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Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev

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Volume XII - Issue II

The DRS Weekly Torah Publication

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A Special Connection By Rabbi Elly Storch, Assistant Principal of Judaic Studies

Last week, when we were introduced to Noach, the Torah used several adjectives to describe why Hashem chose him, saying specifically אלה תולדת נח נח ,In contrast, in this week’s parsha .איש צדיק תמים היה בדרתיו את האלהים התהלך נחParshas Lech Lecha, when we are introduced to Avraham, the Torah does not use any adjectives at all. Instead, it chooses to merely begin with Hashem’s command, “ אל אברם לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך אל הארץ אשר אראך‘ הויאמר ” Why are the two tzadikim introduced so differently? Rav Hutner explains that the answer lies in the inherent difference between Hashem’s relationship with Bnei Noach and His relationship with His chosen peo-ple, Am Yisroel. He uses a mishna in Pirkei Avos (5:19) to illustrate his point. The Mishna says, כל אהבה שהיא תלויה בדבר בטל דבר בטלה אהבה ושאינה תלויה בדבר אינה בטלה Any love that is dependant upon something, when the thing is gone so is“ ,לעולםthe love but if the love is not dependant upon anything, the love will never be nulli-fied.” This is the difference between Hasem’s relationship with Noach and His re-lationship with Avraham. Hashem certainly loved Noach; enough so to save his entire family from the Mabul. But, because he was not a member of Am Yisrael, it was a love that was

(Continued on page 2)

Divine Intentions By Yechiel Auman, Associate Editor, 12th Grade

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In this week’s Parsha, there is a monumental conflict. The four kingdoms of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam, and Goyim defeat the five kingdoms of Sodom, Amorrah, Admah, Tzevoyim, and Bela in battle. In the war, Lot, who was living in Sodom, is taken captive. When Avraham hears about his nephew's fate, he attacks the plundering forces of the four kingdoms and saves Lot and everyone else conquered in the war. Then, the Torah records the following conversation:

קנה שמים , ל עליוןק‘ הרמתי ידי אל ה :מלך סדם-אל, ויאמר אברם .לך -והרכש קח, לי הנפש-תן :אברם-אל, סדם-ויאמר מלך . אברם-אני העשרתי את, ולא תאמר; לך -אשר-אקח מכל-ואם, נעל-מחוט ועד שרוך -אם .וארץ

כג-כא:בראשית יד


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ב “דברים היוצאים מן הל 2

“Her mistress was lowered in her esteem” In this week’s Parsha, Hagar causes Sarah to be “lowered in esteem”. How did Hagar do this? What happened? Hagar’s lack of emunah in Hashem’s plans coupled with her insensitivity, caused her to belittle Sarah, her own master, because Hagar had successfully had a child as opposed to Sarah. Despite being with Avraham for such a long time, Sarah was still unable to conceive. From Ha-gar’s perspective, she was more righteous than Sarah, since she was able to bear a child. Hagar’s first reac-tion was to claim superiority. She never thought for a second that there was a reason for Sarah’s barren-ness. A similar episode occurred by Chana, the mother of Shmuel. Eli the Kohen Gadol observed Chana’s strange manner of tefilah and immediately suspected her of being drunk. He then criticized her for her behavior. Chana responded that she was pray-ing for a son. Immediately, Eli blessed her and wished her well. HaRav Asher Kalman Baron, the Rosh Ye-shiva in Ponevezh before World War II asks a deep question. Imagine if we witnessed this episode be-tween Eli and Chana. Eli thought Chana was drunk when in reality Chana had the purest tefilah, which penetrated the Heavens and caused a favorable re-sponse. Despite having all the Ruach HaKodesh, he still was wrong with his criticism. Chana should have renounced Eli as Kohen Gadol! What kind of Kohen


Torah Teasers By Rabbi Moshe Erlbaum

פרשת לך לךQuestions

1. What are the 9 sets of פרשיות of the Torah that share the same ?root, in their name ,שרש

2. Where else in ספר בראשית is לט mentioned (without a ואו) and it does not refer to the person by that name?

3. Where is אברם called an “עברי?” b) Who is the only other person in the Torah called an “עברי?”

4. Where are bread and wine mentioned in the same פסוק? b) Where is the first time in the Torah where bread is men-tioned?

5. Who is told by Hashem not to be afraid? b)Where else in ספר is someone told by Hashem not be afraid? (2 places) בראשית

6. Aside from אברם and שרי who else in ספר בראשית is given a new name? (3 people) b) Who else in the Torah is given a new name?

Answers 1. The following nine sets of פרשיות share the same שרש: a) לך לך

and וילך b) וארא , וירא and ראה c) חיי שרה and ויחי d) וישלחandשלח בשלח e) כי תצא and ויצא f) בא and כי תבא g) תשא כי and חקת and בחקתי (i משפטים and שופטים (h נשא

2. In פרשת וישב, when Yosef is sold to a caravan of Arabs, the Arabs were carrying נכאת וצרי ולט, spices, balsam and lotus.

