Friday, September 21, 2012
The Marbeh Chaim Blog
If you want to learn how to REALLY read a daf gemara - I recommend these shiurim. He has an approach which is simply not found anywhere else and is illuminating [if you have been following the blog recently you know what I mean].
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A Second Of Life
From revach.net
On the last Yom Kippur of his life, the Gaon, Rav Yehudah Leib Chasman, z’tl, the mashgiach of Yeshivas Chevron, returned to his house after neilah, due to his weakness from the fast. A minyan of bochurim accompanied him. Rav Chasman’s face was shining was happiness that he was zocheh to complete the fast. As the bochurim sat down to await the time to daven Maariv, Rav Chasman shared an insight from Yonah.
Rav Chasman said, “Yona Hanavi told the men on the ship to ‘lift me and throw me into the sea.’ The words ‘lift me’ seems to be extra. What was Yona adding with these words? Wouldn’t it have been enough if he said only, ‘Throw me into the sea’?
“The answer is that Yona was requesting that they delay throwing him into the sea as much as possible – even for a split second. Because there is nothing more valuable in the world than the life of a human being. Even when death has already been decreed, it’s still worthwhile to lengthen one’s life as much as possible. Who knows how valuable the life of person in his last moments!
The mashgiach concluded, “We have to understand that we now still have another moment of kedushas Yom Kippur! Come, let us grab hold of it, do not weaken! Let us not lose this precious stone without a thought!
On the last Yom Kippur of his life, the Gaon, Rav Yehudah Leib Chasman, z’tl, the mashgiach of Yeshivas Chevron, returned to his house after neilah, due to his weakness from the fast. A minyan of bochurim accompanied him. Rav Chasman’s face was shining was happiness that he was zocheh to complete the fast. As the bochurim sat down to await the time to daven Maariv, Rav Chasman shared an insight from Yonah.
Rav Chasman said, “Yona Hanavi told the men on the ship to ‘lift me and throw me into the sea.’ The words ‘lift me’ seems to be extra. What was Yona adding with these words? Wouldn’t it have been enough if he said only, ‘Throw me into the sea’?
“The answer is that Yona was requesting that they delay throwing him into the sea as much as possible – even for a split second. Because there is nothing more valuable in the world than the life of a human being. Even when death has already been decreed, it’s still worthwhile to lengthen one’s life as much as possible. Who knows how valuable the life of person in his last moments!
The mashgiach concluded, “We have to understand that we now still have another moment of kedushas Yom Kippur! Come, let us grab hold of it, do not weaken! Let us not lose this precious stone without a thought!
Succah 38 -39 - ברכה עובר לעשייתן
WHERE THE CUSTOM OBTAINS TO REPEAT [THE VERSES OF HALLEL],
HE SHOULD REPEAT; [WHERE THE CUSTOM IS] TO SAY THEM ONLY ONCE, HE SHOULD SAY THEM ONCE;
WHERE THE CUSTOM OBTAINS TO REPEAT. It was taught, Rabbi used to repeat [certain] words in it [From אנא השם and on - Rashi];
R. Eleazar b. Perata used to augment [certain] words in it. What is meant by ‘augment’? — Abaye explained, He augmented the doubling beginning with אודך ‘I will give thanks unto You’
to the end of the Psalm.
[WHERE THE CUSTOM OBTAINS] TO RECITE THE BENEDICTION, HE SHOULD
RECITE THE BENEDICTION. Abaye explained, This [that whether you make a bracha on hallel is dependent on minhag] was taught only with regard to the concluding benediction,
but with regard to the preceding benediction, it is a positive commandment to say it, for Rab Judah citing Samuel ruled, With all commandments the benediction is to be recited ‘over' [prior] to their performance [עובר לעשייתן]. And whence do we know that the word ‘over' means prior? — R. Nahman b. Isaac replied, Since it is written, Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of
the plain and he overran [קדמו לרוץ לפניו preceded him - Rashi] the Cushite.
In the parallel sugya [Psachim 119 - see there] the gemara says about hallel on the arba kosos that if the custom is to repeat - he should repeat. Rashi there explains the "repeat" refers to the entire hallel. That is a blatant contradiction to what Rashi says here that the most one repeats is from אודך but not the whole hallel. Rashi [in the mishna ד"ה לכפול] explains that the reason there is a custom to repeat is because most of the mizmor of הודו לשם is composed of repeated psukim so we have a custom to repeat them all. But there is no reason to repeat the psukim of the rest of hallel that is composed of other mizmorim that aren't repeated. So how can we reconcile the contradiction between Rashi in Succah with Rashi in Psachim?
