Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Lech Lecha Volume 23, No. 3 10 Marcheshvan 5769 November 8, 2008 Sponsored by the Mark family in honor of all Jewish veterans The Edeson and Stern families, on the anniversary of Jacob S. Edeson's bar-mitzvah Today's Learning: Arachin 9:5-6 O.C. 219:6-8 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Kiddushin 31 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Nazir 15 King Shlomo writes in Mishlei (13:20), "One who walks with the wise will grow wise, but the companion of fools will be broken." Rabbeinu Bachya ben Asher z"l (Spain; early 14th century) writes: King Shlomo is teaching in this verse that one should endeavor to keep company with the wise and not with fools. He wrote "walks with" (in present tense) to indicate that one should follow the wise at all times and should elevate them to be his generals. If one has these traits, there is no doubt that he will become wise. On the other hand, if one becomes the companion of fools, there is no doubt that he will be broken. R' Bachya continues: When one attaches himself to a wise man, he benefits, while the wise man loses nothing. This is why Torah is likened to a candle, for when one lights a second candle from an existing candle, the first candle loses nothing. Our Sages also likened this relationship to visiting a perfume or spice shop. Even if one buys nothing, he leaves carrying a better aroma than when he entered. So, too, one's mere proximity to a wise man provides a benefit. Likewise, if one remains close to fools, their influence will rub off on him. (What is meant by "fools" in this context? R' Bachya explains that it refers to people with bad character traits whose main pursuits are this-worldly matters and who denigrate intellectual pursuits.) King Shlomo's lesson is evident in the opening to our parashah, writes R' Bachya. Our Patriarch Avraham wished to keep the Torah, but his original environment was not conducive to such observance. This is why Hashem directed him to establish a new home in a new land - Eretz Yisrael. ******** "After these events, the word of Hashem came to Avram in a vision saying, `Fear not, Avram, I am a shield for you; your reward is very great'." (15:1) The midrash Devarim Rabbah contains a parable regarding an orphan who was taken in as an apprentice by a tradesmen. The apprentice thought that the food that he was given was his pay. "No," said the tradesman. "Your sustenance is a reward for pouring a drink of water for me. However, the reward for the work you performed is being safeguarded for you for the future." R' Shlomo Kluger z"l (1785-1869; rabbi of Brody, Galicia) explains: G-d preserves man's reward for performing the mitzvot of the Torah for the future. However, G-d rewards us in this world for the "extras" that we do, including the fact that we have created new mitzvot d'rabbanan / rabbinically-ordained commandments [e.g., Chanukah, Purim and washing hands before a meal]. After defeating the four kings, Avraham was afraid that he had used up his reward. Hashem said that was not so. Rather, all the success that Avraham had in this world was only for the "extras" that he did. (Our Sages say that Avraham kept the Torah before it was given, including the mitzvot d'rabbanan.) This is the meaning of our verse: "I am a shield for you" - because of what you have done on your own. However; "your reward is very great" - it is preserved for the future. (Imrei Shefer) ******** "And he trusted in Hashem . . ." (15:6) The Gemara (Eruvin 19a) states that Avraham Avinu sits at the gate of Gehinom and rescues the wicked from there, with the exception of someone who has married an Aramite (i.e., non-Jewish) wife. Such a person conceals his circumcision; therefore, Avraham does not recognize him as being circumcised. R' Yitzchak Isaac Chaver z"l (1789-1852; rabbi in several Lithuanian towns; author of important halachic and kabbalistic works) asks: What does the Gemara mean that Avraham does not recognize these sinners? After all, the deceased are not in Gehinom with their bodies! He explains: An oft-repeated theme in Book of Mishlei is that the Torah is the "wife" of the Jewish People. Thus, a "foreign wife" is a metaphor for wisdoms other than the Torah. Those wisdoms have the potential to sever the bonds of faith that connect a Jew to the Torah and to the Covenant. (R' Chaver cites the testimony of the 15th century Spanish sage, R' Yosef Ya'avetz z"l, that the Jews who had studied philosophy were the first to give-in to the Inquisition, while the "simpler" Jews by and large remained strong in their faith.) In the Torah, one who strays from the Covenant is referred to as having an "uncircumcised heart." As our verse indicates, Avraham Avinu is the paradigm of a Jew with strong faith. Therefore, he rescues from Gehinom any Jew whose faith is solid, no matter what other sins that Jew may have committed. However, if someone has abandoned his faith and married himself to wisdoms