Showing posts with label Ki Teitzey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ki Teitzey. Show all posts

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Fences

Rabbi Akiva Eiger in Teshuva siman 9 has a back and forth if one who buys a house and it has a mezuzah set up, does one say a beracha on the mezuzah since it is a new mitzvah for the new occupant.  Rav Scheinberg in Mishmeres Chayim asks why no one raises such a possibility regarding the mitzvah of having a fence around a roof, no one suggests that when moving into the house one should say a new beracha on the maakeh?  He answers that when it comes to mezuzah R.A.E. entertains the possability that a new house for this owner is a new mitzvah, there is a new מחייב,  and requires its own beracha.  However, the point of the maakeh, the fence, is merely to avoid danger and since there is no new danger, there is no new מחייב.

Tosfos Chullin (105a) says there is no beracha on removing danger.  So why is there a beracha on putting up a fence at all?  The Chazon Eish says that the bar of danger is not met by the place where one has to put op a maakeh and the mitzvah is to put up a fence despite not meeting the bar to be considered dangerous (discussed in greater detail in the post Put Up A Fence.)  (See also Likutay Sichos volume 2)  .In light of this, the answer of Rav Scheinberg becomes difficult for the מחייב of the fence is an independent mitzvah not due to sakanah?  

Rashi says כִּי תִבְנֶה בַּיִת חָדָשׁ: אִם קִיַּמְתָּ מִצְוַת שִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן, סוֹפְךָ לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת חָדָשׁ, וּתְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת מַעֲקֶה, שֶׁמִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה, וְתַגִּיעַ לְכֶרֶם וְשָׂדֶה וְלִבְגָדִים נָאִים, לְכָךְ נִסְמְכוּ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ.  Normally מִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה means that one mitzva leads to another but here it is leading to a new house which happens to have a mitzvah etc., how is that מִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה?  We see that it doesn't merely mean one mitzvah leads to another but that when one does a mitzvah one's outlook in life becomes different.  When one does a mitzvah he starts viewing additional things as mitzvah opportunities.  When the person gets a new house he sees the mitzva of maakah, the fields, the mitzvot associated with the fields etc.  The mitzvah allows him to see additional mitzvot in other areas (see also Divrei Chaim l'maancha Elokim chaim.)

The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 2) says the message of saying a beracha on making the roof is that when one builds a new house, meaning when one reaches a new form of avodah, in order to avoid stumbling one must build a roof which is raised above the house.  One must bring down a greater level to watch and protect over the person.  How is that possible?  By making a beracha, by connecting and bringing into the world the Divine assistance which will allow for one to tap into a level above their own in order to be successful in their new endeavor.

Friday, August 25, 2023

No Middot

על דבר אשר לא קדמו אתכם בלחם ובמים בדרך בצאתכם ממצרים ואשר שכר עליך את בלעם בן בעור מפתור ארם נהרים לקללך.  

Daas Chachma Umussar volume 1 pg. 82











Emes L'Yaakov:




Friday, September 9, 2022

Changing the Mindset

Harav Hagaon Yehuda Wagshal Shlita

This week’s parashah discusses the ben sorer u’moreh, who, Rashi says, deserves to die not because of his sins to date, but because of the sins he will invariably perform in the future: בן סורר ומורה נהרג על שם סופו הגיעה תורה לסוף דעתו, סוף שמכלה ממון אביו ומבקש לימודו ואינו מוצא ועומד בפרשת דרכים ומלסטם את הבריות. אמרה תורה ימות זכאי ואל ימות חייב.  From the behavior the ben sorer u’moreh exhibited in his youth, the Torah foresaw that he would continue along this path, until there’s no hope for him. The Torah therefore says that it is preferable that he die innocent than that he die guilty.

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 88) notes that there is a way out for the ben sorer u’moreh, through which he can be saved from the fate of death: בן סורר ומורה שרצו אביו ואמו למחול לו מוחלין לו. If his parents can find it in their heart to forgive him for what he did to them, their mechilah is effective in averting his death sentence.