3. a) When the "פליט” “the refugee” informs אברם of the capture of לוט he’s referred to as אברם העברי. It is the only place where he is called this way. b) The only other person who is called an עברי is יוסף. He is called an עברי by the wife of פוטיפר after he refuses to lie with her, and by the שר המשקים when he informs פרעה of the ability of יוסף to interpret dreams

פרשת some bread and wine b) In אברם brought out to מלכי־צדק .4“אדם Hashem curses ,בראשית בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם" - “With the sweat of your brow you will eat bread”

is told not to be afraid right after he defeats the five kings אברם .5and saves לוט b) יצחק is told not to be afraid after the incidents with the wells. יעקב is also told not to be afraid before he went down to מצרים to see יוסף

6. In פרשת וישלח the name of יעקב is changed to ישראלboth by the יוסף the name of פרשת מקץ he fought and by Hashem In מלאךwas changed by פרעה to be בנימין .צפנת פענח the son of יעקב and פרשת had his named changed as well. Upon his birth in רחליעקב. בן־אוני his mother named him וישלח then called him בנימן In משה , פרשת שלח changed the name of הושע בן נון to יהושע.

Seeing Isn’t Believing By David Beer, 11th Grade

contingent on something. It was only because Noah was a tzadik and because he was an honest, upright person, he earned Hashem’s love. In contrast, Avraham, who was a member of the Chosen nation, did not need to do anything in order to earn Hashem’s love. This was a love that was not contingent on anything; this was a love that surpassed adjectives and explana-tions, a love that would have existed whether or not Avraham was a tzadik. Regardless of how Klal Yisroel acts, we know that Hashem will always love us. How lucky we are! Have a great Shabbos!

(Rabbi Storch- Continued from page 1)

Dvarim Hayotzim Min Halev 3

become of his wife and children? The wind and rain were pounding on the roof and the walls. He put his head in his hands and wept. Suddenly the front door rattled and thundered; someone was pounding and shouting outside. "Help! Help! Let me in!" Little Shmuel ran to the door and opened it as Fievel looked on from his room. It was the poritz, drenched to the bone, shivering and blue with cold. It seems that he had been on his way home and the storm caught him unexpectedly. He had been wandering in the cold, lost in the forest for hours, and was on the verge of death. He fell to the floor from exhaustion. Shmuel helped him to the fireside, brought him a change of clothes (his Shabbat garments, the only change of clothes he had), some warm blankets and hot soup, and in no time the poritz was sitting bundled up

(Stories of Greatness — Continued from page 12)


We sometimes come across a Rashi that appears so simple that we wonder what Rashi is trying to say. We find such an example in parshas Lech L’cha, where Hashem prom-ises to make Avraham’s name great. Rashi offers two expla-nations as to what this means. First, Rashi tells us that Hashem will add a letter to Avram so that it becomes Avra-ham. Alternatively, Rashi suggests that this refers to the G-d of Ya’akov. At first glance, Rashi’s first explanation sounds like a children’s riddle, while the second explanation appears to have nothing to do with the comment in the posuk. With some background information, however, we will soon appre-ciate how amazing this Rashi really is. Masechet Brachos (13a) tells us that anyone who calls Avraham by the name Avram transgresses a positive com-mandment. Concerning Ya’akov, however, even though Hashem changed his name to Yisroel, it is still permissible to call him Ya’akov. Why is this so? Rebbe Shimshon of Ostropoli, zt’l, an early Chasidic rebbe, offers the following novel explanation. The names Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov all together contain 13 let-ters. Thirteen is the gematria of the word Echad - one, which indicates that all three Avos declared the Oneness of Hashem in the world. Similarly, the names Sarah, Rivka, Rochel, and Leah also contain thirteen letters. Together, 13 + 13 = 26, which is equivalent to the gematria of the Shem HaMeforesh, Y-K-V-K. Now, if we were required to call Ya’akov by his new name Yisroel, it would add one letter to the whole calculation and all the names would no longer equal Echad or Y-K-V-K. Therefore, Ya’akov’s name had to stay as it originally was. All this is true only because a letter was added to the name Avram which became Avraham. However, if the name had

remained Avram, then it would have been necessary to change Ya’akov to Yisrael in order to have the right amount of letters. With this as background, let’s review our posuk and our Rashi. Our posuk states: “And I will make you a great nation; I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you will be a bless-ing” (Bereishis 12:2) Rashi’s comments are: And this is the meaning of “and I will make your name great” – I will add a letter on to your name (literally ‘make your name bigger’ - from Avram to Avraham) for up to now your name has been Avram, but from now on it is Avraham. An alternative explanation for “and I will make your name great” - this is a reference to that which they say in the Shemoneh Esrei, “G-d of Ya’akov.” In other words, we refer to Ya’akov by that name, not by the name Yisroel, only since Avram became Avraham. However, if Avram had remained by that name, it would be necessary to call Yisroel by that name, and not Ya’akov. There is a reason Rashi is considered the father of all commentators. On one level, Rashi is the first peirush taught to young Jewish children when they begin to learn chumash. On another level, Rashi’s commentary is considered indispen-sable by Talmidei Chachamin. So the next time you come across a Rashi that seems simple, remember one thing - Rashi may certainly be profound, thoughtful, or insightful … but he is definitely not simple! Have a wonderful Shabbos.


