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8 CROWN HEIGHTS Newspaper ~September 26, 2008 Parshas Hashavua Vedibarta Bam ~ Haazinu Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky ‏"צור ילדתך תשי ותשכח א-ל מחללך"‏ “You forgot the rock Who gave birth to you and forgot G d Who brought you forth.” (32:18) QUESTION: Why does Moshe mention the Jews’ forgetting of Hashem twice? ANSWER: There was once a person who owed money to many creditors. Unable to bear the pressure and demands for payments which came from all sides, he consulted a friend who, incidentally, was also one of his creditors. The friend advised him, “From now on when anyone comes asking for payment, act insane so that the creditor will think you have lost your mind and stop bothering you.” Once, when the friend himself came to demand payment, the debtor began to act demented, hoping to put him off. Angrily the creditor said to him, “Don’t act crazy in front of me — it was my idea!” Among the many gifts Hashem has endowed man with is the power of “shikchah” — forgetfulness. Thus, when one is, G d forbid, confronted with trials and tribulations he is able to remove his mind from them, and go on with his life. Moshe said to the Jewish people, “tzur yeldecha — the rock Who gave birth to you — [has instilled in you a gift, the power of] teshi — to forget. The problem is that “vatishkach Keil mecholelecha” — you are using this power of forgetfulness to also forget Hashem, Who brought you forth and Who does so much for you.” ‏)המגיד מדובנא ור'‏ מנחם מענדל זצ"ל מקאצק(‏ ‏"לו חכמו ישכילו זאת יבינו לאחריתם"‏ “Were they wise they would comprehend this, they would understand what their end would be.” (32:29) QUESTION: The word “zot” — “this” — is superfluous? ANSWER: In the prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we proclaim, “U’teshuvah u’tefillah u’tzedakah ma’avirin et ro’ah hagezeirah” — “Repentance, prayer, and charity avert the severity of the decree.” In all machzorim above these words are printed in קול,)‏ mamon” small letters, “kol, tzom, fasting, “Voice (of prayer), — ‏(צום,‏ ממון money (for charity).” The merit of the Jewish people is determined by how they excel in these three things, and the total numerical value of the three is four hundred and eight, which is also the numerical value of the word ‏.(זאת)‏ “zot” This pasuk, which is read usually during the High Holiday season, is hinting that “Were they wise they would comprehend ‘zot’ — the achievements that are derived through — ‘kol, tzom, and mamon’ — ‘voice, fast, and money’ ” — and “yavinu” — they would understand that it plays an important role — “le’acharitam” — for their future, i.e., through it they will merit to be inscribed in the Book of Life with all the best, materially and spiritually. Hashem challenges the Jewish people, “Ubechanuni na bezot” — “Test Me, if you will, with ‘zot’ — ‘this’ ” (Malachi 3:10), i.e. perform the three things which add up to “zot” — four hundred and eight — and “[See] if I do not open for you the windows of Heaven and pour out upon you blessings without end.” Unfortunately, there are people who do not realize or refuse to recognize what can be accomplished through these three things. King David says of such people, “Ukesil lo yavin et zot” — “A fool cannot understand ‘zot’ — ‘this’ ” (Psalms 92:7), i.e. the importance of ‘kol, tzom and mamon’ which have the same numerical value (408) as the word ‘zot.’ ‏)בית יעקב ר'‏ יעקב הכהן ז"ל טראב – מסלתון ראב"ד ביירות(‏ ‏"מחצתי ואני ארפא ואין מידי מציל"‏ “I wounded and I heal, and there is no rescuer from My hand.” (32:39) QUESTION: It should have said the reverse, “There is no rescuer from My hand; I wound and I heal”? ANSWER: An ill chassid who many doctors were unable to help, desperately visited his Rebbe for a blessing and advice. He was told, “Consult the professor in the town of Anipoli. He will cure you.” The ailing chassid spared no effort or money and made the arduous trip. Upon arrival he was disappointed to learn that there was no professor, no doctor, and not even a medical attendant in the tiny hamlet of Anipoli. Dumbfounded, he returned to his Rebbe and told him that in Anipoli there were no medical experts. “Then tell me,” asked the Rebbe, “What do the people of Anipoli do when someone, G d forbid, is sick?” “What do they do?” said the chassid, “I suppose they have no other option but to trust in Hashem and ask Him to send the healing from Heaven.” “He is the One,” exclaimed the Rebbe. “That is the professor of Anipoli that I referred you to. Put your faith in Hashem and He who helps the people of Anipoli will surely help you too.” Hashem is saying, “Machatzti” — “I wounded” — “ve’ani erpeh” — “and I heal,” [when the person realizes that] “ve’ein miyadi matzil” — “there is no rescuer from My hand” — i.e. he honestly believes that it is not the doctors who bring healing, but Hashem. דגן שמים על מםכת ראש השנה,‏ ועי'‏ סיפורי חסידים)‏ ‏(ע'‏ 168 In this pasuk the word “Ani” is mentioned four times, which is an allusion to what the Gemara (Megillah 29a) says that Hashem is always with the Jewish people, and that even when they go into galut — exile — the Shechinah — Divine Presence — is there together with them. Since the exiles of the Jewish people are associated with four monarchies: Edom, i.e. Rome, Media/Persia, Babylon, and Greece, “Ani,” which is a reference to the Shechinah, is written four times. ‏(נחל קדומים)‏ Hidden And Revealed By Yanki Tauber Reprinted with permission from Chabad. Org “Sound the shofar on the new moon, in concealment to the day of our festival” (Psalms 81:4). In this cryptic verse lies the deeper significance of Sukkot and its sister-festival, Shemini Atzeret/ Simchat Torah. In the Jewish calendar, the month follows the phases of the moon. The “new moon” -- the point at which the moon emerges from its monthly concealment -- marks the beginning of a new month. The apex of the month is the 15th -- the night of the full moon, when the moon attains the high point of its potential to reflect the sun’s light and illuminate the earth. The month of Tishrei is the most spirituality-rich month in the Jewish year. The festivals and special days-- Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, Shabbat Shuvah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah, Shabbat Bereishit -- follow in succession, with hardly any “ordinary days” in between. It’s a time to fuel up on the spiritual resources -- awe, teshuvah, connection, singularity, joy, unity, wisdom, commitment -- that will drive our lives for the rest of the year. The first of Tishrei is Rosh Hashanah, which opens the “Days of Awe” that characterize the first part of the month, culminating in Yom Kippur on Tishrei 10th. Then the mood and texture of Tishrei shifts dramatically to the “Season of Our Rejoicing” that begins with the festival of Sukkot on the 15th and continues through Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. The half of Tishrei is marked by solemnity, the second by elation; but the Chassidic masters explain that these are simply the “hidden” and “revealed” dimensions of the same elements. The essence of Rosh Hashanah is our crowning of G-d as our “king”. A coronation, explain the Chassidic masters, is effected by two things -- unity and joy: a people joyously unite to select, accept and submit to an exalted figure who embodies their collective identity and innermost strivings (if the coronation lacks either joy or unity, chassidic teaching explains, it results not in a true king, but merely in a “ruler”). But there is also a third element without which the coronation could not happen -- awe. And the nature of awe is that it eclipses and mutes the joy. Sukkot, then, is simply the revelation of Rosh Hashanah. The joy and unity that are the essence of our commitment to G-d, and which were “concealed” by the awe that characterizes the first days of Tishrei, erupt on the 15th of the month in the form of the festival of Sukkot. In the words of the Psalmist, “Sound the shofar on the new moon, in concealment to the day of our festival.” Our crowning G-d king with the sounding of the shofar on the 1st of Tishrei (“the new moon”) remains in concealment until “the day of our festival”, the full moon of Sukkot, when it manifests itself in a seven-day feast of joy. And what Sukkot is to Rosh Hashanah, Simchat Torah is to Yom Kippur. The essence of Yom Kippur is that it is the day we received the Second Tablets, completing the Giving of the Torah (which began on Shavuot) and bringing into our lives the Torah’s ultimate essence -- teshuvah. There is nothing more liberating and exilarating than teshuvah -- the power to “return” to the quintessential core of one’s being, transcending time, space, habit and “character”, transcending all that circumscribes the soul’s truest self and truest strivings. But again, the essence of Yom Kippur is submerged and concealed within the solemnity that accompanies the business of teshuvah doing -- fasting, regretting and confessing our wrongdoings, resolving not to repeat them, praying for forgiveness. It is only on Simchat Torah that the joyous essence of teshuvah is manifestly celebrated.