The Shem MiShmuel asks, how can that be? A ben sorer u’moreh is not killed because of what he did to his parents; he is killed על שם סופו! How, then, can the mechilah of the parents help?  It must be, answers the Shem MiShmuel, that if the parents are mochel, the future that the Torah predicts for this ben sorer u’moreh will also change.  Why, he asks, does the Torah predict such a dismal future for this boy? Doesn’t everyone have the possibility of doing teshuvah, including a ben sorer u’moreh?

He answers that the ability to do teshuvah and change one’s ways is purely in the zechus of the Avos hakedoshim. When a person is connected to the chain that begins with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, he can access the purity they transmitted to us and access the power to do teshuvah. That’s the reason the Midrash says that only Klal Yisrael have the possibility of teshuvah; a non-Jew does not, because he does not have what to go back to.

It is true, continues the Shem MiShmuel, that every person has the opportunity to do teshuvah. But a ben sorer u’moreh, who detached himself from his ancestral chain by stealing from his parents and rebelling against them, forfeits this ability to do teshuvah. If, however, his parents forgive him, they can reconnect him to the chain. That eliminates the dismal future that the Torah envisions for him, as he now regains the ability to repent.

Perhaps we can add another dimension to this explanation of the Shem MiShmuel.  Rashi’s wording is: הגיעה תורה לסוף דעתו — the Torah grasped the ultimate daas of the ben sorer u’moreh, and foresaw that he would go from bad to worse, until there is no hope for him. But what does this have to do with his daas? Shouldn’t it say that the Torah grasped what his actions would ultimately be — הגיעה תורה לסוף מעשיו?

To understand this, let us consider the passuk in Tehillim, in Shir Hamaalos, כִּי עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵא. Rav Gifter wondered why Hashem’s selichah would bring us to fear Him — on the contrary, if Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not forgive us, that should scare us! Now that He does forgive, why would His forgiveness evoke fear?

Rav Gifter explained that when a person sins and realizes he low he fell, he feels stuck and hopeless, and gives up. In this state of despair, a person can’t bring himself to fear Hashem. Yirah is possible only when a person feels that there’s hope. That idea is expressed in the words כִּי עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵא, which convey that since Hakadosh Baruch Hu forgives us, we have hope, and we can therefore fear Him.

This idea can be applied to the ben sorer u’moreh as well. The ben sorer u’moreh stooped to a really low level, stealing from and rebelling against his parents, who took care of him his whole life. The daas of this ben sorer u’moreh, therefore, is one of yiush: “Once I’m here, forget it.” And he gives up on everything.

The Torah foresaw not the future actions of the ben sorer u’moreh — there can be worse aveiros than the ones he will ultimately perform — but his future daas. He’s in such a low state of mind that he’ll never be able to pull himself up and come back to the right derech, and that’s why the Torah says that he should die innocent rather than dying guilty.

If so, we can better understand the Gemara’s statement that the mechilah of his parents can overturn his sentence. Upon seeing that his parents are prepared to forgive him, the ben sorer u’moreh thinks to himself, “Look what I did, and still, Tatty and Mommy are willing to be mochel me. That means they value me for what I am, despite what I did.” This dispels his yiush, his negative daas, and now he can indeed do teshuvah and change his mindset, in much the same way that Hashem’s selichah inspires a person to yirah.

That’s the lesson of the ben sorer u’moreh, and it’s an important message for parents: The mechilah and sense of value that parents show their children is what will give them the koach to pull themselves out of possible yiush and return to avodas Hashem.

This is really a lesson for every person vis-à-vis himself as well.  Sometimes a person wants to change his ways, but he feels hopeless when he sees where he is, the madreigah he is on, and he doesn’t have the daas, the motivation, to even try. And sometimes a person has to be mochel himself and value himself. That will help him change his daas, and once he does that, he can continue the process of כִּי עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה לְמַעַן תִּוָּרֵא.   

