A Life Of Beracha

רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה אֶֽת⁠־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ אֶל⁠־מִצְוֺת֙ ה אלקיכם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם וְהַקְּלָלָ֗ה אִם⁠־לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל⁠־מִצְוֺת֙ ה אלקיכם וְסַרְתֶּ֣ם מִן⁠־הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַחֲרֵ֛י אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא⁠־יְדַעְתֶּֽם

Why does it say הַיּ֑וֹם, obviously it was that day?  In the קְּלָלָ֗ה form it says it as a the condition, לֹ֤א תִשְׁמְע, why does it not say that in the beracha form, merely as a fat, אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ, why the change?  What is the beracha and kellalah, there is nothing mentioned here? 

Rav Hirsch says that the listening is not the condition for the beracha but that is part of the beracha itself.  A life rich of following the mitzvot of Hashem, a life enriched with order, meaning and G-dly service is a life of beracha.  The kellalah is that if one's life strays from the path of Hashem, one's life will be unfulfilled, empty, devoid of meaning. Rav Hirsch relates the word קללה to the word קל, light, no weight, a life without any weight, any depth.  That may be hinted to in the usage of the word הַיּ֑וֹם, the Torah is instructing that these berachot and klallot are not something merely in the future, in the afterlife, but thy will be present and found in one's life.  One who follows Hashem's path is walking in the path of beracha and the opposite for one who is not (see Kedushas Levi.)

One Step At A Time

וְנָשַׁל֩ י״י֨ אֱלֹקיך אֶת⁠־הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָאֵ֛ל מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ מְעַ֣ט מְעָ֑ט לֹ֤א תוּכַל֙ כַּלֹּתָ֣ם מַהֵ֔ר פֶּן⁠־תִּרְבֶּ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶֽה

Rashi asks if Klal Yisrael is doing what Hashem wants the animals will not harm them?  He answers that Hashem knew they were going to sin.  The Ralbag says of course Hashem can stop Klal Yisrael from being harmed but He does not wish to make a miracle unnecessarily and therefore the possus is giving advice how to best conquer the land in a logical form.  The Be'ar Mayim Chayim says that sometimes exposure to too much holiness can be blinding for a person.  It is like a person going from darkness to great light, it is blinding at first.  One needs to become adjusted to kedusha.  To conquer all of Eretz Yisrael in one shot, to be exposed to all that kedusha immediately would be too much and would lead to harm, it needed to be conquered slowly.  This is a general lesson that it is better to go step by step, to focus on one thing at a time than try to set standards which will not be able to be upheld in the long run.  The possuk says  וְעַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מָ֚ה י״י֣ אֱלֹקיך שֹׁאֵ֖ל מֵעִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֣י אִם⁠־לְ֠יִרְאָ֠ה אֶת⁠־י״י֨ אֱלֹקיך לָלֶ֤כֶת בְּכׇל⁠־דְּרָכָיו֙ וּלְאַהֲבָ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת⁠־י״י֣  אֱלֹקיך בְּכׇל⁠־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכׇל⁠־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ.  The possuk starts off what does G-d want, as if it is a small matter, and then rattles of a whole list?  If one's focus is to go little by little, then indeed it is a small ask.  It is only when trying to leap to the top of the mountain in on bound that it is too much.

Geulah In The Golus

Shabbat Nachamu.  What is the nechama for us if we are still in golus?  The Gemarah (Taanis 30b) says כל המתאבל על ירושלים זוכה ורואה בשמחתה, "whoever mourns for Jerusalem will merit and see her joy." What does the Gemarah mean, there were many great tzaddikim who died without seeing the rebuilding of Yerushalayim?  The Sfas Emes (Shemos 5763) notes that Chazal do not say in future tense, יזכה ויראה, one will merit and see, rather in the present tense, זוכה ורואה, one merits to see now, in the golus, he joy of Yerushalayim.  How can one see the joy of Yerushalayim if we are still in golus?  

The Baal Shem Tov teaches (see Baal Shem Tov on the Torah Noach #31) that a person is where their thoughts are.  In other words, a person is not defined by where they are physically but rather where they are mentally.  Says the Kedushat Levi, one who properly mourns over Yerushalayim, one who's found in the ruins of Yerushalayim, will זוכה, from the word זכה, become purified, will become elevated to be able to experience a taste of its joy as well.  Paradoxically, when one mourns for Yerushalayim, one becomes capable of seeing its glory.  

How is this so?  As the Yaavetz notes in his siddur, we say in benching ועל ירושלים עירך, ועל ציון משכן כבודך, ועל מלכות בית דוד משיחך, to have compassion on Yerushalayim, the Mikdash and malchus beis David.  But they are long gone?  Says the Yaavetz, that Yerushalayim and the Mikdash in the spiritual realm are still standing.  When mourning the physical loss of Yerushalayim, one is given the proper eyes to see the spiritual structure of Yerushalayim.  One is no longer trapped in the mindset of brokenness but is able to see the joy of geulah.  As the Chassidic masters teach, golus and geulah are also states of mind.  When one feels the pain of Yerushalayim, then one is elevated to be able to live in the mindset of its joy. 

