BSD

Sukkah 46b 

Teves 3, 5783. December 27, 2022

1- We began with the old Jewish quip about the fellow walking to Shul on Chol Hamoed covered with his Tallis, Tefillin on his head and hand, the right hand holding the Lulav and the Esrog with his left when suddenly he develops an itch on his back…..

Being unable to reach over and scratch it he looks up to heaven and says ‘Ribbono Shel Olom, look how much I am doing for You, can I ask You to please scratch my back….’ 

Our גמרא quotes an opinion that when someone performs multiple Mitzvot at once, they should make one general ברכה for all of them 

אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על המצוות 

Rashi cite as an example: ליטול לולב לישב בסוכה להניח תפילין להתעטף בציצית

2- Tefillin on Chol Hamoed? We discussed if this רש”י is proof regarding his opinion on this ancient מחלוקת, dating back to the ראשונים if Tefillin are donned on Chol Hamoed. 

The ערוך לנר suggest that the Rashi needs to be read with a comma: 

ליטול לולב לישב בסוכה, להניח תפילין להתעטף בציצית

Meaning that he is citing two separate examples on performing more than one Mitzvah at a time. 

Today it’s down to the Minhog one follows; whereas the ספרדים and Chassidim do not and the Askenazim do (some without a ברכה). OC 31

3- There is a discussion as to why Rashi places Tefillin before the Tallis. 

4- We moved on to the גמרא that cites the importance of acquiring Torah knowledge when one is young. ‘The more one studies in his youth the easier it will be for him to do so when he ages’. 

The גמרא also urges one to repeat one’s learning- what we call חזרה. 

5- We entered the סוגיא concerning the status of an item that is מוקצה because it is a מצווה, such as an Esrog. 

The issue is if this type of מוקצה has the same rules of מוקצה on Shabbos. 

A primary rule  of Shabbos מוקצה is that its status is ‘locked in’ Friday night at בין .השמשות (See this in a previous shiur) Once it’s locked in, the מוקצה status does not change. Say a broken toy (מוקצה) that is repaired by a goy on Shabbos. The מוקצה status does not change. 

6- Reb Yochanon says that this Shabbos rule applies on a מוקצה because of a Mitzvah as well.  Therefore, on הושענא רבה even though,  after מוסף, one is done with the לולב, since at the previous בין השמשות it was מוקצה, the status remains unchanged for the rest of the day. 

Reish Lakish disagrees, Muktzeh because of a Mitzvah is limited by the ‘time’ of performing the Mitzvah. Once the performance is complete, it loses its מוקצה status. Thus, one can bite into his Esrog right after Davning. 

Will continue on this topic next week BLN. 

6 – We diverged to talk about בין השמשות. 

Mentioned the famous Tosfos at the beginning of Shas, Brochos 2a. 

The issue is the earliest time for the night קריאת שמע and שמונה עשר of מעריב. 

There are many מנהגים as when to Daven מעריב. Before צאת הכוכבים or way before it. There is also the need to say קריאת שמע after צאת. See here in the Shulchan Aruch and side commentators. OC 235. 

In short – those that Daven Maariv before צאת have plenty of פוסקים on which to rely upon. 

Our point was that many are unaware that the גר״א was very much against Davning Maariv early!

As the משנה ברורה quotes from the מעשה רב, the גר״א said that it’s better to Daven Maariv ביחידות that to Daven before צאת even on Shabbos. OC 235.

7-  For Lubavitchers, unfortunately we do not have this סימן in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch. 

However, we find that the Alter Rebbe in one of his תשובות regarding the type of חלף one should use for שחיטה he concludes with an interesting line:

“And we indeed come across some הלכות where there the early or later פוסקים disagreed and in previous generation our forefather’s Minhag was to follow the lenient opinion. 

