BSD

Shkolim 16a (2) 

Cheshvan 25  – 11/26/2024

Short notes. 

שמן המשחה

  וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח⁠־לְךָ֮ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים רֹאשׁ֒ מׇר⁠־דְּרוֹר֙ חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וְקִנְּמׇן⁠־בֶּ֥שֶׂם מַחֲצִית֖וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם וּקְנֵה⁠־בֹ֖שֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃ וְקִדָּ֕ה חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וְשֶׁ֥מֶן זַ֖יִת הִֽין׃

And you, take choice spices,⁠ pure myrrh, five hundred,⁠ and cinnamon spice,⁠ half of it, two hundred and fifty, and cane spice, two hundred and fifty. and cassia, five hundred according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and olive oil, a hin.

1 – As mentioned last week, the שמן המשחה was also hidden together with the ארון. 

2- Our גמרא  discusses briefly how the oil became fragrant. The 4 spice mixture mentioned in the תורה was either cooked with the oil and then drained or the oil was first cooked in water (to allow the spices to absorb the water) and then the oil was poured over the cooked spices and then drained. 

[See below from a Covid-era Shiur as to the meaning of מׇר⁠־דְּרוֹר֙, pure myrrh]

Speaking of the oil being absorbed into the spices… is לחלוחית curable?…

3- Story of the fellow who boasted that a prominent Rov wrote to him ‘you are truly unique and had you lived at the time of אלישע the oil would not stop flowing’. 

This fellow took this as a complement thinking that the Rov recognizes his greatness – equaling him to אלישע. 

What the Rov actually meant that ‘had you lived at the time of אלישע the oil would not stop flowing….because there would be another פוסטע כלי…….

4 – Discussed the משיחה when anointing of a king, son of a king, Kohen Godol, son of a Kohen Godol. 

Mentioned the תוספות (Yuma 12b) that the כהנים could remove the כהן גדול from his position. The Rambam disagrees. (כלי המקדש ד, טו). 

5 – The 3 sons of יאשיהו. 

יהואחז 

 יהויקים

צדקיהו

6 – Discussed יהויכין  or יְכָנְיָה (grandson of יאשיהו)  of the famous גלות יכניה when the elites of ירושלים were exiled. 

אֲשֶׁר הָגְלָה מִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִם הַגֹּלָה אֲשֶׁר הָגְלְתָה עִם יְכָנְיָה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל.

As the it says: החרש והמסגר were exiled – meaning the תלמידי חכמים who prepared בבל as a מקום תורה for the larger exile that occurred years later when the בית המקדש was destroyed. 

7- Discussed the tragic story of  יהויכין whom the Rambam (תשובה ז,ז) regards as the ultimate symbol of a בעל תשובה. 

גדולה תשובה שמקרבת את האדם לשכינה, שנאמר ״שובה ישראל עד י״י אלהיך״ (הושע י״ד:ב׳), ונאמר ״לא שבתםא עדי נאם י״י״ (עמוס ד׳:ו׳), ונאמר ״אם תשוב ישראל נאם י״י אלי תשוב״ (ירמיהו ד׳:א׳), כלומר אם תחזור בתשובה בי תדבק:

התשובה מקרבת את הרחוקים. אמש היה זה שנוי לפני המקום, משוקץ ומרוחק ותועבה, והיום הוא אהוב ונחמד, קרוב וידיד. וכן אתה מוצא שבלשון שהקב״ה מרחק את החטאיםג, בה מקרב את השבים, בין יחיד בין רבים, שנאמר ״והיה במקום אשר יאמר להם לא עמי אתם יאמר להם בני אל חי״ (הושע ב׳:א׳). ונאמר ביכניה ברשעותו ״כתבוד את האיש הזה ערירי גבר לא יצלח בימיו״ וגמ׳ (ירמיהו כ״ב:ל׳), ״אם יהיה כניהו בן יהויקים מלך יהודה חותם על יד ימיני״ וגמ׳ (ירמיהו כ״ב:כ״ד), וכיון ששב בגלותו נאמר בזרובבל בנו ״ביום ההוא נאם י״י צבאות אקחך זרובבל בן שאלתיאל עבדי נאם י״י ושמתיך כחותם״ (חגי ב׳:כ״ג):

Teshuvah is great for it draws a man close to the Shechinah as [Hoshea 14:2] states: “Return, O Israel, to God, your Lord;” [Amos 4:6] states: “`You have not returned to Me,’ declares God;” and [Jeremiah 4:1] states: “`If, you will return, O Israel,’ declares God, `You will return to Me.'” Implied is that if you will return in Teshuvah, you will cling to Me.

Teshuvah brings near those who were far removed. Previously, this person was hated by God, disgusting, far removed, and abominable. Now, he is beloved and desirable, close, and dear.

Similarly, we find God employs the same expression with which He separates [Himself] from the sinners to draw close those who repent. [Hoshea 2:1] states: “Instead of saying to you: `You are not My nation,’ He will tell you: `You are the children of the living God.’”

[Also, Jeremiah] speaks of יכניה while he was wicked [with the expression (22:30)]: “Write down this man as childless, a man who shall never prosper in his days,” and [22:24]: “Would יכניה , the son of Yehoyakim, king of Judah, be the signet ring on My right hand, I would tear him off.” However, after he repented when in exile, [Chaggai 2:23] said concerning Zerubavel, his son: “‘On that day,’ declares the God of Hosts, `I will take you, Zerubavel, the son of Shaltiel, My servant,’ declares God, `and I will place you as a signet ring.'”