There is a story in the writings of the Arizal (cited by the Magen Avraham in shorthand 493:3) "Rav Avraham Halevi testified before me that he was accustomed to reciting Nachem daily in Shemoneh Esrei, lamenting the destruction of the Temple. One year on Lag BaOmer when he was by the Rashbi and included the above prayer in his Shemoneh Esrei, the Arizal approached him with a stern message from the Rashbi. “Rebbe Shimon came to me and told me to ask you why you chose to say Nachem on the day of his Simcha? Rebbe Shimon said that due to this you yourself will unfortunately experience a reason for condolence in the near future.” And so it was that in that month Rebbe Avraham’s eldest son passed away."  What is wrong with someone who longs for the Mikdash so much that they say nachem daily to say nachem on Lag BaOmer?  The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that Rashbi lived on the level of רואה בשמחתה, he lived in a geulah mindset and hence on his day it is not appropriate to say nachem.

In the parsha we read וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּ֥ם מִשָּׁ֛ם אֶת ה אלקיך, "And from there you will seek the Lord your God."  The Sfas Emes (5664) says it doesn't say seek the geulah, but in the golus itself you will seek Hashem, in the golus itself we can have the capability to come close to Hashem, to experience a taste of necham, a taste of the future. 

That is the nechama.  We may still be in golus but after going through the mourning period for the Mikdash, after becoming attached to the Mikdash we are able to be רואה בשמחתה, to have a sense of a little bit of the geulah mindset, to feel the sprouting of the geulah even as we are still in golus.

Incomplete Houses And Feasts

The Tur (siman 560) cites the opinion of the Rambam (Taanis 5:12) that one may not line the walls of their house entirely from סיד which was the way aristocrats houses were done, rather one should first use a covering of טיט and סיד on top of that and then leave over a space unfinished opposite the door to express our lacking due to the churban.  The Tur disagrees and holds the unfinished space works to demonstrate our lacking due to the churban even in a house finished the way aristocrats do.  Rabbi Chagai Preschel (a previous Rosh Kollel in my kollel,) in בחגוי הסלע on Eicha wants to say the machlokes is in the geder of the takkanah to leave over an unfinished amah area.  The Rambam holds it is a takkanah on the cheftzah of the house.  Chazal said that one should not live in a house constructed like that of kings and therefore, one may not plaster their house in such a manner.  In addition, even when one does not plaster their walls like that for a king, one must still leave an unfinished area to show the house is not complete.  Hence one can't build a beautiful house but just leave something out for the house is still a beautiful house.  The Tur holds it is a din in the gavra that an action that brings simcha should be left incomplete to remember the churban and that is fulfilled by always leaving something of the house unfinished. 

With this he explains the change in the dikduk halashon of the Rambam and Tur in the next halacha.  The Rambam continues וְכֵן הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁהָעוֹרֵךְ שֻׁלְחָן לַעֲשׂוֹת סְעֻדָּה לָאוֹרְחִים מְחַסֵּר מִמֶּנּוּ מְעַט וּמַנִּיחַ מָקוֹם פָּנוּי בְּלֹא קְעָרָה מִן הַקְּעָרוֹת הָרְאוּיוֹת לָתֵת שָׁם, the Rambam puts the emphasis on the table being incomplete while the Tur writes ועושה אדם כל צרכי סעודה ומשייר בה דבר מועט אפילו כסא דהרסנא the emphasis is one the person, that he should leave something out of his feast to demonstrate his pain over the churban. 

The poskim discuss if leaving a picture of Yerushalayim or sign helps instead of the leaving an ammah unfinished (see Mishna Berurah #3 and sources cited in Pischay Teshuva.)  Such an argument would only make sense if leaving an ammah is a din in the gavra, if there is a din that the cheftzah of the house not to be properly finished then it would not help to hang a sign or picture. This chakirah also may play a role in determining who the obligation should be in the case of a rentor (see Igros Moshe volume 3 #86,) it is is a din in the gavra it should be an obligation on the one living in the house.  The poskim also discuss if one uses טיט with other things mixed in that it is lower quality and one won't be obligated to leave over an ammah (see Mishna Berurah #2, Aruch Hashulchan, Ritva Bava Basra 60b,) that  makes more sense if it is a din in the house not to be built nicely.  Then one can argue this type of cement is not good and it is not considered building too nice of a house but if it is a din in the gavra then it is more likely to say there still needs to be something recognizable that is left incomplete. 

