Rav Chaim Kreiswurth, the late Chief Rabbi of Antwerp, was truly one of the gedolei hador and there are many legendary stories about him [many recorded in the sefer מי"ם חיים]. Rabbi Chaim Shifrut Hy"D [he was killed in a terrorist attack in Emanuel] related the following story:
Rav Chaim was once giving a shiur klali in a kollel in Bnei Brak. When he got to the high point of the shiur and was just about to convey the central idea, he peered at his watch and said apologetically: "I am sorry. I told my wife that I would meet her at 1:30 and she is waiting for me outside." He then left the Beis Medrash to meet his wife.
The Rosh Kollel stood up and told the avreichim that they now witnessed true greatness in Torah. He set a time to meet his wife and let nothing get in the way of keeping his word.
[קובץ מוריה תשס"ב]
On a personal note I want to tell you what I would have done. I would not have been able to contain myself and given over the rest of the shiur, with plans in the back of my head to apologize to my wife and believe that she'd understand. If she wouldn't I would wait patiently for it to blow over , all the while congratulating myself on the great shiur. After reading this story I hope I will act as the Rav did and be less self-centered. I could try to claim that it has NOTHING to do with me personally and it's ALL about spreading Torah but I don't know if that would be the truth. Actually, I DO KNOW that it WOULDN'T be the truth. May I do tshuva shleima bi-karov. There is hope, say the holy books - even for a guy like me!
I also hope people that invite me to give shiurim klaliim or otherwise:-).....
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Teaching Others
לזכות אסתר ביילא בת רות דבורה לברכה והצלחה בכל העניינים
The Sma"g [Sefer Mitzvos Gadol - written by one of the Baalei HaTosfos, Rav Moshe Mi-kutzi in the 1200's] rules that there are two different mitzvos - 1] To learn Torah. 2] To teach Torah. He finds a separate pasuk for each distinct mitzva. However, the Rambam [and those who follow in his footsteps] rules that there is just one mitzva: To learn and teach Torah. It seems that the whole purpose of the mitzva to learn is the obligation to teach and so there is no independent mitzva to learn. The Rambam writes in Hilchos Talmud Torah [1/3] that if one's father didn't teach him he must 'teach himself' [and he didn't write more simply that he must learn]. The goal of learning - both with oneself and with others - is to pass the tradition from generation to generation.
That is why one may not take money for teaching - it is not 'his' Torah that would permit him to take a salary. It was only given to him on condition that he teach it for free.
מפניני הרב עמ' רד
The Sma"g [Sefer Mitzvos Gadol - written by one of the Baalei HaTosfos, Rav Moshe Mi-kutzi in the 1200's] rules that there are two different mitzvos - 1] To learn Torah. 2] To teach Torah. He finds a separate pasuk for each distinct mitzva. However, the Rambam [and those who follow in his footsteps] rules that there is just one mitzva: To learn and teach Torah. It seems that the whole purpose of the mitzva to learn is the obligation to teach and so there is no independent mitzva to learn. The Rambam writes in Hilchos Talmud Torah [1/3] that if one's father didn't teach him he must 'teach himself' [and he didn't write more simply that he must learn]. The goal of learning - both with oneself and with others - is to pass the tradition from generation to generation.
That is why one may not take money for teaching - it is not 'his' Torah that would permit him to take a salary. It was only given to him on condition that he teach it for free.
מפניני הרב עמ' רד
Learning From A Deviant Rebbe - The Sequel: Who Is The Gadol?
We continue our discussion about the religiously deviant Rebbe....
The Rambam neglected to mention the distinction the gemara mentions between a gadol who may learn from him and a koton who may not. Why? In the previous post we presented one answer.
Another answer is based on the Meiri who has a different understanding of the gemara. He says that 'gadol' and 'koton' are refering not to the talmid [that a talmid who is an adult may learn but an impressionable child may not] as Rashi learns but to the Rebbe. The gemara [in Chagiga] means that if the Rebbe is so great that one can only learn from him then it would be permitted, while if he is not so unique one may not learn from him because he might as well learn from another Rebbe who HAS yiras shomayim.