Gadol is he if his Ruach HaKodesh couldn’t give him a clear picture and understanding of Chana’s prayer? Yet Chana overlooked his huge error in judgment and ac-cepted his blessing with so much faith! Rav Baron derives a very important concept from here. Even though we may question a Torah leader’s judgment, it doesn’t give us any license to re-nounce him. He doesn’t lose his credibility because of a single lapse in judgment. Unfortunately, this is not the case with most people. As soon as a gadol does some-thing out of character, people immediately pounce on him and criticize. This disgusting behavior was expected of Ha-gar. She wasn’t a Bas Yisrael. As soon as she saw that she had conceived when her master had not yet been blessed, she immediately felt that Sarah no longer had credibility. HaRav Noson Wachtfogel notes that people of-ten prejudge a person’s character and religiosity by his external appearance and behavior. Rarely do we delve into the individual’s true character. What we see is what we believe. We have to see beyond what “appears”, to observe what actually is true, before determining the nature of a person. Have a Great Shabbos!

(David Beer— Continued from page 2)

At the end of Parshas Lech L’cha the Torah tells us that Avraham circumcised himself at the age of ninety-nine. We all know that the Avos kept all the mitzvos before the Torah was given. If so, why did Avraham wait for Hashem's command to give himself a Bris Milah? He should have given himself a Bris Milah much earlier, when he took upon himself the other mitz-vos.

The Brisker Rav offers the following explana-

tion. Only when Hashem tells one to do a mitzvah is it possible for a halachic status to take hold. In order to fulfill the mitzvah of Bris Milah, it is necessary to re-move the halachic status of being an ערל, a man who is uncircumcised. Therefore, prior to Hashem’s command to Avraham to perform the Bris, Avraham could not have the halachic status of an ערל. Thus, Avraham waited until the age of ninety nine for Hashem’s com-mand, which halachically made him a ערל and gave him the ability to fulfill the mitzvah to its fullest.

We also find a halacha which states that it is for-

bidden for a man to marry sisters. If Yaakov Avinu kept the Torah, how was he able to marry Rachel and Leah who were sisters? The answer is that this prohibition only set in after the halachic status of “ishus shel yis-roel” (halachic marriage) was established at Har Sinai. However in the time of Yaakov there was only the con-cept of “ishus shel b’nei noach”, which allowed mar-riage to two sisters. Even though Yaakov kept the Torah it was still one hundred percent permissible to marry sisters.

We see from the Brisker Rav’s explanation that

the Avos did in fact keep the Torah to it’s fullest. When they did not do certain mitzvos it was only because cer-tain mitzvos had to be initiated by Hashem so that they would be considered mitzvos. Have an awesome Shabbos!

Avos: Keeping

The Torah To The

By Eli Lonner, 11th Grade

near the stove and showering old Shmuel with praises and promises. "You saved my life! I owe you my life!" He exclaimed. "Tell me how to repay you" "Listen," Shmuel answered. "If you truly wish to reward me then you can do me a big favor." "Anything! I swear! I owe you my very life! Just ask!" exclaimed the poritz. "Well" Shmuel gave a glance at Fievel peeking from behind his door, "A few days ago you told my good friend Fievel that he has to vacate his inn. I want you to let him stay." "So it shall be!" shouted the poritz. "It just so happens that Fievel is here in the other room” continued Lit-tle Shmuel. "Will you put it in writing?" Fievel came out of his room and the poritz immediately shook his hand warmly, asked for pen and paper and wrote out a contract giving him and his offspring sole rights on the inn for all generations, and for good measure he gave him the next three years' rent free. "One thing is bothering me," said Fievel, af-ter he thanked the Poritz and tucked the cherished

(Stories Of Greatness — Continued from page 3)


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The King of Sodom said to Avraham: “Give me the people and take the possessions for yourself.” Avra-ham said to the King of Sodom: “I lift up my hand to Hashem, God, the Most High, Maker of heaven and earth; if so much as a thread to a shoestrap; or if I shall take from anything of yours! You shall not say, ‘It is I who made Avraham rich’ ” (Genesis 14: 21-23) Avraham declares to the gratuitous King of Sodom that he won't partake in sharing the spoils of the war he won. Avraham explains that if he accepts even a thread or a shoelace, some may falsely credit Avraham's wealth to the King of Sodom, not Hashem. However, we know that after Sarah was seized in Egypt and Gerar, Avraham was sent away with huge amounts of livestock and money, Pharaoh gave Avra-ham sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, slaves, silver, and gold (12:16, 13:2) and Avimelech gave Avraham flocks, cattle, servants, and a thousand pieces of silver (20:14-16) Why then, asks Rav Moshe Feinstein, does Avra-ham draw a distinction between the gifts of the Pharaoh and the gifts of the king of Sodom? Why does he readily accept the gifts that Pharaoh and Avimelech offer him while refusing even the smallest gifts from the King of Sodom?

Rav Moshe Feinstein answers that the difference wasn't in the gifts, it was in the intentions of the bene-factors. Pharaoh and Avimelech were giving Avraham gifts to proclaim the miracles that Hashem performed on his behalf when Sarah was kidnapped. Thus, as disso-lute as they were, Avimelech and Pharaoh were giving Avraham gifts with the intention of spreading the honor of Hashem. Nobody would claim that the wealth was caused by them. Meanwhile, the King of Sodom wasn't acknowledging Hashem, he was merely repaying Avra-ham for saving Sodom. He was just celebrating Avra-ham's military strengths. Avraham knew that Hashem promised him great wealth, and that it was only being provided through the King of Sodom. However, he re-fused to accept the gifts, lest others mistake his source of wealth. We can learn a great lesson from Avraham. Many times we tell ourselves that we don't have to stop others from viewing us in a negative light. We rational-ize that they have a mitzvah to be 'dan l'kaf z’chus', or to judge us favorably. However, we learn from Avraham that as Jews, we must always conduct ourselves in a way that will remove all doubt that we are doing some-thing wrong.