8 – Mentioned a previous Shiur (Ketores Shiur – 25 of Iyar, 5780.  05/29/2020) about the opinions on what מר דרור means.

• Mor was used to make the שמן המשחה and the קטורת. Now what is Mor? 
• Rambam says it was musk oil. 
• The גמרא in Brochos (43a) discusses ‘Musek’ – מּוּשְׁק , a type of pleasantly smelling powder and oil. The Brocho one says over it is בורא מיני בשמים. This Musek or musk comes from either a kosher or a non-kosher animal.

Musk deer

● Ravad- Inconceivable that a product from a non kosher animal was used in the Ketores.
● Ravad- Mor is a plant based spice. As proof he quotes the Pasuk באתי לגני אחותי כלה. It then continues ‘I collected Mor for you’.
● The verb used here to collect, אריתי, is associated with the collection of fruits or vegetables. Not a collection from the blood or gland of an animal.
● Thus Mor means Myrrh.
5- מה הוא מור?

Myrrh or Musk
רמב”ם וראב”ד. כלי המקדש א, ג.

https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=4110&st=&pgnum=345

Thanks to Reb Yisrolik Motchkin for this last reference.

באתי לגני. שה”ש ה.
ארוה כל עוברי דרך. מלא ואורה וסלו.
—————————-

BSD
Shkolim 15b (3) – 16a
Cheshvan 18, 5785 – 11/19/2024

1- Last week we discussed the 3 opinions as to the current whereabouts of the ארון. Our גמרא continues with 2 opinions as to how many ארונות there were.

One or two? 

תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. שְׁנֵי אֲרוֹנוֹת הָיוּ מְהַלְּכִין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר. אֶחָד שֶׁהָיְתָה הַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה בְתוֹכוֹ. וְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיוּ שִׁבְרֵי הַלּוּחוֹת נְתוּנִין בְתוֹכוֹ. זֶה שֶׁהָיְתָה הַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה בְתוֹכוֹ הָיָה מוּנַח בְּאֹהֵל מוֹעֵד. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וַאֲרוֹן בְּרִית י״י וּמֹשֶׁה לֹא מָשׁוּ מִקֶּרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה. זֶה שֶׁהָיוּ שִׁבְרֵי הַלּוּחוֹת בְתוֹכוֹ הָיָה נִכְנַס וְיוֹצֵא עִמָּהֶן וּפְעָמִים הוּא מַתְרֶה עִמָּהֶן. וְרַבָּנִן אָמְרֵי. אָרוֹן אֶחָד הָיָה וּפַעַם אַחַת יָצָא בִימֵי עֵלִי וְנִשְׁבָּה.

It was stated: “Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish says, two arks were travelling with Israel in the desert; one in which the Torah was deposited and one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited. The one in which the Torah was deposited was put into the Tent of Meeting; that is what is written: Moses and the Ark of the Eternal’s covenant did not move from the camp. The one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited was going out and coming in with them. But the Rabbis say, it was only one ark, and once it went out in the days of Eli and was taken prisoner.

Hiding the ארון and 4 other items

2- The גמרא continues to discuss King יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ was the one that actually hid the ארון in the subterranean chamber under the בית המקדש. Together with the ארון  , four other items were hidden.

What prompted יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ to hide these holy items was the story of the ספר תורה they found hidden in the בית המקדש and when opened it ‘happened’ to be the פרשה of the תוכחה.

דברים כח (לו) יוֹלֵ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֹתְךָ֗ וְאֶֽת⁠־מַלְכְּךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּקִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ אֶל⁠־גּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא⁠־יָדַ֖עְתָּ אַתָּ֣ה וַאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְעָבַ֥דְתָּ שָּׁ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן׃

The jar with the מן. the bottle of שמן המשחה, Aaron’s staff with its almonds and flowers, and the chest which the Philistines returned as a reparation

Toy for illustration

ברכה on the מן

3 – Speaking of the מן we diverged to discuss the ברכה made on the מן.

In an early volume of לקוטי שיחות the Rebbe added an interesting footnote. Vol 4, 1035.

Briefly, the רמ״ע of Fano (and here) states that when Moshiach will arrive, אדם הראשון will eat from the jar of the מן that was hidden. ‘And he will make a Brocho המוציא לחם מן השמים!

[We spoke a bit about Reb Menachem Azaria of Fano]

The ספר חסידים has a slightly different version – הנותן לחם מן השמים.

4- We mentioned that others say that no ברכה was made at all.
One reason, as per Reb Aharon Levin הי״ד the Rov of רישא – (Nat Lewin’s grandfather –here): The idea behind a ברכה is that ‘one may not eat/enjoy from עולם הזה unless he asks permission – the Brocho’. ברכות לה  However, the מן was not from עולם הזה at all. It came from עולם הבא!

The Reisha Rav 

ברכת אהרן (לרבי אהרן לעווין הי”ד, אבד”ק רישא. ברכות פ”א מאמר פה’)

Did the מן ‘grow’ from the ground

5- We concluded with the fascinating idea of the ספורנו. The מן, he says, although it came מן השמים, when it landed on the ground it ‘fused with the earth’. It received the ‘final touch’ by absorbing from the earth – not unlike everything else that grows from the ground.
Therefore, the ספורנו concludes, if one would pick up the מן from the ground on שבת he would be חייב for מלאכת תולש.

