Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Lech Lecha Volume 24, No. 3 13 Marcheshvan 5770 October 31, 2009 "To Love G-d (and Shabbat)!" Sponsored by The Edeson and Stern families, on the anniversary of Jacob S. Edeson's bar-mitzvah Today's Learning: Nach: Shoftim 17-18 Parah 2:5-3:1 O.C. 358:6-8 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Bava Batra 71 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Sanhedrin 53 The Midrash Tanchuma teaches: "If one is exacting in his performance of mitzvot, his reward is very great, as we find in the case of Avraham, who was careful with mitzvot and is called (Yeshayahu 41:8), `Avraham, who loved Me.' [See back page.] Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan, `Even eruv tavshilin was observed in Avraham's home'." Why was eruv tavshilin singled out from all other mitzvot? R' Avraham Zacut z"l (1440-1515; Spain, Tunis and Damascus) explains: We read in Pirkei Avot that Avraham was G-d's acquisition. This refers to the fact that Avraham saw it as his mission to teach others that G-d created the world and we are His. This is so important that our Sages say: "If one recites `Vy'chulu' on Friday night [which declares that G-d created the world], it is as if he becomes G-d's partner in Creation. Why did our Sages decree that one should make an eruv tavshilin when yom tov falls on Friday? The Gemara explains that there is a mitzvah to remember Shabbat with special dishes, and there is a concern that, amidst the joy of yom tov, one will forget to prepare something special for Shabbat. Similarly, in Avraham's time, people had forgotten about Creation, and Avraham reminded people about it. R' Zacut notes: Another version of the midrash highlights that Avraham observed the mitzvah of eruvei chatzerot (i.e., making an eruv in order to carry out-of-doors). Why would this mitzvah be singled out? Because an eruv relates to the prohibition of carrying from a reshut ha'yachid / private domain to a reshut ha'rabim / public domain. Avraham Avinu reminded the people of his generation that the whole world is G-d's private domain. (Sefer Ha'yuchsin) ******** "And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing." (12:2) Rashi z"l explains: "And I will make you a great nation"--this alludes to the phrase in the first berachah of shemoneh esrei, "G-d of Avraham." "I will bless you"--this alludes to the phrase, "G-d of Yitzchak." "And make your name great"--alludes to, "G-d of Yaakov." I might have thought that we should conclude the berachah with the names of all three Patriarchs. To dispel this idea, the Torah says, "And you [Avraham] shall be a blessing"--with you shall they conclude the berachah, and not with the others [Yitzchak and Yaakov]. (Until here from Rashi) Why, in fact, do we conclude the berachah by mentioning only Avraham? R' Moshe Leib Shachor z"l (Yerushalayim; 1894-1964) writes: The way of the world is to readily notice the bad traits and deeds of others, but to be relatively oblivious to the good in them. This was not Avraham Avinu's way. About Avraham we read (Yeshayah 33:15), "One who walks with righteousness and speaks with truthfulness, who spurns improperly earned profits and shakes off his hands from holding a bribe, who seals his ears from hearing of bloodshed [i.e., he does not let lashon hara lead him to harm another person], and shuts his eyes from seeing evil." This teaches that Avraham Avinu saw only good in other people. We see this illustrated in Avraham's attitude toward Sdom. Avraham knew that everything connected with Sdom was "treif." That is why he refused to take even a shoelace as payment for rescuing the people of Sdom from the attacking Four Kings (see 14:23). Nevertheless, when the people of Sdom were in danger, Avraham could not refrain from praying for them (18:25). In short, Avraham Avinu was the "shield" that protected the entire world from harm. When we conclude the first berachah with the phrase, "Magen / the shield of Avraham," our intention is to "remind" G-d of the merit of Avraham. (Koach Ha'teshuvah p.21-22) How did Avraham Avinu develop the trait of love and concern for every human being? We cannot say that it was his nature, for then he would not deserve to be praised for it! R' Moshe Zuriel shlita (former mashgiach of Yeshivat Sha'alvim) explains: Maharal z"l writes that a person who truly loves Hashem will necessarily love all of Hashem's creations because he understands that Hashem has not created any person for nothing. Since every person is part of Hashem's design, he has value, and he is entitled to the same love that Hashem is owed. However, R' Zuriel cautions, loving every person does not mean accepting his misguided behavior or his supposed right to "do his own thing." To the contrary, one who loves another person wants him to be the best he can be. Therefore, when we see Jews whose behavior