Good Shabbos.

(Yechiel Auman- Continued from page 1)

contract securely in his pocket. "Why did you evict me in the first place? After all, I always paid rent and never gave you any trouble. What made you do it?" "You're right," answered the poritz. "You were the perfect tenant and I would never have even thought of throwing you out. But someone came to me and demanded that I rent the inn to his son-in-law. He promised to pay more rent and even threatened that if I refused he would use his influence with my business partners to make trouble for me. It was none other than 'Big Shmuel'! I don't know what got into him and made him so hard-hearted. I even asked him how he could do it to his own fellow Jew and he said he didn't mix business with friendship. But I'll take care of him. I'll tell him to go find another establishment for his son-in-law! Just one thing that I would like to ask though," he continued. "How did you happen to be here exactly on this night?"

(Stories of Greatness- Continued from page 4)


HALACHA VÉÜÇxÜ

Preamble. As a high school גמרא teacher for the past nine years, one of my greatest challenges has been expressing to my students why we place such a premium on the ability to learn גמרא. Just a few years ago I came across an essay written by the revered Rosh HaYeshiva, Harav Ahron Lichtenstien shlit”a, which addressed this very topic. In reading and studying the essay I was com-pletely taken by the combination of Rav Lichtenstein’s ability to understand the plight of the modern student, his ability to classify and organize thoughts, and his total mas-tery of the English language in expressing that which is often felt but rarely articulated. During my second reading of the essay I found myself jotting down notes of addi-tional ideas and sources which, when studied properly, would enhance my understanding of this topic. The result of these notes is the essay I present here. Many of the ideas, examples, and overall organization were taken di-rectly from Rav Lichtenstein. I am fully aware that one who attempts to add to the words of the Rosh Yeshiva is likely in the category of כל המוסיף גורע and for that reason I urge the reader to read Rav Lichtenstein’s essay, and I hope that some value is found in the additional ideas ex-plored and sources cited in this essay.

Introduction. Although, the study of תורה is a multidisciplinary endeavor, including study of bible, phi-losophy, ethics, law, and analytical reasoning, the tradi-tional ישיבה schedule focuses the large bulk of the learning day on the study of גמרא. Many students have grown frustrated with the disproportionate amount of time spent in Talmud study, and have suggested that ישיבות focus more on those disciplines that are more readily appreciated by the masses, such as ך"נ and Jewish philosophy. In this essay, we will attempt to address the simple question: Why must we dedicate so much of our time and energy on spe-cifically the study of גמרא? Before attempting to answer this question it is important to point out that the question “why learn גמרא?” may mean different things to different people. Rav Ahron Lichtenstien א"שליט points out that there are two ways to understand the question of “why”:

Sometimes when one asks “why” they have already accepted the conclusion but seek a logical reason for it. For instance, one may ask why the rainbow appears after the rain, knowing full well that regardless of the answer given, the rainbow will continue to appear after rain. Similarly, one may ask “Why learn גמרא?” with the realization that Jews have decided to follow this educational formula for over a thousand years, and will continue to do so regard-less of our ability to satisfactorily address the question.

On other occasions, though, one asks “why” with the intent to challenge any previously accepted conclu-sions. For instance a mother may ask her teenage child “Why is your room such a mess?” suggesting that if there is no reasonable explanation for it, the reality must change. Similarly, some students ask “why learn ”גמרא with the intention of changing the status quo. The current curricu-lum, if indefensible, should not remain.

Formulating the question. In this essay while we will at-tempt to provide approaches that satisfy those who ask “why learn גמרא?” from both perspectives, it should be clear that regardless of how satisfied a given individual may be with the answers provided, wholesale educational changes should never be made without the guidance of rab-binic and educational leaders.

Establishing the Importance of תלמוד תורה in general. Before we can address the question of why we learn so much גמרא, it is first important to review why the study of .in general is so central to Jewish life and practice תורהOnce we have explained the necessity of תורה study, we will be better equipped to explain the specific focus on the study of גמרא.

Although ל"חז have made countless statements in an aggadic context to underscore the relative value of תלמוד we will focus more narrowly on halachic sources that ,תורהstress the importance of תלמוד תורה.


Why learn Gemarah? By Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz


HALACHA VÉÜÇxÜ The שולחן ערוך is normally a book that is reserved for practical halachic rulings. Indeed, unlike the ם"רמב , the that will only הלכות does not address those שולחן ערוךbecome relevant again in the times of משיח. Similarly, as a halachic work, the שולחן ערוך does not address the reasons for or attitude toward מצוות, but very narrowly focuses on the rules of Judaism. It is therefore most curious that the cites two seemingly aggadic הלכות תלמוד תורה in שולחן ערוךstatements relating to the importance of torah study. First in ו סעיף יח"יורה דעה סימן רמ he writes that the value of Torah study equals that of all other מצוות combined. Then, in the very next line, he writes that when a person arrives in the heavenly court, the first order of business will be to pass judgment on his commitment to Torah study. Appar-ently, the notion that Torah study is more important than all other מצוות is critical to ensure the proper performance of this מצוה. The שולחן ערוך’s stress on this מצוה may indicate that one will only dedicate himself to the extent necessary to fulfill the מצוה of Torah study fully if he has an appreciation of the relative value of Torah study.