יצאו מן העם – מן המחנה אל מקום רחוק, חושבים למצוא ממנו שם, כי לא נאמנה את אל רוחם.
ללקט – וזה היה חלול שבת בלי ספק אם היו מלקטים הדבר ממקום גדולו, כאמרם זכרונם לברכה ״האי מאן דתלש כשותא מהזמי והיגי מחייב משום עוקר {דבר מגדולו}״ (שבת ק״ז:).

Based on the ספורנו one can say that the מן was, after it landed on the ground and absorbed the ‘earthliness’ the ברכה would be המוציא לחם מן הארץ.

בספר בני יששכר (מאמרי השבתות מאמר ג’ – ברכת שבת) כתב שאכלו את המן בלא שבירכו בתחילה עליו, וז”ל: והנה דכירנא כשהייתי מסתופף בצל קדשו של כבוד מחותני הרב הקדוש מהרצ”ה מזידיטשוב זצוק”ל, נפל מילתא בפומיה לחקור האיך היה ברכת המן, ואני הייתי משיב שמצאתי כך להרמ”ע דלעתיד יברכו המוציא לחם מן השמים, ונפל ויכוח בדבר בין החברים, נענה אחד מן החברים הלא הוא הרב המקובל מו”ה ישראל דוב זלה”ה, אשר כמדומה לא בירכו ברכה על המן כל עיקר כיון שהוא לחם אבירים נבלע באיברים (כדאיתא ביומא [עה:] דאמרינן שם, שכתוב על המן בספר תהלים [עח’ כה’]: לחם אבירים אכל איש וגו’. לחם שמלאכי השרת אוכלין אותו וכו’, וכי מלאכי השרת אוכלין לחם וכו’? אלא מה הפירוש ‘לחם אבירים’? לחם שנבלע במאתים וארבעים ושמונה אברים, דהיינו ש’אבירים’ מלשון אברים וכך היה נקרא המן שנבלע כולו באברים של הגוף, ע”ש. וכך הוא להדיא בספר ‘בלחם הקלוקל’, – עי’ רש”י במדבר כא’ ה’) שלא היה בו בירור, כי כל עיקר הברכה לברר ניצוצין ולהפרידם מן הפסולת, ובמן לא היה פסולת, ונהניתי מאד כי לדעתי הדברים קרובים אל האמת, ובסוף הדברים כתב: ולפי”ז יש לפרש ג”כ (בדרך אפשר) הגם שלא היו מברכין על המן במדבר בימות החול, אבל בשבת להיות דהאכילה היא בקדש וכו’, הוצרכו לברכה, זה הכונה לפי”ז ויקדש אותו קדשו בברכה, (זהו בדרך אפשר), ע”ש.

More on this topic here.

BSD
Shkolim 15b (2)
Cheshvan 11, 5785. 11/12/2024

A few short notes.
השתחווה בבית המקדש.
השתחויות – 13 או 14.
ביחוד – בבירור- היום יום – יחידות.
מקום גניזת הארון. לקו”ש כא
השביל ב770….

1 – Our משנה states that when entering the בית המקדש through any of the 13 gates one would do a full השתחווה.
We mentioned the גמרא in שבועות טז, ב that explains the difference between קידה, כריעה and השתחואה.

The Sages taught:

The term Kidda indicates falling upon one’s face, and so the verse states: “Then Bathsheba bowed [vatikkod] with her face to the ground” (I Kings 1:31).

Keria means descending upon one’s knees, and so the verse states with regard to Solomon: “He rose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling [mikero’a] upon his knees” (I Kings 8:54).

Hishtaḥava’a, this is prostrating oneself while spreading one’s arms and legs in total submission, and so the verse states that Jacob asked, in response to Joseph’s relating of his dream: “Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down [lehishtaḥavot] to you to the ground” (Genesis 37:10), i.e., spread out completely on the ground.

2 – The משנה continues that the family of Rabban Gamliel and of Rebbi חנינה the סגן הכהנים would add a fourteenth time. Not at a gate but right in the עזרה. Where exactly?

In front of the room known as the wood storage – דיר העצים, since they had a tradition from their forefathers that the ארון was hidden under the floor of that chamber.

How did they know? It happened that a Cohen was working in the דיר העצים when he saw that a floor tile was different from the others. [He realized that that is where the ארון was hidden] He went to tell it to a another כהן but did not finish speaking before he passed away; then they knew with certainty the the Ark was hidden there.

שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וְשֶׁל בֵּית רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים בְּאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה. וְהֵיכָן הָיְתָה יְתֵרָה כְּנֶגֶד דִּיר הָעֵצִים שֶׁכֵּן מָסוֹרֶת בְּיָדָן מֵאֲבוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁשָּׁם הָאָרוֹן גָּנוּז. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּכֹהֵן אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מִתְעַסֵּק וְרָאָה הָרִיצְפָּה שֶׁהִיא מְשׁוּנָּה מֵחֲבֵרוֹתֶיהָ. בָּא וְאָמַר לַחֲיבֵרוֹ. לֹא הִסְפִּיק לִגְמֹר אֶת הַדָּבָר עַד שֶׁיָּצְתָה נִשְׁמָתוֹ, וְיָדְעוּ בְיִיחוּד שֶׁשָּׁם הָאָרוֹן גָּנוּז.

