The Weekly Shtikle - Leil Seder

(Apologies for not getting this out in time for the Israeli readers.) I originally posted this thought 12 years ago, following the Bar Mitzvah of a cousin who is named after my great uncle, Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, z"l. I could not resist the timing as this same cousin has just concluded sheva berachos following his wedding last week.

I heard a very beautiful insight which is perfect for seder night. My cousin, Dr. Yoel Jakobovits, described how they recently discovered some unpublished notes from his father, Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, z"l. This was one of the gems found therein.

We lead into Pesach with the haftarah of Shabbas HaGadol which ends with the tidings of the ultimate redemption and the arrival of Eliyahu HaNavi. In the gemara we find a number of references to Eliyahu's role in resolving disputes when that great day does come. In unresolved halachic matters the gemara will state teiku. Although the word does have an actual meaning in Aramaic, it is traditionally said to stand for Tishbi yetareitz kushyos ubaayos, Eliyahu (HaTishbi) will resolve the matter. In monetary matters we often find hashaar yehei munach ad sheyavo Eliyahu, the money that is subject to dispute will be placed aside until Eliyahu comes and resolves the matter. 

Lord Jakobovits explains why this role falls upon Eliyahu. It can be fairly safely stated that Eliyahu's defining moment was the showdown with the prophets of Ba'al at Har HaCarmel. He showed unwavering faith as he took on the masses, putting his life and everything he believed in on the line. But in addition to standing up to the staunch believers on the opposing side, he challenged the rest of the nation to quit sitting on the fence and waiting to jump on one bandwagon or the other. He demanded, with his timeless words, (Melachim I 18:21) "ad masai atem posechim al shnei haseipim," how long will you continue to waver between the two opinions? (Note the connection to Pesach with the use of the same word.) With this, Eliyahu earned the eternal role as the resolver of doubt. 

But while we yearn for Eliyahu to be called upon to fulfill this role in the ultimate redemption, we find that Eliyahu makes various "appearances" in our times. Notably, many of these visits seem to involve children. Eliyahu is known as the mal'ach haBris and we have a seat for him at each one. On the night of the seder, when there is so much focus on transmitting the stories and traditions to our children, Eliyahu visits once again. There is a connection. Lord Jakobovits posits that our children represent the essence of safeik, doubt. While we adults are, for the most part, set in our ways, the direction our children's lives might take very much hangs in the balance. We are tasked with shaping and molding them into the characters we would like them to become and we need the guidance of Eliyahu HaNavi to guide us on this mission.

Have a chag kasher ve'sameiach and a good Shabbos!

 

For a collection of previous seder night shtikles, please check out my archive of past Seder shtikles.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Hagieinu vs Yagieinu

Dikdukian: Chad Gadya

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The Weekly Shtikle - Vayikra

Today, 2 Nissan, marks the 20^th yahrtzeit of my Bubbie. This week's shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasah, Yehudis bas Reuven Pinchas.

This coming Sunday, 4 Nissan, marks the 8^th yahrtzeit of my wife's grandmother, Rebbetzin Faigie Frankel. This week's shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasah, Leah Feiga bas Aharon Tzvi.

This week's parsha deals with a number of different versions of the korban chatas, the sin offering. The sin offering of the nasi is introduced in a slightly different way than the others. The other versions of the chatas offering are introduced with the word (ve)'im, and if... The nasi's chatas, however, is introduced (4:22) with the word asher, when the nasi sins.

 

Rabbeinu Bachya approaches this linguistic discrepancy in the simplest manner. He writes that it is the nature of a man in a position of power to be consumed by haughtiness and hubris which is most likely to lead to sin. So, while the sin of others is introduced more indefinitely, "if it would happen to be that a person were to sin," the sin of the nasi is introduced almost as a certainty.

 

Rashi provides a more homiletic interpretation of the word asher from the midrash. Asher is like ashrei, praised. The pasuk is actually giving praise to the nasi, not for committing the sin, God forbid, but for having the integrity to come forth and admit it. After all, without the admission there would be no sacrifice. The high public position makes it all the more embarrassing to admit guilt. Praised is the generation whose nasi swallows that embarrassment and has the gumption to do what is required of him.