There is another contradiction betwen the two parallel sugyos. The gemara in succah first discusses the repetition of psukim and then gets to the bracha on hallel which is the order of the mishna. The gemara in Psachim switches the order and first discusses the bracha and only then the doubling of psukim contrary to the order of the mishna.
Let's see another parallel gemara [Psachim 7a-b]: Rav Yehuda said that one who searches for chametz must make a bracha beforehand of על ביעור חמץ. The gemara explains: Because Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: For all precepts a benediction is recited prior [‘over'] to their being performed — Where is it implied that this [word] ‘over' connotes priority? — Said R. Nahman b. Isaac, Because the pasuk said, Then Ahimaatz ran by the way of the Plain and overran [ויעבור] the Cushite. Rashi explains - קדמו במיתת אבשלום - Achimaatz preceded the Cushite in reaching Dovid to relate the death of Avshalom.
This is a huge problem. If you look in the psukim [שמואל ב' פרק יח] you will see that Achimaatz did not outrun the Cushite to relate the death of Avshalom but to tell Dovid that they were victorious in battle. Only after he told Dovid about the battle Dovid asked him how Avshalom was and he replied that he didn't know. So why is Rashi not following the simple understanding of the psukim?
Huge problem.
We learn from the Rashi in Psachim a new understanding of the whole story of Achimaatz who asked Yoav permission to tell Dovid the news and Yoav answered that it's not good news so he shouldn't go. Ahimaatz said that he wants to go anyway. When he arrived he said "Blessed is Hashem who delivered into our hands the men who raised their hands against my master the king" [כ"ח]. When Dovid asked about Avshalom, Achimaatz answered "I saw the great commotion when Yoav sent the Cushite servant of the king etc. and I do not know what happened".
The meforshim explain that Yoav didn't know that Achimaatz would only tell Dovid about the victory at war and wouldn't tell him about the death of Avshalom. The Malbim adds that the whole idea to tell only part of the story [the victory and not the death of Avshalom] came about only after the Cushite was sent to tell Dovid the bad news. Since there is already a messanger to relate the bad news he is free to share the good news only.
HOWEVER, from Rashi in Psachim we learn a new understanding of what happened. Achimaatz intended to tell Dovid the whole story because the shleimus of being a good messanger of Yoav is telling the whole story. The chochma of Achimaatz was that he was able to veil the news in very vague terms, so he told Dovid and didn't tell him at the same time. When he said "Blessed is Hashem who delivered into our hands the men who raised their hands against my master the king" he was alluding to Avshalom as well. When Dovid asked him specifically about Avshalom he gave an evasive answer "לא ידעתי מה" - I don't know what happened afterwards [Rashi on the pasuk there]. That didn't answer Dovid's question at all because he didn't want to be explicit about Avshalom's death in order to leave Dovid with some hope.
But now we are left with the question of what compelled Rashi in Psachim to understand the parsha that way.
We can make the following chakirah: Is the bracha before a mitzva a declaration of intent that the act is being done for mitzva purposes [there is a Ritva somewhere who says that] or do we say that the bracha is part and parcel of the mitzva and not just a hakdama. Rashi clearly holds like the second side of the chakira - that the bracha is part and parcel of the mitzvas bedika. Rashi doesn't hold like those poskim who say that the bracha is made on the bedika because the bedika is the beginning of the biyur but that the bedika is significant enough to warrant its own bracha as he writes ולשון ביעור [בברכה] היינו נמי בדיקה. The bracha is on the bedika and is part and parcel of the bedika.
This explains why in Psachim Rashi understood the psukim as he did. When Achimaatz outran the Cushite it was to perform the very same shlichus that the Cushite was performing, namely to relate the death of Avshalom. This parallels the issue at hand, the statement of Rav Yehuda the bracha precedes the mitzva and where according to Rashi they are the same entity.
In contrast to this, in our sugya Rashi explained the Achimaatz קדמו לרוץ לפניו - He outran the Cushite to tell him something different [not מוכרח but could be]. This is consistent with the first way of understanding the bracha on the mitzva - that it is a declaration of intent that a mitzva is to be performed [and thank Hashem for the honor] but a different entity from the mitzva.
I didn't answer all the questions but if you look at the sefer Marbeh Yeshiva [סימן ח] from Rabbi Homnick Shlita everything will become clear.
BARUCH HASHEM! Missing Girl Found
From an email that has been circulating [thanks ESG:-)]:
Dear Member,
We are gratified beyond measure to inform the community that Caroline Starkman has been found without serious injury. The family firmly believes that the prayers and support of the entire community have enabled them to reach this moment and they express their deepest gratitude.