Post Chatzos

Shulchan Aruch (557) בתשעה באב אומר בבונה ירושלים נחם ה' אלהינו את אבילי ציון וכו' ועננו בשומע תפלה ואם לא אמר לא זה ולא זה אין מחזירין אותו: הגה והמנהג פשוט שאין אומרים נחם רק בתפלת מנחה של תשעה באב לפי שאז הציתו אש במקדש ולכן מתפללים אז על נחמה (רוקח ואבודרהם).  The Beis Yosef adds וז"ל הריטב"א בתשובה לענין נחם בט"ב דעתי דכיון דמשום המאורע אמרינן ליה על פי הירושלמי לאומרו בכל תפלותיו ערבית שחרית ומנחה ככל מעין המאורע שבכ"מ אלא שבערבית ושחרית שהוא כמי שמתו מוטל לפניו ואינו בנחמה אומרים רחם ולמנחה אומרים נחם שדומה למי שנקבר מתו ומ"מ ש"צ אינו אומרו אלא במנחה כמו שנהגו עכ"ל.  

The Rema says (559:3) the custom is to sit low to the ground on 9 Av until chatzos and he says (5554:22) the custom not to do work is until chatzos.  What changes at  chatzos?  Rav Solevetchik connects this to the previous Ritva.  Before chatzos, the halachot reflect the status of an אונן who is preoccupied with burying the day and can't be distracted.  After chatzos the status switches to a state of avelut which has no law prohibiting distractions from the dead, to the contrary it is a time of comfort.  It is hard to understand how this explains the law of sitting which is not prohibited for an onnan, only for an avel and it is the laws of avelut seems to be the basis of why we don't sit on a regular chair (see Taz 559)?  It is also noteworthy that the Rema does not cite this reason of the Ritva, only the previous reason of the Beis Yosef לפי שאז הציתו אש במקדש ולכן מתפללים אז על נחמה.  

Built into the day is the concept of nechama.  Why does the mood of the day switch to the theme of nechama?  Rabbi Genack in Toras Yitzchak (Nachamu) says:

Part of the avelut is to give nechama.  It is interesting because I would think the idea of nechama is to move on from the pain of dealing with death and to be able to move on.  I would think that doesn't apply with the Mikdash.  But maybe even with the destruction of the Mikdash, although we go back to mourn every year for we can't just get on without the Mikdash, at the same time we understand the continuity of Klal Yisrael is able to carry on without the Mikdash.  Maybe part of the nechama is that despite the churban Klal Yisrael moves on and is able to looks forward to a greater future. 

Where Is Hashem

The Gemarah Megillah (29a) says תניא ר"ש בן יוחי אומר בוא וראה כמה חביבין ישראל לפני הקב"ה שבכל מקום שגלו שכינה עמהן גלו למצרים שכינה עמהן שנאמר (שמואל א ב, כז) הנגלה נגליתי לבית אביך בהיותם במצרים וגו' גלו לבבל שכינה עמהן שנאמר (ישעיהו מג, יד) למענכם שלחתי בבלה ואף כשהן עתידין ליגאל שכינה עמהן שנאמר (דברים ל, ג) ושב ה' אלהיך את שבותך והשיב לא נאמר אלא ושב מלמד שהקב"ה שב עמהן.  Form this Gemarah one wolud conclude the Shechina went along with Klal Yisrael into golus.  On the other hand the Gemarah Rosh Hashana (31a) says אמר רב יהודה בר אידי א"ר יוחנן עשר מסעות נסעה שכינה מקראי וכנגדן גלתה סנהדרין מגמרא עשר מסעות נסעה שכינה מקראי מכפרת לכרוב ומכרוב לכרוב ומכרוב למפתן וממפתן לחצר ומחצר למזבח וממזבח לגג ומגג לחומה ומחומה לעיר ומעיר להר ומהר למדבר וממדבר עלתה וישבה במקומה which indicates the Shechina departed.  Rav Yaakov Adas in Pirkay Machshava says we must say there are different levels of the presence of the Shechina, a certain aspect departed and a certain aspect remains.  

The possuk in Yirmiyahu (2:8) says הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֗ים לֹ֚א אָֽמְרוּ֙ אַיֵּ֣ה ה וְתֹֽפְשֵׂ֚י הַתּוֹרָה֙ לֹ֣א יְדָע֔וּנִי וְהָֽרֹעִ֖ים פָּ֣שְׁעוּ בִ֑י וְהַנְּבִאִים֙ נִבְּא֣וּ בַבַּ֔עַל וְאַֽחֲרֵ֥י לֹֽא־יוֹעִ֖לוּ הָלָֽכוּ.  Asks the Briskor Rav why did they have to say איה ה?  He answers with the Gemarah Rosh Hashana, since the Shechina already started to depart one is obligated to say איה ה.  If one sees a lack of the presence of the Shechina that was there previously, it behooves one to do something about it.  

Part Time Is Full Time

A chiddush of the Pela Yoatz וגדול קביעות עתים לתורה, דהא קימא לן (כתובות טו, א) כל קבוע כמחצה על מחצה דמי, ונמצא, השם יחשב לו כאלו עוסק בתורה חצי היום, ורב חסד מטה כלפי חסד וקב"ע את קובעיה"ם שכר הרבה כאלו למדו כל היום וכל הלילה תמיד לא יחשו.  One who has designated times for learning all day gets credit for learning all day.