Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Bo "Eretz Yisrael or Eretz Canaan?" Volume 25, No. 15 3 Shevat 5771 January 8, 2011 Sponsored by Martin and Michelle Swartz on the 25th yahrzeit of Martin's grandmother Elise Hofmann a"h Professor Gilbert and Faith Ginsburg in memory of their parents Lottie and Herzl Rosenson a"h and Sarah and Morris Ginsburg a"h Shlomo and Sharona Katz in honor of the engagement of Moshe Broder to Batsheva Chapman Today's Learning: Tanach: Yeshayah 49-50 Mishnah: Terumot 4:7-8 Halachah: O.C. 602:1-604:1 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Zevachim 59 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Challah 27 Near the end of this week's parashah, we read (13:11-12), "It shall come to pass, when Hashem will bring you to the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your forefathers, and He will have given it to you-- then you shall set apart every first issue of the womb to Hashem, and of every first issue that is dropped by livestock that belong to you, the males are Hashem's." There is a dispute between the Talmudic sages, Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish (aka Resh Lakish), whether this mitzvah applied in the desert or only after Bnei Yisrael entered the Holy Land. The view of Resh Lakish, that this mitzvah did not apply in the desert, would appear to be supported by a literal reading of our verses. How, then, would Rabbi Yochanan explain our verses? R' Samson Raphael Hirsch z"l (1808-1888; rabbi of Frankfurt, Germany) explains R' Yochanan's view as follows: These verses are teaching, "Perform this mitzvah, for in its merit you will enter the Land." This, writes R' Hirsch, is a general rule: Whenever a verse says, "When Hashem will bring you to the land . . . ," in connection with mitzvot that are not dependent on the Land (for example, tefilin or sanctifying the firstborn), it is only to emphasize the importance of the commandment. These mitzvot are so important that they are part of the mission for which Hashem has given us the Land. Without these mitzvot, our possession of the Land would be lacking in purpose, R' Hirsch writes. ******** "Pharaoh summoned Moshe and said, `Go! Serve Hashem, only your flock and cattle shall remain behind; even your children may go with you'." (Shmot 10:24) In this verse, which follows the plague of darkness, Pharaoh does not say, "Go! Serve Hashem your G-d." Why? R' Moshe Botarel z"l (Spain; late 14th-early 15th centuries) explains in the name of R' Sa'adiah Gaon: Ancient Egyptians worshiped the sun. According to their belief, Hashem was "also" a god, but he was the god of Bnei Yisrael only and not the most powerful deity. That is why, earlier, when Pharaoh spoke to Moshe, he referred to Hashem as "your G-d." The plague of darkness shattered that false belief. Clearly, Hashem's powers are superior to any perceived powers of the sun. Thus, Pharaoh now acknowledges Hashem and no longer thinks of him as the G-d of Bnei Yisrael only. (Peirush L'Sefer Yetzirah) ******** "Moshe said, `So said Hashem - At about midnight I shall go out in the midst of Egypt'." (11:4) "It was at midnight that Hashem smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt." (12:29) Rashi writes: Moshe said "about midnight," which implies near to it, either just before or just after it, and he did not say "at midnight" because he feared lest Pharaoh's astrologers might make a mistake regarding the time when the slaughter of the firstborn actually took place, thinking that it was a little earlier or later than midnight, and they would then say, in consequence of this error, "Moshe is a liar." R' Moshe Sofer z"l (the Chatam Sofer; died 1840) offers the following explanation for why the astrologers were likely to mistake the time. Our Sages teach that all prophecy emanates from Eretz Yisrael. Thus, when G-d told Moshe, "at midnight," He meant midnight in Eretz Yisrael. However, midnight arrives in Eretz Yisrael a few minutes before it arrives in Egypt. Thus, it was likely that the astrologers would note the wrong time. (Torat Moshe) ******** "Matzot shall be eaten throughout the seven-day period; no chametz may be seen in your possession, nor may leaven be seen in your possession in all your borders." (13:7) R' Yosef Gikitila z"l (1248-1310; Spain; author of the influential work of kabbalah, Sha'arei Orah) asks: Why is the prohibition against chametz so strict that, not only does it carry a severe punishment, one is prohibited to consume or even possess a minuscule amount of it? In contrast, there are other prohibitions -- for example, the prohibitions against drinking blood or eating certain fats -- which we can seemingly understand; while they certainly have hidden reasons, they also seem to have rational, health-related reasons. Yet, despite the important benefits of these mitzvot, they do not seem to be as strict! Indeed, if the prohibition against chametz is so important, why does it last for only one week? R' Gikitila explains: The Torah "designed" this mitzvah to cause us to ask "Mah nishtanah" / "How, or why, is it different?" Through the reflection that this question engenders [rather than through a direct answer to the question], we are meant to realize the significance of the Exodus, i.e., that it foreshadows all the good that Hashem has promised to give to us, for both our bodies and our souls, in all time periods thereafter. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Tzofnat Paneach) We read (Shmot 20:2), "I am Hashem, your Elokim, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery." R' Simcha Zissel Ziv z"l (the "Alter of Kelm"; died 1898) taught: If you want to know who is Hashem, your Elokim, look at Who took you out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of slavery. The source of our obligation and of our faith in this world is learned from the Exodus. Likewise, all of Hashem's ways and everything about His relationship with man can be learned from the Exodus. This is why we are commanded to remember the Exodus twice a day, for the Exodus is the foundation for the whole Torah. (Quoted in Orchot Chaim Le'ha'Rosh Ha'mevoar p.13) A related thought: "You shall tell your son on that day, saying, `It is because of this that Hashem acted on my behalf when I left Egypt'." (13:8) In the Pesach Haggadah, this verse serves as the response to the wicked son: "`On my behalf,' and not on his behalf. If he had been there, he would not have been redeemed." Why are we so hard on the wicked son? asks R' Pinchas Halevi Horowitz z"l (1730-1805; rabbi of Frankfurt, Germany). The halachah is that a person who denies the validity of just one mitzvah is not deemed an apostate. Why, then, do we treat the wicked son as an apostate? He answers: The observances connected with Pesach are mitzvot that encompass all of the other mitzvot. They represent the foundation of the entire Torah, for they represent Bnei Yisrael's rejection of the idolatry of Egypt. This is alluded to in the name "Pesach" itself. If the three letters of the Hebrew word are spelled out -- peh-heh samech-mem-chof chet-tav -- the resulting gematria equals 613, the number of mitzvot in the Torah. (Panim Yafot) ******** Eretz Yisrael or Eretz Canaan? "It shall come to pass, when Hashem will bring you to Eretz Canaan, as He swore to you and your forefathers, and He will have given it to you." (Shmot 13:11) R' Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook z"l (1865-1935; first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael) writes: Eretz Yisrael is where one finds the greatest holiness that is revealed in this world. That holiness has the power to turn the degenerate content within a person or thing into something good and blessed. This is why the Land is repeatedly referred to in the Torah as Eretz Canaan. Canaan is among the most despicable and accursed people mentioned in the entire Torah. [See Rashi z"l to Bereishit 9:22 for a description of Canaan's deeds.] And, in truth, the depraved attributes that Canaan exhibited were put in mankind precisely because of mankind's ability to elevate and sanctify himself, and to change bad to good. The greatest hope for the realization of that potential is through the combined holiness of the Holy Land, on the one hand, and the descendants of the Patriarchs, on the other hand. This is why our verse pairs the land and the promise to our forefathers with a reference to the depravity of Canaan. These are the tools that Hashem has given us to work with. (Eretz Cheifetz) ******** When Shevat Enters, We Increase Our Joy? This past Thursday was Rosh Chodesh Shevat. While our Sages say, "Mi'shenichnas Adar marbim be'simchah" / "We increase our joy when the month of Adar arrives," R' Avraham Shalom Halberstam shlita (the Stropkover Rebbe in Yerushalayim) reported that his father used to feel added joy as early as when the month of Shevat began. This was because, beginning with Rosh Chodesh Shevat, we observe a special day on the calendar at least once every two weeks: Rosh Chodesh Shevat, Tu B'Shevat, Rosh Chodesh Adar, [Purim Kattan, Rosh Chodesh Adar Sheni,] Purim, Rosh Chodesh Nissan, Pesach, Rosh Chodesh Iyar, Pesach Sheni, Rosh Chodesh Sivan and Shavuot. R' Halberstam also observed that beginning with Parashat Bo, the next seven parashot allude to the major holidays in order, as follows: Bo describes the Exodus, which occurred on the first day of Pesach. Beshalach describes the splitting of the Yam Suf / Red Sea, which occurred on the seventh day of Pesach. Yitro tells of the Giving of the Torah, which occurred on Shavuot. Mishpatim speaks of judgement, which alludes to the Days of Judgment. Terumah discusses the mishkan / Tabernacle, which hints at Sukkot. Tetzaveh speaks of the oil for the Temple menorah, and thus alludes to Chanukah. Finally, Ki Tissa speaks of the shekalim / the coins that were donated to the Mishkan, and thus alludes to Purim. [The Megillah records that Haman offered shekalim to Achashveirosh as payment for the right to kill the Jews. However, says the Midrash, the mitzvah of shekalim protected us.] (Heard from R' Halberstam, 29 Tevet 5765)