Wow! What a pshat.
The Rambam then rules like the gemara in Moed Katan that doesn't mention this distinction and forbids everyone to learn from such a Rebbe. This understanding reads kaftor vaferach into the Rambam. He says [Talmud Torah 4/1] that EVEN IF THE REBBE IS SO GREAT THAT ALL OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE NEED HIM it is still forbidden to study under his tutelage. He is clearly precluding the understanding of the gemara in Chagiga that one may learn under such a great Rebbe. So he understood the gemara like the Meiri but didn't codify it as halacha.
The Maharal explains that the reason one may not learn from such a Rebbe is because it is forbidden to connect to a רשע. Rashi and the Rach learn that the reason is because one is liable to be influenced by him.
The gemara in Chagiga which permits one to learn from a unique one-of-a-kind-Rebbe [according to the Meiri and Rambam] is following the understanding of the Maharal that the reason is that it is forbidden to connect to a רשע. But for the tremendous opportunity to learn high level Torah that prohibition is suspended. The gemara in Moed Katan that doesn't give any permission to learn from a deviant Rebbe fits well with the understanding of Rashi and the Ra"ch that one might be negatively influenced. If that is the problem then there can be no heter under any circumstances - even if he is a gadol bi-yisrael and there is nobody who is his peer. On the contrary - since he is so great one is MORE likely to learn from him.
The Rambam ruled like the gemara in Moed Katan and gave no permission under any circumstances.
[See the sefer Dibros Ariel on Chagiga סימן מה]
The Rambam neglected to mention the distinction the gemara mentions between a gadol who may learn from him and a koton who may not. Why? In the previous post we presented one answer.
Another answer is based on the Meiri who has a different understanding of the gemara. He says that 'gadol' and 'koton' are refering not to the talmid [that a talmid who is an adult may learn but an impressionable child may not] as Rashi learns but to the Rebbe. The gemara [in Chagiga] means that if the Rebbe is so great that one can only learn from him then it would be permitted, while if he is not so unique one may not learn from him because he might as well learn from another Rebbe who HAS yiras shomayim.
Wow! What a pshat.
The Rambam then rules like the gemara in Moed Katan that doesn't mention this distinction and forbids everyone to learn from such a Rebbe. This understanding reads kaftor vaferach into the Rambam. He says [Talmud Torah 4/1] that EVEN IF THE REBBE IS SO GREAT THAT ALL OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE NEED HIM it is still forbidden to study under his tutelage. He is clearly precluding the understanding of the gemara in Chagiga that one may learn under such a great Rebbe. So he understood the gemara like the Meiri but didn't codify it as halacha.
The Maharal explains that the reason one may not learn from such a Rebbe is because it is forbidden to connect to a רשע. Rashi and the Rach learn that the reason is because one is liable to be influenced by him.
The gemara in Chagiga which permits one to learn from a unique one-of-a-kind-Rebbe [according to the Meiri and Rambam] is following the understanding of the Maharal that the reason is that it is forbidden to connect to a רשע. But for the tremendous opportunity to learn high level Torah that prohibition is suspended. The gemara in Moed Katan that doesn't give any permission to learn from a deviant Rebbe fits well with the understanding of Rashi and the Ra"ch that one might be negatively influenced. If that is the problem then there can be no heter under any circumstances - even if he is a gadol bi-yisrael and there is nobody who is his peer. On the contrary - since he is so great one is MORE likely to learn from him.
The Rambam ruled like the gemara in Moed Katan and gave no permission under any circumstances.
[See the sefer Dibros Ariel on Chagiga סימן מה]
Learning From A Rebbe Who Is Off The Derech
We are going to delve a little bit into the sugya of learning from a Rebbe who is not frum.... We begin with the famous gemara in Chagiga 15b:
The Ramban [Hilchos Talmud Torah 4/1] rules that if a Rav is not going on the right path even if he is a very wise and knowledgable man and the entire nation needs him, one may not learn from him until he returns to the path of goodness as it says "For a kohen's lips should keep knowledge etc." The Lechem Mishna notes that the Rambam didn't cite the gemara's distinction between an adult and a child. He answers that Rav Yochanan elsewhere is Shas also makes this assertion [that a person should learn from a righteous Rebbe] and the gemara doesn't distinguish between an adult and a child so halacha li-maase there is no distinction. Only Rebbe Meir in our gemara makes the distinction but the halacha doesn't follow him.