In the immediate days to come, the family asks for privacy to enable them to chart the best course for Caroline. They will share developments with the community in the future.
Caroline's family deeply thanks all of you once again for your support and tefillot.
Wishing everyone a Shana Tova!
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
Dear Member,
We are gratified beyond measure to inform the community that Caroline Starkman has been found without serious injury. The family firmly believes that the prayers and support of the entire community have enabled them to reach this moment and they express their deepest gratitude.
In the immediate days to come, the family asks for privacy to enable them to chart the best course for Caroline. They will share developments with the community in the future.
Caroline's family deeply thanks all of you once again for your support and tefillot.
Wishing everyone a Shana Tova!
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
What This Blog Taught Me About Teshuva
Before I post what I wrote I first read it over. Even though I was careful to write everything correctly I invariably find a mistake or three. Then I correct what I wrote, spellcheck it and post. Then I read the post again and lo and behold - I find another mistake! So I correct it and repost [I wish I could fix my mistakes in life as easily].
Then I reread the post some time later and find another mistake. I think "How did I miss that?" I correct, repost and feel that this is it. Clean of errors.
Until the next time I look....
Teshuva means closely examining your deeds. The more we look, the more imperfections we will find. The gemara says that you should confess sins that you already confessed last year. A fresh look will almost always reveal if not outright errors, at least aspects that require polishing.
Example from my life: I am trying to start a yeshiva next year. This is a huge undertaking that occupies much of my thoughts and time. Recently I was approached by someone on their birthday and given a gezunte, heartfelt bracha [the Talmud Yerushalmi says that one has special powers on his/her birthday]. Brachos are not only supposed to create a better, improved reality but also serve to guide and edify the receiver. When Yaakov gave his son's "brachos" prior to his demise, he essentially told them what their task in this world is. The greatest bracha is knowing what you are supposed to become. In the course of the lengthy, ayintova-dike bracha I was told "You should build the yeshiva li-shem shomayim" [which was immediately modified by "I'm sure you are"]. This has been haunting me ever since. Am I really doing everything PURELY ONE MILLION PERCENT li-shem shomayim. As one gadol once put it "Even your li-shem shomayim has to be li-shem shomayim". I am very connected to myself [read: have ego:-)] and thinking about the complete purity of my motivations is a penetrating question that challenges and probes me to rid myself of the spiritual dross that clings to my psyche and soul.
This example was more subtle because the project of building something spiritual is basically a positive one. When I think of other more mundane actions and examine my deeds I find that teshuva is the order of the day. And after I am done cleaning up the mess I return later to find I missed a few spots...
IF a person is depressed, down in the dumps, OCD or otherwise not feeling upbeat about things, the teshuva process i described should be carried out with great care lest it have negative repurcussions. I was writing for happy, healthy optimistic types who can take a licking and keep on ticking:-).
Then I reread the post some time later and find another mistake. I think "How did I miss that?" I correct, repost and feel that this is it. Clean of errors.
Until the next time I look....
Teshuva means closely examining your deeds. The more we look, the more imperfections we will find. The gemara says that you should confess sins that you already confessed last year. A fresh look will almost always reveal if not outright errors, at least aspects that require polishing.
Example from my life: I am trying to start a yeshiva next year. This is a huge undertaking that occupies much of my thoughts and time. Recently I was approached by someone on their birthday and given a gezunte, heartfelt bracha [the Talmud Yerushalmi says that one has special powers on his/her birthday]. Brachos are not only supposed to create a better, improved reality but also serve to guide and edify the receiver. When Yaakov gave his son's "brachos" prior to his demise, he essentially told them what their task in this world is. The greatest bracha is knowing what you are supposed to become. In the course of the lengthy, ayintova-dike bracha I was told "You should build the yeshiva li-shem shomayim" [which was immediately modified by "I'm sure you are"]. This has been haunting me ever since. Am I really doing everything PURELY ONE MILLION PERCENT li-shem shomayim. As one gadol once put it "Even your li-shem shomayim has to be li-shem shomayim". I am very connected to myself [read: have ego:-)] and thinking about the complete purity of my motivations is a penetrating question that challenges and probes me to rid myself of the spiritual dross that clings to my psyche and soul.
This example was more subtle because the project of building something spiritual is basically a positive one. When I think of other more mundane actions and examine my deeds I find that teshuva is the order of the day. And after I am done cleaning up the mess I return later to find I missed a few spots...
IF a person is depressed, down in the dumps, OCD or otherwise not feeling upbeat about things, the teshuva process i described should be carried out with great care lest it have negative repurcussions. I was writing for happy, healthy optimistic types who can take a licking and keep on ticking:-).
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