תשע”ט פ’ בהר

Volume 28, Issue 11

INSIGHTS from the SEDRA

Insights from the Sedra is a project of the Scholar’s Kollel of Great Neck. It aims to provide several questions and answers about the Sedra, culled from various commentaries, including the following: Baal Haturim, Darash Moshe, Vedebarta Bam by Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky, Torah Treasures by Dov Furer, Wellsprings of Torah by Alexander Friedman, and Kol Dodi by Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Great Torah Lights by Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Goodman, Something To Say by Dov Wasserman, The Vilna Gaon, Growth Through Torah by Zelig Pliskin and The Call of the Torah.         

שבת לה’

“A Shabbat rest for Hashem…” (25:2)

Rashi explains Shabbat L’Hashem is for the sake of Hashem, just as it is said with regard o the Shabbat of Creation. What is the connection between Shabbat Breishit and Shmittah? Shemittah is a commemoration of the creation of the world, just like Shabbat. Shabbat and Shmittah are times that we desist from work and demonstrate our belief that Hashem created and continues to maintain the world.                                                                             (Rav Ovadia M’Bartenura)

In the entire Sefer Vayikra, Parshat Behar is the only parsha that does not mention korbanot. This teaches us that Shemittah accomplishes the same as korbanot. When bringing a korban, one must demonstrate that he is nothing compared to the Master of the World. So too, adhering to the laws of Shmittah demonstrates that one has no power in this world. All of the dominance in this world belongs to Hashem.                                                                                        (Be’er Moshe)

שדך לא תזרע וכרמך לא תזמר

“Your field you shall not sow and your vineyard you shall not prune…” (25:4)

The prohibitions of Shemittah are all written in singular form. When discussing Yovel (25:11), the very same prohibitions are written in plural form – לא תזרעו, לא תבצרו – what accounts for this difference?

The Gemara (Arachin 32b) explains that the requirement to observe the laws of Yovel only applies when a majority of Jewish people reside in Eretz Yisrael. If the majority of the nation live outside of Eretz Yisrael then every remaining Jew is exempt. This halacha is reflected in the wording of the psukim. The laws of Yovel are written in plural since they apply only when most of the jews are in Eretz Yisrael. The requirement to observe Shmittah is incumbent upon even a lone Jew residing in Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, it is written in the singular.                                           (Har Tzvi)

וצויתי את ברכתי לכם בשנה הששית ועשה את התבואה לשלש השנים

“And I will command My blessing for you in the sixth year and will produce grain for three years.” (25:21)

Some meforshim, including the Chasam Sofer, found great significance in the verse. It provided a powerful response to any cynic who expressed doubts about the divine nature of the Torah. What human being would have placed such an amazing promise into the Torah without G-d’s direct guarantee? Within a decade of arriving in the Holy land, it would turn into a great joke and the “author” would become an eternal laughingstock for making such a ridiculous and impossible promise! Only G-d could guarantee such a pledge and keep it exactly as stated.                                                                                                                                                                                                   (Something to Say)

וכי ימוך אחיך ומטה ידו עמך והחזקת בו גר ותושב וחי עמך

“If your brother becomes impoverished and his means fall with you, you should strengthen him, whether proselyte or resident, so that he can live with you.” (25:35)

                QUESTION: “Vehechzakta bo” means, “strengthen in him.” It should have said “vehechezakta oto” – “you should strengthen him”?

                ANSWER: Tzedakah is often pictured as the rich giving to benefit the poor. However, in the Midrash Rabbah (Vayikra 34:8), Rabbi Yehoshua says, “More than the rich does for the poor, the poor does for the rich.” The rich man who gives the poor man money is helping temporarily with his daily needs. In return, through tzedakah, the rich man’s assets become blessed and he is greatly rewarded in olam haba.

                Our pasuk alludes to this by saying “vehechezakta” – “you will find strength for yourself,” – “bo” – “in him” – i.e. through helping the poor man.                                                                    (Sha’arei Simcha)

                The previous section, dealing with the laws of the jubilee year, is written in the plural. Now that the Torah considers the theme of aiding and supporting the poor, the second person singular is used, achicha, your brother, vehechezakta, you must come to his aid.

                We can resolve this apparent inconsistency by noting that often when people are approached to extend a helping hand to the needy they will decline, pointing to someone else who is closer to the poor man or financially better equipped to help.

                To discourage this attitude the Torah formulates its command to help the needy in the singular. Each person is addressed individually and told, “It is incumbent on you to help the poor. Don’t pass the burden on to someone else.”                                                                        (Alshich from Iturei Torah)

תשע”ט פ’ אמור

Volume 28, Issue 10

INSIGHTS from the SEDRA

Insights from the Sedra is a project of the Scholar’s Kollel of Great Neck. It aims to provide several questions and answers about the Sedra, culled from various commentaries, including the following: Baal Haturim, Darash Moshe, Vedebarta Bam by Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky, Torah Treasures by Dov Furer, Wellsprings of Torah by Alexander Friedman, and Kol Dodi by Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Great Torah Lights by Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Goodman, Something To Say by Dov Wasserman, The Vilna Gaon, Growth Through Torah by Zelig Pliskin and The Call of the Torah.         

