Rabbi Reisman 5775
1. I would like to share with you two thoughts on Posuk 18:9 at the very beginning of the Parsha (וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ--עַל כָּל-הַטּוֹבָה, אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה יְרוָר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Yisro rejoiced on all of the kindness that was shown to the Jewish people by HKB"H. I would like to share with you first a short thought and then a longer idea.
The briefer thought has to do with Rashi. Yisro rejoiced (עַל כָּל-הַטּוֹבָה). Rashi says what was that Tovah that caused him to rejoice? (טובת המן והבאר והתורה). That they were fed food from heaven, water from the rock, and given the Torah. Now this combination seems to be inappropriate. How can you compare the fact that Klal Yisrael's sustenance was taken care of, that they were supported, to the fact that they received the Torah? It seems to be an inappropriate combination. HKB"H fed them, gave them to drink, and gave them the Torah. It needs a bit of an explanation.
Actually this reminds me of something I once heard from Rav Shimon Schwab. Rav Schwab was once speaking and asked the following question. He said that in (הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קדֶשׁ לְחול) Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L'chol that beautiful Zemer that many of us either sing or say after Havdalah, it says (הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קדֶשׁ לְחול חַטּאתֵינוּ הוא יִמְחול זַרְעֵנוּ וְכַסְפֵּנוּ יַרְבֶּה כַּחול ). We say, HKB"H give us multiple children and lots of money. Rav Schwab asked how do you say that in one sentence, the importance of having children and the importance of having money? It seems inappropriate to be together. How much more of a question is it given that this is the song that begins Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L'chol. HKB"H draws a distinction between things that are holy and things that are ordinary weekday items. When you are saying (הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קדֶשׁ לְחול) you talk about money and children in the same breath? It is a Davar Pele! Similar to the question on this Rashi.
Rav Schwab answered on the contrary. He said it is true that money is something which misleads people. It is a route of many types of evil, it causes people to do things they shouldn't do. Sometimes the desire for money causes people to sin, and sometimes it causes them to have misplaced values. Therefore, the pursuit of money is something that certainly has a negative connotation. Rav Schwab said that he once heard from an elderly Chochom that when Moshiach comes money will be referred to as Davar Acher, the other thing. Just as today many people refer to a Chazir or Tzora'as as Davar Acher, the unmentionable thing, when Moshiach comes money may be referred to in that way.
Rav Schwab said nevertheless, Zeh L'umas Zeh Asa Elokim. As much as something has a negative potential it has a positive potential. (הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קדֶשׁ לְחול) at the moment that a person stands with an appreciation of a difference between things that are holy and things that are not, he can say (זַרְעֵנוּ וְכַסְפֵּנוּ יַרְבֶּה כַּחול). HKB"H, my desire for money is as a tool for Kedusha. When someone wants money for an end onto itself then the desire for money misleads him. He wants the money he wants that end, and whatever means he needs to achieve that end is something that he is enticed to pursue. However, when one has the right idea regarding money, money itself as a means to serve Hashem, then he can add (זַרְעֵנוּ וְכַסְפֵּנוּ יַרְבֶּה כַּחול) if it is a means, a method for Kedusha, then it can belong in the same sentence. So Dafka, deliberately, when someone says (הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קדֶשׁ לְחול) he can add (זַרְעֵנוּ וְכַסְפֵּנוּ יַרְבֶּה כַּחול). Rav Schwab was saying this incidentally in an appeal in raising money for a Yeshiva which was appropriate because he was telling people that the money is there for that purpose.
I once heard from Rav Druk who related the following incident. He said there was a young man in Yeshiva who was struck by a car and was injured. His parent's pursued a suit against the driver of the vehicle and was set to collect money from the insurance company. This young man was a Chosson who had a Chasunah date set and the lawyer said to the young man if you would postpone your wedding for two or three weeks until you feel fully well then we would do better in court. We could point out that you didn't feel well and the wedding was postponed.