Another halachic anomaly that seems to point to the elevated stature of Torah study relates to the require-ment of a father to teach his children Torah. A father is required to educate and train his child in all מצוות, but the requirement is only rabbinic in nature. The obligation of a father to teach his child Torah, on the other hand, is a bibli-cal one. The simple and clear difference in the level of ob-ligation to train the child is another indication of the rela-tive value and status of תלמוד תורה.

Some מצוות are incumbent upon us to do in a given situation, some at a given time, and others are constant ob-ligations. For example, one is obligated to send the mother bird away when he happens upon a nest, one is obligated to celebrate the holidays on a given calendar day, and one is obligated to love and fear God at all times. The common denominator between all commandments that are constant is that they are all מצוות of feeling and attitude - none of them require action. The requirement to learn תורה though, while it involves active participation, is not limited to any given time or circumstance. Indeed, the יהושה פרק א(נביא(' tells us that we may never remove words of תורה from our

mouths – לא ימוש את ספר התורה הזה מפיך והגית בו יומם ולילה. This verse is understood, not only as a reminder for יהושע, but as a requirement binding on Jews of all generations. In other words, the requirement to learn תורה is binding in every free moment that a person has.

The גמרא מגילה דף כז states that one may even destroy a shul, if the space is needed to build a בית המדרש. This ruling is codified in שולחן ערוך. Again, the requirement of Torah study is apparently so critical, that the הלכה grants precedence to a place that will house learning over a place to accommodate prayer.

The primacy of Torah study and a location to ac-commodate the study of Torah do not only appear in the theoretical realm of הלכה, but are expressed in an actual case recorded in the גיטין דף נו(גמרא(: where a decision had to be made. The גמרא tells us that after רבן יוחנן בן זכאי referred to General Vespian as emperor only a few minutes prior to him being named emperor, Vespian offered to grant a single request that רבן יוחנן בן זכאי would make on behalf of the Jewish people. Of all of the things he could have asked for at that point in history, רבן יוחנן בן זכאי chose to formulate the immortal request: תן לי יבנה וחכמיה. When faced with the decision of the single most important re-quest the Jewish people had to make, he chose the opportu-nity to continue the study of תורה, on its highest level.

Explaining why it is important. Once we have firmly estab-lished the importance of תלמוד תורה from a halachic perspective, it is instructive to understand why it is so im-portant to learn תורה.

In his introduction to his commentary on the תורה, ן"רמב writes that we have a tradition that all of the תורה is

composed of the names of God. The letters of the תורה may be rearranged to form different names of God. A name is something that represents the essence of the bearer of that name. Thus, in the view of the ן"רמב , the תורה is a description of God’s essence. If the goal of our lives is to come closer to God, it stands to reason that the best way to achieve this goal is through careful study of God’s autobi-


Continued


HALACHA VÉÜÇxÜ ography (the Torah). Perhaps this is what the גמרא means when it states that as long as one continues to study תורה he will always discover something new ( דברי –. עירובין דף נד Just as God is .(תורה כל זמן שאדם הוגה בהן מוצא בה טעםinfinite, so is the תורה that describes Him. When God gave us the תורה, He gave us a piece of himself. This is expressed by the גמרא שבת דף קה. that states that when God utters the term "אנכי” He means to say אנא נפשי כתיבת יהבית” - “I have given Myself in writing in the Torah”. When one internalizes his learning, he has made God a part of himself. This is the ultimate level of closeness to God.

The פרשת תרומה(זוהר( states that God looked at the Torah before creating the world. The implication of this comment is that the Torah is the basis for the entire world. Indeed, the gemara tells us that without the Torah the world could not exist אלמלא תורה לא -: גמרא פסחים דף סח The continued presence of God keeps the .נתקיימו שמים וארץworld going and this presence is expressed in Torah.

The importance of the two components of גמרא: Now that we have established the importance of תורה study in general, we will turn our attention to the unique emphasis placed on the study of גמרא. The גמרא is made up of two basic components, הלכה, and אגדה. The large majority of Talmudic discourse involves הלכה while a significant minority of the discussion revolves around אגדה.

The Importance of Halacha. Although, for the most part, the תורה does not begin to have any halachic discussion until the middle of ספר שמות the very first י"רש on the תורהnotes that it would have been more appropriate for the תורה to start with the מצוה of קידוש החודש, as it is the first מצוהgiven to the Jews as a nation. It is only because of external factors and concerns (i.e. the claim of foreign nations to .starts with the account of creation תורה that the (ארץ ישראלThe clear implication of י"רש is that the most important element of תורה is הלכה. Learning to fulfill מצוות takes precedence over learning about the foundations of Jewish belief and history. The reason for the primacy of הלכה can be understood in two ways:

On the simplest level, the requirement to learn הלכה

relates to the requirement to be an observant Jew. Without knowledge of הלכה, one is simply not equipped to observe אבות (משנה This idea is expressed very clearly in the .תורה')פרק ב which states that an ignoramus cannot fear sin and

an uneducated person cannot be pious.