3 – We mentioned that the Hebrew word for ‘certainty/clarity’ (for the location of the ארון) in the משנה is ביחוד  – b’yichud.

In היום יום of י’ אלול, when explaining one of the definitions of יחידות by a Rebbe,  our משנה is mentioned – יחידות means ‘clearly’. To clarify one’s own status

גדולי זקני חסידי רבינו הזקן היו אומרים, אשר “יחידות” פירושו: קלאר, אפגעשטעלט, פאראיינציגט – מקור ג’ פירושים אלו הוא בדברי רבותינו זכרונם לברכה: שקלים פרק ו’ משנה ב’, יבמות ס”ב. א, בראשית רבה פרק כ
זאת אומרת כי ענין היחידות הוא לברר את מצבו, ולקבוע אופן עבודתו בסור מרע ולקרב את המדות הטובות, ולהתקשר בהתאחדות גמורה ולמסור עצמו, איבערגעבען זיך מיט אלע רצונות.

Translation: Great elders of the Alter Rebbe’s chassidim used to say that yechidus (private audience with the Rebbe) means: “clear,” “designated,” “united.” The sources of these three interpretations are in Shekalim 6:2, Yevamot 62a, and Bereishit Raba 20.

This means that the idea of Yechidus is:
1- To clarify one’s own status; 2- To designate a mode of avoda for him in “turning away from evil” and in the acquisition of fine character traits;3- And that he should bind himself in total oneness, and utterly dedicate himself with all his desires.

4 – The גמרא starts with the 3 opinions as to the whereabouts of the ארון at or before the חורבן בית המקדש.
1- It was exiled to בבל – and never returned.
2- It was hidden under the קודש הקדשים.
3- It was hidden under the דיר העצים.

5 – We spoke about the שיחה of the Rebbe in regards to the subterranean tunnels where the ארון was hidden. (#2 or #3 above) based on the phrasing of the Rambam. בית הבחירה 4, 1.
לקוטי שיחות כא, 156

א) אבן היתה בקודש הקדשים במערבו, ועליה היה הארון מונח, לפניוא צנצנת המן ומטה אהרן. ובעת שבנה שלמה את הבית וידע שסופו ליחרב, בנה מקום לגנוז בו הארון למטה במטמוניות עמוקות ועקלקלות, ויאשיהו המלך ציוה וגנזו במקום שבנה שלמה, שנאמר ״ויאמר ללוים המבינים לכל ישראל הקדושים לי״י תנו את ארון הקודש בבית אשר בנה שלמה בן דויד מלך ישראל אין לכם משא בכתף עתה עבדו את י״י אלהיכם״:

The Ark was placed on a stone in the western portion of the קודש הקדשים.⁠ The vial of manna and Aharon’s staff were placed before it.
When Solomon built the Temple, he was aware that it would ultimately be destroyed. [Therefore,]⁠ he constructed a chamber, in which the ark could be entombed below [the Temple building] in deep, maze-like vaults.

King Josiah commanded that [the Ark] be entombed in the chamber built by Solomon, as it is said : “And he said to the Levites who would teach wisdom to all of Israel: ‘Place the Holy Ark in the chamber built by Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel. You will no [longer] carry it on your shoulders. Now, serve the Lord, your God.’

The Rebbe’s point in short – the subterranean chamber, built by שלמה המלך, to hide the ארון was not just a random location/refuge for the ארון. Rather it is the proper location for the ארון for the time of גלות.

In other words – just as when there is a בית המקדש, the proper location for the ארון is in the קודש הקדשים, for the time of גלות, the designated place for the ארון is in the subterranean chambers built originally by שלמה המלך for that particular era.
So in a sense, even at the time of בית שני there was indeed an ארון in the בית המקדש.
For despite it not being seen in the קודש הקדשים, it was in the place it was meant to be – in subterranean chamber.

See the Sicha for the full idea behind this explanation.

6 – Half in jest….. we concluded on note #2 above about the descendants of רבן גמליאל and רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים that would pause at the front of the דיר העצים and do a full extra השתחווה.

What follows is not meant to be a position on the topic. Just an idea.

All the other כהנים and visitors would not perform this extra השתחואה. Why? Because they didn’t have this family tradition that the ארון was hidden in the דיר העצים.

They believed that it was either exiled to בבל or it was under the קודש הקדשים. 

So, imagine hundreds of people walking daily by the דיר העצים and observing that only a few that would ‘block the traffic’ by falling on the floor and performing an extra השתחווה.

It seems that this contrarian מנהג was tolerated by all! No one shouted at them:
‘Move on. Get lost with your beliefs – you are in the minority’.

Should this attitude of tolerance also apply to the ones that believe that the Rebbe walks into 770 daily and thus feel that they need to make a שביל…….?

ומסיימין בטוב….

BSD

Shkolim 15a (2)- 15b
Cheshvan 4, 5785. 11/05/2024

A few short notes.

1- Our גמרא tells an interesting and powerful story which is the basis for a wide and complex topic in הלכה.
Namely – What are the priorities of giving צדקה? What cause comes first?

רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָה ורִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה הֲווּן מְטַייְלִין בְּאִילֵּין כְּנִישְׁתָּא דְּלוֹד. אָמַר רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָה לְרִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. כַּמָּה מָמוֹן שִׁיקְּעוּ אֲבוֹתַיי כָאן. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כַּמָּה נְפָשׁוֹת שִׁיקְּעוּ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ כָאן. לָא הֲווָה אִית בְּנֵי נַשׁ דְּיִלְעוּן בְּאוּרַיְתָא.

Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina and Rebbi Hoshaiah were strolling through the synagogue of Lod. Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said to Rebbi Hoshaiah: See how much money my forefathers invested in this Shul!

The Great Synagogue in Dohany Street, Budapest, Hungary. 

He answered him: How many souls did your forefathers ‘bury’ here? Why didn’t he support תלמידי חכמים? Was there no one in Lod who wanted to study Torah but lacked the funds?

From the above it is obvious that donating for Torah learning stands above donating to a Shul.

2- We mentioned, if say, a Rov receives a million dollar donation to grant to charities of his city at his discretion.

He has a slew of מוסדות and needy cases in his city that can use this צדקה.

• A – A child that has not been accepted to the תלמוד תורה simply because his family cannot afford the tuition.
• B – The local soup kitchen.
• C – Repair the HVAC in the Shul.
• D – Medical emergency not covered by insurance.

What comes first?

The שלחן ערוך is quite clear on the priorities of the above 4. YOD 249, 16

A and D, then C followed by B.

(Obviously פיקוח נפש it takes priority before all)

As mentioned above, this is a wide topic and we will BL”N continue to discuss it.

3 – We spoke about a fascinating Midrash Pesikta. Chapter 6.

When שלמה המלך finished building the בית המקדש it says that ‘he brought into the בית המקדש all the treasures of his father דוד’.

It seems to point out that no money from דוד המלך’s treasures was used for the construction.

The obvious question is: Why didn’t he use the assets of his father to build the בית המקדש?

Answer:

One opinion praises דוד המלך. It was דוד המלך himself that requested that his money not be used for the בנין בית המקדש. His reasoning was that what he owned was collected as loot when he destroyed the בית עבודה זרה in his battles.

Being that he saw בנבואה that one day the בית המקדש will be destroyed, he feared that the עובדי עבודה זרה (whose houses of worship he demolished) would claim that ‘our gods were awakened generation after they were attacked and took revenge on the house that was built from their temples’. So דוד המלך prayed that שלמה המלך would not use any of his money for the construction of the בית המקדש. Thus, only when the building was completed did  שלמה המלך bring his fathers wealth into the בית המקדש .

Another opinion is that a few years prior to his passing there was a hunger in ארץ ישראל. Now דוד המלך had collected a fund for the purpose of the בית המקדש . What he should have done was to use this fund to feed the people that were starving.
So הקב”ה told him ‘my children are starving to death and you are hoarding money for the בנין בית המקדש? This money should have been spent to feed the hungry. The end will be that your son שלמה will not use any of your money from your fund’.
So שלמה המלך waited until the בית המקדש was completed and only then did he donate his father’s fund to the operation בית המקדש.

ותשלם כל המלאכה ויבא שלמה את קדשי דוד אביו.
ולמה צריך להם?

יש דורשין לשבח יש דורשין לגנאי.
דרוש לשבח דוד ביקש על הדבר אמר לו רבון העולמים צופה אני בנבואתי שסוף בית המקדש עתיד ליחרב וכל מה שהפרשתי [הוא] מבתי עכו״ם שהייתי מחריב שלא יהיו האומות העולם אומרים מה דוד סבור החריב בית אלהינו ועשה בית לאלהים נינערו אלהינו וגבו נקמתם והחריבו בית אלהים לכך נתפלל שלא יצטרך להם שלמה.
ומי שדורש לגנאי שבא הרעב בימי דוד שלש שנים והיה לדוד כמה תסבריות צבורין כסף וזהב מה שהיה מתקן לבניין בית המקדש והיה צריך להוציאו להחיות את הנפשות ולא עשה כן אמר לו האלהים בניי מתים ברעב ואתה צובר ממון לבנות בו בניין? לא היית צריך אלא להחיות בו נפשות! לא עשית כן’ חייך אין שלמה נצרך ליטול הימנו כלום ויבא [שלמה וגו׳ נתן באצרות בית ה׳] שלמה המלאכה ולא היה צריך שלמה ותשלם כל המלאכה.

4 – We mentioned the ספר חסידים תתרלט who, after quoting the story of our גמרא, concludes that the primary צדקה should go toward supporting ‘real learners’.

‘Not the impostors who don’t study properly…all they do is peek into some ספרים to be able to ask questions to show off their supposed  ‘knowledge’ of the entire Shas….’

רבי אבין עבדון ליה תרעא לסדרא רבא נחית רבי מני לגביה אמר חמית מה דעבדת אמר ליה וישכח ישראל עושהו ויבן היכלות מי לא הוו בני אנשא דלעין באוריתא.
הרי מי שיש לו ממון לא יאמר אעשה בית הכנסת ובית המדרש, אלא יתן לצדיקים שיעסקו בתורה. ולא לאותם שגורסים קושיות ותירוצים כדי שיהו העולם סבורים שיודע כל התלמוד ולא עסקו בתלמוד אלא ראו קושיות ותירוצים וגרסום להראות חריפותם. אלא יתן ליראי ה׳ הלומדים לקיים המצות.
ומי שקרוביו צדיקים ועניים ואינו נותן להם ונותן לאחרים שאינם כל כך טובים דומה למי שמשלם למי שאינו חייב באחריותם ואינו משלם למי שחייב באחריותם כי לקרוביו הטובים חייב שנאמר וחי אחיך עמך:

BSD

Shkolim -14b (2) -15a

Tishrei 27, 5784. 10/29/2024

A Gezunten Vinter to All!