Thursday, September 8, 2022

It Remains Within You

The Gemarah Sotah (3b)  ואמר רב חסדא בתחילה קודם שחטאו ישראל היתה שכינה שורה עם כל אחד ואחד שנאמר {דברים כ״ג:ט״ו} כי ה׳ אלהיך מתהלך בקרב מחניך כיון שחטאו נסתלקה שכינה מהם שנאמר {דברים כ״ג:ט״ו} ולא יראה בך ערות דבר ושב מאחריך.  What does the Gemarah mean that half the possuk is before Yisrael sinned, the entire possuk is written after we sinned?  The Gerrer Rebbes explain that even after one sins the Shechina never totally departs from a person and it is that nekudah of being attached that allows one to come back to the stage before the sin. The Emrei Emes adds that it what the Gemarah means (Rosh Hashana 17b)  ה' ה' אני הוא קודם שיחטא האדם ואני הוא לאחר שיחטא האדם ויעשה תשובה.  Obviously Hashme doesn't change with a person's sins, what is the Gemarah telling us?  The Gemarah is saying the strength that one has to do teshuva stems from the fact that Hashem remains with a person even after they have sinned.  That is what allows one to do teshuva. 

The Zohar (Noach 76a) asks it should have said ה הולך not מתהלך?  The Zohar answers that Hashem goes before the person to help them out.  The Sfas Emes (5631) explains in the same vein.  When one takes a step in the right direction, they can tap into the power of Godliness within the individual. 

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Fight And Pray

כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנ֞וֹ י״י֧  אלקיך בְּיָדֶ֖ךָ וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ.  The word לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה with the פתח indicates this is the war, which war is this?  The possuk says על מלחמה, why not אם מלחמה? It say you go out to war and then capture a captive, what happened in the middle, how did one get to that point?  The meforshim say this war is one's personal battle with the yetzer harah. When one is waging such a war it is not an even battlefield.  One has an advantage of the higher ground, one is על איביך.  One has help from G-d to conquer the enemy.  כי תצא, all one has to do is to march to battle, to start the skirmish and ונתנו ה' אלקיך בידך, Hashem helps a person out to be able to win the battle.  The meforshim (see Teferet Shlomo) add that even if one has lost previous battles one merely needs to get up and be willing to fight again.  If one is able to go out again and attack the yetzer harah, Hashem still helps the individual.  That is ושבית שביו, his captive, what has been taken from you by the yetzer harah, all of a person's capabilities and time that is misappropriated, one can take back through teshuva.  That is the next parsha of יפת תואר that highlights the methods of teshuva to be done in ירח ימים, during the month of Elul. 

What if one feels to weak to fight?  כי בשדה מצאה צעקה הנער [הנערה] המארשה ואין מושיע לה.  The possuk ascribes the guilt to a lack of crying out.  The Sfas Emes (5634) points out that one can always cry and pray to Hashem to save him from a terrible situation.  In השתפכות הנפש #12 it brings that that is what one is what G-d demands from a person come Rosh Hashana.  Why did you not cry?   Why did you not scream for help?  עין בספר "ירח האתנים" כתב יד מהרב הקדוש מטשערין, זכר צדיק לברכה, על התורה "תהומות יכסיומו" ב"לקוטי מוהר"ן" חלק א' סימן ט'. שכתב שם לענין יום הדין של ראש השנה, שעקר דינו של אדם הוא על שלא היה זהיר בענין התפלה. כי על ידי תפלה יכולין לבוא לכל טוב לתורה ולמעשים טובים ולתשובה ולהנצל מן החטא. וכמו שתקנו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה תפלות הרבה על זה. וזה מובן בדברי רבותינו זכרונם לברכה (ערובין סד:-סה.), ש"אמר רבי אלעזר בן עזריה: יכול אני לפטר כל העולם מן הדין" וכו' ומסקו "מאי אני יכול לפטר דקאמר? מדין תפלה". כי דין תפלה הוא כלל הדין והחשבון של אדם, כי אלמלי היה זהיר ורגיל בתפלה כראוי היה זוכה לתקן הכל,