 

Malbim offers another positive approach related to that of Rashi's. The words asher and im are actually interchangeable (see Rashi Rosh HaShanah 3a). There is one slight difference between the word im and the word asher, used to mean im. The word asher is used to denote a possibility which we would like to occur while im simply implies a possibility. The best example of this is in parshas Re'eih. The parsha begins by explaining what will trigger the blessings and the curses. The pasuk states (Devarim 11:27) "Es haberachah asher tishme'u... (pasuk 28) vehakelalah im lo sishme'u." The translation is the same for both, if you will listen or if you will not listen. However, since listening is what we want to happen, the word asher is used whereas the word im is used for not listening. Here, too, we want the nasi to be one who will come forth and admit his sins. It is his position of power and influence that makes it most important for him to possess this quality. Therefore, the Torah introduces his sin offering with the word asher.

 

Have a good Shabbos and chodesh tov.
Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah (see Rashi, bottom of Taanis 29a)

 

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
Dikdukian: Keves vs. Kesev

Dikdukian: Birkas HaIlanos

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The Weekly Shtikle - Vayakheil / Pekudei

In this week's parsha, (35:30-35) Moshe Rabbeinu informs B'nei Yisrael that Betzalel will be in charge of overseeing the construction of the mishkan. He states that HaShem has instilled in him a special spirit of wisdom and understanding. After explaining this wisdom in more detail, Moshe adds (35:34) "ulhoros nasan belibo," and He has placed in his heart the ability or desire to teach. It was not sufficient for Betzalel to be familiar with all the crafts necessary for the construction of the mishkan. He needed to be able to teach it to others so that they may participate as well.

In examining this pasuk more thoroughly, there are two very important lessons that are taught in this seemingly simple phrase. The first is that no wealth of knowledge ever guarantees the ability to teach. Betzalel was brought to the highest levels of knowledge and understanding but that was not enough. In addition to the wisdom vested in him by HaShem he also required a separate Divine inspiration for the ability to give over that wisdom to others. The art of teaching is a necessary wisdom unto itself. This point is made by Ohr HaChayim and R' Moshe Shternbuch on this pasuk.

This pasuk also teaches us that while one might attribute other areas of wisdom to the brain or mind, the essence of teaching is in the heart. It is not even enough for one to spend day and night studying and learning how to teach. No matter how much knowledge one is able to place in his brain, without a teaching heart it just does not work. Therefore, in addition to enriching Betzalel's intellect with the wisdom and knowledge to perform all the necessary tasks, HaShem instilled in him all the necessary components to make the training process as smooth as possible. (In truth, it has been noted that throughout Tana"ch, we don't find a separate word used to refer to the brain. So lev would also cover matters of pure intellect and this second inference is not so strong.)

Chazak, chazak, venishchazeik!

Have a good Shabbos.

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: A Wise Correction

Dikdukian: Ve'asa Vetzalel

Dikdukian: Kikar Zahav

Dikdukian: The Lord and the Rings

Dikdukian: Tarshish Shoham

Dikdukian: Sham and Shamah

 

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The Weekly Shtikle - Ki Sisa

I heard the following recently from a shiur by R' Asher Weiss. There is a famous approach attributed to Ramba"n (20:12) regarding the aseres hadibros. With the obvious exception of the commandment to respect one's father and mother, the first half of the dibros are very distinctly confined to matters bein adam laMakom – between Man and his Maker. The second half quite conversely deals with matters between Man and his neighbour.

In our parsha, when the luchos are given to Moshe (31:18) the word luchos is written without a vuv, as if it is singular – luchas. Rashi comments that this nuance is meant to indicate that they were equivalent. Rashi, however, does not elaborate as to what the nature of this equivalence is. R' Asher Weiss suggests these two ideas may be fused together. The dibros could have been delivered on one slab of stone. Why was it necessary to split them into two? It is never sufficient to be especially diligent regarding mitzvos bein adam laMakom while being lax in matters with other people. Nor is the inverse acceptable. Both realms of Torah observance are absolutely necessary to achieve any level of completeness in the service of HaShem. This idea is expressed further in the events that followed the giving of the luchos.