There is a deeper understanding to the value of studying הלכה, which would apply even to הלכות that are not relevant to the person learning them. The בעל התניא explains how halacha, even if it never comes up, gives us a glimpse into the logic of God. In order to gain knowledge of God, it helps to know what God would think in a given situation. By creating countless theoretical situations (e.g. ox goring a cow…) that may never arise, the תורה gives us a glimpse of God’s sense of justice. When one knows what God thinks is correct in many cases he has gained insight into the workings of God’s mind, and by extension, has come closer to God. Rav Herschel Schachter explains that this is why the text of ברכת התורה includes a phrase relating to knowledge of God " ...כולנו יודעי שמך ולומדי תורתך לשמה ” The most effective way to arrive at an understanding of the Almighty is by learning His תורה. Based on this consideration it is not only important to study those areas of הלכה that are relevant, but even to study those areas of .that have no practical relevance הלכה

For instance, the סנהדרין דף עא(גמרא(. tells us that there were opinions who maintained that the cases of

בן סורר ומורה, עיר הנדחת , and בית המנוגע never occurred. Even so, we must learn them to receive reward for the learning. Rav Schachter, citing the בעל התניא, points out that there are plenty of areas of תורה with which we would be able to occupy our time even if we didn’t have these three subjects to study. Why then was it so important for God to give us these areas of study to earn reward? Rav Schachter points out that these subjects serve as an example of the value of the rest of תורה. Just as there is great value in studying practically irrelevant הלכות in that they bring us closer to God, this same goal can be achieved when studying the practically relevant sections of the תורה.

The importance of אגדה. While the halachic component of


Continued


HALACHA VÉÜÇxÜ there is also a תלמוד בבלי makes up the majority of גמראsignificant amount of space dedicated to אגדה. The importance of אגדה is best understood in a supporting role to הלכה. The following sources, cited by Rav Ahron Lichtenstien, will indicate that אגדהis not meant to serve as a person’s primary area of study, but serves to balance and compliment a rigorous halachic curriculum:

The עקב יב(ספרי( states that one should not say that he has learned הלכה and therefore does not need to study הלכה Instead, one has to supplement his learning of .אגדהwith some study of אגדה. The Medrash compares אגדה to the spread that one places on the bread of הלכה. While the primary sustenance is derived from the bread (הלכה), it will be most tasty when enhanced by a delicious spread (אגדה).

The Medrash explains that the אגדה serves to inspire greater adherence to the הלכה. One who is interested in connecting with God and developing a greater under-standing of Him should have a healthy dose of אגדה together with his הלכה.

Why specifically Gemara? While we have established the importance of studying the elements that comprise the one may still ask why must we specifically ,תלמוד בבליlearn the תלמוד בבלי. Couldn’t a person fill his daily dose of and satisfy his desire משנה ברורה through the study of הלכהfor the flavor of אגדה with some study of עין יעקב? Why is it also necessary to study הלכה and אגדה specifically in the context of תלמוד בבלי?

Strengthening the question. Many who have asked why we choose to study תלמוד בבלי do not merely suggest that other areas of study would be equally beneficial to the study of but may even be more beneficial for the ,תלמוד בבליmajority of students than the תלמוד בבלי is for the following reasons:

The בבא בתרא דף קמה(גמרא(: itself acknowledges the difficulty of Talmud study. רבי זירא compares the student of Talmud to the poor person whose days are all bad, and the student of משנה to a man who is able to constantly feast. In his commentary to this passage, ם"רשב ,

explains that in order to learn גמרא properly one has to “kill himself to get the הלכות right and resolve questions”.

If the ancient student of Talmud had difficulties with the concepts and analysis, the contemporary student faces stronger difficulties with the mastery of a new and strange language, all without the benefit of punctuation. One Jewish educator described what the contemporary stu-dent sees when he first opens a גמרא as “little bugs crawling around on the page”. No structure is evident and no flow is recognizable. It is for these reasons that the ה"רא observed that the gates of the Talmud have been closed to most who have attempted to enter.

Four answers of Rav Lichtenstien: In order to address these questions, Rav Ahron Lichtenstien formulated four distinct explanations of the emphasis that ישיבות traditionally place on תלמוד בבלי:

The most obvious reason for the study of Talmud is that one cannot compare the knowledge one gains on a par-ticular topic when he studies it in depth from the original sources to knowledge picked up by reading a digest of sim-ple conclusions. A small change in the case may cause a major shift in the halachic response to the case, but would go unnoticed by the person who is not familiar with the underlying considerations and factors that lead to the origi-nal halachic conclusion. Just as a reading of the Cliff’s Notes does not make a person an expert in Shakespeare, study of הלכה without the benefit of the primary text of will leave the student with only a superficial תורה שבעל פהunderstanding of the הלכה.

Talmud study not only exposes us to the intellec-tual backbone of הלכה, but also serves to connect us to the original masters of תורה שבעל פה. Through the תלמוד בבלי’s style of providing anecdotal insight into the way that the lived and thought, we are able to develop a תנאים ואמוראיםgreater sense of our forefathers. Our role as links in an il-lustrious מסורה becomes much more clear to us when we are able to relate to those who were entrusted with bearing the מסורה. That the relationship with masters of תורה is a


Continued


HALACHA VÉÜÇxÜ critical part of תורה study is evident in a number of sources:

The דף כב(גמרא סוטה(: teaches that if one were to study תורה but failed to serve Torah scholars, he is considered to be an ignoramus. The reason seems to be that one who is able to pick up the cold facts of torah but is un-able to internalize the tremor and feeling of torah is not a true torah scholar. If we learn but are not משמש תלמידי חכמיםwe are considered עמי הארץ. Gemara provides us with the opportunity to understand and be impacted by the way of life of the Talmudic masters.