The Lechem Mishna is referring to a gemara in Moed Katan [17a]: There was once a certain Rabbi whose reputation was objectionable. Said Rab Judah, How is one to act? To excommunicate him [we cannot], as the Rabbis have need of him [as an able teacher]. Not to excommunicate him [we cannot afford] as the name of Heaven is being profaned. Said he to Rabbah b. Bar Hana, Have you heard alight on that point? He replied: ‘Thus said R. Johanan: What means the text, For the kohen's lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts? [It means, that] if the Master is like unto a messenger of the Lord of Hosts, they should seek the law at his mouth; but if [he be] not , they should not seek the law at his mouth’. [Thereupon] Rab Yehudah pronounced the excommunication on him.
We see from this sugya that the gemara doesn't distinguish between an adult and a child and the Rabbi with the poor reputation was excommunicated.
However, Tosfos in Chagiga already asks about the sugya in Moed Kattan where the Rabbi was excommunicated and no distinction was made between a child and an adult unlike the sugya in Chagiga. They offer two answers: 1] The gemara in M"K is talking about a Rabbi who taught children [thus harmonizing the two gemaros that they shouldn't contradict each other]. 2] עיין שם.
The Rambam doesn't subscribe to Tosfos' answer because the simple meaning of the gemara is that it refers even to gdolim.
Since the reason one would make a distinction between a gadol and a kotton is because a gadol is less susceptible to the influence of a deviant Rebbe, it must be that the Rambam [who doesn't make the aforementioned distinction] holds that there is another reason it is forbidden. What is that reason? Let us learn the gemara further....
But how did R. Meir learn Torah at the mouth of Acher [who went off the derech]? Behold Rabbah b. Bar Hana said that R. Johanan said: What is the meaning of the verse, For the kohen's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts?
[This means that] if the teacher is like an angel of the Lord of hosts, they should seek the Law at his mouth, but if not, they should not seek the Law at his mouth! — Resh Lakish answered: R. Meir found a verse and expounded it [as follows]: Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart unto my knowledge. It does not say, ‘unto their knowledge’, but ‘unto my knowledge’ [Since the heart may not be applied to their knowledge, it shows that the acts of the wise men referred to must be wicked. Nevertheless, their words may be listened to. Thus R. Meir could learn from Acher, provided he did not imitate the latter's deeds.] R. Hanina said, [he decided it] from here: Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear; forget also your own people, and thy father's house etc. [I.e., hearken to the words of the wise, but forget their actions, if they are wicked.] The verses contradict one another! [the pasuk quoted above from which we derive that one's Rebbe should be like a malach and the psukim that imply that one may learn from someone even if he is not a righteous person]. There is no contradiction: in the one case Scripture refers to an adult, in the other to a child [an adult who is careful not to learn from his deeds may learn from him - Rashi] . When R. Dimi came [to Babylon] he said: In the West, they say: R. Meir ate the date and threw the kernel away.
The Ramban [Hilchos Talmud Torah 4/1] rules that if a Rav is not going on the right path even if he is a very wise and knowledgable man and the entire nation needs him, one may not learn from him until he returns to the path of goodness as it says "For a kohen's lips should keep knowledge etc." The Lechem Mishna notes that the Rambam didn't cite the gemara's distinction between an adult and a child. He answers that Rav Yochanan elsewhere is Shas also makes this assertion [that a person should learn from a righteous Rebbe] and the gemara doesn't distinguish between an adult and a child so halacha li-maase there is no distinction. Only Rebbe Meir in our gemara makes the distinction but the halacha doesn't follow him.