is not in accordance with the Torah, we are obligated to point out their errors and set them on the right path. If this is done with the proper motivation-- not out of a feeling of superiority, but out of true love and concern-- then "words that come from the heart will enter the heart," and one's words will be accepted. (Otzrot Ha'Torah p.48) ******** "He said, `Hashem Elokim, how shall I know that I am to inherit it?'" (15:8) "He [Hashem] said to Avram, `Know with certainty that your offspring will be aliens in a land not their own, they will serve them, and they will oppress them four hundred years'." (15:13) The Gemara (Nedarim 32a) teaches: "Because Avraham said, `How shall I know?' Hashem responded with, `Know with certainty'." This seems to mean that because Avraham doubted G-d, Avraham's descendants had to experience the exile in Egypt. R' Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook z"l (1865-1935; first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael) explains that this decree was not a punishment for Avraham's words. Avraham Avinu is the source of our emunah / faith. He implanted emunah in mankind in general, and in Klal Yisrael in particular. However, emunah can be obtained in two ways--either by witnessing miracles and wonders which teach man intellectually that Hashem has dominion over the world, or by experiencing a revelation that is above the intellect. When Avraham asked, "How shall I know?" he was choosing the former method, i.e., to have G-d prove His powers to Avraham's children. The decree that his descendants would experience the exile and witness the Ten Plagues and the Splitting of the Sea was merely the direct result of the choice that Avraham made for his children. (Quoted in Haggadah Shel Pesach Ayelet Ha'shachar p.71) R' Joseph B. Soloveitchik z"l (1903-1993) offers a different interpretation of Avraham's question and Hashem's response. Avraham asked: "How can I be confident that my descendants will remain devoted to the Land which You are promising them?" Hashem answered: "Know with certainty that your children will suffer a long exile during which they will pine for the Land. During the long night of the exile, they will have one dream, one hope--to reach Eretz Yisrael. This will ensure that they will remain forever loyal to the Land." (Quoted in Haggadah Shel Pesach: An Exalted Evening p.55) ******** "But also the nation that they shall serve, dan (dalet-nun) Anochi / I shall judge . . ." (15:14) R' David Hanaggid z"l (1224-1300; grandson of Rambam z"l) writes: According to the rules of grammar, G-d should have said, "adun" rather than "dan." However, "dan" alludes to the Ten Plagues--the dalet alludes to the first plague, "dam" / "blood," while the nun alludes to the last plague, which the Torah (Shmot 11:1) refers to as a "nega" (literally, "plague"). (Midrash Rabbi David Hanaggid al Haggadah Shel Pesach p.2) ******** Come Early, Stay Late! "Seekers of Hashem, seed of Avraham His beloved, who delay departing from Shabbat and rush to enter." (From the Friday night zemer, Kol Mekadeish) The phrase, "offspring pf Avraham His beloved," is an allusion to the verse in Yeshayahu (41:8), "But you, Yisrael, My servant, Yaakov, whom I have chosen, offspring of Avraham who loved Me." Rashi z"l explains that Avraham did not seek Hashem as a way to escape suffering, nor because his parents taught him about G-d. Rather, Avraham sought G-d because he loved Him. R' Nachum Eisenstein shlita (Lakewood, N.J.) quotes R' Yaakov Emden z"l (died 1776), who writes that our zemer is teaching us how we can earn the title "Seekers of Hashem, seed of Avraham His beloved." One who strictly observes the laws of Shabbat, lighting candles at exactly the right moment and reciting havdalah at exactly the right moment has fulfilled his legal obligation, but he is not a "Seeker of Hashem." One who loves Hashem as Avraham did will delay departing from Shabbat and will rush to bring Shabbat in early. Why does the author of the zemer mention the end of Shabbat before the beginning? R' Eisenstein suggests that bringing Shabbat in early is less of an indication that one loves Hashem than is ending Shabbat later. This is because a person might bring in Shabbat early for his own convenience, as many people do in the summer. (Rinat Yaakov Al Zemirot Shabbat p.80) Our Sages teach that the mitzvah of Shabbat was originally taught to Bnei Yisrael before the Torah was given, at a place called "Marah" (literally, "bitter"). R' Aharon Perlow of Karlin z"l (1802-1872) writes in the name of his father, R' Asher of Stolin z"l that when one first experiences Shabbat with all of its restrictions it may very well be "bitter." With time and experience, however, one comes to know the sweetness of Shabbat, and then he will hurry to bring it in and delay in leaving it. (Quoted in Zemirot Shirin Ve'rachshin p.151)