Simchas Torah 2020

Parshas Bereishis – Verse 5:29

Naming of Noah

Shabbos in Lakeview

Chabad of East Lakeview

Rabbi Dovid Kotlarski

Chabad of Lakeview

Sunday – October 11, 2020:

Simchas Torah:

Great Simchas Torah.  I was not expecting too much at Sidney’s garage Minyan.  Most of the neighborhood came with their families.  After the 5th Hakaph, the extended Goldstein family gave a Kiddush on the birth of a granddaughter.  Not just any Kiddush, but a grand feast.  There was Cholent, potato kugel, drumettes, cake, and candy.  We were done at 2:30 PM.  My kids came about an hour later for the Yom Tov meal.  Serka cooked up a great meal.

Tuesday – October 13,2020:

Took my Covid test.  Skokie Yeshiva tested everyone before they opened their campus.

Went through the basement of the two flat to go over the remaining work items.  There were about 20 items.  It is dragging on and the dollars are adding up.  I am not happy about it and somewhat depressed..

Wednesday October 14, 2020:

Went to Richards Body Shop.  Eddie is starting to redo my 1968 Ford Mustang that was my father’s third wife.  I paid him $3,000.  The car is all rusted out.  The motor work’s fine.   He is ordering parts for the Mustang Floor, hood, side panels, and other parts.  After 19 years of sitting in his shop, he is finally working on the car.

Thursday – October 15, 2020:

Everyone passed their covid test and the Yeshiva opened.  I was very depressed as Rabbi Revach gave a Shiur on Tosfes Kiddushin 2B – Esrog.  I did not understand the Shiur.

Friday – October 16, 2020:

Learned with Rabbi Revach for two hours going through the Tosfes.  I recovered some of my dignity.

Took Naftali to the Home Office for Cholent.  

Drove to Eli for Shabbos and got there about 5:30 PM.  Serka made great food for us.  Went to Anshei Shalom for davening.  It was depressing.  Only 13 men and two women.  No one spoke to one another.  There is no excuse for how they shut down davening. Went back to Eli and had a great meal.   Schmoozed with Eli about life and went to bed about 10:15 PM.

Shabbos – October 17, 2020:

Woke up at 7:00 AM. Learned Chumosh.  Davened at Chabad of East Lakeview.  Got to Shul at 10:15 AM.   They recently purchased a building at Wellington, just west of Broadway and will be remodeling.  I saw the Chevra from Anshei Shomel. Cholent was great.

I gave a Shiur and the below is my new Torah I spoke out in the Shiur.:  Paul, Tamar, Herb, and the Kaz’s attended.  

Rabbi Kotlarsky spoke about Noah and what he meant to the world.  Rabbi Kotlarski talked about Verse 5:29 that Noah brought relief from the hard labor to produce food from a cursed land and equally as important, he brought them relief from depression.  He tied this in to the depression brought on by Covid and the increase in suicide and sucidiual thougths.  Later on I told Rabbi Kotlarski that he was M’Chavin to the Ibn Ezra.

Torah for Berehis 2020:

Bereishis Verse 5:29:

וַיִּקְרָ֧א אֶת־שְׁמ֛וֹ נֹ֖חַ לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֠ה יְנַחֲמֵ֤נוּ מִֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֙נוּ֙ וּמֵעִצְּב֣וֹן יָדֵ֔ינוּ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽרְרָ֖הּ יְהוָֽה׃

And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will provide us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands, out of the very soil which the LORD placed under a curse.”

Rashi says on this Passuk:

זה ינחמנו. יָנַח מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת עִצְּבוֹן יָדֵינוּ. עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָא נֹחַ לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם כְּלֵי מַחֲרֵשָׁה וְהוּא הֵכִין לָהֶם,  וְהָיְתָה הָאָרֶץ מוֹצִיאָה קוֹצִים וְדַרְדַּרִים כְּשֶׁזּוֹרְעִים חִטִּים, מִקִּלְלָתוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, וּבִימֵי נֹחַ נָחָה, וְזֶהוּ יְנַחֲמֵנוּ, וְאִם לֹא תְפָרְשֵׁהוּ כָּךְ אֵין טַעַם הַלָּשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל הַשֵּׁם וְאַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִקְרוֹת שְׁמוֹ מְנַחֵם:

What does  יְנַחֲמֵנוּ mean:

Sefaria – relief

Artscroll with Rashi English Translation – ease

Artscroll – rest

Miller and Gunick Lubavitch Chumosim – rest

Mechon-Mamre – Comfort us – rashi says that this is the wrong translation

Hertz – Comfort

Sefaria Translation -:

THIS WILL COMFORT US — He will ease from off us (ינחמנו) the toil of our hands. For until Noah came people had no agricultural instruments and he prepared such for them. The earth had brought forth thorns and thistles when they sowed wheat in consequence of the curse imposed upon Adam Harishon: in the days of Noah, however, this ceased (Tanchuma 1:1:11). This is what is meant by the word ינחמנו (viz., ינח מנו). If, however, you do not explain it in this manner, but from the root נחם “to comfort”, then the meaning you give to this expression (connecting it with the idea of “comfort”) will have no application to the name נח, and you would have to call him מנחם “Comforter”.

The basic question is, how did Lemach know that his son would revolutionize farming and how did he know the curse would be lifted?  

Rabbi Kotlarsky mentioned that Noah was the first human born with fingers.  Up until that time everyone’s fingers were fused.  Based on this Medresh you can answer that as a result of this phenomena Lemach knew that his newborn son would be destined for greatness and relieve humanity from having to toil.   This Medrash did not come to answer this question, but we can use it to answer the question.  

The following Rishonim ask this question and deal with it many different ways.  The below is a summary and afterwards I bring down the individual Rishonim:

1. Seifsei Chachomin – Adam prophitzed that relief will come when a child is born circumcised and Noah was born circumcised.
2. Ibn Ezra

1. Lemach know through Adom that his child will bring relief
2. Through Chcomah, undefined by the Ibn Ezra, but I assume astrology or something similar.
3. People were given formal names once they grew up and people saw what they did with their lives and the name would define that person.  The name Noah was not given at birth but when they saw that he brought relief and ease to the world

    3)  Chizkuni – It was known that during Adam’s lifetime, there would not be relief from the curse on

   the land.  Must be that according to the Chizkuni Noah was the first child born after 

   the death of Adam, although 126 years apart.

   4)   Rashbam – The reason is that Noach was the first man born after the death of Adam, and by 

    calling him Noach he merely expressed the hope and prayer that Noach would be

    able to atone for the iniquity which Adam had perpetrated.

   5) Bartenura – like the Rashbam

   6) Aderet Eliyaho – like the third expalanton in the Ibn Ezra

   7) Netziv – so different that I will bring the Netziv in its entirety:

ממעשנו ומעצבון ידינו. שהיה קשה על למך הצדיק לראות מעשה בני דורו הרשעים ולא יכול להושיע וראה ברוה״ק שבימי  בנו ינוחו מרשעות כאלה. וזהו ממעשינו ועוד באשר נשתנה דרך כל בשר וטבעו כמו שיבואר להלן ו׳ י״ב. וע״כ לא יכלו להשתמש בבהמת הארץ כפי הטבע. וא״כ היו מוכרחים לעמול הרבה בידיהם. וראה ברוה״ק שבימי נח ישוב הטבע למקומה. וזהו משמעות ומעצבון ידינו. ואח״כ פי׳ הכתוב מלשון תנחומין:

The actual language of the Rishonim and in depth study:

The Seifsei Chachomin asks the question and answers it as follows:

He will give us rest. Bereishis Rabbah says: Was Lemech a prophet, that [when Noach was born] he knew about this? R. Shimon ben Yehotzedek said: Noach was born circumcised. For when Hashem cursed the earth, Adam said to Him: O Master of the World! Until when? Hashem told him: Until you beget a circumcised person. Once Noach was born circumcised, they said: He will give us rest! (Divrei Dovid).

Adam died in the year 930 and Noach was born in the year 1056.  Adam must have told this prophecy to the world.  When Noah was born 126 years later and apparently was the first one born circumcised.   Lemach felt and hoped that Noah would be the child prophitzed by Adam.  

The Seifsei Chachomin continues and asks a question on Rashi.  I do not know the answer, but I will put it down here for future study.

והא דלא קאמר יניח ממנו את מעשינו דהא עדיין לא ינוחו ממעשי ידיהם דהא עדיין יצטרכו לחרוש ולזרוע ולדוש לכן קאמר זה ינחמינו זה יניח ממנו את עצבון ידינו שלא היה להם כלי מחרישה והוא הכין להם ולא נקט רש”י ממעשינו ומעצבון ידינו כמו דכתיב בקרא ולמה הקדים עצבון ידינו למעשה ידינו י”ל דעצבון קאי על מה שהוציאה הארץ קוצים ודרדרים ומיד כשנולד נח פסקה מיד אותה קללה אבל תקון המחרישה לא הי’ אלא עד שגדל נח משום הכי הקדים רש”י והורה בזה שכן ראוי להיות נמי בקרא וק”ל:

And the verse does not say יניח ממנו את מעשינו [although it is closer to “Noach”] because then it would mean that they rested from the work of their hands, and that did not yet happen. They still needed to plow, sow and thresh. Therefore it says that Noach “will bring us rest from… the anguish of our hands,” as he prepared plowing tools for them which they did not have as yet. Why did Rashi not explain, “From our work and the anguish of our hands,” following the order of the verse, but rather put “the anguish of our hands” first? The answer is: “Anguish” refers to the earth’s curse to produce thorns and thistles. And as soon as Noach was born, that curse stopped. But Noach did not make the plow until he grew up. Thus Rashi mentioned “anguish” first, indicating that the verse as well should be understood this way.

Ibn Ezra

The below Ibn Ezra may have been the source of the Sefsei Chacomim:

וטעם זה ינחמנו ממעשינו. שידע על ידי אדם כי נביא היה כי על יד זה הנולד תחיה האדמה. או ראו זה בדרך חכמה וכן הי’ 

על ידו נתקיים העולם גם הוא היה איש האדמה כי כן כתוב. גם יתכן שנקרא שמו נח כמו ירובעל אחר שעבד האדמה והצליחה ונח הפך העצבון. והטעם זה ינחמנו וננוח מעצבון ידינו. גם נחמה מנוח’ מעצבון הלב. כי העברים ישמרו הטעמים ולא המלות והעד ירבשת וירבעל. והשואלים מי היתה אשת קין ושת מה טעם לשאלה הזאת כי כתוב באדם ויולד בנים ובנות וכן כלם

The Ibn Ezra then adds, maybe Lemech knew it with wisdom.  I think Ibn Ezra means wisdom of astrology or some other wisdom.  The Ibn Ezra proceeds and says a third interpretation that he was called Noah only after he grew up and showed success as a farmer.  That is when they called him Noah.  

The Ibn Ezra said גם נחמה מנוח’ מעצבון הלב.  That Noah gave them relief from sadness of the heart, depression.   Rabbi Kotlarski linked this to the high level of depression and suicidal thoughts during covid.  This could give us an insight into Ibn Ezra that he understood the effects of depression.  The Ibn Ezra was exceptionally poor.  He joked about himself that if he sold burial shrouds, people would stop dying.

The Rashbam and Chizkuni answers the question differently:

Chizkuni:

זה ינחמנו, מן האדמה שהרי נאמר לאדם ארורה האדמה בעבורך כל ימי חייך ושנות אדם כלו לתולדות נח וחשב בלבו מה שקלקל זה יתקן זה.

ה ינחמנו מן האדמה, “this one will bring us consolation regarding the condition of the earth. Seeing that he had been born after the death of Adam, the curse decreed on earth as being effective during Adam’s lifetime could now be lifted. [According to my calculation Noach was born in the year 1056 after Adam had been created. Seeing that theTorah did not report anyone being born after Lemech, Noach’s father, who was born when Adam was still alive, there is no contradiction here. Ed.]

Rashbam

 if you were to question why our sages do not describe Lemech as a great prophet, as they described Ever who had called his son Peleg, foreseeing that in his time mankind would be divided into 70 languages, etc., (Seder Olam 1) the reason is that Noach was the first man born after the death of Adam, and by calling him Noach he merely expressed the hope and prayer that Noach would be able to atone for the iniquity which Adam had perpetrated. The word נח is an allusion to הנחה, a relief, reduction in cost, i.e. the curse that mankind suffers under, especially the earth, should be lifted now that Adam had been replaced by an innocent human being who did not share time on earth with Adam who had brought a curse upon mankind. In the case of Peleg, it is impossible to see in that name the expression of a prayer, a plea; hence we must interpret it as a sign of his father’s prophetic vision.

This is difficult because Adam died 126 years before Noah was born.  Although in the Chizkuni someone answered this by saying no one was born.  I thought of this and it did say that there were other children born to these individuals and I assume that their kids had kids.  To go 126 years without any births is very difficult.

The Netziv in Hemach Dover has a completely different understanding:

יִּקְרָ֧א אֶת־שְׁמ֛וֹ נֹ֖חַ לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֠ה יְנַחֲמֵ֤נוּ מִֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֙נוּ֙ וּמֵעִצְּב֣וֹן יָדֵ֔ינוּ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽרְרָ֖הּ יְהוָֽה׃

זה ינחמנו. א״ת מלשון תנחומין. ורש״י דחה דא״כ שם נח אינו טפל יפה על הלשון להכי פירש מלשון נחת. ולפ״ז אינו מדויק לשון זה ינחמנו. ובל״ז יש להתבונן בכל א׳ מהפירושים. דתנחומין לא שייך אלא על הרעה שנשתיירה במקומה. ולא על מעשינו ועצבון ידינו שנשתנה בימי נח. ולהיפך שם נחת לא שייך על האדמה אשר אררה ה׳. שהרי לא נחו מקללה זו גם אחר המבול. אלא נראה דבשם נח נכלל שני השרשים לשון נחם ולשון נחת. ומש״ה נקרא נח בחסרון אות השלישי למען יהא נכלל בו שני השרשים. ופי׳ זה ינחמנו ג״כ בשתי הוראות. מלשון יניח לנו כפרש״י:

ממעשנו ומעצבון ידינו. שהיה קשה על למך הצדיק לראות מעשה בני דורו הרשעים ולא יכול להושיע וראה ברוה״ק שבימי בנו ינוחו מרשעות כאלה. וזהו ממעשינו ועוד באשר נשתנה דרך כל בשר וטבעו כמו שיבואר להלן ו׳ י״ב. וע״כ לא יכלו להשתמש בבהמת הארץ כפי הטבע. וא״כ היו מוכרחים לעמול הרבה בידיהם. וראה ברוה״ק שבימי נח ישוב הטבע למקומה. וזהו משמעות ומעצבון ידינו. ואח״כ פי׳ הכתוב מלשון תנחומין:

THIS ONE WILL CONSOLE US – One might be tempted to say that this word is from the root “console,” and Rashi has rebutted this on the basis that the name “Noach” is not consistent with this root and has explained that it is derived from the root “rest.” According to Rashi, the word here is inexact. However, one need not to resort to this explanation, it is possible to understand the word in both senses. “Comfort” only applies to ongoing permanent tragedies, and not ones that arise from human activity and evil that arose during the days of Noah. Similarly, “rest” does not apply to the land, which was permanently cursed by God (since the land remained in this state even after the flood.) The name “Noah” includes both roots – “comfort” and “rest.” This is why the word is spelled nun-chet without a third letter, so that it can be considered a cognate of both roots. “This one will console us” can be understood in both senses, similar to Rashi’s explanation.

Bartenura:

זה ינחמנו ממעשנו וכו’ קשה לפי הפשטה וכי נביאים היו שזה עתיד להניח להם. וי”ל לפי שכתוב ארורה האדמה בעבורך וכו’ עד שובך אל האדמם דמשמע כשימות אדם הראשון תבטל זאת הגזרה וכשנולד נח כבר מת אדם וצא וחשוב שנותיו ותמצאם כלין כ”ו שנה קודם לידת נח ולפי שהוא היה הראשון שנולד אחר מיתתו של אדם לכך אמרו עליו זה ינחמנו ממעשנו וכו’

The Bartenura says there were only 26 years between the death of Adam and the birth of Noah.  Maybe there is a mistake in the Bartenura and he means 126 years.

Aderet Eliyaho:

The Aderat Eliyaho answers the question like the third answer in the Ibn Ezra that the name given to a person was given after they accomplished in this world and the name would reflect their accomplishments.. 

לאמר זה ינחמנו. כשראו שינוי בארץ קראו אותו כן שקריאת שמותם לא היו ביום לידתם רק לשם המעשה בימיהם. מן האדמה שנתקללה בימי קין:

Conclusion:

I am not sure how to wrap all of this up into a neat package. I think the Netziv is the key.

My Speech on the Parsha

Passing of Rabbi Adin Evan-Israel Steinsaltz

Cholent by Rachelle and Aryeh Benjamin.

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My Speech on the Parsha

Chapter 11, Verse 26 states:

  רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃

“See, this day I set before you blessing and curse”

The word רְאֵ֗ה is singular and the word לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם is plural.  The question is why.  The Kli Yakar says:

Look, I place before you today. “See” is singular. “Before you” is plural. This is what our Sages teach us: A person must always view things as if the entire world is half righteous and half wicked. If he performs a single mitzvah he tips himself and the entire world to the side of merit. Therefore Moshe spoke to every individual, “See” that he should see in his thought that every single action affects all of them.

The Kotzker asks the question and answers based on the Zohar on the words in Exodus 18:1 –

וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע יִתְר֨וֹ .  The entire world heard about the miracles, the Jews leaving Egypt, the splitting of the sea, and everything else, but Yisro heard and acted.  Same thing when something is giving, everyone is included because it is given to everyone. Equally., but when it comes to seeing and perception, everyone is different, because everyone sees things through their efforts and understanding.   

Similarly, the Kotzker says the Shevous is called “the time of the giving of the Torah,” not “the time of the acceptance of the Torah” because God gave the same Torah to everyone, but everyone accepted it differently.  

The understanding of Torah is based on what we put into a piece of Torah. Written Torah is two dimensional; sometimes the Torah even in a two dimensional format is profound by itself.  However, many times  the Torah seems flat and the reader must put his being and thoughts into the Torah.to bring out the profundity of what is being said.  This differs from person to person, based on their level of learning, life experiences, age, childhood, and everything else that makes up a person.

There is a story in the book, Siach Sarfei Kodesh, about the RIM that takes place in roughly 1815.  After the RIM’s marriage and spending three months with the Koshnitzer Magid, who was the Shadchen, the RIM moved to Warsaw to live by his father-in-law.  The Lissa Rav – Yaakov ben Moshe Lorberbaum of Lissa (1760-1832)  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaakov_Lorberbaum)  had a question he could not answer.  The RIM (1787-1866), answered the question.  The Lissa Rav stood for a few moments in deep thought and said – that I answer the question this way and the RIM says another answer.  I can engage in debate with the RIM, however, ultimately I know he is right.  I do not want to engage in

debate because through the power of debate and persuasion I may get him to change his answer, and I know he is right.  The truth lies with him.    

Interesting that the Lissa Rov learned in the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yosef Hochgelenter in Zamusz, the same yeshiva that the Kotzker Rebbe learned years later.

This is a nice story, but would like to add my learning and understanding into the Torah and bring out the WOW of the story. 

The RIM was born in 1799, while the Lissa Rov was born in 1760. The Lissa Rav was the Gadol Hador of Torah Jewry at that time.  Per Rabbi Dishon, the RIM this story takes place when the RIM was a teenager, roughly in 1815.  Therefore at the time this meeting took place, the Lissa Rov was 55, while the RIM was 16.   The Lissa Rav did not let ego get in the way.  He was willing to recognize the truth in what the RIM said, someone who was only 16.   Even more amazing.   The RIM was a Chassidic young man.   Imagine a Chassid answering the Misnagdic Gadol Hador.    The Misnagdim were locked into a fight with the Chassidim for the hearts and minds of Jewry.   Misnagidm claimed that Chassdim were ignorant and did not produce Torah scholars.  The RIM disproved this.   The Lissa Rav could have been bribed by the need to fight and disprove the RIM simply because we Misnagdim do not like Chassidim.  As we say, bribery twists the truth.  The Llissa Rov could have disagreed on a conscious or subconscious level  with the RIM because a Chosid cannot learn like a Misnagid, so therefore the RIM had to be wrong.  Or even if he recognized that the RIM was correct, he may have purposely disagreed with the RIM so as not to acknowledge the greatness of the Torah of a Chosid.  

Had ego been a factor or a Misnagdic dislike for the Chassid, the Lissa Rav would not have had a clear mind to see the truth in the RIM’s answe and  the Lissa Rav could have argued with the RIM and perhaps gotten the RIM to change his mind.  Remember, the Lissa Rav had memorized the entire Shas, Rishonim, and Poskim in his mind.  Had he had an agenda, then he would have fought the RIM.  However, the Lissa Rav was committed to the truth in Torah and publicly admitted that this Chassidic young man is correct.

This is how Torah has to be learned and why Torah is not the same for everyone.

Passing of Rabbi Adin Evan-Israel Steinsaltz:

On Friday, August 7, Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinslatz passed away.  He was a prolific author, an inspiration to many people, and was one the first to make Gemoro accessible to the masses.   He was generous with his time.  He grew up in Israel, not Orthodox, and became a great Torah scholar.  He was the living embodiment of the Kli Yakar.  He was an individual that made a major impact on the entire Jewish people.  He did not live for himself, but to spread Torah and educate Jewry.  He was a Lubivatcher, but his Yeshivas were in the Dati Leumi world.   I failed to meet him and am diminished for not having met him or heard him speak. The closest I came to him was in 2015 when I was in Israel visiting Chani, my daughter who was at Seminary, I happened upon the Tzemach Tzedek shul located at the start of the Arab Shuk that leads to the Damascus gate.  I came after davening.  I was told that Rabbi Steinsaltz davens in the Shul.

His history is detailed on the website:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adin_Steinsaltz

RabbiAdin Even-Israel Steinsaltz
עדין אבן-ישראל שטיינזלץ‎
Steinsaltz in 2010
Born	Adin Steinsaltz11 July 1937Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine(now Israel)
Died	7 August 2020 (aged 83)Jerusalem, Israel
Resting place	Har HaZeitim
Nationality	Israel
Alma mater	Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Occupation	Rabbi, author
Notable work	The Talmud: The Steinsaltz Edition
SpouseChildren	SaraMenachem, Amechaye, Esther Sheleg

Cholent by Rachelle and Aryeh Benjamin.

For lunch I had Cholent by my cousins, the Benjamins.  Rachelle’s cholent was fabulous.  No garlic.  I came at 12:40 PM and was the guest who never left, leaving at 4:00 PM.  This is the fourth Shabbos of “going for Cholent by my family”.  I previously have been to Yonatan Glenner, Mayer Chase, and Eliyahu Glenner.

On the following Monday, July 21st, Naftoli Glenner made a Siyum on Mishnayos Brechos. The Siyum was at his Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe and Frumit Roberts

 Naftali and his father.

Mitch Morgenstern, my wife, Serka, and my son Eli.

I spoke and added the following.

There is a fifth interpretation of לא יחל דברו and that is Naftoli Glenner.   Naftoli always does what

he says he will do.  He is always there.  He does not delay, does not profane his words, does not violate his words, and he is forgiving.  We call him Reb Naftoli.  When he has to come to my house, he persistently calls me.  I invariably will be in the middle of an important text, he calls me, and my text is ruined.  He will call me 10 times.  He is always at the front of the Shul to open the Aron, to help with taking off the Torah covering.  Rabbi’s chairs were only created so Naftoli can have a place to sit.  He is very observant of what is happening around him, absorbing details, and the scene around him.

Shabbos Parshas Shelach – June 20, 2020

Joseph Greenbaum Bar Mitzvah – Parshas Shelach 2015

For Want of Cholent – Thank you Rabbi Rael Blumenthal

Toras Yonatan Glenner

Meshech Chochma on the Sin of the Spies

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Rabbi Yonatan Glenner and his Uncle (myself)

The Spies Reporting Back to Moshe:

What a great bar Mitzvah:  Joseph with his parents

 

It is after Shabbos and I am decompressing from Shabbos.  I seem to always be tired and I am having back problems.

I did not speak this Shabbos and I am upset at myself.  I saw a beautiful Meshech Chochma, which I will write about later in this post.

Parshas Shleach was Joseph Greenbaum’s Bar Mitzvah.  He has special needs.  I merited to be at his Bar Mitzvah.  That Shabbos morning, the  Shul was packed, every seat taken.  Close to 1,000 people were in Shul.   The energy in the Shul was electric.   Joseph’s cousin from Raanana, Israel davened a beautiful Schachris.  It was time for Joe, as he is known, to be called up to the Torah and his Aliyah.  He was perfect.  I still can picture the family with Dr. Landa and Rabbi Efreim Goldberg dancing with Joe around the bima.  I remember  Rabbi Efreim Goldberg’s great speech.  He started with saying that while he was shopping a few years ago, Joe had come over to him and said hello.   Later that night Joe’s mother, Dr. Laura Greenbaum, called Rabbi Efreim Goldberg and said that you witnessed a miracle.   Joe has proxia and cannot speak.   I can close my eyes and be at the Bar Mitzvah.  The family is blessed to live in the great community of Boca Raton Synagogue. 

This Shabbos morning I walked with Serka to my daughter Rivkie to drop off salad.  They live 1.3 miles from us.  Afterwards,  I went to my apartment to learn.  It did not seem like a long time, but when I picked up my head from learning and made it to the garage Minyan by Sidney, it was 10:20 AM and they were already  by Chazaras Hashatz.     

Went home and made Kiddush,  My wife makes great avocado and I enjoyed.  After my meal, I went to Yonatan’s house for Cholent.  I had told my wife not to make Cholent.  I just needed a taste and I did not want her to make Cholent as I and my son would overeat.  More importantly, I wanted to speak Torah with Yonatan.  I also wanted to discuss a Meshech Chochma with Yonatan.  

I must have Cholent on Shabbos, even a taste.  Rabbi Rael Blumenthal of Boca Raton West in his Shiur on Pershim vs. Tzadukim said that Chazal said we should have hot food such as Cholent on Shabbos to show the Tzadukim that we do not follow them and that they are wrong.  The Tzadukim do not  have hot food on Shabbos at all.  Rabbi Blumethal said in his unique British accent that if you take a second bowl of Cholent and your wife says, it is too much, respond to her that it is a Mitzva!

Boruch Hashem Serka did not make Cholent and Boruch Hashem I heard Rabbi Blumenthal say, It is a Mitzva.  I went to Yonatan’s house and the following magical moment occurred.