However, in our generation many upon many have accepted to follow the opinion of the more stringent ones. Such as חדש, and Davning Maariv in its proper time.” (After צאת הכוכבים)

וכהאי גוונא מצינו כמה הלכות שנחלקו בהן הפוסקים ראשונים או אחרונים ובדורות שלפנינו נהגו אבות אבותינו כדעת המקילין ובדורות הללו רבו כמו רבו הנוהגים להחמיר, כמו חדש לג ותפלת ערבית בזמנה לד וכהאי גוונא טובא לה:

https://chabadlibrary.org/books/adhaz/shut/7.htm

8- We will discuss next week the connection of the above to our גמרא. 

9- We related Reb Yoel’s opinion about a גדול that expressed ‘doubt about the זוהר and  קבלה’. 

10 – Story with the Ragatchover when invited to be the first speaker at an אסיפת הרבנים.

He suggested that all others speak first and he will address the crowd at the end.

His reasoning was that the order he suggested would improve the quality of all the דרשות. 

How is that? It’s a Mishna, he said. 

Nobody present could figure out  as to what Mishna he was referring to until he told them……

End of Kinim:

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן עֲקַשְׁיָא אוֹמֵר, זִקְנֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁמַּזְקִינִין, דַּעְתָּן מִטָּרֶפֶת עֲלֵיהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב יב), מֵסִיר שָׂפָה לְנֶאֱמָנִים וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים יִקָּח. אֲבָל זִקְנֵי תוֹרָה אֵינָן כֵן, אֶלָּא כָל זְמַן שֶׁמַּזְקִינִין, דַּעְתָּן מִתְיַשֶּׁבֶת עֲלֵיהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם), בִּישִׁישִׁים חָכְמָה וְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים תְּבוּנָה:

Rabbi Shimon ben Akashiah says: ignorant old people, the older they become, the more their intellect gets befuddled, as it is said: “He removes the speech of men of trust and takes away the sense of the elders.” 

But when it comes to aged scholars, it is not so. On the contrary, the older they get, the more their mind becomes composed as it is said: “With aged men comes wisdom, and understanding in length of days.”

 So, concluded the Ragatchover, the earlier you speak the better it will sound… on the other hand, the later I speak …..

BS”D

Suka 46a (2)

Kislev 26, 5783. December 20, 2022

1- We finished the Sugya of the ברכות of סוכות and moved on to the next topic.

2- Before we began, an interesting observation was made:

The Shiur was on the third night of Chanukah.

In the Yeshiva world there is a saying in the name of the חתם סופר that one who learns גמרא and comes across a פסוק (in the גמרא) from that day’s or week’s portion of the חומש, it is proof that he learns Torah לשמה!

Well, do we need more proof about the quality of our learning when the גמרא we encountered, in מסכת סוכה, talks about חנוכה?!

3- Here is the Chasam Sofer.

חתם סופר על התורה” חלק “’ י”ל ע”י מכון להוצאת ספרים וכת”י ע”ש החת”ס זצ”ל ירושלים תשס”ז  ליקוטים תהילים עמוד קנז

He quotes a few sources about encountering חומש of the day and other occurrences during learning.

A- The book  חות יאיר, by Reb Yair Bachrach 1638-1702.

See here. In English here.

חות יאיר means ‘the farmlands of Yair’. This was what יאיר בן מנשה named the land he captured on the East side of the Jordan in the times of Moshe Rabbeinu.

וְיָאִיר בֶּן מְנַשֶּׁה הָלַךְ וַיִּלְכֹּד אֶת חַוֹּתֵיהֶם, וַיִּקְרָא אֶתְהֶן חַוֹּת יָאִיר

When deciding what to name his book, Reb Yair Bachrach, received an עליה with that particular Torah portion.

The author, Reb Yair Bachrach, took the עליה as a sign and merged his grandmother’s name, חוה, and his own name, Yair, to create the title of the book  שו”ת חות יאיר.

B- The הגהת מיימוני write that when one of the ראשונים was studying whether a particular bird (Korin species?) was Kosher, the bird flew by, perched itself next to him and he checked its סימנים.

See here in the בית יוסף. YD 82, 2.

The Chasam Sofer concludes that “this is due to the Spirit of Hashem speaking within the ones that study Torah לשמה….”

4- So here is the גמרא about חנוכה.

Firstly, as we learnt last week, there is the opinion of numerous אמוראים that all Mitzvos דרבנן do not require a ברכה. Our Gemara states that the Halachah is that a ברכה is indeed made on the lighting of the Menorah as well as on all מצוות דרבנן.

Secondly, the interesting הלכה concerning someone that is both – traveling and will not personally light נרות חנוכה and neither does he have his family lighting in his house. Such an individual, when he encounters a lit מנורה must make the שעשה ניסים לאבותינו. On the first night, he also adds שהחיינו. OC 676.

5- We mentioned the opinion of the ב”ח and others that even if one’s family lights the מנורה in his home, he must say this ברכה upon his first sighting.

Their reasoning is that the obligation of הדלקת הנרות is twofold.

1-  His home and assets need to light. פרסומא ניסא

2- He personally must participate in the lighting. הודאה על נס.

Thus, if one is home and lights or is present at the lighting both 1 and 2 are fulfilled.

When traveling and someone lights in his house, only #1 is accomplished. He personally has ‘not experienced  הדלקת הנרות‘. He needs to see a Menorah and say  שעשה ניסים לאבותינו.

6 – We finished off with an interesting topic about the מנורה. A few researches, specifically  Reb יעקב ישראל סטל of Israel, have written about this. Reb

יעקב ישראל is a 45 year old יונגרמאן that is a very learned תלמיד חכם and researcher.

In one of his recent well researched articles he discusses a particular פיוט (liturgical poem) concerning the מנורה of the בית המקדש, penned by the famed Jewish poet יניי or ינאי.

Although יניי is mentioned by the רס”ג- Reb Sadia Gaon and   רבינו גרשום מאור הגולה as one of the ‘חכמים הראשונים’ that wrote קרובות לכל סדר וסדר, not much is known about this individual poet- פייטן. Most of his writings have been lost over time. See here from the Cairo Geniza.

יני wrote פיוטים on every פרשה but followed the Minhag ארץ ישראל that completed a full Chumash cycle every three years.

This Piyut is recited in some Ashkenaz communities on פרשת בהעלותך.

Here are the lines of this Piyut סטל discusses:

See here from פיוטי יניי the Rebbe’s library:

In short, the poet seems to say that the מנורה, despite it being crafted from one solid piece of gold, was….multicolor!

The גביעים were green gold.

The כפתורים were red gold.

The פרחים were white gold.

[What color is ירוק?  see this Shiur #5]

Likely, suggests סטל, it is based on a מדרש:

כיון שהראה לו הקב”ה מעשה המנורה, נתקשה בה משה. אמר לו הקב”ה: הרי אני עושה אותה לפניך. מה עשה הקב”ה? הראה לו אש לבנה, ואש אדומה, ואש שחורה, אש ירוקה, ועשה מהן את המנורה, גביעיה, כפתוריה, ופרחיה וששת הקנים, והוא אומר לו: כך וכך עשה אותם… שהראה לו הקב”ה באצבע את המנורה

[סטל  discusses the  4th color ‘black gold’ in the Midrash and suggests that perhaps it was the center post or the background that was black]

How is that possible if gold, in its natural state, is yellow and only when mixed with other alloys does it change colors? However, the מנורה was crafted using only זהב טהור.

Is this why משה רבינו had a tough time with creating the מנורה and, as we know, ultimately it was created miraculously?

Read the linked article at length.

סטל then researched many early illustration and mosaics from the 3rd to the 13th century that indeed show artisans depicting the מנורה (not only in yellow gold but also) with green red and white.

Does that mean that at a time in history, Jews had a tradition that the Menorah was multicolor?

Photos reprinted with permission of Reb Yakov Stal with our thanks to him.

Reb  יעקב ישראל סטל

Here is the link to the article.

See also here. #7 from שפרבר.

BS”D

Sukkah 46a

Kislev 19, 5783. December 13, 2022

1 – We continued the גמרא discussing as to how many times we say לישב בסוכה and על נטילת לולב. 

2 – We read the text in Tosfos where the famous Yerushalmi is quoted that one needs to say a ברכה when building his Sukkah. 

3 – The גמרא brings a ברייתא that requires a שהחיינו to be made, both when building the Sukkah and when binding the Lulav. 

[Our custom is as per the conclusion of the גמרא (next week) that we say   שהחיינו  only at Kiddush for both].  

4 – Tosfos goes into a discussion regarding שהחיינו as to why on some Mitzvos and occasions we do say שהחיינו while on others not. 

• Lulav and Sukkah – yes. 
• Pidyon Haben – yes. 
• Megillah – yes. 
• Tefillin and Tzitzis- no. 
• Bris – no. 
• Hallel – no. 

Tosfos at first suggests that only when performing Mitzvos that are related to שמחה and performed at a time of שמחה is שהחיינו recited. 

At a Bris there is the pain of the child.

Hallel? Good question. The only pain that comes to mind is listening to an off tune חזן…….

At the end of Tosfos they bring the answer of Reb Sherira Gaon that only Mitzvos that are not constant do we say שהחיינו . The problem is פדיון הבן. 

We discussed other Mitzvos not mentioned in Tosfos. 

Burning Chometz – perhaps because of the anguish of destroying food. 

Yom Kippur is definitely not pleasurable, yet we do say שהחיינו. 

4- Speaking of שהחיינו we mentioned the one of the few times that the Rebbe the צמח צדק  argues with his grandfather, the Alter Rebbe. 

This is in regards to saying  שהחיינו when reading the Megillah (for the second time) פורים morning.  

Whereas the Alter Rebbe writes in his Siddur not to say שהחיינו  following the opinion of the Rambam, the  צמח צדק  writes (OC 114)  ‘who am I to doubt his Holy words, but it’s Torah….’

He concludes that we should follow the רמ”א (OC 692, 1)  and should say שהחיינו.

Additionally, he quotes the AR  who says about  שהחיינו that it can never be considered a  ברכה לבטלה

5- We mentioned the Chasam Sofer (OC 156) who discusses שהחיינו and whether one says it when becoming a רב. 

The interesting story of the Rov named Dovid who was unsure whether to recite שהחיינו at his acceptance דרשה.

So he paraphrased the Pasuk:

וַיְבָרֶךְ דָּוִיד אֶת יְהוָה לְעֵינֵי כָּל הַקָּהָל וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִינוּ מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם.

Instead he said 

וַיְבָרֶךְ דָּוִיד אֶת יְהוָה לְעֵינֵי כָּל הַקָּהָל וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה אלוקינו מלך העולם שהחיינו וקיימנו לזמן הזה! 

6- The humorous Reb Yosef Engel  כתובות דף  ז, ב) גליוני הש”ס)  concerning the reciting of  שהחיינו  when getting married. 

He quotes  a ראשון who says ‘why are you asking the question about saying שהחיינו and not on ברוך דיין האמת ……’ [the ברכה made when a misfortune ר”ל happens] 

‘In order not assume that this ראשון was joking, I suggest that based upon the גמרא in Yevamos concerning marriage that  the ones with Mazal have a happy marriage and the ones with less Mazal have an unhappy one…. מצא או מוצא,

So while standing under the Chuppah  what חתן can say that ‘my heart is pure and deserving and worthy of a good Mazal’ and I’ll say שהחיינו… when it’s a ספק as to how things will turn out…..’

7- Spoke about the הכנסת ספר תורה של משיח in 1970 תש”ל, that the Rebbe recited a שהחיינו and ate a new fruit. 

8- Being that it was י”ט כסלו we referred back to a recent Shiur about 2 people jointly performing a מלאכה when each one individually would not be able to do so. להלכה it is considered that each one performed this מלאכה entirely on his own and is חייב. 

The Rebbe writes about the חלוקת הש”ס  on  י”ט כסלו , where each one takes upon himself and learns only one מסכתא. 

Since one cannot (usually) finish the entire ש”ס on his own, by joining a group that together do indeed finish the entire ש”ס, it is considered as if each participant completed the entire ש”ס! 