The Sfas Emes  adds that even if one does not feel capable of screaming, the very desire to cry out is itself something that is listened too.  Indeed he says it has an even greater power.   ואדרבא, צעקה זו נשמעת יותר. וחז"ל אמרו שקול פרידת הנשמה מגוף הולכת מסוף העולם (יומא כ:) כו'. והטעם נראה כיוון שממאן בזה בכל כחו ורוצה לצעוק ואינו יכול, על ידי זה הצעקה הולכת בכל מקום. כי כשיכול לצעוק הקול פוסק, אבל הצעקה שהוא בכח ולא נכנס בפועל נשמעת בכל מקום, כי הרצון לצעוק בכל מקום.  The Kotzker says that is what it means שבת היא מלזעוק ורפואה קרובה לבא, because one has the desire to cry on Shabbat but one cannot, that silent cry will cause the healing to come all the more sooner.  Why is the unspoken cry even greater?  The Sfas Emes says because the unspoken word carries with it the desires of a person.  When one burst forth and cries out, the cry brings out of the person their desire for help.  When one can't cry out though, the desire is kept within the person and the inaudible cry is that much deeper (see also Sichot HaRan #16.) 

Kilayim

 From the hakdamah of דרשה צמר ופשתים.  The evils in the world are due to kilayim. 



Three Stages

In Parshas Shoftim we learn about the milchemet chova, a war to of defensive purposes.  In Ki Teitzey we move to the milchemet harishut, a war of aggression to conquer land.  The Torah launches into a discussion about a captured individual.  The following parsha, Ki Savo, opens with when Klal Yisroel is sitting tranquility in the land.  These are three stages in the development of the nation.  First the borders must be conquered and secured.  Then there is time for more conquest and finally the goal is to live peacefully.  These also represent three stages in a person.  The Or Hachayim comments that the parshiot of milchama also hint to one's battle against the yetzer harah.  First a person has to wage war against one's desires for forbidden things.  That is the milchemet chova to establish and secure one's borders.  After that is accomplished one can advance to the next level which is to extend one's kedusha beyond the basic borders of excluding issur but allowing one to bring kedusha even to that which is muttar.  To expand one's kedusha further.  That is the captive.  One captures that which was not even in their jurisdiction but rather that which was in the hands of the enemy.  After fighting one's battles one no longer needs to wage  war to conquer with kedusha for one has already conquered all they need to.  Any external kedusha will then automatically be attracted to the person. 

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Don't Cut It

השמר בנגע הצרעת לשמר מאד ולעשות ככל אשר יורו אתכם הכהנים הלוים כאשר צויתם תשמרו לעשות (Ki Teitzey 24:8.)  The Gemirah in Shabbos (132b) is clear that this not only applies to tamah negaim but to tahor negaim as well.  Rashi identifies the tahor nega as the בהק and one who the nega covered their entire body.  The Tosfot Rid disagrees with Rashi's mentioning of בהק because he argues that is not called a nega at all and the case of when the nega spread over the whole person also doesn't make sense for the person is not going to skin himself.  Instead he learns the Gemorah as referring to a case of a nega that stood for two weeks that was susceptible to tumah if it developed signs of tumah on such a nega there is an issur to cut it off.  This is the opinion of Tosfot Shavuot (4a) as well.  We see Rashi holds that the בהק is considered a nega and that the issur of cutting off the nega has nothing to do with attempting to rid one's self of tumah.  The Rashba in Shabbos (133a) asks why is cutting off the nega to do a milah considered a דבר שאינו מתכוין just because the person's intent is merely to do the mitvah, the person still has full intent to do the act of cutting?  He answers that the issur of cutting the naga is not to do the act of cutting it off, the issur is to try to cause taharah without the proclamation of the kohan as the possuk says ככל אשר יורו אתכם הכהנים הלוים.  Since the person is not trying to cause tahara, rather to do the mitzvah, it is a דבר שאינו מתכוין.  The Sfas Emes asks that the aforementioned Gemorah contradicts this for the Gemorah says the issur applies to a tahor nega as well?  The Rashba must have learnt like the Rid and Tosfos and since there was a possibility of tumah it is included in the issur of trying to be metahar the nega.  This approach is supported by the Gemorah Shabbos (94b) that says if there are three white hairs in the nega and one cuts off one of them there is no lashes because the nega is still tamah because of the two hairs.  We see the issur is to be metahar the nega.  (See Mishne L'melech Tumas Tzaaras 10:1.)  A נ"מ between Rashi and the other Rishonim may be on a nega that is less thabn the size required for it to become tamah, less than a גריס if there will be an issur in cutting it off.  According to Rashi yes, for it is still a nega but according to the other Rishonim no for there is on possibility of tumah (see Igrot Moshe back of volume 1 Kodshim siman 25.) 

