I heard an explanation from Rav Yisraeli shlita (I subsequently found the same idea in some seforim.) The Gemorah in Sanhedrin (99b) says שנאמר (משלי טז, כו) נפש עמל עמלה לו כי אכף עליו פיהו הוא עמל במקום זה ותורתו עומלת לו במקום אחר. Rashi says (girsah of Eyen Yaakov,) שמחזרת עליו ומבקשת מאת קונה למסור לו טעמי תורה וסתריה. We see that the Torah itself prays to Hashem for a person to be successful in their learning. How can the Torah beseech Hashem for a person? Because the Torah is Torah Chayim. As I like to tell my sister when she says quiet, only dead things are quiet. Learning Torah is not studying some ancient, dead history. Torah is a living screaming organism. By assuring הדרן עלך, that you have not left the Tractate behind, it will be הדרך עלן, it will help you understand the next Tractate as well.
The Haghos Ashri end of Sukkah brings the midrash (Shir Hashirim 1:9 ) that says after Shlomo asked Hashe for a לב שומע, wisdom and understanding, מיד ויבא ירושלים ויעמוד לפני ארון ברית ה' ויעל עולות ויעש שלמים ויעש משתה לכל עבדיו, א"ר אלעזר מכאן שעושין סעוד' לגמרה של תורה. How is this a source for making a siyum, Shlomo did not learn anything yet, he was just given greater ability? We see the celebration is for the Torah that was learnt, rather it is for the Torah that will be learnt. In other words, after one finishes a Tractate, their connection to Torah is strengthened. The Torah will come to the individual's aid to be able to have a greater understanding in Torah. That is the הדרן עלן, celebrating the greater insights in Torah that are possible because one has finished a Tractate.
Many come into Simchas Torah wondering what is the simcha for me, I didn't learn enough this year, I'm not learning in yeshiva/kollel, what does it have to do with me? The answer is that we are not celebrating last year's learning, it is a time of commitment for the future. In some institutions people make learning pledges for the upcoming year. That is taking upon themselves the commitment for the future (Kotzker.)
On Sukkot there are the great celebrations of the בית השואבה. Why is the simcha called the simcha of the בית השואבה, when the mitzvah is not the drawing of the water, rather the libation? And what is so great about the water libation that it deserves such simcha? Rashi Vayikra (2:13) tells us since the water that was placed on earth complained that they were being sent further away from Hashem they meir to be offered in the water libation on Sukkot. The water libation indicates our desire to do more, to come closer to Hashem. That is what we are celebrating. That is why the celebration is for the בית השואבה, for we are not celebrating the completing of the mitvah, rather the opportunity to reconnect ourselves to Hashem. That starts with the preparation of the mitzvah. It is the new opportunity of having shed our baggage of the previous year on the High Holy days and now we are starting a better relationship with Hashem (see the Hornosteipel.)
very nice pshat in how we derive making a Siyum from Shlomo Hamelech. See In Maayan Beis HaSho’eivah (VeZos HaBerachah ad loc.),where Rav Shimon Schwab, saying like you redefines the simchah of a siyum: One should not say to himself, “I finished and learned this whole subject.” Instead, he should say, “Now that I learned the subject once, just imagine how much better my understanding will be the next time around.”
ReplyDeleteThe comprehension when learning something a second time is entirely different from the first go-around. Not only is there a greater depth of understanding, but perhaps more importantly, one’s approach to the same material is altered and he can see where false assumptions led to inadequate grasp of the subject matter.
The central point of the siyum becomes the words of the Hadran, in which the person makes a commitment to return and learn this section of Torah again. It is this new ability to learn the same material with a keener eye that is being feted. This growth — in the emes of Torah the second time around — is truly cause for celebration.
Now we see why Shlomo celebrated. When he was gifted with chochmah, his understanding of the same Torah became drastically improved, and his limud haTorah took on a new dimension. This is why he made a seudah for all his servants. And this, very reasonably, became the source for our siyum: both on Simchas Torah and throughout the year.
Saying a Hadran and committing to relearn — or finishing Ve`Zos HaBerachah and beginning Bereishis again — becomes a real simchah. Not of completion but of commencement at a higher level.
I am curious as to what two comments you deleted from your fathers post about the Rambam. Did it have anything to do with what I added? Gut YomTov
Thank you for the mareh makom
DeleteNo, my deletion was because I did not intend to place a comment there, I got confused with a different post where I was intending to comment
just want to share a most interesting pshat in a Hadran from that Rav Reuven Margolis near end of sefer Nitzutzei Or brings from Sefer HaChaim, brother of Maharal. It has hints of what you were saying.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Hadran Alach Vhadrach Alan is standardly understood as a repetitive declaration, We shall Hadar and Return to you, expressing our commitment to review and once again study the same volume of Shas, citing Sefer HaChaim –from the Brother of the Maharal (perek 3) Rav Margolias writes that it also may mean Our Hadar/Splendor comes from you. We recognize that we have not merely completed a subject of study, but that we have been transformed thereby. The Splendor of Torah which Hashem has instilled within the words of the Mesechta have changed us. We therefore say” Hadran Alach and Hadrach Alan –Splendor is Yours and Your Splendor is now ours. Our newfound splendor is from You!
Don't understand the answer, why is this greater connection acheived only at the completion of the torah, presumably the conncetion is being strengthened the whole time someone learns. The simpler pshat is that a siyum is celebrating the completion of a certain segment of yedias hatorah (as the יפה קול explains in his commentary on the medrash there) and shlomo acheived a level of yedias hatorah when hashem granted him chochma. This is also mistaber, if one assumes like some achronim that there are two mitzvos of torah limud and yediah. limud is never over it is always yomam valaila. However yedia can be completed. There is still an issue that there is no end to the depths of the torah but the shulchan aruch harav already writes in hilchos talmud torah that there is a finite body of toarh to learn (superficially). If so a potion of torah superficially learned could be celebrated as a completion. This would also explain the rashi in shabbos 118b/119 who explains that a siyum is made when one is גרסה a superficial but clear understanding (see מגילה ו עמוד ב לאוקמי גירסא סייתא מן שמיא היא)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm not sure what learning in Yeshiva/Kollel has to do with it. Also the answer doesn't answer because still not learning in Yeshiva/kollel unless that is what you meant by future commitment. But don't understand why not considered learning in Yeshiva based on חגיגה ה: בר בי רב דחד יומא אם בבהמ"ד כל שאפשר.
The question your asking can be asked in other words, why make a siyum on maakos of all 24 blatt but for learning 24 blatt of bavva kammah, there is no siyum, you must complete the whole thing? Look in Rav Shimshon Pinkus that discusses this question. There is a certain shelamus out of one complete segment. Of course its a constant strengthening, but it is quantitatively quantitatively different when finishing a whole segment.
DeleteOk, if you don't like words yeshiva/kollel, the point is that one feels I didn't learn much last year, how is simchas torah applicable to me? The answer is to accept learning for the future. And please, a בר בי רב דחד יומא is not one learning in yeshiva except for that one funny case.