This boy at that time was learning in Eretz Yisrael and went to his Mashgiach and asked him. The Mashgiach responded and these were the words he said "Gelt is Blotte" money is mud and you don't postpone a wedding for money. The young man was under a lot of pressure from his parent's and therefore, this Mashgiach agreed to take him to Rav Schach to ask him for his advice. They went to Rav Schach and again this Mashgiach introduced the question to Rav Schach and said I told him that money is mud, it is dirt and you don't postpone a wedding for money. Rav Schach sat there and refused to answer the Shaila. Later, after the Mashgiach and the young man had left, Rav Schach went over to somebody and said the following. Of course the young man should not postpone his wedding for this type of a consideration. But I did not want to endorse the words of the Mashgiach that "Gelt is Blotte" money is mud, money is dirt. It is true, some people see money in a way that it is worthy of being called dirt. There are people who use their money for Kedusha, to be Kone Olam Habo. I could not endorse him saying "Gelt is Blotte." It is what you make of it.
Getting back to our Rashi. Rashi says on (עַל כָּל-הַטּוֹבָה) all the good. The good was the Man, the B'air, and the Torah. The support. They had the support to sit and learn which is a wonderful thing. Lo Nitna Torah Ela L'ochlei HaMon. You want to be able to learn with a clear mind you need to be Ochlei Haman. Ochlei Haman on the one hand are people who don't have great demands and on the other hand people who are being sustained, are being supported. When it is done in a Derech of Kedusha that is wonderful. That is my first briefer thought on the Parsha.
2. Let me move on to a second Halachic thought on the same Posuk. (וַיִּחַדְּ יִתְרוֹ) Yisro rejoiced. The Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 94a (in the 5th wide line) relates a different translation to the Posuk. (רב אמר שהעביר חרב חדה על בשרו) that he passed a sharp sword on his flesh. Rashi says (שמל את עצמו ונתגייר). He was Mal himself, he performed a Bris Milah on himself in order to be a Ger. That is the Gemara. The question is that the Gemara in Maseches Avodah Zora 27a (top of Amud) says that a Goy is not eligible to perform a Bris Milah. That the Bris Milah must be done by someone who himself is obligated in Milah. As a matter of fact, Rav is the Baal Memra there that says that a non-Jew is ineligible to perform a Bris Milah. Halo Davar Hu! How could Yisro perform a Milah on himself?
In Maseches Avoda Zora on Daf 10b (those who are learning with the Mishmar will get there shortly), we have the story of (קטיעה בר שלום) who is someone who also performed a Milah on himself. In the back of the Gemara, the Poras Yosef (one of the Meforshim) asks the same Kasha, how could he perform a Milah on himself? A non-Jew is not eligible to perform a Bris Milah?
He answers that a non-Jew is not eligible to do a Bris Milah on a Jew. When he does it on himself for Gairus that itself is turning him into a Jew and therefore, he is eligible. It is sort of Gito V'yado Ba'in K'echad. An idea that the Bris Milah and the Gairus come simultaneously and therefore, to do a Bris Milah on himself he is eligible. Wonderful Dvar Torah. Yisro was Mal himself and a Ger can do Milah on himself because he becomes a Jew as the Milah is performed. Great! Not so great. There is a problem.
The Gemara in Yevamos 46a (7 lines from the bottom) teaches us that Mal V'lo Toval K'ilui Lo Mal
אין גר עד שימול ויטבול וחכמים אומרים טבל ולא מל מל ולא טבל
That somebody who is a Ger that had a Bris Milah for Geirus but he didn't go to the Mikvah it is as if he didn't have a Bris Milah. It doesn't count and he is not a Ger. The Shita of Tosafos (there in Yevamos) is that it has to be done in that order Bris Milah first and Tevillah second. If so, this entire episode is very difficult. How could Yisro perform a Bris Milah on himself? The Poras Yosef's Teretz that he became a Jew as he did the Milah is not true as he was still lacking Tevila in a Mikva. He wasn't a Jew at the end of the Milah. It is a tremendous Kasha.