When Moshe comes down from the mountain and observes the devastating situation that had unfolded (32:19) he throws down both luchos in anger. The pasuk, as we read it, states that he threw them from his hands. However, the word yadav is written without a second vuv, as if it is to be read to miyado, from his one hand. R' Yisroel Salanter explains that when Moshe observed the golden calf, it was abundantly clear that the nation had failed in their observance of the first tablet. They directly disobeyed the commandment not to have other gods. But Moshe had a notion that perhaps they could still maintain their connection to the second half of the dibros. But HaShem made it such that both were thrown down and destroyed to bring home this notion – that there is no such thing as observing one half of the covenant with HaShem while ignoring the other. If one part goes down, it all comes down.

Have a good Shabbos.

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

 

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Kol Annnos

Dikdukian: Yeiaseh vs.Taaseh by Ephraim Stulberg

Dikdukian: No More Drinking

Dikdukian: Minimizing Sin

Dikdukian: Whys and Wherefores

Dikdukian: Need to Bring this Up

Dikdukian: Oops (Parah)

Dikdukian: Let Your Heart Not be Desolate (Parah)

 

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The Weekly Shtikle - Purim

By now I'm sure most of you have seen or read all sorts of inspiring thoughts making the obvious connection between the events of the day and the story of the megillah. (One clever observation I saw from Noam Jacobson highlighted the fact that the Iranian regime was the epitome of a Haman, more so than any of the numerous individuals and nations who sought to obliterate us over the generations. They all had elaborate schemes which would certainly take years to carry out.  Only the Iranians, with their nuclear ambitions, sought to carry out an instantaneous genocide – beyom echad – as Haman did.)

This morning, I noticed a much different historical context in the story of Purim. As is well-known and much discussed, there is a deep connection, albeit ironic, between Purim and Yom HaKippurim. It begins with the similarity of the name and goes off in many different directions. On Yom Kippur, we read the story of Yonah who was commanded to inform the great city of Nineveh that they were to be destroyed for their wicked deeds. One of the common understandings of Yonah's reluctance to deliver this prophecy is that he was afraid that if the gentile city of Nineveh were to repent – as they, in fact, did – it would reflect drastically upon the Jews of the time who seemed resistant to the many rebukes from the prophets.

Perhaps Yonah's reasoning was virtuous and even justified, if looked at merely in the context of the present day. But a line in the selichos for Taanis Esther reveals what the flaw in his approach might have been in the greater context of Jewish history. In the first selichah, as we poetically retell the story of Purim, we recount that they learned the lesson from Nineveh that through teshuvah and tefillah, we can annul a most devastating decree.

Even if the teshuvah of Nineveh had negative consequences for the Jews of the time, it served as a blueprint for future generations to inspire them to never lose hope to achieve salvation through prayer and repentance. And the inclusion in the selichos is surely a call to all further generations – including our own – to never lose hope in the most trying times and to always have faith in the power of our deeds and our words to bring deliverance to our nation.

Have a  Purim sameiach!
Mishenichnas Adar marbim be'simchah

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Please see my Purim archives for some more insightful (hopefully not inciteful) thoughts on Purim. 

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Dikdukian Posts on Megillas Esther                                                                                                                                              

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com

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The Weekly Shtikle - Tetzaveh / Purim

Last Thursday, 2 Adar, was the 20^th yahrtzeit of my Zadie, Rabbi Yaakov Bulka. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Chaim Yaakov ben Yitzchak, z"l.

As part of the process of producing the priestly vestments, pasuk 28:40 commands, "Velivnei Aharon ta'ase chutanos", and for the sons of Aharon you shall make tunics. This can be interpreted in two ways - one tunic for each kohein or many tunics for each kohein. This is the subject of a dispute in the Yerushalmi (Yoma 3:6). Rabanan are of the opinion that it was two tunics for each kohein while the position of R' Yose is one tunic for each kohein suffices. 

In the gemara (Megillah 7a) Rav Yosef learns that when it says in Megillas Esther matanos la'evyonim, it means 2 total matanos for 2 evyonim - only one for each poor person. Turei Even in Chagiga and Avnei Shoham in Megilla (same author) comment that this gemara goes like R' Yose in the Yerushalmi who holds one tunic for each kohein. However, asks Mitzpeh Eisan in Megillah, from Tosafos (Chagiga 3a) we see that the halachah in regards to the dispute in the Yerushalmi is like the Rabanan - two tunics for each kohein. If Rav Yosef in Megilla is going only according to R' Yose then it is not in accordance with halachah. But his ruling is uncontested.

Mitzpeh Eisan answers from Pri Chadash (Orach Chaim 694) who writes that if the pasuk had written "vela'evyonim matanos" then it would have implied two to each but now that it says it the other way around it only means one to each. Therefore, the rule is that if the subject is written before the object then it may imply that to these plural subjects you will give plural objects to each. That then is the subject of dispute in Yerushalmi where the pasuk in question is "Velivnei Aharon ta'ase chutanos", the subject coming before the object. However, with matanos la'evyonim where the object comes first, it means that these objects shall be distributed amongst the following subjects and everyone will agree that it is one per person. [This also explains why the gemara in Yoma entertains the possibility that there were two lots on each goat in the Yom Kippur procedure because the pasuk states, "al shnei hase'irim goralos," the subject before the object.]

Have a good Shabbos. 

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

 

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Dikdukian Posts on Megillas Esther

Dikdukian: Ner Tamid

Dikdukian: Of Plurals and Singulars

Dikdukian: The Lord and the Rings

Dikdukian: Tarshsih veShoham

Dikdukian: Sham and Shamah

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The Weekly Shtikle - Mishpatim

This past Tuesday, 23 Shevat, marked the 5^th yahrtzeit of my Oma Jakobovits. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmasah, Chayah Sarah bas Zechariah Chaim, z"l.

This coming Sunday, 28 Shevat, marks the 13^th yahrtzeit of my wife's grandfather, R' Yitzchak Yeres. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Yitzchak Chaim ben Moshe Yosef HaLevi, z"l.

In this week's parsha, we are commanded to come to the aid of our fellow Jew whose donkey is crouching under his burden and needs help to load it on. The Torah chooses a rather interesting way of delivering this mitzvah. The pasuk reads simply (23:5) "If you shall see the donkey of someone you hate crouching beneath his burden and you refrain from aiding him, you shall surely aid him."

The first point to consider is that the Torah presents the case of a donkey belonging to one who is hated, rather than just anyone. We learn from here that if we are faced with two such situations, one involving a friend and one involving an enemy, the Torah commands us to help out the one whom you hate first in order to suppress your instinctual enmity and force a friendship to be made.

The second puzzling part of the pasuk is the seemingly gratuitous phrase "vechadalta mei'azov lo," and you will refrain from helping him. What does the Torah mean by this phrase? The gemara learns from here that there are times when you are in fact expected not to help out. For instance, if one is elderly and it is not respectful or if he is a kohein and the donkey is in a cemetery. However, this does not seem to fit as the simple reading of the pasuk. Rashi writes that it is a rhetorical question, "should you refrain from helping him?!" However, it is also difficult to understand the pasuk in this way.

R' Chaim Kanievsky writes in Ta'ama D'kra that the purpose of this phrase is connected to the initial lesson learned from the pasuk. The Torah tells you to help out your enemy in order to break your hatred. This would therefore only apply if under normal circumstances you would not have helped him. Thus, the pasuk is understood as follows: When you see your enemy's donkey and, under normal circumstances you would have neglected to help him, then and only then do you help him before your friend. If you would have helped him anyway then there is no reason he should take precedence over your friend.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup

Dikdukian: Tricky Vowels

Dikdukian: Answer vs. Torture
Dikdukian: Give it to me
Dikdukian: Ha'isha viladeha

Dikdukian: Jewish Milk

Dikdukian: Three Strikes and you're out

Dikdukian: The Ox and his Friend

Al Pi Cheshbon: 10,000 Kikars

 

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The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

 

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