1. As we watch the Chag Hashavuos coming closer with the hope that
we are doing something at least to prepare for it. Well, let me share with you
today a thought on the end of the Parsha first and that is the Parsha of the
Megadeif. As we know, we have at the end of the Parsha the story of the Jew who
cursed the Sheim Hashem and Moshe Rabbeinu is told as is found in 24:14 (הוֹצֵא אֶת-הַמְקַלֵּל, אֶל-מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה). Take the one who cursed outside of the
camp (וְסָמְכוּ כָל-הַשֹּׁמְעִים אֶת-יְדֵיהֶם, עַל-רֹאשׁוֹ) and those who heard his curse should do
Semicha, should lean on his head (וְרָגְמוּ אֹתוֹ, כָּל-הָעֵדָה) and after that he is going to be stoned
with Misas Sekilah.
The idea of Semicha, of leaning on his head is something we find by
Korbanos, something that brings forgiveness (Kaparah) to one who brings a
Korban. It is a Chidush here to say it regarding a person who is getting Misah.
What is the idea of this Semicha?
A second question. Rashi brings and this is from Toras Kohanim,
that (אומרים לו דמך בראשך ואין אנו נענשים במיתתך
שאתה גרמת לך). They say to him your blood is on your own head, we are not
going to be punished for your death because you caused it to yourself. Now of
course, anytime witnesses bear testimony and cause someone to get Misah it is
always true that the witnesses are not guilty, they are not going to suffer.
The one who did the Aveira is the one who brought it upon himself. Why is it
Dafka here by a Mekaleil, someone who gets Misah for cursing, that we find such
an expression in Toras Kohanim and Rashi that we tell him we are not going to be punished for what you
did? This all needs an explanation.
In Leket Sichos Mussar from Rav Issac Sher, he gives an absolutely
beautiful explanation based on the Gemara. The Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 54
says that when someone cursed the Sheim Hashem and the witnesses hear it and come
to say testimony, what are they supposed to do? When Bais Din asks what did
that man say, to repeat that would be to utter a curse of the Sheim Hashem. The
Gemara says that they would use another word. They would use the word Yofi
which is the Gematriya of Elokim. Yakir Yofi Es Yofi. If the person said
Kavayochel about the Ribbono Shel Olam something negative, they would repeat
the words using the word Yofi in the name of Hashem’s name and the reason is because
they wouldn’t want to utter the actual curse.
Nevertheless, once Bais Din Paskened that the Megadeif is Chayuv
Misah, at that moment when they are ready to take him out, Bais Din has to make
absolutely sure that the Psak is correct. Therefore, they would call the
witnesses back and say well based on your testimony he is Chayuv Misah and now tell
us exactly what he said. The witnesses would utter exactly the words of the
curse which had brought Misah on the person that had originally said them. The
Gemara tells us that the Dayanim upon hearing it would rip Kriyah and it was
something that was a very emotional moment for everyone to express such awful
words.
Says Rav Issac Sher, these witnesses now went through a very traumatic
and dangerous moment. They actually heard something they should not have heard.
They said something they should not have said. Under circumstances of course
they were to say it. This is sort of similar to the idea that we grew up knowing
that we Jews don’t eat Treifos. When there was an incident with a dishonest
butcher and people ate Treifos, in addition to the Aveira of eating non-Kosher,
a certain ideal was broken, a certain sanctity was disturbed. It should be
impossible for a Jew to eat non-Kosher meat, and suddenly it happened. That
drags people down.
The same thing here. When these witnesses had to utter words of a
curse of the name of Hashem, something happened that would have a negative
influence upon them. Even though they did it because they were required to, Sof
Kol Sof doing it is negative. Therefore, they need a Kaparah. (וְסָמְכוּ כָל-הַשֹּׁמְעִים אֶת-יְדֵיהֶם, עַל-רֹאשׁוֹ) they did Semicha on this man who would
get Misah as if his Misah is a Kapparah for them as well. They say (ואין אנו נענשים) we should not be punished for what you did, we are guiltless and
in that way hopefully just as the traumatic experience of saying a curse drags
a person down, the experience of seeing and being there when someone who curses
is given the ultimate punishment should in turn bring them back to at least
where they were before.
