (This is known as "hester panim"/"hiding His face.") Perhaps, says the Oneg Yom Tov, Hashem never decreed that the Jewish people should be slaves in Egypt. Rather, because of Avraham's sin, and later, the sin of Yosef's brothers in selling him, G-d decided to stand back and let nature take its course. Along came Pharaoh, a man with an evil nature, and mistreated the Jewish people. If not for Pharaoh's evil character, the fact that Hashem was "standing aside" would not have resulted in the Bnei Yisrael's being enslaved. This explains, as well, why we consider it a kindness that Hashem took us out of Egypt. Had He been the cause of our enslavement, we might have considered G-d to be obligated to redeem us. However, since He did not make us slaves in the first place (but merely refrained from saving us when Pharaoh enslaved us), it was a kindness to save us. (Oneg Yom Tov Al Drush, Drashah Leshabbat Hagadol) ****************** Parashat Vaera In Halachah - None of the 613 mitzvot appears in this parashah. (Sefer Hachinuch) "I am Hashem, and **I shall take you out** from under the burdens of Egypt; **I shall rescue you** from their service, **I shall redeem you** with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. **I shall take you** to Me as a people and I shall be a G-d to you . . ." (6:6-7) - The four highlighted phrases are known as the "Four terms of redemption." Corresponding to these, we drink four cups of wine at the Seder. "I shall bring you to the land . . . and I shall give it to you as a heritage -- I am Hashem." (6:8) - Based on this verse, the gemara (Bava Batra 119a) derives that Eretz Yisrael became the property of those who left Egypt when they left Egypt, before they ever conquered the Land. This had several halachic implications. (We say "had" in past tense because the halachic status of the Land may be different today, after repeated exiles and redemptions, than it was at the time of the Exodus.) For example, the gemara states that when (in Bemidbar 27) the daughters of Tzelofchad approached Moshe and asked for a share of the Land, and he told them that he did not know the answer, he actually knew *part* of the answer. He did know that they were entitled to one share in the Land, but he did not know whether they should get *two* shares in view of the fact that their deceased father had been a bechor/firstborn. Yet, asks the gemara, if Eretz Yisrael became the property of those who left Egypt, when they left Egypt, even before they ever conquered the Land, Moshe should have known the answer. Specifically, the halachah is clear that a bechor receives a double share in all *presently-owned* property, but not property that will come into being in the future. (The gemara answers this question based on a technical, grammatical point in our verse.) "These were the heads of their father's houses: The sons of Reuven . . ." (6:14) Rashi writes: Because the Torah needed to describe the genealogy of Levi until Moshe and Aharon, it started with Levi's older brothers. But why, asks Rav Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik ("Rav Velvel Brisker") z"l did the Torah need to describe the genealogy of Levi until Moshe and Aharon? The answer is that one of the qualifications for leadership is yichus/distinguished lineage (see Yerushalmi Kiddushin 4:5). ****************** "G-d spoke to Moshe and said to him, 'I am Hashem. I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov as Kel Shakkai, but with My Name Hashem I did not make Myself known to them." (6:2) The sanctity of the Patriarchs is the foundation of our people, says Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook z"l, but it was under Moshe's leadership that the seed was molded it into a nation. A key transition took place in our verse. Chazal say that "Avraham *recognized* his creator." However, Avraham did not *know* in the full sense. "With My Name Hashem I did not make Myself known to them." This may be explained with a parable: When a person in need is aided by another person, a certain attachment is formed. However, if the person giving his assistance would then reveal his true identity (be he a prominent rosh yeshiva or a great magnate), the feelings of the recipient of the kindness would take on a whole different form. So, too, when Hashem chose to reveal Himself (more) fully to Moshe, the nature of Bnei Yisrael's relationship to Him changed. (Mitoch Hatorah Hago'elet II p.68) ****************** "Hashem said to Moshe and Aharon, saying, 'When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, "Provide a wonder for yourselves," . . .'" (7:8-9) All of the miraculous signs which Moshe and Aharon performed, such as turning the staff into a snake, were only for Pharaoh's benefit. Bnei Yisrael did not need such signs in order to believe Moshe. Why then did Bnei Yisrael believe Moshe? Rav Mendele Rosh Yeshiva z"l of Minsk (see page 4) explains that this is the secret of the Holy Name, "I Shall Be As I Shall Be," which Hashem taught Moshe (Shmot 3:14). What this means is, "It is My will that My will shall be done." In reality, Rav Mendele explains further, Bnei Yisrael's situation in Egypt was hopeless from any natural perspective. How could they ever be extracted from their slavery in Egypt? Yet, when Moshe spoke to them, they believed him -- they felt a glimmer of hope -- and that feeling of hope was itself the proof that Moshe was sent by G-d and spoke the truth. (Midrash Menachem: Ma'amar Nevuat Moshe) ****************** From the humor of our sages . . . "Make for yourselves a mofet/wonder." (7:9) Rav Eizele Charif z"l was a sharp-witted opponent of chassidim and their attachment to wonder-working rebbes. He said, "We find in the Torah that there is a miracle called a 'mofet'/'wonder' and a miracle called an 'ot'/'sign.' [The word "ot" also means a letter of the alphabet.] "It appears to me," said Rav Eizele, "that an ot is greater than a mofet, because I know people who can do a mofet and don't even known an ot." ****************** Rav Rephael Yom Tov Lipman Halpern z"l (The "Oneg Yom Tov") born 5576 (1816) - died 6 Shevat 5639 (1879) Rav Yom Tov Lipman, as our subject apparently was known, was born in Raseiniai, Lithuania. When he was three years old, his family moved to Minsk, where his father had been elected rabbi. There, young YT"L eventually became a student of the noted scholar and kabbalist known as Rav Mendele "Rosh Yeshiva" (A dvar Torah from Rav Mendele appears on page 3.) Rav YT"L was appointed to his first rabbinic position at age 20, in Krevo (near Vilna). An indication of the esteem in which he was held when still in his early 20's is the fact that when he contracted typhus, scholars of the stature of Rav Itzele of Volozhin and Reb Leibele of Kovno came to visit him. In 1841, Rav YT"L became rabbi of Keidan. There he fought tenaciously against the well-to-do families who would have poor children kidnapped and brought before the draft board instead of their own sons. (Army service in those days could last as long as 25 years and was essentially a spiritual death sentence.) Naturally, this made Rav YT"L many powerful enemies and he was eventually driven out of Keidan. After serving several other towns, Rav YT"L became rabbi of Bialystok, one of Poland's major cities. Bialystok was populated by many Torah-observing businessmen, and the rabbi was frequently called upon to adjudicate business disputes. He also adjudicated, in the manner of King Shlomo, a dispute between two women who claimed the same sheet from the laundry. (He sent the women home with instructions to return the next day. When they returned, he had them "reexamine" the sheet, except that it actually was a different sheet that belonged to him. One of the women claimed it, while the other said that she must have been mistaken on the previous day, whereupon Rav YT"L declared this second woman to be the owner of the disputed sheet.) Rav YT"L was extremely popular and well respected in Bialystok, both by scholars and laymen. His Torah lectures were very popular, and his explanations of many Talmudic and halachic points (as published in his work Oneg Yom Tov) continue to be a staple of many a yeshivah student's "diet." Some of his drashot have been published, also under the title Oneg Yom Tov. (An excerpt appears on the front page.) ****************** Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible