Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Nasso

No 1376: 2Sivan 5771 (4June 2011)

AS SHABBAT APPROACHES

Happily Accepting the Yoke of the Torah - by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavne

"But he did not give any (wagons) to the children of Kehat... They carried their burden on their shoulders" [Bamidbar 7:9]. According to the sages (Arachin 11), the word "to carry" refers to song, as is written, "Raise up in song and beat on the drum" [Tehillim 81:3]. This is a truly remarkable comment. What is the connection between carrying a burden on the shoulders and singing?

In the book of Shmuel we read the story of how King David placed the Holy Ark on a wagon, and that when the Ark slipped Uzah took hold of it, leading to G-d's anger (Shmuel II 6:6). The Talmud explains that David was punished for having called the words of the Torah a song, as is written, "Your laws were songs for me" [Tehillim 119:54]. The reaction of the Almighty was, "The words of Torah are described by the verse, 'You cast your eyes upon it and it disappears' [Mishlei 23:5], how dare you call it a song? I swear that I will make you fail with something that even small children know, as is written, 'they carried their burden on their shoulders.'" [Sottah 35].

Sefat Emet explains this based on what we are told in the book of Shmuel, that the Pelishtim sent the Ark in a wagon hitched to two cows, "And the cows went straight along the path" [Shmuel I 6:12]. The sages took this to mean that the cows turned their faces towards the Ark and began to sing (Avoda Zara 24). Note that the word "went straight" contains the word "shir," for singing. Since the cows were pulling the Ark, they became intelligent and they sang praises. "This is also true for every true servant of G-d, who is filled with glory and joy" [Sefat Emet Bamidbar 5641].

Why was David punished for calling the Torah a song? After all, the entire Torah is indeed called a song a poem: "And now, write down this songfor you" [Devarim 31:19]. The answer is that "shira" refers to epic poetry and not to a tune. "Shira" refers to deep and abstract thought. For that reason, it is written in the Torah as distinct blocks in a pattern reminiscent of "bricks," with large spaces in between the words, because there are more hidden meanings than simple ones. A song ("zemir") is emotional, limited (the root of the word "zemer" means to prune or cut a plant).

The Torah is an epic poem, it is a heavy yoke (people are expected to accept on themselves the yoke of Torah and the yoke of mitzvot). But in spite of this it is welcomed with joy, for when a person goes towards an ideal and succeeds in fulfilling it with labor and dedication, he is happy that his life is rich in content, and he is able to sing. For this reason the Torah is carried directly on the shoulder, because it is necessary to identify with it and carry it out of joy and with song. In the introduction to "Or Gedalia – Moadim" it is written, that song means "without a sigh."

David, who called the Torah "zimra," light music, was punished when he made a mistake and did not have the Ark carried manually but put it on a wagon. Torah must be observed in accordance with the verse, "And he bent his back, to toil" [Bereishit 49:15], but also with song.

The Maggid of Dubna described those who become weary in the service of G-d by the verse, "You did not call out to me... because you were weary with me..." [Yeshayahu 43:22]. What is written with respect to serving G-d is "For the matter is very close to you" [Devarim 30:14] – why are you so weary from the labor?

When Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was asked how it could be that even though parents in the United States made a sacrifice and refused to work on Shabbat their children desecrate the Shabbat, he replied: Evidently the father would sigh every Sunday and complain that he had once again been fired from his job. If instead he had told his family how happy he was that he had once again passed this difficult test, his children would not think that to be a Jew is difficult.

POINT OF VIEW

We have become Orphans- by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

On a bitter and stark day, the twentieth of Iyar, Rabbi Uri Dasberg was taken from us, the people of the Zomet Institute, and from this bulletin, Shabbat-B'Shabbato, in a tragic road accident. All the years he tried to avoid using the title "rabbi" and he refused to have his picture adorn his weekly article, as is done for most of the other writers. We have now taken it upon ourselves to add to his byline the note Z"L – Of Blessed Memory – in honor of his memory and of his great accomplishments.

Zomet Institute was given the task of editing Shabbat-B'Shabbato, taking it over from Hapoel Hamizrachi and the Michael Levy organization after the first nine years of its existence, when it was edited by Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Alfasi. Starting with issue 462 (Lech Lecha 5754, 1993), Rabbi Uri edited the bulletin, and he kept this job for several years. Even after he left his formal position, he continued to enrich us with his beautiful, enlightening, and interesting columns. For the last few years, he has been writing about Jewish books and personalities. Throughout, he maintained a strict and precise content and style.