The Lechem Mishna is referring to a gemara in Moed Katan [17a]: There was once a certain Rabbi whose reputation was objectionable. Said Rab Judah, How is one to act? To excommunicate him [we cannot], as the Rabbis have need of him [as an able teacher]. Not to excommunicate him [we cannot afford] as the name of Heaven is being profaned. Said he to Rabbah b. Bar Hana, Have you heard alight on that point? He replied: ‘Thus said R. Johanan: What means the text, For the kohen's lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts? [It means, that] if the Master is like unto a messenger of the Lord of Hosts, they should seek the law at his mouth; but if [he be] not , they should not seek the law at his mouth’. [Thereupon] Rab Yehudah pronounced the excommunication on him.
We see from this sugya that the gemara doesn't distinguish between an adult and a child and the Rabbi with the poor reputation was excommunicated.
However, Tosfos in Chagiga already asks about the sugya in Moed Kattan where the Rabbi was excommunicated and no distinction was made between a child and an adult unlike the sugya in Chagiga. They offer two answers: 1] The gemara in M"K is talking about a Rabbi who taught children [thus harmonizing the two gemaros that they shouldn't contradict each other]. 2] עיין שם.
The Rambam doesn't subscribe to Tosfos' answer because the simple meaning of the gemara is that it refers even to gdolim.
Since the reason one would make a distinction between a gadol and a kotton is because a gadol is less susceptible to the influence of a deviant Rebbe, it must be that the Rambam [who doesn't make the aforementioned distinction] holds that there is another reason it is forbidden. What is that reason? Let us learn the gemara further....
Rabbah b. Shila [once] met Elijah.
He said to him: What is the Holy One, blessed be He, doing? He answered: He utters traditions in the name of all the Rabbis, but in the name of R. Meir he does not utter. Rabbah asked him, Why? — Because he learnt traditions at the mouth of Aher.
Rabbeinu Chananel explains that even though Rebbe Meir was not influenced by Acher, it is still better to learn from a yarei shomayim. We see that there is a deficiency in the Torah of someone who learns from a deviant Rebbe. There is a חסרון in the צורה of all of his Torah. That is why Hashem didn't say ANY Torah from Rebbe Meir.
This tips us off as to why the Rambam finds it necessary to tell us that after the Rebbe does tshuvah one may learn from him. One might think that there is a permanent blemish in his Torah even after he does tshuva and is once again a yarei shomayim, just as Rebbe Meir was a solid yarei shomayim but since he leared from Acher there was a significant blemish in his learning. To disabuse us from this notion the Rambam says that after he does tshuva one may learn from him.
Which then brings in its wake another question - how then does the Rambam know that? Maybe one may not learn from such a person even after tshuva??
For those interested in furthering their knowledge, they may look in the sefer Mishnas Chaim [בראשית סי' צו].
Another question worth our attention is what exactly is the spiritual deficiency of the Rebbe? Is it apikorsus? Bad middos? Both? That he doesn't wear tcheiles [that was a joke..] Something else?
There is a lot more to say but maybe another time.
ועוד חזון למועד!!:-)
ועוד חזון למועד!!:-)
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
BETRAYAL
No failure in Life, whether of love or money, is ever really that simple; it usually involves a type of a shadowy betrayal, buried in a secret, mass grave of shared hopes and dreams.
That universal mass grave exists in a private cemetery that most... both those suffering from the loss, but especially those committing the betrayal, refuse to acknowledge its existence.
When you realize you've been deeply betrayed, fear really hits you. That's what you feel first. And then it's anger and frustration. Then disappointment and disilussionment.
Part of the problem is how little we understand about the ultimate effects and consequences of betrayal on our hearts and spirits; and on trust and respect for our fellow brothers and sisters.
Tragedy in life normally comes with betrayal and compromise- by trading in our integrity and failing to treat life and others in our life, with respect and dignity. That's really where the truest and the most tragic failures comes from... they come making the choice to betray another soul, and in turn, giving up a piece of your own.”
― José N. Harris Mi Vida
That universal mass grave exists in a private cemetery that most... both those suffering from the loss, but especially those committing the betrayal, refuse to acknowledge its existence.
When you realize you've been deeply betrayed, fear really hits you. That's what you feel first. And then it's anger and frustration. Then disappointment and disilussionment.