Shiur Sukkah 45b (3)

BS”D

Sukkha 45b (3)

Kislev 13, 5783. December 6, 2022

1- We wrapped up last week’s discussion of the Chida by mentioning what Reb Mordechai Eliyahu related of the time the remains of the Chida arrived in Israel for reburial. 

See last week’s link and also here. 

“The bones arrived in a box but all mixed up. I speak into the coffin and say Rabeinu Chida! And all the bones began to move and rearranged themselves into a full skeleton”.

2- Our Gemara:  ‘The date tree has only one heart’. 

What Bracha do you make on Hearts of palm?

See here. 

The bracha is  Ha’adama…

3- We began the Sugya of the ברכות on the 

• Making of a Sukkah (ברכה or not)
• Sitting in a Suka (ברכה. Once or at every entry)
• Binding of the Lulav (ברכה or not)
• Bentching on the Lulav  (1st day or all 7) 
• Shehechiyonu on building the Sukkah (ברכה or not)
• Shehechiyonu on sitting in the Sukkah (Before לישב בסוכה or after) 
• Shehechiyonu on the Lulav (Before or on Yom Tov)
• Shehechiyonu on the Yom Tov (If not made on day 1) 

4 – Making of a Suka (ברכה or not)

In general: The basic opinions of the Bavli vs the Yerushalmi if a Brachah s made on the building of as Sukkah. 

Bavli – No.  Menachos 42b

ובישראל אין צריך

Yerushalmi – Yes. Brochos Chapter 9:3 

הָעוֹשֶׂה סוּכָּה לְעַצְמוֹ. אוֹמֵר בָּרוּךְ אֲשֶׁר קִידְּשָׁנוּ בְמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִיוָּנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת סוּכָּה

We discussed the rationale of the Yerushalmi as to why make a Brachah on an act that is only a הכשר מצוה. 

Some suggest since it says ועשית חג הסוכות it means that the Posuk wants to give the building of the Sukkah the status of a Mitzvah. 

We discussed that according to the Yerushalmi the writing of a מזוזה, for example, since it says וכתבתם is a Mitzvah that requires a Brachah as well. 

Read part of the Rebbe’s footnote on this topic in לקו”ש יז,   page 188 that even according to the בבלי it is a Mitzvah but one that does not require a ברכה. 

5 –Sitting in a Sukkah and Bentching on the Lulav

The opinion of Shmuel:

On the Sukkah we make the ברכה only once for the entire Yom Tov! But on the Lulav – every day. His explanation is 

לוּלָב שִׁבְעָה, וְסוּכָּה יוֹם אֶחָד. מַאי טַעְמָא? לוּלָב דְּמַפְסְקִי לֵילוֹת מִיָּמִים, כׇּל יוֹמָא מִצְוָה בְּאַפֵּיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ הוּא. סוּכָּה דְּלָא מַפְסְקִי לֵילוֹת מִיָּמִים, כּוּלְּהוּ שִׁבְעָה כְּחַד יוֹמָא אֲרִיכָא דָּמוּ.

Since the obligation is to sit in the Sukkah literally non stop 24/7,  it is one long Mitzvah! Thus one ברכה suffices for the full 7 days. 

On the other hand Lulav, since there is no Mitzva at night, each day is a separate entity and requires a new ברכה. 

6- We diverted to another Mitzvah that is constant – learning תורה. 

Despite the obligation of  וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה we make a ברכה only once a day – in morning. Why don’t we make a ברכה every time we (stopped and) begin to learn?  Why is the pausing not considered a הפסק? 

בקיצור There are two approaches to this issue. 

The approach of the Rosh:

We absolutely have to make a new ברכה everytime we begin to learn!

However, someone that is a learner – whose mind is always into learning (and that could be a businessman as well who is in a hurry to finish his work and return to his Gemore) is always connected to לימוד התורה. Even if this learner stops to learn for a few hours, it is never a true הפסק in his learning since the חיוב is constant and he is never מסיח דעת. Therefore, there is no need for him to say new ברכה. However, when he sleeps and cannot be learning, he must make a ברכה upon awakening. So every morning we say ברכת התורה. 