The Gemorah Arachin (3a) has a רבוי to include a katan that will have tumas negaim.  The Kli Chemda in Lech Lecha brings a question from the Kutna Rav according to the הו"א that a katan does not have tumas negaim why would we need a possuk to tell us that you can cut off the nega of a katan to do milah, there is on tumas negaim on a katan?  His question assumes like the approach of the Rishonim not like Rashi

Thursday, August 27, 2020

War Of The People

The Sifri says on the possuk (23:10) כי תצא מחנה. כשתהיה יוצא, הוי יוצא במחנה.  The simple explanation is that the entire camp should march together.  The Sfas Emes (5636) learns from here a lesson in the מלחמת היצר.  When one doesn't view their fight as a personal battle but as part of the general fight of Klal Yisroel, then the individual is supported by all of Klal Yisroel in this battle.
There are seemingly contradictory statements in Chazal if the Yom Hadin is a happy day; as cited in the Tur we wear fancy clothes and eat on Rosh Hashana for we are confident that the din will be good, or is it a scary day as demonstrated by the fact that we don't say hallel and as described in detail in the ונתנה תוקף?  Some explain that on the individual level, it is indeed quite a scary day.  It is on the level of tzibbur that we are confident that Klal Yisroel will be vindicated.  That is why many of the ballei mussar said one should do something that affects others in order to include one's self as part of the tzibbur.  Taking such actions will prove that that one is acting as part of the מחנה; fighting the main battle, not just a small skirmish on the side.

Monday, August 24, 2020

Daas In Kiddushin

ויצאה מביתו והלכה והיתה לאיש אחר 

Rashi in Yevamot (19b) says this possuk is the source for how we know that kiddushin must be known with the willingness of the woman - הָלְכָה וְהָיְתָה לְאִישׁ אַחֵר – מדעתה משמע.  There is a twofold question on the Rashi.  1.  Why do we need a possuk, why is this different from any other kinyan where דעת מקנה is required?  2. Rashi himself in Kiddushin (44a) says that דעת מקנה is the reason that the woman's acquiescence to kiddushin is required? 
The Achronim say that the answer lies in the context of the Gemorah in Yevamot.  The Gemorah there is discussing if מאמר must be done with the acquiescence of the woman or can even be done against her will.  The Gemorah says the Rabbanan hold you need her agreement to go through with מאמר just like her agreement is required for kiddushin.  If the only reason that a woman's דעת is required in kiddushin is because of דעת מקנה, that wouldn't make sense to equate to מאמר because she is not the מקנה.  Therefore, Rashi understands that the דעת of the woman is an integral part of the maaseh kiddushin.
What difference does it make that the דעת of the woman is required from the possuk?
The Smag (Asseh 48) holds that if someone forces a woman to accept kiddushin, it is not valid.  Why would the kiddushin not work, why is it different from any other kinyan where if you force the makneh to do the kinyan it works because under duress they agree to do the sale (תליוהו וזבין)?  We see that the Smag holds the possuk is coming to tell us that its not enough with the regular דעת מקנה for kiddushin.  The possuk comes to tell us that it's not enough for there to be daas to go through with the kiddushin, but that she must desire for the kiddushin to be done.  