September 26, 2008 ~ crOWN heights Newspaper 9 Vedibarta Bam ~ Sukos ‏“לולב מצוה לאגדו”‏ “It is a mitzvah to bundle the lulav with the hadassim and aravot.” (Sukkah 33a) QUESTION: How many rings should be placed on the lulav? ANSWER: The Shulchan Aruch Harav (651:11) writes “It is customary to make three bundlings (ties) on the lulav, corresponding to the three Patriarchs. I.e., in addition to the ring which bundles the three species together, (because the Torah (Shemot 15:2) states ‘This is my G‐d and I shall beautify him,’ ibid. 2) two ties (rings) are made to bundle the lulav leaves to the spine.” But don’t we make three rings just for bundling the species together? The three rings for bundling the species are all made within a tefach handbreadth. Thus, we apply the rule of lavud — attached — so the three rings are considered as one. But why do we make what appears as five rings but which halachically is counted as three? It says in Pirkei Avot (3:6) “From where do we learn that the Divine Presence rests among five that occupy themselves with Torah? For it is said ‘va’agudato al eretz yesadah — He has founded His band upon the earth’ ” (Amos 5:6). According to another version, this pasuk is proof that the Divine Presence is with three who are occupied in Torah. Because three is considered agudah — banding together (see Bartenura). In deference to the opinions whether an agudah — bundling — is three or five, we make five rings which are considered as three, corresponding to the Patriarchs. שו”ע סי’‏ תרנ”א סעי’‏ א’‏ ט”ז,‏ חיים וברכה)‏ ‏(לבעמ”ח ספר משמרת שלום על פמ”ג סי’‏ רפ”ח ‏“בליל ראשון של סוכות אומרים תחילה לישב בסוכה ואח”כ שהחיינו”‏ “On the first night of Sukkot, we say first leishev basukkah and afterwards shehechiyanu.” QUESTION: When we make Kiddush the first night of Sukkot, why is the berachah of leishev basukkah made first and then shehechiyanu, while on the second night the order is reversed? ANSWER: Biblically, the Yom Tov of Sukkot is to be celebrated one day — the fifteenth of Tishrei. The new month would be established by Beit Din on the testimony of witness who saw the new moon, and then messengers were dispatched to inform the public. The communities of Israel and the Diaspora that would not be reached by mid month, celebrated Yom Tov for two days out of doubt as to which day was the 15th. Though we now have a pre-calculated calendar, we continue the “custom of our parents” and observe Yom Tov two days. A shehechiyanu is recited at a time of joy, e.g. a Yom Tov or over a mitzvah which is applicable only at a certain time during the year, e.g. shofar, reading megillah, etc. Since there was a time when a real doubt existed concerning which day was actually Yom Tov (the 15th of Tishrei) the berachah of shehechiyanu must be recited each night together with the Kiddush which ushers in the Yom Tov. A person cannot rely on the fact that he said it on the first night of Yom Tov since it is possible that it may not have been the fifteenth of Tishrei if the new month were established on the testimony of witness. However, the Gemara (Sukkah 46a) says, “One who makes a sukkah for himself, says shehechiyanu. When he enters the sukkah during the Yom Tov to sit in it, he says the blessing of leishev basukkah.” Nowadays, we do not recite the shehechiyanu upon building the sukkah, rather it is done over the Kiddush cup. Hence, on the first night the shehechiyanu is both for the Yom Tov and the sukkah, and therefore it is recited after we make the berachah of leishev basukkah. On the second night there is no longer a need to make a shehechiyanu over the sukkah, since even if the first night were not Yom Tov one is yotzi — has fulfilled the obligation — even if the shehechiyanu were made before Yom Tov upon completion of the erection of the sukkah. Therefore, since the shehechiyanu on the second night is only for the Yom Tov (in the event that the first night was not 15 Tishrei) and not for the mitzvah of sukkah, the shehechiyanu is recited immediately after the Kiddush. ‏)שו”ע סי’‏ תרמ”א וסי’‏ תרס”א(‏ ‏“ביום ראשון מברך על נטילת לולב ושהחיינו,‏ וביום שני אינו מברך זמן אא”כ חל יום ראשון בשבת.”