Part of the problem is how little we understand about the ultimate effects and consequences of betrayal on our hearts and spirits; and on trust and respect for our fellow brothers and sisters.
Tragedy in life normally comes with betrayal and compromise- by trading in our integrity and failing to treat life and others in our life, with respect and dignity. That's really where the truest and the most tragic failures comes from... they come making the choice to betray another soul, and in turn, giving up a piece of your own.”
― José N. Harris Mi Vida
Monday, October 1, 2012
Emunah In Chazal
Rav Soloveitchik used to give shiurim to balabatim at the Moriah shul on the Upper West Side of Manhattan [sort of a shul for diamond dealers from Belgium who liked to speak yiddish, eat herring and drink a little schnapps for kiddush. I've known a few. Good men....]. He taught all of masseches brachos and in particular delved deeply into the aggados with the commentary of the Maharsha and other ba'alei machshava, even in the ninth perek which is all about dreams. He explained that the psychology of the layman is that if the halachic gemaras make no sense to him, he will assume that it is his own inadequate understanding and no fault of Chazal. But if he doesn't understand the non-halachic aggadic gemaras he will attribute the inadequacy to Chazal. That will bring him to apikorsus. Thus Rav Soloveitchik felt compelled to go to great lengths to explain and clarify the aggados.
[Mi-pninei HaRav Page 207]
[Mi-pninei HaRav Page 207]
It's All Hevel
On Succos we offer seventy bulls corresponding to the seventy nations of the world. These korbanos both help fix the nations and protect us from their evil schemes [and with that רשע from Iran we need it]. It behooves us therefore to learn the perek of tehillim that talks about the goyim's praising of Hashem. [It is the shortest perek in all of Tanach.]
הללו את הוי' כל גוים, שבחוהו כל האמים, כי גבר עלינו חסדו ואמת הוי' לעולם הללויה - Praise Hashem all of the nations, praise Him all of the states. For His kindness has overwhelmed us and the truth of Hashem is eternal, Halleyuyah.
There are 17 words, טוב in gematria, [according to the tradition that הללו יה are two separate words] and 62 letters, טוב מאד in gematria. טוב מאד is identified by Chazal as the connection between the yetzer hara and yetzer tov, the Angel of Life and the Angel Of Death, gan eden and gehenom, it can also be identified with the Jews and the nations of the world who praise Hashem for His salvation.
The perek is 62 times the gematria of the word הבל - vanity or hot air [36]. That means that since there are 62 letters the average of each letter is gematria הבל. On Succos we deal with the הבל in this world by reading קהלת and הבל is also the hot air that comes out of our mouth when we [and the nations] praise Hashem. We thus reveal the highest level of the soul - called יחידה, which of course is same gematria - 36. By connecting to the yechida of our souls on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we are ready on Succos to reveal the יחידה of the nations of the world.
[Based on a shiur by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzburg Shlita].
הללו את הוי' כל גוים, שבחוהו כל האמים, כי גבר עלינו חסדו ואמת הוי' לעולם הללויה - Praise Hashem all of the nations, praise Him all of the states. For His kindness has overwhelmed us and the truth of Hashem is eternal, Halleyuyah.
There are 17 words, טוב in gematria, [according to the tradition that הללו יה are two separate words] and 62 letters, טוב מאד in gematria. טוב מאד is identified by Chazal as the connection between the yetzer hara and yetzer tov, the Angel of Life and the Angel Of Death, gan eden and gehenom, it can also be identified with the Jews and the nations of the world who praise Hashem for His salvation.
The perek is 62 times the gematria of the word הבל - vanity or hot air [36]. That means that since there are 62 letters the average of each letter is gematria הבל. On Succos we deal with the הבל in this world by reading קהלת and הבל is also the hot air that comes out of our mouth when we [and the nations] praise Hashem. We thus reveal the highest level of the soul - called יחידה, which of course is same gematria - 36. By connecting to the yechida of our souls on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we are ready on Succos to reveal the יחידה of the nations of the world.
[Based on a shiur by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzburg Shlita].
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