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Saved By Torah

Everyone is familiar with the expression of Chazal regarding the killing of the בן סורר ומורא that he is killed because  ימות זכאי ואל ימות חייב (mishna Sanhedrin 8:5.)  The Yerushalmi however, adds a bit more to the story.  Sanhedrin (8:7 daf 43b) צפה הקב"ה שסוף זה עתיד לגמר ניכסי אביו ואת ניכסי אמו ויושב לו בפרשת דרכים ומקפח את הבריות והורג את הנפשות וסופו לשכח את תלמודו ואמרה תורה מוטב שימו' זכאי ולא ימות חייב.  The Mictav M'Eliyahu volume 1 pg. 205 cites says the Ponevitcher Rav pointed out we see from this Yerushalmi the tremendous power of Torah.  Despite all his wayward behavior, if the בן סורר ומורא still is connected to Torah, he has a chance to turn things around.  It is only because סופו לשכח את תלמודו that we must kill him.  Wow!
Midrash Eicha into. 2 ר' הונא ור' ירמיה בשם ר' חייא בר אבא אמרי: כתיב: (ירמיהו טז יא): "ואותי עזבו ואת תורתי לא שמרו". הלואי אותי עזבו ותורתי שמרו, מתוך שהיו מתעסקין בה, המאור שבה היה מחזירן למוטב

Thursday, September 12, 2019

40 Days, 40 Lashes

Last week, this blog discussed the inner core of a person that can never be corrupted.  The Maharal in this week's parsha says a similar idea explaining why there are 39 lashes as written years ago by my father, here.  The gist is that the 40 corresponds to the 40 days of a person's creation (it takes 40 days for the embryo to form;) when sinning a person contaminates himself but the innermost level, that which is formed on day 1 can't become contaminated. 

We are standing now in the month of Elul. It is 40 days from Elul to Yom Kippur.  Rashi on Chumash says that they are the 40 days that Moshe went up to receive the second luchos.  We can understand that the first 39 days are in place of the 39 lashes.  It is finally on day 40, on Yom Kippur, when we achieve ultimate purity and are granted forgiveness.  It is on day 40 that our inner core which is completely uncontaminated is revealed and hence we merit forgiveness.

What are the "lashes" of the 40 days between Elul and Yom Kippur? [Those that say selichot may say that those are the lashes.]  The possuk (Tehillim 94:1) says קל־נְקָמ֥וֹת י״י֑ קל נְקָמ֣וֹת הוֹפִֽיעַ.  The Baal Shem Tov the possuk means, how is Hashem the קל נְקָמ֣וֹת, by הוֹפִֽיעַ, by showing his greatness.  The punishment of the person is to see the the greatness of Hashem, to feel a tremendous embarrassment for rebelling against Hashem who gives him everything.  The Kabbalists teach during these days the 13 middot harachamim are present in the world, Hashem is הוֹפִֽיעַ, he is very close to us.  We receive the lashes of that great feeling of closeness of Hashem.  Hashem shows he is so close to us, he wants to come into our homes but first it must be cleaned, its too dirty and disgusting for Hashem to enter.  Those are the 39 lashes that are meant to remove all the dirt from our souls and to cleans it so that we can indeed welcome Hashem in.

[Of course, it's no coincidence that its 40 days for a embryo to form.  As discussed in the past, from the Maharal, the number 4 is expansion and 4*10, 40 is complete expansion, hence a new person is formed. It is also discussed there how the number 40 relates to geulah, which we can tie in  especially according to the writings of Rav Kook that teshuvah is on a worldly level, which will be the ultimate geulah, ואכ"מ.]

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Weighty Measures

Rashi explains the juxtaposition between faulty weights and measurements and Amalaks attack as followsזכור את אשר עשה עמלק וגו׳ – אם שקרת במדות הללו ובמשקלות, הוי דואג מן גירוי האויב, שנאמר: מאזני  מרמה תועבת י״י (משלי י״א:א׳), וכת׳ בתריה: בא זדון ויבא קלון (משלי י״א:ב׳).  [It is interesting why Rashi in a few places in this weeks parsha explains the juxtaposition of the different ideas more than any of the other places, here and in 21:11, 21:22, 22:8?] 