A non- learner, must indeed make a new ברכה every time he pauses!!!

The approach of the אגור:

ברכת התורה is like all the other ברכות השחר that were established to be said only once, in the morning. So pausing and restarting to learn does not cause a need to say ברכת התורה again. 

We follow the opinion of the אגור. 

See also the Sicha on this. LS 14, 148 and on.

7- Sitting in a Sukkah and Bentching on the Lulav

One opinion of Reb Yochanon’s ruling. (and that is the Halacha we follow). 

Both, Sukkah and Lulav require a ברכה every day. 

8- We read the text of Tosfos, that despite the expression “Lulav and Sukkah on all 7 days”, there is a world of difference between them. Whereas with Lulav, the obligation is to shake it once a day only. So if someone decides to shake it again, after the morning מצוה, no ברכה is said. 

Conversely, Sukkah, being that the obligation is a constant for the entire 7 days and nights, if one exists the Sukkah, a new ברכה must be made when re-entering. 

9- Tosfos likens the constant obligation of Sukkah to תפילין that we are obligated to wear all times. Putting them on in the morning does not release us from performing the מצוה the entire day. We don’t do it because of גוף נקי. 

[We wondered why we don’t put them on again for Minchah, which is shorter (for some…) than שחרית].
See באר היטב here.  37, 3 from the Rama miPanu that one should indeed put them on for Mincha. 

In conclusion we mentioned that some disagree and say Tefillin is  only a once a day obligation. 

10- Spoke at length about the sad times in history of many communities that תפילין was very lax to the point that people just didn’t do it. 

Some  put on Tefillin only after ‘doing Teshuva’. Some only during עשרת ימי תשובה.

The Rebbe quoted the ספר מצוות גדול of an era where Tefillin was not popular and this great ראשון brought about a resurgence of מצוות Tefillin. 

See this very interesting Sichah when the Rebbe announced the מבצע תפילין . As usual, critics tried to cool the enthusiasm and the Rebbe methodically responded to the criticism לקוטי שיחות ו, 271

Page 273:

The סמ”ג  encouraged thousands in Spain to put on Tefillin.

We mentioned אלישע בעל כנפים, who is mentioned in that סמ”ג, and in the article below.

סמ”ג  מ”ע ג. 

ויהי אחר ארבע אלפים ותשע מאות ותשעים וחמש שנים לבריאות עולם היתה סיבה מן השמים להוכיח ובשנת תתקצ״ו הייתי בספרד להוכיחם ואמץ הקב״ה זרועותי בחלומות היהודים ובחלומות העכו״ם וחזיונו׳ הככבים ויט עלי חסדו ותרגז הארץ ותהי לחרדת אלהים ועשו תשובות גדולות וקבלו אלפים ורבבות מצות תפילין מזוזות וציצית וכן בשאר ארצות הייתי אחר כך ונתקבלו דברי בכל המקומות ובקשו ממני לכתוב פירוש המצות בקוצר והנני שואל עזר מאת אלקי גליות ישראל וחפצו בידי יצליח.

See here a well researched article citing all the history of this saga. 

…מעניין לציין שמחברנו אינו מזכיר הברכה על הנחת תפילין׳…

משמע שאנשי מרסיי לא הניחו תפילין…

https://www.alysefer.com/tefilin/

11- We mentioned the Beis Yosef  (EH end of 65) who quotes an old custom of placing ashes on the forehead of a חתן to commemorate the חורבן. ‘To place ashes in the place of Tefillin’.

However, he writes, this was abolished since not everyone puts on Tefillin!! 

The זכר לחורבן was replaced by the breaking of a glass. 

12- We concluded with the famous story of Elisha  בעל כנפיים.