I started discussing with Yonatan what Rabbi Moshe Revah of HTC was saying in Shiur.  I told him my question on “Derech Makom Patur ” mentioned in the top Tosefes on 101A – “Rabbi Yehuda”  and how Rabbi Revah and the Shiur answered my  question. Yonatan followed my question and answer.   I was happy just with this.   Then I told him Rabbi Revach’s Shiurim, on 101A – 101B, the Seguya of Mechitza Teluya (hanging partition), גּוּד אַחֵית מְחִיצָתָא, and גְּדָיִים בּוֹקְעִין בָּהּ. I was pleasantly surprised that Yonathan knew the Sugya.  Then Yonatan lit the fireworks and pulled out the howitzer.

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Yonatan opened his Sefer on Eruvim and in the Sefer was an entire Chapter on this Sugya.  Exciting.   In the Sefer he discussed the Machlokes between the Chazon Ish and the Shulchan Aruck Harav, the Ritva, and other Torah. The Sefer discussed the Chidushim  of Rabbi Revah brought up and many of his finer points in the Sugyah.  We went back and forth in learning for about an hour.  The chapter  was essentially a review of Rabbi Revah’s Shiurim. For me it was a special moment and time will always be frozen in his house at his table.  I merited to learn with my nephew, some very deep and involved Torah.   Later on Shabbos I walked to Rabbi Revah’s  house.  He had the Sefer and we went through Yonatan’s Torah on Sugya.  Wow.

After Rabbi Revah’s I went to Eichestein’s to learn with my Chavrusa.  I got caught in a downpour and got somewhat soaked.  Someone gave me a plastic bag so my torso did not get fully soaked.   He cut open a hole for my head,  I have to find out if I did wrong. 

I learned with my Chavrusa, Shabbos 107A-107B – the 14th perek of Shabbos – Shemona Sherutzim.

I found the Gemorah difficult as it was back and forth.  I told my Chavrusah that I have to write the Gemora down just to understand the back and forth.    He said that  you need working memory for these types of Gemoras.  I said, you are correct, I believe that I do not have working memory.   In college, I would read a paragraph and by the time I got to the second paragraph I forgot the first.   I was able to overcome this in College, but I remember this bothering me for years and having difficulty comprehending.  I told this to Rabbis Twersky and Eisnbach and they dismissed it. 

My Torah on this week’s Parsha.

Parshas Shleach is always a very difficult Parsha.  Why did the spies go wrong and what happened.  Why did they want to go against God.   Even after learning all the Meforshim, I have the same question year after year.

Rashi opens up Parshas Shelach with the following:

SEND THOU MEN — Why is the section dealing with the spies put in juxtaposition  the section dealing with Miriam’s punishment? To show the grievousness of the spies’ sin: because she (Miriam) was punished on account of the slander which she uttered against her brother, and these sinners witnessed it and yet they did not take a lesson from her (Midrash Tanchuma, Sh’lach 5 .

The actual events unfolded as follows.   First  the rebellion of Korah, then Miriam, then the Spies.  After the rebellion of Korah, shouldn’t the Beni Yisroel  have learned from the Korech incident that Moshe is Hashem’s leader and Hashem’s spokesman, the power of God, and what happens to rebels?   Additionally, the spies through their slander wanted to effect a change in God’s plans. It was different than  Miriam and Aaron who did not mean to harm Moshe, it was in private and more of a criticism.    The spies deliberately planned a coup and seemed to want to change God’s mind by saying it is too much for us.   They  knew that Hashem wanted them to go to Israel and they said no, we do not want to go.  By Korach it was a question of leadership, the opponents of Moshe wanted power, and not directly go against Hashem.   

This is all despite seeing the miracles in Egypt, the redemption, the destruction of the Egyptian army, the revelation of the Torah, the Mun. and all the miracles in the desert.

We were not there so we cannot fully understand what happened.

Another question that I always bring up.  Didn’t Moshe know that the natives were restless, the children of Israel tested God many times.  There was the running away from Har Sinai, the Salav, and Korah.  Perhaps the answer is aside from these rebels and a few troublemakers the people by and large were loyal and the atmosphere was upbeat.

There are three different approaches as to the end game of the spies.

1. Satmar Rebbe – they know that Moshe and they were not going into israel.  They thought they were to be the catalyst.   The way the Satmer explains they knew that they and Moshe would not go into Israel.. Perhaps they felt that they were doing God’s wishes.   

2. They wanted a purely spiritual life to continue that they were having in the desert, and not have a  life of turmoil, toil, and hardship.  Added to this that perhaps they also felt inadequate to be both spiritual and work at the same time.   They were not going against God, but showing God that we are not up to the job.  Let our kids do  it.

