Sunk In The Well

ועמק השדים בארת בארת חמר וינסו מלך סדם ועמרה ויפלו שמה.  Rashi brings the Midrash ומדרש אגדה שהיה הטיט מוגבל בהם ונעשה נס למלך סדום שיצא משם לפי שהיו באומות מקצתן שלא היו מאמינין שניצל אברהם מאור כשדים מכבשן האש וכיון שיצא זה מן החמר האמינו באברהם למפרע.  The Ramban asks ואני תמה במדרש ההגדה הזה כי האומות שלא היו מאמינים שעשה הקב"ה נס לאברהם בראותם נסו של מלך סדום לא יוסיפו אמונה בהקב"ה?  

The Midrash in Noach (30:10) contrasts between Noach that had to be rescued from drowning in the depths of the people around him and Avraham that lights up the world with G-dliness.  The Sfas Emes explains that they are not two distinct paths but rather Avraham showed that even where G-d seems to be not present could become illuminated. lit up with holiness.  The novelty of Avraham was that G-d is present and can be felt in this world itself.  The Rambam describes the beginnings of avodah zarah in the days of Enosh was because they felt G-d was too distant, great and removed from the world.  That led them to set up a barrier between Hashem and the world.  Avraham came to tear that wall down.   

The people denied the miracle of Avraham not because they were scoffers but they had a philosophical problem with the story.  They did not believe in the message of Avraham that one can light up the world with  G-dliness and therefore they denied his story.  The בארות חמר represent the חומריות, the gashmi, the secularity of the world in which Sedom was the epitome of drowning in.  When the King of Sedom was saved from there it showed that even one so sunken in to the חומרי still can be rescued and illuminated.  This refuted the argument of those that challenged Avraham's argument and proved the miracle of Avraham's salvation. 

Band Together

Why did Hashem not thwart the plan of the דור הפלגה by simply causing them to have disagreements?  The Sfas Emes explains that Hashem built into the world a כח האחדות, it is a phenomena that people banding together can accomplish things greater than the sum of the parts.  Hashem did not want to remove this power from the world and therefore did not cause a rift to interrupt.  The Zohar (76b) in fact derives a  kal v'chomer if the power of the band of the דור הפלגה could not be broken for sure those that band together to study Torah will have a great power.  The possuk in Tzafanya (3:9) says כִּֽי־אָ֛ז אֶהְפֹּ֥ךְ אֶל־עַמִּ֖ים שָׂפָ֣ה בְרוּרָ֑ה לִקְרֹ֤א כֻלָּם֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם י״י֔ לְעׇבְד֖וֹ שְׁכֶ֥ם אֶחָֽד.  The Even Ezra explains שפה ברורה is lashon hakodesh.  The power of unity is realized in the times of Moshiach when the same power used by the דור הפלגה is used for the good.  Then lashon hakodesh becomes reinstated.

Noach's חן

The last possuk in parshat Berashis is וְנֹ֕חַ מָ֥צָא חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינֵ֥י י״יֽ.  What is the Torah telling us that Noach found חן before Hashem?  The Sforno says the Torah is teaching us why Noach's family was saved.  Noach himself was fit to be saved because he was a tzaddik.  However, one who is a tzaddik is only fitting for himself to be saved.  The reason others can be saved in his merit is because he can have an effect on them to change them for the better.  But Noach who did not engage in rebuking and teaching others was not going to have an effect on anyone else and it was only fitting that he should be saved.  Therefore, he needed a special חן for his family to be saved.  

We see from this Sforno that the tzaddik can only save others if he will affect them.  The Sforno contrasts Noach in this light with Avraham and Shmuel that spent their lives teaching and admonishing others.  This is a slight in Noach that he did not teach those around him and was underserving of having even his family spared. 

We also learn that there is another idea called מצא חן which can help save people even if they are not deserving.  Rav Chayim Shmulevetz in Sichos Mussar brings from Chazal (Midrash 29:1) that even Noach didn't deserve to be saved if not for the fact that he was 'מצא חן בעיני ה.  