1- We concluded the ‘4 or 5 coupons‘ sold in the בית המקדש for people bringing קרבנות.

See final chart below.

2- We discussed that 3 of the coupons had the name of an animal. עֵגֶל זָכָר גְּדִי

However the fourth had the word חוֹטֵא , which was what the מצורע would purchase when he became טהור.

Psoriasis maybe?

The חפץ חיים makes note of this. Becoming a מצורע is a result of לשון הרע. The fact that this person walks around with a negatively worded coupon shows the severity of his wrong doing of speaking לשון הרע.

שמירת הלשון ח”ב ט”ז.

3- The משנה says that if someone would lose his coupon, he would need to wait until evening to see if it was found.

מִי שֶׁאָבַד חוֹתָמוֹ מַמְתִּינִין לוֹ עַד הָעֶרֶב. אִם מָצְאוּ לוֹ כְּדֵי חוֹתָמוֹ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ. וְאִם לָאו לֹא הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ.

If somebody lost his coupon/ticket, we let him wait until the evening. If they find extra cash corresponding to his ticket we give it to him; otherwise we do not give it to him.

Mentioned the Chasiddisher explanation on the above.

בקיצור

חתמו  means the Divine seal, the  צלם אלוקים , that each person possess.

A person is tasked to hold on dearly to this חותם and ensure that it is not lost.

What happens if, for whatever reason, he ‘loses his coupon’? If his צלם אלוקים  and him part ways?

Not all is lost CV. He is given until ‘evening’. Meaning that he has the ability to reconnect that very evening during קריאת שמע שעל המיטה.

מַמְתִּינִין לוֹ עַד הָעֶרֶב  and if they find him sincere, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ, he receives back his צלם אלוקים .

If not, he is given more chances – ערב ראש חודש and יום כיפור or even at the final ערב , just prior to his passing, because תשובה is always an option.

3- The next משנה discusses two particular offices in the בית המקדש.

לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים וְאַחַת לִשְׁכַּת הַכֵּלִים.

One was a ‘silent office’. It was an office that collected and distributed צדקה silently and discreetly. The donors wished to be kept anonymous and the recipients of the צדקה received money in a discreet way and respectable way.

The גמרא continues with various stories of חכמים that practiced this discreet giving. The donors had no clue who the צדקה is going to and the receivers were unaware where the money came from.

4- Our גמרא is one of the primary sources on the topic of giving charity at night.

רִבִּי חִינְנָא בַּר פַּפָּא הֲוָה מַפְלִיג מִצְוָה בַלַּיְלִיָא. חַד זְמַן פְּגַע בֵּיהּ רַבְּהוֹן דְּרוּחַייָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. לֹא כֵן אַלְפָּן רִבִּי. לֹא תַסִּיג גְּבוּל רֵעֲךָ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. לֹא כֵן כְּתִיב מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה אָף. וַהֲוָה מִיסְתָּפֵי מִינֵּיהּ וַעֲרַק מִן קוֹמוֹי.

Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappos used to distribute his charity in the night. Once the prince of spirits encountered him. He said to him, did not our teacher teach us: Do not displace your neighbour’s boundaries1? He said to him, but is it not written, a gift in secret appeases anger2? He was afraid of him and fled from him.

Bottom line is if one is asked for charity one must give even at night.

See letter of the Rebbe here.  here.

5- We concluded with this interesting story. Giving צדקה using שכל.

אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָה. אַשְׁרֵי נוֹתֵן לַדָּל אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן אֶלָּא אַשְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּיל אֶל דָּל. זֶה שֶׁהוּא מִסְתַּכֵּל בַּמִּצְוָה הֵיאַךְ לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ. כֵּיצַד הָיָה רִבִּי יוֹנָה עוֹשֶׂה. כְּשֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה בֶן טוֹבִים שֶׁיָּרַד מִנְּכָסָיו הָיָה אוֹמֵר לוֹ. בְּנִי. בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁנָּפְלָה לָךְ יְרוּשָׁה מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר. טוֹל וְאַתְּ פּוֹרֵעַ. מִן דַּהֲיָה נְסִיב הֲוָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ. מַתָּנָה.

Rebbi Jonah said, it is not written, “hail to him who gives to the needy,“ but: hail to him who is considerate to the needy; this refers to him who fulfills this commandment intelligently.

How did Reb Jonah do it? When he saw a son of a prominent family who had lost his property, and was embarrassed to take צדקה, he used to say to him: My son, since I heard that an inheritance fell to you from another place, take what I am giving and you will pay back. When he had taken it, he said to him, it is a gift.

We discussed if that is called not telling the truth and if yes, how it is allowed.

Mentioned the בן איש חי that enumerates all the places in ש”ס where it seems that what was spoken by the חכמים was not אמת. But the אמת is…all they spoke was אמת!

יוסף חיים מבגדאד – הבן איש חי

שו“ת תורה לשמה אות שסד.

בעלי חיים – Sheet1

בס”ד

שניאור מבודפשט – קבר ר’ ברוך- סוכה במדבר

Shneur of Budapest – The grave of Reb Baruch – Sukkos in the desert.

שיעור ג’ חוה”מ סוכות תשפ”ה

10/21/2024

Some brief notes and links:

1 – יקותיאל יהודה גרינוולד הרב  – Rabbi Leopold Greenwald

More here: 

Rabbi, soldier, researcher, historian and prolific writer.