What does this mean, why does having improper measures lead to a Amalek attack?  The Maharal explains that every being has their own measure of space so that everything can coexist.  If one misuses measures, then the measure of the world will also be turned against him and hence he is open to attack.    

Others interpret that one who uses false measures denies Hashem's attention to the little details in a person's life.  That is akin to Amalek, they also saw the plagues in Egypt and acknowledged Hashem's presence in the big things, what they denied is His involvement in the small things.

The Rebbe says homiletically that everyone has to keep the proper balance in life.  Amalek is a disruption of the balance of kedusha and chol, they encourage too much focus and emphasis on the material aspect of life.  אשר קרחה, they cool off the passion and desire for ruchnious and replace it with an empty shell of gashmious.  It is a lack of the measures, of the weight of ruchni that makes one susceptible of Amalek.       

Everyone Counts

Toward the end of parshas Shoftim the Torah discusses the proper way of acting during war and that is followed by the parsha of עגלה ערופה.  Then our parsha opens again with laws of war.  What is the parsha of עגלה ערופה doing stuck in the middle (see Even Ezra. Abarbanel)?  The Chofetz Chayim says that the lesson is even if there are wars raging around a person and many people are dying, if an individual is found dead it still is a tremendous tragedy.  Even if there are big things happening around, one must not loose sight of the individual.

There is a famous quote attributed to Stalin (although he might not have said it see here,) "A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic."  That is the attitude the Torah is warning against, every life is precious and must be appreciated.

From the Or Hachayim and onward this parsha has been expounded upon as lessons regarding the war against the yetzer harah.  This lesson of the Chofetz Chayim can be used in such context as well.  If one is engaged in major battles against the yetzer it doesn't exempt one from the small battles as well.  At the end of the Keser Rosh, it brings a story where the Gra told a אפיקורס that he gets punished even for drinking without a beracha.  Doing big averos is no exemption from the small ones.  On the flip side, sometimes it is by putting a focus on the small battles, on the skirmishes with the yetzer, that lead one to win the war(as in the end of the story with the Gra where the person did complete teshuva.) 

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Lessons From The Son

A few lessons from the parsha of ben sorrer u’moreh. 
The Gemorah (Sanhedrin 71a) brings an opinion that ben sorrer u’moreh never happened, rather its written to learn and receive reward.  Why does the Torah have to pick a special example to give us something to learn when there is all the Torah to learn?  Rav Yisroel Salanter (letter 31 in Or Yisroel) explains that this is an example which teaches us the rule.  The point of learning Torah is not to arrive at a conclusion of action but rather the learning itself is sacred.  Therefore, the Torah gives us an example of learning where there is no practical outcome.  Rabbenu Bechai suggests another approach.  He says the Torah wrote the parsha to teach us the extent of ahavas Hashem.  The parent’s love for Hashem must be so great that it will even override their natural close love for their son and they will personally kill him.

The Gemorah (ibid) cites the opinion of Rab Yonasan that he sat on the grave of a ben sorrer umoreh.  Why would he do this strange action? Does he mean to argue with the opinion that it never happened, what’s the machlokes, it’s a mitzious, either it happened or didn’t? Why would the Torah set up the laws of ben sorrer umoreh in a way to make it impossible?  Rav Wolfson explains bederech derush that the Torah comes to teach us that the logic of מות זכאי ואל ימות חייב (Rashi 21:18) has no application because anyone can do teshuva and steer clear of the path of guilt.  The Gemorah says it was written derush lekabal secar.  Derush can mean to search like dirshu Hashem, the parsha teaches that a person can always do teshuva no matter how far off the trajectory he seems.  Rav Yonasan isn’t arguing on the first opinion, he’s supporting it.  The grave Rav Yonason sat on, was the grave of someone who was on the ben sorrer path but subsequently did teshuva and then became such a tzaddik that I (Rav Yonasan speaking) became a tanna because of the help of his neshama.  (Based upon the Arizal that sometimes by sitting near the grave of a tzaddik you get helped by their neshama.)