The Mussar being, that when words are said they have an effect on a
person. The other person was the Rasha, he said it. Nevertheless, it has an
effect, it has to be recognized, and it has to be dealt with. So this is my
thought regarding the end of the Parsha.
2. My next thought for this week is a technical one. It goes on
Pesukim from the beginning of the Parsha and I would like to give a small Dikduk
Hakdama, something very simple. It is not really Dikduk as much as it is
Teitch. You all know for example that the word Nal is a shoe. Naalo, when we
add the Vav suffix means his shoe. I think every child knows that Beged, Bigdo.
Beged is clothing, Bigdo is his clothing. Bayis a home, Baiso his home. Easy
enough. So Nal becomes Naalo. When it turns to Na’alov which means his shoe it
becomes a plural. Na’alov means his shoes, plural. So that fruit is a Peiri,
Piryo means his fruit, and Peiros is plural. Peirosav means his fruits. The
plural of a possessive word ends with a Yud Vav rather than a Vav. That is a
very basic idea as anyone who has Teitched is aware of.
The problem is that we find numerous places at the beginning of the
Parsha starting from 21:1 the idea of (לְנֶפֶשׁ לֹא-יִטַּמָּא בְּעַמָּיו). To a soul a Kohen should not become
Tamei (בְּעַמָּיו) in his nation. It should be B’amo. (בְּעַמָּיו) implies plural nations. Why is it (בְּעַמָּיו) in the plural? That seems to be
incorrect. This exact question can be found in a number of places in the
Chumash. I mention it here because the Malbim here struggles with it.
What the Malbim ends up by saying is that there is an idea of a Lashon
Rabim L’tiferes. A plural language which is done for the royalty of the word.
In English there is the idea of the royal “We.” The Queen speaks of herself in
plural. ”We are not amused.” Meaning I am not amused. There is a plural which
is a sign of royalty, a sign not only royalty but any higher level. Rashi
mentions this numerous places in Tanach, one in Parshas Vayeira 20:13. Rashi
says that his master is (בעליו) instead of Baalo. You don’t really find
Baalo it is Baalov. So Rashi says this idea. That anytime a word is in Rashi’s
language which is an expression of Marus, an expression of a master, then it is
found in Lashon Rabim. It goes from Lashon Yachid to Lashon Rabim. This is the
idea of Baalov. Rashi says this about Hashem. We say Elokav, his G-ds even
though of course there is one G-d. Even Elokim which appears to be Lasho Rabim.
Rashi says (הרבה מקומות לשון אלקות ולשון מרות קרוי לשון
רבים).
Here we have learned an idea that the plural word is often used for singular to
give it a Lashon Tiferes, to give it a Lashon of a master.
I was thinking that Aviv for father should be Avo just like Imo is
his mother. What is Aviv? Maybe, that too is Lashon Marus. A person tends to
have fear of a father and therefore, uses the Lashon Aviv of Lashon Rabim.
What I am stuck with is the Lashon of Achiv, his brother should be
Acho. Why the Lashon of Achiv? Sometimes there is an obligation to have respect
for an older brother but why is it always Achiv, it should be like Dodo, his
uncle, B’no his son, Ishto his wife, Imo his mother. Acho, why is it Achiv? I
don’t know.
This topic came to mind when we said Yizkor this last Pesach. Someone
asked me a question afterwards. Why does it say in the Keil Malei of Yizkor (ויצרור בצרור החיים את נשמותיהם). It says that Hashem should tie the (בצרור החיים) their souls which is a double plural. It is referring to many
people, but it doesn’t say Nishmosam their souls but rather Nishmosaihem, their
many souls. Why in Yizkor is the word Nishmosaihem used?