שבע שבתות תמימות תהיינה

“Seven weeks, they shall be compete…” (23:15)

When are the weeks complete? When Klal Yisrael does the will of Hashem (Vayikra Rabbah 28:3). We count from Pesach until Shavuot to demonstrate that the two are connected. Pesach is the geulat haguf, our physical redemption, and Shavuot is the geulat hanefesh, our spiritual redemption. One is not completely free until he has a geulat hanefesh; until then, one is still a slave to his yetzer hara. By fulfilling the will of the Ribono Shel Olam during this period of sefira, one will merit “temimot tih’yena” – the fusion of what Pesach and Shavuot represent, to achieve a complete redemption.                                                                                                                                         (Maharam Shick)

וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת מיום הביאכם את עמר התנופה שבע שבתות תמימות תהיינה

“You shall count for yourselves from the day after the day of rest from the day that you bring the Omer of the waving, seven weeks, they shall be complete.” (23:15)

Unlike all other Yomim Tovim, Shavuot is not a set date on the calendar, but rather is always fifty days form the counting of the Omer, which begins on the second day of Pesach. We make the bracha “Al sefirat ha’omer”; why is the counting called “sefirat ha’omer”? Being that we are counting towards Shavuot, the time of our receiving the Torah, it would seem more appropriate that the bracha should include the wording related to kabbalat haTorah. The following divrei Torah will expound on this topic, and perhaps support the p’shat offered in the closing paragraph.

We start counting sefirat ha’omer on Pesach to acknowledge that the main reason we were taken out of Egypt was to accept the Torah. The entire world was created in order for Klal Yisrael to receive the Torah. We are supposed to count sefira each day with an anticipation of approaching the day of Matan Torah. A person should work on improving and elevating himself in order to be worthy of receiving the Torah.

Perhaps now we can understand why the focus of our counting is on the korban omer, when we’re actually counting the days towards kabbalat haTorah. Learning Torah builds worlds in shamayim and brings one closer to the Ribono Shel Olam. The Omer alludes to the mann that Bnei Yisrael received in the midbar directly from Hashem Himself. There were no intermediaries between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael.

As we count to kabbalat haTorah, we must remember this message. The first two dibrot were given directly by Hashem to Klal Yisrael. Kabbalat haTorah, like the omer, demonstrates to us the direct connection that we have to Hashem. In order to receive the Torah properly we must strengthen our direct connection with Hashem.                                                                       (Sefer HaChinuch)

ובקצרכם…לעני ולגר תעזב אתם אני ה’ אלקיכם

“And when you reap…you must leave them for the poor and for the stranger, I am Hashem your G-d…” (23:22)

This verse, mandating gifts of the harvest to the poor, is included with the laws relating to Shavuot, the Zman matan Torateinu, the time of the giving of the Torah. This is an indication that the Torah comprises not only chukim, super-rational commands, but also the rational dictates of ethics, such as charity and compassion for the poor and the stranger. For unless these dictates are rooted in Emunah, faith in Hashem, man will disregard them and turn into a brutal, heartless beast.

It is for this reason that the Torah includes the ethical mitzvot of gifts to the poor and the stranger among the laws of Shavuot, the Zman Matan Torateinu. Thus, you must “leave them for the poor and for the stranger,” because, “I am hashem your G-d,” because you are motivated by your belief in Hashem.                                                                                                                            (Meshech Chochmah)

Lag Ba’omer

היום שלשה ושלשים יום לעומר

“Today is the thirty third day of the Omer.”

                QUESTION: Every night when counting sefirah we say “Today is so many days לעומר – of the omer”. Why do we call the 33^rd day “Lag ba’omer” and not “Lag La’omer”?

                ANSWER: Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was a reincarnation of the neshama of Moshe Rabeinu. The words “ל”ג בעומר” have the numerical value of 345, which is also the numerical value of “משה”.

                Lag Ba’omer is the day on which the famous sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai passed away. He is one of the greatest sages of the Talmud and the author of the holy Zohar. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is mentioned very frequently throughout the Talmud. The day of his hilula – rejoicing on his yahrtzeit – Lag ba’omer – is the thirty third day of the counting of the Omer. It has been noted that the story of his stay in the cave is related in the Gemara (Shabbos) on page 33 and it is the 33^rd time that he is mentioned in the Talmud.                                                                                   (Ta’amei HaMinhagim)