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BS”D
Volume 37, No. 16
13 Shevat 5783
February 4, 2023
Sponsored by
Irving and Arline Katz
on the yahrzeit of grandmother
Henya Rachel bat Pinchas (Spalter) a”h
Micheline and David
Peller
in memory of his parents
Hinda bat Yisroel Yechiel a”h and
Efraim Fishel ben Avraham a”h
Manny and Loretta
Sadwin
on the yahrzeit of her mother,
Henya bat Aryeh Leib Halevi a”h
This coming Monday
is Tu B’Shevat, the Rosh Hashanah / New Year’s Day for trees. (This
designation has Halachic consequences for tree owners and buyers of
fruit.) R’ Zvi Yehuda Kook z”l (1891-1982; Rosh Hayeshiva of Yeshivat
Mercaz Harav in Yerushalayim) writes about trees: The Gemara (Shabbat
88a) states, “Hashem created the world conditionally. If Bnei Yisrael
will accept the Torah, Creation will endure. If not, Hashem will return the
world to Tohu Va’vohu / astonishing emptiness.” [Until here from the
Gemara.] Thus, by studying and observing Torah, one becomes Hashem’s
partner in the Creation of nature. For this reason, man, especially the
righteous person, is likened to a tree (Devarim 20:19; Tehilim 92:13).
R’ Kook continues:
We learn in Pirkei Avot (Ch.3), “One who walks on the road while
reviewing a Torah lesson, but interrupts his review and exclaims, ‘How
beautiful is this tree! How beautiful is this plowed field!’–Scripture
considers it as if he has forfeited his soul.” [Until here from the
Mishnah.] The Mishnah is not teaching us to ignore nature’s beauty, R’
Kook writes. Indeed, there is a Berachah to be said on a flowering tree.
The Mishnah is speaking of someone who “interrupts” his learning, i.e.,
he detaches the beauty of nature from the Torah, seeing nature as a
separate entity. The sage who taught the just-quoted Mishnah, Rabbi
Yaakov, teaches later in Pirkei Avot (ch.4), “This world is but a
corridor leading to the main hall,” i.e., the World-to-Come. He is
teaching: Do not see this world and nature as separate from Olam Ha’ba
and Torah. They are but a continuum, and the light of Olam Ha’ba and
Torah can reflect back upon, and illuminate this world and nature so that
we see Hashem in it. (Le’netivot
Yisrael II 50)
********
“Bnei Yisrael were ‘Chamushim’ when they went
up from Egypt.” (13:18)
Rabbeinu Bachya ben
Asher z”l (Spain; 1255-1340) writes: The P’shat/ simple meaning is that
Bnei Yisrael left Egypt armed, like an army going to war. Though the
Jewish People are not like other nations, which need to arm themselves
against their enemies, the Torah commands us to act somewhat in a natural
fashion. After we do our part, then Hashem will perform His miracles. (Commentary on the Torah)
R’ Moshe Yitzchak
Ashkenazi z”l (1821-1898; Trieste, Italy) elaborates: One should never
rely on a miracle or on extraordinary Hashgachah / Divine Providence
approaching the level of a miracle. Rather, along with his Bitachon /
Trust in Hashem, one must take steps to help himself. Bitachon, writes R’
Ashkenazi, is like salt–without it, food may be bland, but too much salt
is counterproductive and damaging. Similarly, one should trust in Hashem,
lest he be shown that all of his own wisdom and efforts are worthless. At
the same time, one should not rely exclusively on Bitachon such that he
refrains from lifting a finger on his own behalf.
R’ Ashkenazi
continues: When Bnei Yisrael left Egypt after witnessing unprecedented
miracles, one might have expected them to rely on Hashem to care for
them. But, they did not do that exclusively; they also armed themselves.
And, when Amalek attacked them (at the end of our Parashah), they did not
sit back and wait for Hashem to vanquish their attackers; they fought
back. Just as it would have been wrong to congratulate themselves on
their military prowess, so it would have been wrong to do nothing for
their own defense, R’ Ashkenazi concludes. (Simchat Ha’regel: Drush 3)
********
“Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him . . .”
(13:19)
“Moshe stretched
out his hand over the sea . . . and the water split.” (14:21)
We read in Tehilim
(114:3–recited as part of Hallel), “The sea saw, and fled.” The Midrash
on that verses asks, “What did the sea see?” and it answers, “It saw
Yosef’s coffin.”
What is the
connection between Yosef’s coffin and the splitting of the sea?