My first feeling was that maybe it is incorrect, where does this
language come from? Then I saw that the Rama in Taf Reish Chaf Aleph S’if Vav
(621:6) when he brings the idea of saying Yizkor says Mazkirim Nishmosaihem. It
is something that I find confusing. It should be Nishmosam.
Perhaps this too is meant B’lashon Tiferes, in a Lashon of honor.
When you say Yizkor even if a person says it for a relative who he is not
obligated to honor. But the Neshamos should be given honor. For the Tiferes
perhaps, we say Nishmosaihem, Ulai, perhaps.
Someone suggested based on a certain degree on the Nefesh Hachaim
that perhaps we could understand that a person has many parts to his Neshama.
Nishmosaihem, all his Neshamos or their Neshamos perhaps.
My point though is to make this understanding of the Lashon Kodesh.
The Yud Vav at the end of a word to give it a Lashon of Tiferes, a beauty, of
royalty.
This idea is mentioned in other places as well. In Even Ezra
Beraishis 1:1 he mentions that Alav and Eilav are also Lashonos of respect,
language of honor and Marus and that is why it ends with a Yud Vav. And so, a
little bit of insight into this idea.
3. Let me end with a quick thought that comes from the Haftorah.
When we Bentch we say (הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אוֹתִי וְאֶת אִשְׁתִּי). A person says a Lashon
of blessing when he is Bentching. Why more when he Bentches then when he does
anything else? Anytime a person does a Mitzvah, when he counts Sefira he should
say (הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אוֹתִי וְאֶת אִשְׁתִּי). Or when a person
shakes a Lulav he should say (הָרַחֲמָן הוּא
יְבָרֵךְ אוֹתִי וְאֶת אִשְׁתִּי).
Rav Chaim Kanievsky in his Pirush on Nach in Sefer Taima Dikra
(Page # 369) on Yechezkel 44:30 finds a source from this week’s Haftorah. At
the end of the Haftorah which deals with the Mitzvos relating to Kohanim, we
find the Mitzvah of Challah. (וְרֵאשִׁית
עֲרִסוֹתֵיכֶם תִּתְּנוּ לַכֹּהֵן). But there it says (לְהָנִיחַ בְּרָכָה אֶל-בֵּיתֶךָ). Giving Challah brings blessing to your
house. Many women purposely want to separate Challah to bring blessing to their
house.
Says Rav Chaim Kanievsky, since we only Bentch after eating bread,
and the typical manufacture of bread involves the separating of Challah, since
it says (תִּתְּנוּ לַכֹּהֵן, לְהָנִיחַ בְּרָכָה אֶל-בֵּיתֶךָ) that is the reason that after Bentching
we say a Harachaman to bring blessing to our home.
We know that there are ten Mitzvos associated with bread until it
is manufactured, which is why the Beracha (הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ) has 10 words and that is why there is a custom to hold the
bread with all ten fingers as if to say wow I am eating bread which had to go
through ten Mitzvos to get to me. Then the Mitzvah of Challah which is one of
the ten Mitzvos is the catalyst, the reason that we can ask Hashem for a
Beracha in Birchas Hamazon. An insight.
With this I wish everybody an absolutely wonderful Shabbos and I
hope that you are taking to heart that we have passed halfway through the
Sefira and it is time to think about Shevuos. Shevuos comes and goes very
quickly and many people feel exhausted and don’t even stay up to learn Shavuos
night and Shevuos becomes just another day off. Rachmana Litzlon.
It is not the Torah, it is the purpose of Yetias Mitzrayim. Prepare
for the Chag Hashevuos which is coming in more than what to eat for Milchig.
Prepare the right way. Prepare for Kabbalas Hatorah with a Kabbalah, with an
acceptance of Sedorim, of learning, of doing things the way they should be
done. An absolutely wonderful Shabbos to all!