Rabbi Uri's greatest accomplishment was as an editor. He did not see his task as a simple one, andas an editor he took an active role. In Zomet, he edited the thirty volumes of the annual publication "Techumin," books that are thick and full of substance. Just a few weeks ago he handed over Volume 31 to the printer, opening the fourth decade of this life's work. His introduction to this newest volume, which will now be dedicated to his memory, ends with a perfect definition of how he saw the labor of editing. "The responsibility of an editor with respect to the authors is that they depend on him to make sure that their words are not only published but also studied." He went into depth in the articles in the books, he checked their sources, and he discussed footnotes with the authors by phone and e-mail. Rabbi Uri taught the authors of Torah literature to be focused, to be precise, to organize an article, and to summarize it at the end. There would seem to be many other editors in the realm of Torah articles from all sectors who have learned the proper technique of editingfrom him.

And what is true of Techumin is also true of the Talmudic Encyclopedia, where for the last ten years he was the coordinatingeditor, a job that competed for his time with the editing of Techumin. He also edited Tallelei Orot, the bulletin of Michlelet Orot, and other books.

But Rabbi Uri's skills did not exclusively involve the pen and the keyboard. He was one of the founders of Zomet Institute, from its earliest days (beginning in 5737, 1977). He was deeply involved in practical applications of halachic-technical solutions, in the realms of agriculture, security, and medicine (see his own articles in Techumin about milking and police activity on Shabbat, and much more). As a graduate of Kerem BeYavneh and Merkaz Harav, Rabbi Uri was thoroughly infused with the vision of the Jewish state and the possibility of implementing it in a practical way. In addition, his upbringing, in a home that was a model of Zionism, helped engrave on his heart a sense of mission to which he clung steadfastly and which he passed on to his children.

Rabbi Uri often played the role of a fluent spokesman for Zomet Institute, especially in the broadcast media. He was the star of all the conferences organized by Zomet, both as a prominent speaker and as a skilled moderator. His presentation skills and the precision that was so typical of him were utilized by Zomet in designing material for exhibitions and conferences, in addition to making attractive models for educational purposes.

We have been struck a mighty blow with the loss of such an active and central figure in our lives. I personally lost a friend and a challenging partner in my life's work. We are all orphans because of the loss!

* * * * * *

"Take Good Care of Yourselves" – from Mount Sinai to Cigarettes and also while Driving

We are used to quoting the verse, "Take good care of yourselves" [Devarim 4:15] as a command to be careful and to guard over both body and soul. Anybody who puts himself or herself in danger is chastised with the phrase, "Take care of yourselves..." The sages in the Talmud and the Midrash and also the books of halacha (such as the Rambam, the Shulchan Aruch, and rabbis throughout the generations) have indicated that this command refers to bodily harm, including such factors as cigarette smoking and a person "cursing himself."

However, this interpretation is quite remarkable. The verse, "Take good care (because you did not see any image)," and the similar verse, "Only take care for yourself and guard your soul very much (lest you forget the things that you saw with your own eyes)" [Devarim 4:9], clearly refer to the events at Mount Sinai and not to the simple obligation to be careful of physical harm! The Minchat Chinuch noted this fact, writing, "I asked the Rambam why he wrote that the source for the mitzva of being wary of physical harm is 'Take care and guard your soul,' while the verse really refers to Mount Sinai. What, then, is the source of the rule that one is obligated to watch over his body?" [Additional material, Mitzva 546].

The commentators of the Talmud explained the Midrashic connection of the two issues (Berachot 32b). They note that the use of the verse "Take care" is merely a rabbinical note ("asmachta") and not a direct Torah source. The Torah Temima shows that terms referring to the physical body and the soul are intermingled in many verses and sayings of the sages (Devarim 4:9). One proof of this fact is the term in Hebrew for physical life-threatening danger – "pikuach nefesh" – literally, "supervising the soul."

Thus, we see that the momentous events of Mount Sinai require us to be wary and to guard over the observation of all the mitzvot, including protecting a Jew's body, since it is a tool for the service of G-d. If this is true for everybody else, it is certainly true for Torah scholars and those who possess distinguished traits, who are often called "a walking Torah scroll," as was true of our friend Rabbi Uri Dasberg, Of Blessed Memory.

"Velamazhir velanizhar shlomim tein kemai nahar - For one who gives advice and for one who is cautious, give peace as the flowing of a river's waters" ["Deror Yikra," Shabbat Zemirot].

RESPONSA FOR OUR TIMES

Standing during the Reading of the Ten Commandments - by Rabbi Re'eim Hacohen, Rosh Yeshiva and Chief Rabbi, Otniel

Question: In many communities it is customary to stand up while the Ten Commandments are read from the Torah. Is it best to follow this custom or to refrain from doing so, following the approach of the Rambam?

Answer: It is written in the Mishna that the reading of the Ten Commandments was part of the prayers of the priests in the Temple (Tamid 5:1). According to the Talmud, the people wanted to read the Ten Commandments outside the Temple too, but the sages objected to this practice because of the "agitation of the apostates" (Berachot 12a). The Yerushalmi Talmud explains that "in principle the Ten Commandments should be read every day. Why is this not done? It is because of the claims of the apostates, to prevent them from saying that these are the only commands that were given to Moshe at Sinai." [Berachot 1:5]. Rashi explains the above passage in the Babylonian Talmud in a similar way.