 שבת קל, א

וְאַמַּאי קָרוּ לֵיהּ ״אֱלִישָׁע בַּעַל כְּנָפַיִם״? שֶׁפַּעַם אַחַת גָּזְרָה מַלְכוּת הָרְשָׁעָה גְּזֵרָה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁכׇּל הַמַּנִּיחַ תְּפִילִּין עַל רֹאשׁוֹ — יִקְּרוּ אֶת מוֹחוֹ, וְהָיָה אֱלִישָׁע מַנִּיחַ תְּפִילִּין וְיָצָא לַשּׁוּק, וְרָאָהוּ קַסְדּוֹר אֶחָד. רָץ מִלְּפָנָיו וְרָץ אַחֲרָיו. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ אֶצְלוֹ, נְטָלָן מֵרֹאשׁוֹ וַאֲחָזָן בְּיָדוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ: מַה בְּיָדְךָ? אָמַר לוֹ: כַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה. פָּשַׁט אֶת יָדוֹ וְנִמְצְאוּ בָּהּ כַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה. לְפִיכָךְ הָיוּ קוֹרְאִין אוֹתוֹ ״בַּעַל כְּנָפַיִם״.

The Gemara asks: And why did they call him Elisha, Man of Wings? Because on one occasion the wicked empire of Rome issued a decree against the Jewish people that, as punishment, they would pierce the brain of anyone who dons phylacteries on his head. Nevertheless, Elisha would don them and defiantly go out to the marketplace. One day, an official who was appointed to enforce the decree saw him. Elisha ran away from him, and the official ran after him. When the official reached him, Elisha removed the phylacteries from his head and held them in his hand. The officer asked him: What is in your hand? Elisha said to him: It is merely a dove’s wings. A miracle took place: He opened his hand, and, indeed, it was found to be a dove’s wings. Therefore, in commemoration of this miracle, they would call him Elisha, Man of Wings.

That story too is proof that Tefillin is not a one time מצווה.

The גמרא there has an interesting expression: Any Mitzvah that Jews had מסירת נפש to perform it, its observance continued thorough history. Such as מילה and עבודה זרה.  

As opposed to תפילין that Jews did not have  ,מסירת נפש It is only casually observed! 

 We mentioned Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and his explanation as to why every Jew knows about Pesach and Yom Kippur but may not be aware of the other Yomim Tovim. His explanation is that as children, the above two were associated with work, sweat or being uncomfortable thus making  a lasting impression on them.

https://www.greentec.co.il/uploads_thumbs/resized/large/products/2/871/main_image.webp?t=1660316214

BS”D

Sukkah 45b (2)

Kislev 6, 5783. November 30, 2022

1- The next few lines in the Gemara are אגדתא. 

It begins with a quote from רבי שמעון בר יוחי that on the surface seems very strange indeed. 

יכולני לפטור את כל העולם כולו מיום שנבראתי עד עתה.

 I am able to absolve the entire world from judgment for sins committed from the day I was created until now.

2 – Topics discussed –  why is this not considered boasting? How could he accomplish this feat taking upon himself the judgment for others?

3- Interesting explanation of what Reb Shimon meant by the ספר  נזירות שמשון. 

In short: 

a- The Gemara in Sanhedrin (91a) states the following exchange. 

Antoninos, said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: The body and the soul are able to exempt themselves from judgment for their sins. How so? The body says: The soul sinned, as from the day of my death when it departed from me, I am cast like a silent stone in the grave, and do not sin. And the soul says: The body sinned, as from the day that I departed from it, I am flying in the air like a bird, incapable of sin. 

Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a king who had a fine orchard, and in it there were fine first fruits of a fig tree, and he stationed two guards in the orchard, one lame, who was unable to walk, and one blind. Neither was capable of reaching the fruit on the trees in the orchard without the assistance of the other. The lame person said to the blind person: I see fine first fruits of a fig tree in the orchard; come and place me upon your shoulders. I will guide you to the tree, and we will bring the figs to eat them. The lame person rode upon the shoulders of the blind person and they brought the figs and ate them.

Sometime later the owner of the orchard came to the orchard. He said to the guards: The fine first fruits of a fig tree that were in the orchard, where are they? The lame person said: Do I have any legs with which I would be able to walk and take the figs? The blind person said: Do I have any eyes with which I would be able to see the way to the figs? What did the owner of the orchard do? He placed the lame person upon the shoulders of the blind person just as they did when they stole the figs, and he judged them as one.