The ברכות דף סב(גמרא(. relates stories of great rabbis who followed their rebbeim into their bedrooms and bathrooms. When בן עזאי was asked how he could have the audacity to enter such inappropriate places to be near his rebbe, his unapologetic response was: תורה היא וללמוד אני It is Torah and I need to learn”. He defines the“ ”,צריךexperience of witnessing the lives of תלמידי חכמים as תורה itself. This highlights the point made in the סוכה דף (גמרא:)כא that even the mundane conversation of תלמידי חכמים

require study. In its unique style the תלמוד בבלי not only offers us insight into the public statements made in the Babylonian בתי מדרש, but to the lessons the sages were able to transmit through their daily actions.

The כתובות דף קיא(גמרא(: questions how the תורה can require us to attach ourselves to God, if after all, God is an all-consuming fire. The גמרא explains that through interaction and connection to תלמידי חכמים one will achieve a connection to God. It stands to reason that the greater the one attaches himself to, the greater his תלמיד חכםconnection with God. The תלמוד בבלי offers a unique opportunity to relate to the lives of great תנאים ואמוראים, to be present in their בתי מדרש and homes, and ultimately to connect to the otherwise consuming שכינה.

Not only does תלמוד בבלי provide us with a deeper understanding of the הלכה and connect us to our חכמי but the learning experience is on an entirely ,המסורהdifferent plane than other areas of study. תורה שבכתב, by definition, is finite. תורה שבעל פה is infinite. Yet, even within תורה שבעל פה, the ם"רמב distinguishes between the

corpus of משנה which must be mastered, and the experience of תלמוד. In יא:א(הלכות תלמוד תורה( the ם"רמב writes that the definition of תלמוד is: “ יבין וישכיל אחרית דבר מראשיתו ויוציא

דבר מדבר וידמה דבר לדבר ויבין במדות שהתורה נדרשת בהן עד שידע היאך הוא עיקר המדות והיאך יוציא האסור והמותר וכיוצא בהן מדברים

... שלמד מפי השמועה ” - “to analyze and compare different elements, derive matters from each other, and arrive at ha-lachic conclusion using the classic methodology of deriving תורה שבעל פה from תורה שבכתב.” This study involves the student as the ideas are formed, and the hala-cha takes shape. This type of learning involves the student in the learning experience. When the תלמוד תורה is made personal, it is a much more captivating and gripping ex-perience. Indeed, the technical מצוה of תלמוד תורה is best fulfilled through in depth study for two reasons:

The דף ל(גמרא קידושין(. tells us that the requirement of תלמוד תורה is not only to spend time learning but to become fluent in the תורה. One must be fluent enough in תורה that if somebody were to ask him a question about something that he learned, he should not stumble, but should be able to respond immediately with the correct answer. י"רש offers two suggestions to achieve this level of familiarity with the תורה. First, and most fundamentally, י"רש writes that one must review his learning in order to remember it. Second, and perhaps not as obvious, י"רש says to look at the תורה with greater depth and analysis. The more intellectually invested one becomes in a particular area of learning, the greater his chances of remembering it.

Rav Chaim Volozhiner ( 'נפש החיים שער ד ) develops the notion of qualitative ביטול תורה. One can spend an entire day learning and simultaneously spend the entire day in does not only תורה The requirement to study .ביטול תורהdemand that we use all of our free time to study, but we must also channel our maximum intellectual capacity to-ward תורה. If one is capable of pushing himself to a deep analysis of a complicated סוגיא, but instead has chosen to spend his day reading lighter ספרים, he is guilty of ביטול includes the phrase ברכת התורה This is why the text of .תורה to be involved with words of torah and ”לעסוק בדברי תורה"


Continued


HALACHA VÉÜÇxÜ not merely "ללמוד תורה” to learn torah. Learning isn’t enough. The learner must totally immerse himself in the subject matter to maximize his fulfillment of the obligation to study תורה. In short, the study of תלמוד בבלי lends itself to an enhanced fulfillment of the מצוה of תלמוד תורה, as the learning is qualitatively more intense, and as a result the learner has an easier time remembering it. While this in depth and analytical style of learning is adaptable to parts of תורה other than the תלמוד בבלי, the study of תלמוד בבלי is the most readily adaptable part of Torah study to learning in depth.

As we noted earlier, the obligation to study תורה connects us to God. It stands to reason therefore, that the more intensive the learning experience and the more the becomes a part of the person, the more he has allowed תורהGod to become a part of him. Thus, in addition to the prac-tical benefit of an enhanced intellectual experience and קיום in the most שכינה one can connect to the ,מצוות תלמוד תורהvibrant way when studying גמרא בעיון.

Further answers: In addition to these most illuminating an-swers offered by Rav Lichtenstien, we may suggest two other explanations for the emphasis on תלמוד בבלי.