To answer this I would like to tell you one of my favorite stories, a story that I got from a Teshuva Sefer, the Aruch Laner's Teshuva Sefer. The Aruch Laner was asked a Shaila that was sent to him from Yerushalayim. There was a gentleman who was Megayeir and he had his Bris Milah. Typically, a Ger has his Bris Milah but doesn't go to the Mikvah until the Milah heals. So usually there is time, maybe a week between Milah and Tevilla. This non-Jew now a Ger had a Bris Milah but not yet a Tevilla. He came to Shul on Shabbos with his new Shtreimal and Bekeshe all proud to be a Jew. When he got to Shul someone there said, what? You are not a Jew yet. You had a Bris Milah but you didn't yet go to the Mikvah for Geirus. Mal V'lo Toval K'ilui Lo Mal. Someone who had Milah and not Tevilah is not a Ger. Not only shouldn't you be observing Shabbos but you are prohibited from keeping Shabbos. A Goy Sheshavas is Chayuv Misah. Therefore, go home and do Melacha. That he did. This (middle of Geirus ) gentleman went home and did Melacha and came back to Shul. When he came back to Shul, the Bais Din that was in the process of being Migayeir him said one minute. You did Melacha, no. we have a Kabbalah that once you do Milah even though you don't do Tevillah you are still supposed to keep Shabbos. Confusing introduction to Judaism. Others said no, what kind of Kabbalah is that as he is still a non-Jew. There was a dispute in Yerushalayim. It was sent to Rav Yaakov Elltinger (1798 - 1871) the Aruch Laner to resolve. He responded that it is true, after Milah he is still not yet a Jew and it is also true that we have a Kabbalah that he should keep Shabbos. Therefore, both are true. It must be that he is no longer a non-Jew but he is not yet a Jew. That needs explanation.
The Shoel Umaishiv explains that after Milah before Tevillah he is like the Jewish people before Mattan Torah. Before the Torah was given the Jews were commanded about Shabbos at Marah. He too, at that point is partially on his way to being a Jew just as Klal Yisrael were on the way to Har Sinai and therefore, he keeps Shabbos even though he is still not yet a full-fledged Jew.
Taking this idea from this episode we can extend it here as well. The Jewish people were already obligated in Bris Milah as they performed Bris Milah in Mitzrayim. Therefore, a Ger with Bris Milah without Tevilah is a Jew for the Mitzvah of Bris Milah.
With this we can explain Yisro. Yisro could perform Bris Milah on himself. Why? For Bris Milah the Milah itself is Gito V'yado Ba'in K'echad or Milosoi V'geiruso Ba'in K'echad. Therefore, Gairus like Shabbos is something that a Ger post Milah pre Geirus (Tevilah) could keep. And so, on this one Posuk we have a Machshava, a thought and a Halacha thought.
3. I would like to end with a very difficult Kasha something which you have to work to answer. In this week's Parsha Yisro comes to the Midbar and this is in the first year, the year they left Mitzrayim. Rashi learns that it was before Mattan Torah and others Rishonim learn that it was after Mattan Torah. However, it was certainly in the first year. Right before Revii in 18:27 it says (וַיְשַׁלַּח מֹשֶׁה, אֶת-חֹתְנוֹ; וַיֵּלֶךְ לוֹ, אֶל-אַרְצוֹ). Yisro went home. Why did he go home? Rashi says to be Megayair his other relatives. Yisro is a Jew, he had been Migayeir. Why would he go home? That is what bothers Rashi. The answer is that he went home to be Migayeir his other relatives.
In Parshas Behaloscha which is 39 years later we find again that Yisro is visiting Moshe Rabbeinu. In 10:29 (וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה, לְחֹבָב בֶּן-רְעוּאֵל הַמִּדְיָנִי חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, נֹסְעִים אֲנַחְנוּ אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם).They were ready to go into Eretz Yisrael. Rashi says that this was the end of the forty years (מיד עד שלשה ימים אנו נכנסין לארץ). If so that the Yidden were ready to go into Eretz Yisrael why does Yisro say I am going home? He is going home at this point? Where is Yisro going, he is a Ger? Why is he is going home? This needs an explanation. Some Rishonim learn that that episode is not at the end of the 39 years which is not like the simple Pshat in the Posuk. However, otherwise the Kasha is a Kasha.
I mention this Kasha not so much for Parshas Behaloscha because as I have said many Rishonim say this is the same episode as our episode. However, if you learn Nach you see that Yisro's descendants went to Eretz Yisroel and somehow kept themselves separate from the Jewish people. It is a mystery. We had for example in the Haftorah of Parshas Beshalach the story of Shiras Devorah. We find that Sisra in running away comes to the house of Yoel who is married to a descendant of Yisro and it seems that there was peace between them and the children of Yisro. We find a similar thing at the end of Shmuel II with Dovid Hamelech when he fights the Amaleikim. Yisro's separation from Klal Yisrael like all Geirim needs an explanation. IY"H we will get to it maybe in Parshas Behaloscha. A Gutten Shabbos to one and all.