The Gemorah Sanhedrin (88a) says that the parents can forgive the ben sorrer and this gets him off the hook.  The Shem M'Shmuel (5671) asks, the ben sorrer is a societal risk, so why does the parent’s forgoing of his wrong deeds get him off the hook, how does that keep society safe?  He explains that the reason why a Jew has the power of teshuva is because s/he is connected to the Avos and therefore his/her soul at the core is pure; it just needs the dirt of the averos removed.  The reason why the ben sorrer is guaranteed to become liable of death is because he has lost the connection to his parents, the connection back to the Avos, and therefore won’t do teshuva.  However, as long as the connection remains, if the parents acknowledge their connection, then teshuva is possible and there is no guarantee that he will become guilty and therefore must be spared.   

The Gemorah has a derash on the words annenu shomauh bikolanu that the parents must be able to hear to exclude deaf mutes.  The derash is difficult for the word shomea is referring to the son, not to the parents?  Rav Zilberstein (Alenu Le’shabach) explains that the son will listen to the parents only if he sees them heeding their own words.  If they can’t hear their own words, then he won’t listen.

The Gemorah in Sanhedrin (71a) says that if the meat and wine that the ben sorrer is eating is that of a mitzvah he doesn’t become a ben sorrer.  The Toseftah in Negaim (6:2) says that there was no law of ben sorrer in Yerushalim and has a derash to support this law.  The Meshech Chachma explains that is because most of the eating done in Yerushalim was from kodshim and therefore was an eating of mitzvah.  We see from here the power of a little kedusha, even though this kid is acting like a ben sorrer since his eating is that of kedusha it will not lead head him down a bad path.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Put Up A Fence

כִּ֤י תִבְנֶה֙ בַּ֣יִת חָדָ֔שׁ וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ מַעֲקֶ֖ה לְגַגֶּ֑ךָ וְלֹֽא־תָשִׂ֤ים דָּמִים֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־יִפֹּ֥ל הַנֹּפֵ֖ל מִמֶּֽנּוּ.  There is a mitzvah to build a fence around one's flat roof to prevent others from falling off.  The Gemorah is clear that this obligation to put up a fence only applies to what's halachically defined as a house.  Based upon this the Gemorah in Bavva Kammah (51a) says that a house less than 10 טפחים is exempt from putting up a fence.  Similarly, the Gemorah is Sukkah (3a) exempts a house less than 4*4 טפחים and the Gemorah Chullin (136a) exempts synagogues and battei midrash from putting up a fence.

The Gemorah in Bavva Kammah (15b) says that the lav of לא תשים דמים בביתך says that this is a general rule to remove any thing that would be liable to cause harm. רבי נתן אומר מניין שלא יגדל אדם כלב רע בתוך ביתו ואל יעמיד סולם רעוע בתוך ביתו ת"ל (דברים כב, ח) לא תשים דמים בביתך.  Based upon this its hard to understand why something not defined as a house is exempt from putting up a fence, it should be no better than any other thing that may cause damage that there is a lav to leave it unprotected?

We see from here that the mitzvah of putting up the roof isn't a positive mitzvah to remove the damage.  If not for the mitzvah, there would be no obligation to put up a fence because the percentage of damage of a roof is negligible for it isn't commonly used.  The Torah is mechadesh a new mitzvah is regard to a roof to remove even the small percentage of damage that may exist (Chazon Eish likkutim Bavva Kammah siman 18.)

Tosfos in Chullin 105a says there is no blessing on something that comes just to remove danger.  If that's the case how is there a beracha on putting up a fence? Based upon this Chazon Eish its not a difficulty for the mitzvah of putting up the fence isn't just to remove danger.

The possuk says כִּ֤י תִבְנֶה֙ בַּ֣יִת חָדָ֔שׁ, why does it say a new house if the same also applies even if one isn't building a new house?  The possuk is also alluding to one who is building new levels in avodat Hashem.  In order to guarantee that one doesn't fall down from his/her new heights and fall down, one must put up a fence, make extra safeguards to guarantee they don't fall (see Likutay Sichos volume 2 and volume 19.)