other than the Torah -- thus, his circumcision is concealed because his heart is uncircumcised -- Avraham does not rescue him. (Magen V'tzinah Ch.2) ******** "On that day Hashem made a covenant with Avram, saying, `To your descendants have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River'." (15:18) Rashi z"l comments: "The Euphrates is in fact shorter than other great rivers, e.g., the Nile. However, it is called the `great river' because it borders Eretz Yisrael." The story is told that when R' Avraham Weinberg z"l (1884-1933; the Slonimer Rebbe) returned to Poland from a visit to Eretz Yisrael, he brought with him a small challah. Due to the length of the journey, the challah was rock hard by the time R' Weinberg reached home. On Shabbat, R' Weinberg directed that the small, stale challah from Eretz Yisrael be paired for lechem mishneh with the very large challah that was usually distributed among the chassidim. However, this caused a dilemma for R' Weinberg: which challah was more fitting to have the berachah recited over it - the large, fresh challah, or the small challah from Eretz Yisrael? R' Weinberg consulted one of the senior chassidim, who advised that the answer could be found in our Rashi: Even that which is smaller is called greater when it is associated with Eretz Yisrael. (Quoted in Otzrot Tzaddikei U'geonei Ha'dorot) ******** "This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised." (17:10) R' Zvi Elimelech Shapira z"l (chassidic rebbe; died 1841) cites a midrash which states: G-d said to the prophet Eliyahu, "Because you said (Melachim I 19:10), `Bnei Yisrael have forsaken Your covenant,' you must attend every brit milah and testify that Bnei Yisrael are in fact observing My covenant." The midrash continues: Eliyahu replied, "Perhaps the father of the baby, or the sandak or mohel or one of the guests will be a sinner. I will not be able to tolerate being in their presence." Hashem responded: "I will forgive the sins of everyone who attends the brit milah." (R' Shapira adds that he never succeeded in finding any source for this midrash; he merely heard that such a midrash exists.) (Bnei Yissaschar: Tishrei 4:7) R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach z"l (1910-1995; one of the leading halachic authorities of the 20th century) commented on the above midrash: Our Sages teach that G-d is not a "vatran," i.e., He does not forgive for no reason. Thus, it is impossible to say that G-d simply wipes away a person's sins merely because the person attends a brit milah. Rather, we must understand that a sin has two aspects. One is the technical violation that occurred. For that, a person must repent in order to be forgiven. The second is the aura of impurity that surrounds a person who has sinned. That is what Hashem removes when one attends a brit milah. R' Auerbach adds: Fortunate is the person who merits attaining even that level (where the aura of impurity is removed from him). (Quoted in Halichot Shlomo: Mo'adim II p.50) ******** This Week in History, Halachah, and Minhag 8 Marcheshvan 3827 (66 C.E.): The Roman general Cestius Gallus is expelled from Yerushalayim approximately two years before the destruction of the Second Temple. Nearly six thousand Roman soldiers are killed during their retreat. The next day, 9 Marcheshvan, was observed as a festival. (Luach Davar B'ito p.301; History of the Jewish People: The Second Temple Era p.170; and other sources) 9 Marcheshvan 4926 (1165), Rambam z"l arrives in Chevron and declares the day to be a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing for himself and his family (Luach Davar B'ito p.302). He would later settle in Egypt, where, at the time, Jews who belonged to the Karaite sect far outnumbered Jews who were loyal to the Torah. Rambam opposed the Karaites and inspired a large-scale teshuvah movement. (Shem Ha'gedolim) On this day in 5520 (October 30, 1759), an earthquake causes fatalities in the Galil region of Eretz Yisrael (Luach Davar B'ito p.302). 10 Marcheshvan 2196 (1565 B.C.E.): Birth of Gad, son of Yaakov and Zilpah. He dies on this day in 2321, at age 125 (Seder Ha'dorot). Some have the custom to read the verses describing Gad's birth and those containing Yaakov's and Moshe's blessings to his tribe. (Luach Davar B'ito p.303). 14 Marcheshvan 5381 (1620): The Jewish community of Prague is saved from a pogrom when an invading army (in the Thirty Years War) surprisingly bypasses the city. The anniversary was observed in Prague by fasting during the day and holding a Purim-like feast at nightfall. (Luach Davar B'ito p.310) 16 Marcheshvan: By decree of Yehoshua bin Nun, who led Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael after the death of Moshe Rabbeinu, today is the last day when one is permitted to take a shortcut through another's field. After today, the growing season is far enough advanced that the crops could be damaged. (Bava Kamma 81a; see also Ta'anit 6a) This date is the Hebrew date of Kristallnacht.