‏ “On the first day we recite the berachot al netilat lulav and shehechiyanu, on the second day shehechiyanu is not recited unless the first day was Shabbat.” QUESTION: Why is shehechiyanu recited both nights in Kiddush and only the first day of Yom Tov for taking the lulav and etrog? ANSWER: Yom Tov is a joyous occasion which comes from time to time, and thus a shehechiyanu must be recited. Since there is a doubt which day is actually Yom Tov (the 15th of Tishrei), it is recited both nights together with Kiddush. Halachically, however, the shehechiyanu over the lulav may be made even before Yom Tov when one prepares (binds together the lulav with the species], but it has become traditional to make the berachah when the lulav is taken to fulfill the mitzvah (see Sukkah 46a, Shulchan Aruch 644, Magen Avraham). Thus, there is no need to make this berachah twice, since either way [even if the first day is a weekday and not Yom Tov] one fulfilled the obligation of reciting the shehechiyanu for the lulav. ‏(שו”ע סי’‏ תרס”ב,‏ מגן אברהם)‏ ‏“אומרים תהלים בליל הושענא רבה אחר חצות”‏ “On Hoshana Rabbah after midnight, Tehillim is recited.” QUESTION: Why necessarily after midnight? ANSWER: According to the Z oha r (Vay i k ra 103b) we welcome Ushpizin — guests — to our sukkah. These guests are Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aaron, Yosef and David. Each day of Sukkot another of these guests leads the others into the sukkah. Thus, Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh day, is the day of King David. The Gemara (Berachot 3b) says that David did not sleep at night. Until midnight he would be involved in words of Torah; henceforth, he strengthened himself like a lion and occupied himself with singing and praises to Hashem. (When he would sleep, he would be careful to only doze off for less than 60 human respirations, see Sukkah 26b). Since on Hoshana Rabbah David is the primary guest, and he compiled the Tehillim which contains the songs and praises he would say to Hashem after midnight, we too recite the Tehillim on Hoshana Rabbah after midnight. ‏)טעמי המנהגים בשם מחזה אברהם ועי’‏ שו”ע אדמוה”ז מהדו”ק סי’‏ ד’‏ סעי’‏ ט”ז(‏ ‏“בהושענא רבה קודם הלל – מסירים שתי הכריכות אשר על הלולב”‏ “O n Ho s h a n a R a bba h , before Hallel, the two (top) rings are removed from the lulav.” (Sefer Haminhagim-Chabad) QUESTION: Why necessarily these two rings? ANSWER: In the Torah (Vayikra 23:40) the lulav is called “kapot temarim” — “branches of date palms.” The word “kapot” פֹת)‏ ‏(ּכַ‏ can also be read as “kafut” ‏(ּכָפּות)‏ which means “tied up.” The Gemara (Sukkah 32a) derives that the leaves of the lulav must be fresh (soft) so that they can be tied to the lulav spine. Thus, to firmly tie the leaves to the spine it is customary to place to rings on the lulav itself (see Rav Shulchan Aruch 651:11). Now, in the Torah, the word “kapot” is written without a vav פֹת)‏ ‏.(ּכַ‏ Since the letter vav has the numerical value of six, we take the lacking vav as an indication that the requirement of kafut — tied up — is an imperative only during the six days of Sukkot and not the seventh — Hoshana Rabbah. ‏)לבוש סי’‏ תרס”ד סעי’‏ א’,‏ ועי’‏ לקו”ש ח”ד ע’‏ )1368 ‏“יש נשים מעוברת שנוהגת ליטול הפיטום של האתרוג בהו”ר”‏ “Some pregnant women have a custom to bite off the pitom of the etrog on Hoshana Rabbah [after davening].” QUESTION: What is the significance of this? ANSWER: According to the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 15:7) the forbidden fruit that Chavah ate and also gave to Adam was an etrog. As a punishment, from then on, she and all womanhood would have to suffer pain in childbirth. The etrog is an edible tasty fruit and has a good aroma. The pitom, however, is a hard inedible piece of wood with no aroma. By biting off the pitom the woman is declaring that she disagrees with Chavah and wants absolutely no pleasure from the etrog. The Gemara (Sotah 12a) says that righteous women of all generations were not affected by Chavah’s verdict that womankind should suffer pain in childbirth. Therefore, by disassociating herself from Chavah’s iniquity, she prays to Hashem that He grant her a childbirth without pain and complications. ‏)אוצר כל מנהגי ישרון בשם ספר זכירה ועי’‏ בנטעי גבריאל פרק פ’‏ ס”ז(‏ “Simchat Torah” ‏“שמחת תורה”‏ QUESTION: Simchat Torah literally means the Simchah of the Torah — is it our simchah or her simchah? ANSWER: In Hebrew a son is called “ben” from the root of boneh — builder — because he continues to build that which his father started. A very sad day in a person’s life is when he must sell a large thriving business to a stranger because his only son has no interest in continuing the business. Through our dancing and rejoicing we demonstrate our love for Torah and that it is very dear to us. Thus, Simchat Torah — Torah is immensely happy when she sees the cherish and love her children, the Jewish people, have for her.
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