So too, the Holy One, Blessed be He, brings the soul on the day of judgment and casts it back into the body, as they were when they sinned, and He judges them as one.

b- The חיד”א says that the rationale behind the judgment of the גוף and נשמה, even though each would not have been able to sin individually, is based on the הלכה that a מלאכה for example, that cannot be accomplished by one person (like carrying a 200 lb. suitcase on Shabbos) when done by two people both are חייב. 

The blind and the lame, by Johann Theodor de Bry, 1596. Rijksmuseum

Similarly, true, the גוף and נשמה could not have sinned on their own/individually, but when merged into one they are each liable and judged.  

c- So, concludes the נזירות שמשון, the הלכה above, that both are חייב, is the opinion of Reb Yehuda. Reb Shimon’s opinion however, is that since each one on his own could not have accomplished this מלאכה, both are פטור!!!

So in a sense, Reb Shimon is saying, יכולני לפטור את כל העולם כולו מיום שנבראתי עד עתה, meaning  that humans (due to the גוף ונשמה) have the perfect excuse to wiggle their way out of יום הדין! 

Chida mentioned previously

d- We spoke about the footnote of Reb Akiva Eiger that references a similar saying of רשב”י from אבות דרבי נתן on the same topic; absolving humans from judgment. 

Here is the parable there:

Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai would say: From this you know that Israel will never see the face of Gehenna. They give a parable: To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a human king who had a barren field. Some people came along and rented it for ten bundles of wheat. They fertilized it, plowed it, watered it, and harvested it, but they yielded only one bundle of wheat the whole year. The king said to them: What is this? They said: Our master the king, you know that with regard to the field you gave us, in the beginning you were not able to yield anything from it. Now we have fertilized it, harvested it, and watered it, yet we have still not been able to yield more than one bundle of wheat the whole year. Although the renters didn’t, as it were, keep their side of the deal, they want the king to appreciate their efforts, given the challenging circumstances. So will Israel say one day before the Holy Blessed One: You know well that the Evil Urge has tempted us, as it says (Psalms 103:14), “For He knows our urges” [lit., how we were formed].

4 – Speaking of the Chid”a, we mentioned the fascinating story of the moving of his interred body from Livorno, Italy to Har Hamenuchos in ירושלים. 

Listen to Reb Mordechai Eliyahu’s story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNjgxPDk3Yg

5- Rashbi continues to say: ראיתי בני עלי’ והם מועטין. Very few truly righteous people. 

We discussed the Alter Rebbe’s 2 explanations of the word עלי’ בני in Tanya Chapter 10. 

The Gemare moves on to discuss the number of צדיקים that exist in the world. 18,000, 1,000, 36. 

We discussed in the past  אספקלריא המאירה 

See shiur here: 

6-  Mentioning the 36 צדיקים we spoke about the באר היטב (OC 645, 9) that quotes others about the לולב and the reference to these 36 צדיקים. 

כתב בתשובת מהרי”ו לולב אותיות ל”ו ל”ב כלומר ל”ו צדיקים בכל דור ודור וכנגד ל”ו מסכתות. ול”ב היינו התורה המתחלת בב’ ומסיימת בלמ”ד.

 ולולב גימט’ חיים היינו תורה ואתרוג גימט’ תר”י עם ג’ מינים תרי”ג ששקול נגד תרי”ג מצות ומהרי”ל כתב מי שקונה אתרוג עם לולב יפים זוכה לחיי עוה”ז ולחיי עולם הבא:

7- וכנגד ל”ו מסכתות

We discussed the topic of the oft quoted “61 מסכתות and (only) 36 of them have גמרות’ when in reality, a least the way we have, it is 60 מסכתות and 37 גמרות! 

Mentioned again the famed Reb Yehuda Aszad that devotes his first תשובה on this topic. 

https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=57981&st=&pgnum=11

8- We touched upon the huge topic of ‘buying and selling’ שכר ועונש of another person. 

Story with Michael Steinhardt

and Dovid Lichtenstein

Will continue IY”H next week.