In his responsa, the Rambam uses this passage in the Talmud as a basis for prohibiting standing up for the reading of the Ten Commandments. "In any case, those whose custom it is to stand should be prevented from doing so, since this leads to the error in faith (that some people would think), that the Torah has different levels, and that some issues are more important than others. This approach is very bad. It is best to block all possibilities for error which might lead to such evil thoughts." [Blau edition, 263; Freiman 46]. The Rambam continues that he is aware of the existing customs to stand but he opposes them in any case.

In contrast to the Rambam, many recent prominent rabbis have accepted the custom of standing up for the reading of the Ten Commandments. Rabbi Zevin, in his book "Hamoadim Bahalacha" writes: "By now this practice has spread throughout almost all of Yisrael." Several reasons have been given for rejecting the opinion of the Rambam:

(1) As opposed to the attempt by the apostates, the entire Torah is read and not only the Ten Commandments. The fact that the people stand up during the reading of this specific passage is an expression of the fact that the Ten Commandments are a foundation of the Torah and were written on the holy Tablets (Chida, Tov-Ayin, 11).

(2) It is written in Devar Shmuel, "Since the intention is clear and openly exposed to everybody, to show at that time the respect of standing up in the same way that we greeted the Shechina at the awesome time of the original events... and this indeed shows respect for the sanctity and it is a worthy act to stand up every time we want to greet the Shechina – this can be seen as a symbol of added sanctity and faith, as is written, 'prepare for meeting your G-d, Yisrael' [Amos 4:12]. It is a way of showing our attention, by changing the status of our bodies, and it reminds us of the awesome events of receiving the Torah and the great visions of that time." [Abuhav edition, 276]. That is, it is clear that standing up is reminiscent of the time that the Torah was given and not a way of showing a preference for the Ten Commandments. (This reply is quoted in "Yaskil Avdi" 2:1 and Tzitz Eliezer (17:26).

(3) The Shulchan Aruch rules that it is good to read the Ten Commandments every day (Orach Chaim 1:5). The RAMA assumes that this is valid only for an individual, based on a responsa by the Rashbam (184). Be'er Heiteiv (on the RAMA) quotes from the Maharsha that what is prohibited is to recite the Ten Commandments together with the morning blessings and thereby to give them a unique standing. He adds: "But before the blessings of the Shema, even a congregation is allowed to recite this."

Igrot Moshe writes (4:22) that it is not necessary to be wary of the apostates, but he does not directly address the responsa of the Rambam. Tzitz Eliezer and Yaskil Avdi gave long discussions justifying the acceptance of this custom.

In Practice

It is clear that the custom of standing up when the Ten Commandments are read should not be cancelled, since it is based on holy foundations.

However, it is important to keep the matter in proper perspective. From the point of view of outward appearances, the Ten Commandments that were engraved on the Tablets are an expression of the revelation that took place at Mount Sinai. However, in the view of the Zohar, the story related in the Torah is no more than the external garment of the Torah. Beyond this, there is the actual body of the Torah, the Torah has a soul, and this soul also has a soul. From this internal point of view, the entire Torah is made up of various names of the Holy One, Blessed be He, as the Ramban explained in the introduction to his commentary on the Torah, and no single passage should be emphasized more than any other. For this reason, our custom in the yeshiva at Otniel is that when the Ten Commandments are read the congregation stands for the entire reading of the Torah portion. This is done in order to show our awe by standing for each and every letter of our holy Torah, all of which is a Divine gift. In this way the common custom is preserved while we also show our view of the Torah as a single unit all of whose parts are equally holy.

PEOPLE OF YISRAEL

A Leader Named Reuven - by Rabbi Uri Dasberg, Z"L, the Zomet Institute

Rabbi Reuven Bangiss used to celebrate finishing a full cycle of study of the Talmud every eleven months. One day he invited his friends to a celebration a mere five months after the previous one. People asked him: What happened? This was especially remarkable in view of the fact that since his appointment as chief rabbinical court judge for the Chareidi sector in Jerusalem he had to contend with a much more complex schedule than before. He replied, "As chief judge I am often invited to officiate at weddings and circumcisions. These affairs always run late, and while I am waiting I have the opportunity to review some sections of the Talmud by heart. The result is that I was able to finish the Talmud faster than before." Rabbi Reuven once said that in addition to the two versions of the Talmud he was an expert in more than 400 other books. When he grew old and he had trouble reading he asked some children to listen to him while he reviewed the Talmud by heart. He convinced them to come and do this task by promising a financial reward for anybody who could catch him making a mistake. One child abandoned his role after three days and left the rabbi's bedside. He said that it had been a bad deal – He had not been able to find even one mistake. Rabbi Reuven's mentor, the Natziv, used to call him a "living Talmud" when he was a young student in the Yeshiva of Volozhin.