3. They were going to lose power once they got to Israel and for purely selfish reasons they opposed and turned the peoples hearts against God.  This I feel almost makes not sense.

     4) The Meshech Chochma adds a 4th explanation which is just the opposite of above.  They knew

and believed the prophecy of Eldad and Medad that Moshe will die and Yehoshua will take the people into Israel.  They feared and acted on their fear that without Moshe’s leadership the entry into Israel will fail and they have to stay in the desert under Hashem’s benevolence.

Other Thoughts:

The spies saw a great land and they concluded land that they and perhaps Hashem cannot overcome the people of Canaan.  They saw a land that fruits that were huge, other great features and they looked at it and said this land is unconquerable.  They said, yes, it is a land flowing with milk and honey.  Then they used  אֶ֚פֶס –  but . .  

Two people can see the same thing but understand it differently.  I went with my boss, Jack, to look at real estate for Howard, a customer of the bank in Uptown, an area that had been down and out for a long time and had started improving.  Jack, my boss, took pictures of the graffitti and I saw the potential for Howard to build wealth.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Reb Aaron Kotler and others saw in America the potential to become a great country for Torah and Orthodoxy.  Others saw the potential demise of Orthodoxy in America.  At that time in the mid 40s and 50’s the Conservative and Reform movements were in their ascendancy and the future of Orthodoxy questioned.   

וַיְסַפְּרוּ־לוֹ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בָּ֕אנוּ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שְׁלַחְתָּ֑נוּ וְ֠גַם זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֥ב וּדְבַ֛שׁ הִ֖וא וְזֶה־פִּרְיָֽהּ׃ אֶ֚פֶס כִּֽי־עַ֣ז הָעָ֔ם הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים בְּצֻר֤וֹת גְּדֹלֹת֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְגַם־יְלִדֵ֥י הָֽעֲנָ֖ק רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃

This is what they told him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. But, the people who inhabit the country are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites there.  You know you are in trouble when the speaker uses the word, but . . .

In the 1870s  and 1880s when the secular Zionist movement started, these individuals who had no connection to Torah, saw  malaria,  swamp infested land, a land without industry, a sleepy land that on the surface could not support a large amount of Jews.  Yet, they saw past the flaws and saw a land flowing with milk and honey.  Opposite of the spies.  This is why my Zedi, the Pilaver Rebbe in his Sefer Shalom Yerushalayim felt that the entire Zionist  movement  was directed by God, to bring the Jews to Israel, and ultimately to bring Moshiach.

 

 

The Meshach Chocmah:

Translation of the Meshech Chochma:

On Verse 13:30 – וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עָלֹ֤ה נַעֲלֶה֙ וְיָרַ֣שְׁנוּ אֹתָ֔הּ כִּֽי־יָכ֥וֹל נוּכַ֖ל לָֽהּ׃

Caleb hushed the people before Moses and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.”

The Meshach Chocma says:

The spies were afraid because they heard Eldad and Medad (Verse 11:28) prophesying  that Moshe will die and Yehsuhus will take the Jews into Israel (Sanhedrin 17B).  They saw Moshe not rebuking Eldad and Medad by not telling them to stop,  This was a sign that Eldad and Medad prophecy was truthful.  They felt to enter a fortified land, and fight with Amelak, a nation they already battled, and to fight with the giants in Israel without Moshe would result in tragedy and everyone being killed.  

Therefore Caleb quieted the people, by telling them, the fact that you attribute the wonders to Mose is wrong, just the opposite, the miracles were dependent on the Jews themselves.  Caleb said we will go up without Moshe, because Moshe is not the cause of wonders, but it is the Jewish nation themselves who are fitting for  God’s divine providence.  

This is what Yehusya told the people under his leadership in Yeshuya 3:10

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ בְּזֹאת֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּן כִּ֛י אֵ֥ל חַ֖י בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וְהוֹרֵ֣שׁ יוֹרִ֣ישׁ מִ֠פְּנֵיכֶם אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִ֨י וְאֶת־הַחִתִּ֜י וְאֶת־הַחִוִּ֗י וְאֶת־הַפְּרִזִּי֙ וְאֶת־הַגִּרְגָּשִׁ֔י וְהָאֱמֹרִ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃

By this,” Joshua continued, “you shall know that a living God is among you, and that He will dispossess for you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites:

The explanation of  כִּ֛י אֵ֥ל חַ֖י is that it was not Moshe did all the miracles, but it was God who lives forever.  He  will perform miracles now.  

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