The קידושין דף ל(גמרא(. states that one should split up his learning schedule into three parts: one third of the day should be spent studying ך"תנ , one third משנה, and one third תלמוד. The ראשונים note that the common practice of most Jews is not to follow this schedule. Instead, most fo-cus only on the study of תלמוד. In an attempt to defend this prevalent practice, בתוספות שם(רבינו תם( points to a גמרא

) סנהדרין דף כד( that analyzes the etymology of the word בבל. The גמרא relates the word בבל with the similar sounding word בלול (mixed), and comments that the style of learning in בבל involved a mixture (albeit uneven) of משנה, ך"תנ and is תלמוד בבלי one who studies ,רבינו תם Thus, argues .תלמודactually fulfilling the obligation to learn all three elements of תורה that we must learn each day. In the view of רבינו תם the perfectly balanced curriculum for daily learning is pre-sented to us on the pages of the תלמוד בבלי. Clearly the רבינו was aware of the trend to spend a disproportionate תםamount of time on Talmud study, and defended the prac-tice.

One need not go as far as the רבינו תם to justify our educational system’s emphasis on Talmud study. The ם "רמב

) יב:הלכות תלמוד תורה א( writes that the requirement to divide one’s learning day between ך"תנ, תלמוד , and משנה only applies to the beginner. Once one has already learned ך"תנ and משנה he should spend all of his time engrossed in Talmud, with the exception of very occasional review. Thus, even if one is not swayed by the biblical and mish-naic content of תלמוד בבלי the simple fact that it takes longer to master תלמוד demands that it be given more time. Indeed, the ף"בדפי הרי: עבודה זרה דף ה(ן "ר( writes that the day should not be divided into three even parts. Rather, one should spend a short amount of time each day learning ך"תנ , a little longer learning משנה, and reserve the bulk of his time for learning גמרא.

Conclusion. Many students have voiced complaints about the difficulty they encounter in learning גמרא and therefore express a preference for increased focus on other areas of tells us that before God created this world מדרש The .תורהhe was בורא עולמות ומחריבן (created worlds and destroyed them). The apparent message is that even if we feel that our work is not working out the way we would have wanted it to, we still must go forward and build anew. Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, though, added a deeper insight. In the construc-tion of most vessels something must be destroyed (metal must be melted to be molded and wood must be chopped to be used). Only when producing כלי חרס is the raw material not destroyed, but only built. Yet, when a metal or wood utensil become טמא they can be purified. Only the כלי חרס must be destroyed when they become טמא. The message is that those endeavors where we have to break ourselves a little bit to develop a skill and build ourselves up, while we may have some ups and downs, will always remain produc-tive for us. Those endeavors that do not involve a great deal of effort, and one is not humbled in their development, tend to be very fragile and may easily be lost. While the study of may bring with it many setbacks, and other areas of גמרא may seem to come to us more easily, the struggle תורהinvolved in the study will ultimately pay dividends as the knowledge will be firmly rooted in our minds and souls for years to come.

Continued

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STORIES OF GREATNESS TOLD OVER BY: YEHUDA ISAACS

A Jew -- let's call him Fievel -- came to seek the help of the famed "Tzemach Tzed-dek" (Rabbi Menachem Mendel, 1789-1866, the 3rd Rebbe of Chabad). Fievel was almost weeping as he entered the Rebbe's room. He was unexplicably being evicted from the inn he'd been running for over twenty years. He couldn't understand it; the poritz (landowner) liked him, he always paid his rent on time, and he never made any trouble. But a week ago the poritz suddenly came and gave him one month's notice. All his pleas and reasoning did-n't help, and now with nine mouths to feed and no other way of earning a living, he had no other recourse than to travel to the Rebbe for help. When Fievel finished his story, the Rebbe took out a piece of paper and a pen, wrote a short letter, put it in an envelope, and addressed it. He then blessed Fievel with suc-cess, and instructed him to deliver the letter as swiftly as possible. He thanked the Rebbe pro-fusely and backed out of the room. Once out-side, he glanced at the envelope and his heart sank: the Rebbe seemed to have mistakenly addressed it to the wrong man! In Fievel's vil-lage there were two men by the name of Shmuel. The first, nicknamed Shmuel Hagadol ("Big Shmuel"), was a rich, influential Jew who had close connections with all the land-owners and nobles and some said even with the Czar himself! If anyone could help Fievel, it would be him. But the Rebbe had addressed his note to Shmuel Hakatan ("Little Shmuel") -

- a simple old Jew who used to be a woodcut-ter and still lived with his wife in his small hut in the woods. The Rebbe must have intended to write to the big rich guy. Little Shmuel was a virtual nobody! But Fievel was stuck. To enter the Rebbe's study again was out of the question; people waited for days for a minute of the Rebbe's time. Then he had an idea: the Rebbe had seven sons -- he would go to one of them and ask for advice. But the Rebbe's son only assured him of what he already knew -- the Rebbe never makes mistakes. Normal people make mistakes, but not the Rebbe! So with a heavy heart, Fievel made his way to Little Shmuel's house in the middle of the forest and knocked on the door. The old man invited Fievel in and asked him what he wanted. When he heard the reason for the visit and saw the Rebbe's letter asking him to help Fievel in his predicament, he admitted that he had no idea what the Rebbe meant. He sug-gested that Fievel be his guest for a few days and see what would happen. A week passed. Fievel began to be-come depressed. What would become of him? In another two weeks he would have to forfeit his livelihood and vacate his home. Winter was approaching; the weather outside was cold and miserable, adding to his melancholy. Where would he go? What would he do? What would


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