R’ Avraham Yitzchak
Hakohen Kook z”l (1865-1935; first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Eretz
Yisrael) explains: Our Patriarchs–Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov–knew that
the nation they were establishing is the foundation for the revelation of
Hashem in this world. And, they passed on that knowledge to Yaakov’s
children. However, those children–Yosef, on the one hand, and his
brothers, on the other hand–disagreed about how this would come about.
Would Hashem’s revelation be though the Torah–given uniformly to all
individuals and all generations, and transmitted through central
leadership (Yosef’s view)–or would Hashem’s revelation be through
prophecy–experienced by each individual on his own level and each
generation on its own level (the brothers’ view)? Since, according to
tradition, the Torah could only be given after Bnei Yisrael’s population
reached 600,000, Yaakov’s family was not yet “Jewish,” Yosef held. His
brothers, in contrast, held that the key test of “Jewishness” was whether
Bnei Yisrael were fit for prophecy, and they were. [R’ Kook bases this on
the famous Derashah of R’ Yehuda Roseannes z”l (1657-1727; Turkey; author
of Mishneh Le’melech on Rambam’s Mishneh Torah), explaining in detail the
dispute between Yosef and his brothers. A full explanation is beyond the
scope of this space.]
R’ Kook continues:
Our Sages teach that Bnei Yisrael who left Egypt were idolators. Indeed,
the guardian angel of Egypt challenged Hashem’s plan to split the sea,
claiming that Bnei Yisrael were no better than their pursuers. Had the
view of Yosef’s brothers–that each generation stands alone–prevailed,
Hashem could not, in fairness, have split the sea. However, the sea “saw”
Yosef’s coffin, and it “remembered” that the Torah was yet to be given.
Seeing that, the sea fled. (Me’orot
Ha’Rayah: Chanukah p.79)
R’ Yitzchak Arieli
z”l (1896-1974; Mashgiach of Yeshivat Mercaz Harav; author of Enayim
La’mishpat) offers another explanation for the connection between Yosef’s
coffin and the splitting of the sea. He writes:
By withstanding the
seductions of Potiphar’s wife, Yosef demonstrated that one can rise above
nature. So, too, said the sea, I can defy my nature and split. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Shirat
Ha’geulah p.16)
********
Shabbat
“It happened on the sixth day that they
gathered Lechem Mishneh/ a double portion of food . . .” (From our
Parashah–Shmot 16:22)
R’ Yosef Karo z”l
(1488-1575; Greece and Eretz Yisrael) writes: On Shabbat, one recites
Hamotzi over two loaves of bread. He holds both loaves in his hands, and
then slices the lower one.
R’ Moshe Isserles z”l
(“Rema”; 1530-1572; rabbi of Cracow, Poland) adds in a gloss: That is on
Friday night, but on Shabbat day and on Yom Tov night, one cuts the upper
loaf. (Shulchan Aruch:
O.C. 274:1)
Why two loaves? R’
Yisrael Meir Kagan z”l (the Chafetz Chaim; died 1933) writes: As a
remembrance of the Mahn, as it is written, “They gathered Lechem
Mishneh.” (Mishnah
Berurah 274:1)
R’ Chaim Hakohen
z”l (1585-1655; Aleppo, Syria) writes: The Talmud Yerushalmi (Shabbat
15:3) states, “Shabbat was given to the Jewish People solely so that they
may engage in Torah study.” Therefore, R’ Chaim writes, it is obligatory
to devote more time to Torah study on Shabbat than one devotes on a
weekday. The Gemara (Shabbat 31a) teaches that a person will be asked in
Heaven whether he had fixed times for Torah study. That, however, refers
to a weekday, when a person is obligated to work for his living, R’ Chaim
writes. On Shabbat, however, when there is no work, a person must devote
himself to Torah study–for if not now, when?!
This, continues R’
Chaim, explains why we take two loaves of bread. Of course, the simple
reason also is correct–i.e., to honor Shabbat. But, at the same time, the
two loaves of bread hint that one must study twice as much Torah on
Shabbat as he does on a weekday, for we find that a “loaf of bread”
alludes to Torah study (see Mishlei 9:5).
Regarding the
custom to cut the lower loaf on Friday night and the upper loaf on
Shabbat day, R’ Chaim writes: During the workweek, Hashem is hidden in
our world, since everything appears to operate according to nature, based
on our efforts. On Shabbat, when we refrain from work, Hashem becomes
revealed. On Friday night, when Shabbat is just beginning, nature must
take the initiative from “below” to unify with Hashem; therefore, we cut
the lower loaf. On Shabbat day, Hashem reveals Himself from “above”;
therefore, we cut the upper loaf. (Mekor
Chaim: Tur Pitdah 274:1)
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