Rabbi Leopold Greenwald in military uniform, ca. 1917, engaged in telegraph work at Serbian front during World War I.

(Note: not peeling potatoes)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_Greenwald

2 – Fascinating and tragic story of שניאור בן אפרים.

אימרה סרנצ’ש (בהונגרית: Szerencsés Imre) במקור שניאור בן אפרים או ז(ס)למן בן אפרים או שלמה בן אפרים. בלטינית היה שמו פורטונאטוס, כלומר “בר מזל” ומכאן שמו ההונגרי סרנצ’ש (בר מזל).

SZERENCSÉS, IMRE (Fortunatus ; 1460–1526?), Hungarian apostate; financial adviser to the royal house.

Monument in Hungary

When he arrived in Hungary he was compelled to convert to Christianity and he married a Christian woman of aristocratic birth, although many believe that he secretly remained true to Judaism.

קורות התורה והאמונה בהונגריא, p10

אימרה סרנצ’ש

SZERENCSÉS, IMRE (Fortunatus)

Yivo Article

3 – Shneur’s sons request to be called up for an עליה by their father’s name.

4 – מהר”ם פדובה – Maharam miPadu. Reb Meir Ktznelenbogen.

See above for a list of his interesting descendants, e.g. Felix Mendelssohn.

מאיר קצנלנבוגן

Meïr ben Isaac, who was often called after his native town, was the founder of the Katzenellenbogen family. His mother Julia-Malka Luria was the granddaughter of Aaron Luria, founder of the Luria family and a descendant of Rashi. After studying at Prague under the well-known casuist Jacob Pollak, he went to Padua and entered the yeshiva of Judah Minz, whose granddaughter, Hannah, he afterwards married. He succeeded his father-in-law, Abraham Minz, in the chief rabbinate of Padua, which office he held until his death on 12 January 1565.

hi Gravestone in Padua

5 – His ruling in their favor.

המהר”ם מפדובה דן בשאלה כיצד יוכלו שני אחים, שאביהם היה שר וגדול שהשתמד, לעלות לתורה, שכן כעיקרון אין קוראים בשמו של משומד. עלתה אפשרות לקרוא על שם אבי אביהם הסב, אך גם פתרון זה לא נראה להם, ולפיכך פנו בשאלה זו. המהר”ם מפדובה השיב כי בשל כבוד הבריות של הבנים וכבודו של אביהם, יש בכל זאת לקרוא בשמו, וזאת כדי שלא יפגעו ממעשיו של אביהם המשומד, שהיה כאמור אדם חשוב, שלא ניתן להתעלם ממנו או לא לציין את שמו. לדעתו, כאן עולה נימוק דרכי שלום, שמחמתו יש לקרוא למשומד בשמו.^[4]

6 -יקותיאל יהודה גרינוולד הרב  – Rabbi Leopold Greenwald

His travels and discovery of an interesting grave in Solish – סעליש. His claim that it was the grave of the Alter Rebbe’s father.

מקורות לקורות ישראל ע‘ 91.

7 – The rebuttal by many.

https://chabadlibrary.org/books/6502210003

See also soon to be published new edition of the בית רבי.

8 – Was Sukkos and the ד’ מינים observed in the מדבר?

The Rebbe’s says that it was not.

https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=16075&st=&pgnum=594

9 –  The פסוקים  beginning with

אַךְ בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאָסְפְּכֶם אֶת

תְּבוּאַת הָאָרֶץ תָּחֹגּוּ אֶת חַג יְהוָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן שַׁבָּתוֹן וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי שַׁבָּתוֹן.

Mentioned the מורה נבוכים and הקדמה לפירוש המשניות להרמב”ם.

• The reason for the מצוות of the ימים טובים.
• ‘The Esrog from the time of יהושע’. Not from Moshe.
• The lack of a reason for the לחם הפנים.  See this Shiur. http://www.shiurpoints.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1854&action=edit

For a synopsis see ימות המשיח בהלכה from Rabbi Avrohom Gerlitzki. Vol 1 page 266.

BSD

Shkolim -14b

Tishrei 5, 5784. 10/08/2024

First some notes from last week’s Shiur.

1- We concluded discussing the various managers in the בית המקדש where some are remembered in a positive way and other not so.

The גמרא uses the verse זכר צדיק לברכה regarding the righteous ones.

משלי י, ז

זֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב.

In relation to this we mentioned an interesting Teshuva from the חות יאיר by Reb Yoir Chaim Bachrach. #71. and here

In the 17th century a certain Asher and his son Dovid traveled by boat from Amsterdam to Portugal. The two disappeared (the assumption/rumor was that the boat had sunk) resulting that both their wives were considered עגונות.

Ten years later, a legal notarized document comes across the בית דין  in Amsterdam bearing the signature of one of the witnesses as:

דוד בן אשר ז”ל הכ”מ.

The question is whether the בית דין can now assume that Asher had indeed passed away since his son Dovid, writes ז”ל on his father.

The חות יאיר quotes a precedent (רשב”א) of using שליט”א to verify the identity of an individual. Such as when we want to verify a name on a document but we are unsure who the person is because are two people with the same name. If we see a  שליט”א after the name and only one is alive, we can assume that the one still living is the one written on the שטר.

Would this precedent apply also to ז”ל? Can we assume that this ז”ל is an indication that he is no longer alive?