What is this חן that enables salvation?  The Gemorah in Sotah (47b) says אמר רבי יוחנן שלוש חינות יש: חן המקום על יושביו, חן אשה על בעלה וחן המקח על מקחו.  The Maharal there explains because all of these things help give a person something they are lacking.  When one forms a deep connection with something else the blemishes are covered over and ignored.  When one is focused on the deep connection, peripheral problems fall by the wayside.  The Sfas Emes (Noach 5662) says that Noach being born mahul is because his internal kedusha shown through his body.  That is what his חן was because people sensed in him his inner kedusha.  Rav Hisrch says that חן is not a free pass that one gets but it is when one has an ability that can be cultivated and developed that is worth saving because there is hope for the future.  That ability stemmed because of the kedusha that Noach had imbedded in him.  Even if he was not righteous enough to save others (or even himself,) the raw potential that he had was enough to be able to reset the world on a better trajectory.  When the potential is there a bond can be formed and the details can come in place later.

The Question

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר י״י֖ אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ

What is the question, Kayin was upset because his korban was not accepted?  Furthermore, what is the point of asking this question? 

The Baley Mussar derive from here two lessons.  Lesson one is that even though one is supposed to feel bad over the sins they have committed, חרטה על העבר, one can not get stuck in a state of depression over one's faults.  One's misgivings over past failures is only positive if it leads one to improve in the future.  It one merely gets gives up because of their past crimes then it is not good to be caught up in the past.  Kayan was so distraught over what happene that he could not move forward.  That is what the Sforno means ולמה נפלו פניך – כי כשיש לקלקול איזו תקנה אין ראוי להצטער על מה שעבר, אבל ראוי להשתדל להשיג תקון לעתיד.  One's goal must be to fix the problem going forward (see Chidashay Halev.) 

The other lesson is that G-d went to ask Kayin why are you down?  It is fitting for one to inquire about why one's fellow is down and ask if there is any possible remedy.  The Torah is teaching us that Hashme did this and that is the method in which a person should follow.  That is why Yosef asked his fellow inmates why they appeared depressed for he learnt this lesson from this parsha.  Rav Eliyahu Baruch wants to suggest that this goes so far as to that may be why Hevel was fitting to be killed by Kayin.  Where did he go wrong that he should deserve to be killed?  Because he did not come to comfort Kayin in his time of need. 

Absorb Torah

What does Shmini Atzeret have to do with Simchat Torah, why are the two combined?  The דרשא of אך שמח to include Shemini Atzeret to the mitzvah of simcha is written at the end of Reah in the context of Sukkot, why not spell out Atzeret?  Why do we dance on Simchat Torah but not on Shavuot when we received the Torah?   

The holiday of Atzeret is the time to take in, עצור, all the holiness and inspiration one received over the beginning of Tishray.  It is the time to internalize the days of Sukkot.  This is integrated with the celebration of the Torah.  Because it is the Torah that lasts when the mitzvot fade away.  It is by absorbing Torah that the energy of Tishray can be taken into the year.  

Shavuot is the time we received the Torah but that was the Torah shebectav, it is not necessarily integrated within the person.  That is a time to study and try to understand Torah, it is not a time of rejoicing.  Shemini Atzeret is the time of the celebration of the Torah shebal peh, the Torah that becomes part of the individual.  The celebration is not on the Torah itself, but its ability to become absorbed into the individual.  The celebration.  The hat is why there is dancing with is done the totality of a person to embody the absorption of the Torah.  That may be why the simcha of Shemini is not explicit, it must be derived because the Torah is indicating to us the nature of the simcha is that from the Torah which a person must being out on their own.  

No Barriers

שָׁלֹ֥שׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה יֵרָאֶה֙ כׇּל־זְכ֣וּרְךָ֔ אֶל־פְּנֵ֖י הָאָדֹ֥ן ׀ י״יֽ 

שָׁלֹ֥שׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה יֵרָאֶה֙ כׇּל־זְכ֣וּרְךָ֔ אֶת־פְּנֵ֛י הָֽאָדֹ֥ן ׀ י״י֖ אלקי ישראל

שָׁל֣וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֣ים ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה יֵרָאֶ֨ה כׇל־זְכוּרְךָ֜ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י׀ י״י֣ אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ

The Alshich (end of Reah) notes the discrepancies in the pessukim between just saying האדון ה, adding אלקי ישראל or just saying ה אלקיך.   He explains the three times it mentions the mitzvah of aliyah l'regel it corresponds to the three holidays.  Pesach Hashem revealed He is master of the world, אדון.  On Shavuot we became Hashem's nation, accepting the Torah, it adds אלקי ישראל.  The third time, after they did teshuva, it was a personal relationship with everyone, אלקיך.  In addition, one is able to relate to Hashem directly without the façade of the אדנות. one has the mitzvah.  That is on Sukkot.  It is on Sukkot that we have a direct relationship with Hashem.  

The Emrei Emes (Shabbat Chol Hamoed 5682 -100 years ago) brings from the Yid Hakadosh on the possuk (Yeshayahu 41:17)   העניים והאביונים מבקשים מים ואין that they look for the אין, self nullification in the water.  After Yom Kippur we come close to Hashem so that there is no feeling of self.  Therefore, the Emrei Emes says, we can offer the nisuch hamayim of 3 lugin of drawn water.  Normally that amount of water will nullify a mikvah but that is only because the person is playing a role in drawing the water and not submerging himself in the natural water.  But when there is already a complete mikvah, when there is a total shiur of self nullification, then man's role is insignificant.  On Sukkot because of that closeness we are able to offer the three lugin.

The sukkah is a hut with a roof full of holes where the stars can peek through.  This teaches us that even in the world that appears to be separate from Hashem the presence of Hashem peaks through.  Hashem reveals His closeness with us, His presence through the sukkah.  

The Rogatchover on Berashis (2:7) says that the space where the dirt was taken to form Adam is the place where the שיתין of the mizbaoch go down into the ground.  That hollowed out area is where Adam was created from.  This hollowed out area is the space where man becomes separated, where man is under the impression that he has free reign to do as he desires.  That is what leads to sin.  It is by going to this very place and offering the nisuch hamayim that man goes back to his source and gives it to Hashem.  That is the teshuva that happens via the nisuch hamayim.  In acknowledging one's bittul to Hashem in the very place where he came into being and developed his own powers own breaks down the self erected barriers between himself and Hashem (see Or Gedalyahu end of Devarim simchas beis hashoava #2.)      

Sukkot is a taste of the future when דעת ה' מלא הארץ כמים לים מכסים.  When everything will desire to become united with Hashem.

Shady Schach

The Gemorah in Sukkah (8b) says תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: גַּנְבַּ״ךְ: סוּכַּת גּוֹיִם, סוּכַּת נָשִׁים, סוּכַּת בְּהֵמָה, סוּכַּת כּוּתִים סוּכָּה מִכׇּל מָקוֹם  כְּשֵׁרָה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁתְּהֵא מְסוּכֶּכֶת כְּהִלְכָתָהּ מַאי ״כְּהִלְכָתָהּ״? אָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא: וְהוּא שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ לְצֵל סוּכָּה.  Rashi explains אמר רב חסדא - האי כהלכתה דקאמר הוא שמסוככת יפה דמוכחא מלתא שעשייתה הראשונה לצל היתה ולא לצניעות בעלמא דאע"ג דסוכה לשם חג לא בעינן לשם סוכה בעינן ולצל הוא דמיקריא סוכה שסוככת מן החורב.  The simple understanding of this law would be that the definition of a sukkah is to give shade (the schach is the sukkah as Rashi says at the beginnig of the masechta,) and therefore the schach must be placed with intention of giving shade.  However, this is difficult for according to Rebbe Yehuda a sukkah is valid even if the schach is placed very high up where it is not producing any shade as the Gemorah in the beginning of the masechta says?  Furthermore, even according to the Rabbanan one is allowed to place a sukkah in between mountains where the schach is not producing shade, how is such a sukkah valid?  And what is the peshat in the Gemorah itself on 8b, if there is such a condition that a sukkah must be made with intention of shade then what is the  chiddush of Rav Chisdah in saying the sukkah must be made כהלכתה, obviously all the rules of making a sukkah must be followed?   

What we see is that there are two ways to make a sukkah.  One way is to intentionally make a sukkah for the holiday.  In that manner one does not need to make the sukkah for the sake of shade.  It is only when the sukkah is not made for the sake of the holiday that the sukkah must be made to provide shade.  That is the chiddush of Rav Chisdah.  In such a situation when the sukkah was not made for the sake of the holiday then there is a condition that the sukkah must have been made for the sake of shade.  We see this from Rashi 2b that says בד"ה לימות המשיח - אבל סוכת מצוה אינה לצל.  Rashi says the sukkah of the mitzvah does not need to provide shade.  According to this approach shade is not defining what a sukkah is, is it a condition in the making of a sukkah that in order to demonstrate that it is a sukkah of mitzvah it must provide shade.  However, it needs to be explained why we would assume this is a law in the making of a sukkah, וצ"ב.  (Based upon a shiur by Rabbi Moshe Brown.)