The חות יאיר says – no!

His rationale is the the source of writing זכרונו לברכה comes from the verse  זכר צדיק לברכה and that  פסוק is not necessarily referring to someone that has deceased. [Just as in our משנה where the righteous managers were mentioned in a positive way while they were still alive].

in other words: שליט”א is used on a live person only. So שליט”א  is an indication that the person is still living. On the other hand,  זכרונו לברכה  can be used also on a live person.

Despite our  מנהג, concludes the חות יאיר, to write the ז”ל only on people that are no longer alive, perhaps in other countries (where this שטר originated)  the term זכרונו לברכה is used on righteous people also while they’re still living.

2- Our גמרא  discusses the wealth of משה רבינו that he acquired from the splinters of precious stones when carving out the second לוחות.

We find the rule that:

אין הנבואה שורה אלא על חכם גיבור ועשיר

And also עניו – he needs to be humble.

Now why does a נביא need to be smart, strong and wealthy?

There is a quip (attributed to many) that עניו is the primary qualification for נבואה. However, if someone is not a חכם גיבור ועשיר then what is he humble about?…

3 – This week we began הלכה ג where the משנה describes the sale of the  נסכים – meaning the flour, oil and wine that accompanied many קרבנות.

The flour and oil were mixed to create a מנחה of which a קמיצה was placed on the מזבח and the balance eaten by the כהנים. The wine was poured into the נקב that was on the top of the  מזבח which flowed to the underground streams.

קרבנות in general were divided into 3 categories, each with a different corresponding מנחה.

1- Bulls/Cows.

2- Sheep/Goats/Lamb.

3- A male sheep over 13 months old.

4- A person bringing  a קרבן would need to purchase the נסכים from the in-house בית המקדש commissary/store to assure that is טהור.

There were four types of tokens sold. 3 for the above 3 categories and the fourth for a מצורע.

Four tokens were in the Temple; on them was written:

1-  calf,

2-ram,

3- lamb,

4- sinner. poor sinner, rich sinner.

1- Calf” serves for the נסכים of cattle, large or small, male or female.

2- “Lamb” serves for the libations of sheep and goats, large or small, male or female , except for rams.

3- “Ram” only serves for the libations with a ram

4 –. “Sinner” serves for the three animals of the מצורע.

The משנה continues describing the method of this transaction which entailed first paying for a token and then picking up the correct amount of flour, oil and wine.

ד) מִי שֶׁהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ נְסָכִים הוֹלֵךְ לוֹ אֵצֶל יוֹחָנָן שֶׁהוּא מְמֻנֶּה עַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת, נוֹתֵן לוֹ מָעוֹת וּמְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ חוֹתָם. בָּא לוֹ אֵצֶל אֲחִיָּה שֶׁהוּא מְמֻנֶּה עַל הַנְּסָכִים, וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ חוֹתָם וּמְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ נְסָכִים. וְלָעֶרֶב בָּאִין זֶה אֵצֶל זֶה, וַאֲחִיָּה מוֹצִיא אֶת הַחוֹתָמוֹת וּמְקַבֵּל כְּנֶגְדָּן מָעוֹת. וְאִם הוֹתִירוּ הוֹתִירוּ לַהֶקְדֵּשׁ. וְאִם פָּחָתוּ, הָיָה מְשַׁלֵּם יוֹחָנָן מִבֵּיתוֹ, שֶׁיַּד הֶקְדֵּשׁ עַל הָעֶלְיוֹנָה.

Whoever required נסכים would go to Yochanan, who was the officer for the token, give him money, and receive from him a token.

He would then go to Achyah, who was in charge of the נסכים , give him the token, and receive the נסכים from him.

In the evening, they would meet and Achyah would take out the tokens he collected and receive money for them.

If there was a surplus, the surplus would go to הקדש [be dedicated to the Temple treasury], but if there was a deficit, Yochanan would pay from his own funds, for the Temple has the upper hand.

We discussed the various scenarios of how there could be a shortage or surplus.

5 – In conclusion we mentioned the topic if a שול can be זוכה by the fact that an item was left in the Shul. In other words יש חצר להקדש או לא? Is a Shul הקדש? Or perhaps a ‘partnership’?

We spoke about the,תוספות, רשב”ם

אגודה, קצות and נתיבות, and see here

Tying this to the above:

The point of the חתם סופר as to why we assume that if there was  extra money at the end of the day it belonged to הקדש. If it was given in error and the giver was מייאש then why does it not belong to the manager? How did   הקדש acquire it? Is this proof that יש חצר להקדש?

גמר חתימה טובה!

BSD

Shkolim -14a (2)

Elul 21, 5784. 09/24/2024

Some short notes:

1- The stories of בית גרמו who baked the לחם הפנים and בית אבטינס who ground and mixed the קטורת.

Both families refused to divulge the secret process of their crafts. The משנה in יומא states that they will be mentioned in a negative way.

וְאֵלּוּ לִגְנַאי שֶׁל בֵּית גַּרְמוּ לֹא רָצוּ לְלַמֵּד עַל מַעֲשֵׂה לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים שֶׁל בֵּית אַבְטִינָס לֹא רָצוּ לְלַמֵּד עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַקְּטוֹרֶת.

MISHNA: Apropos the mention in the mishna of people who took action in the Temple and were mentioned favorably, the mishna lists those who took action in the Temple and were mentioned unfavorably. The craftsmen of the House of Garmu did not want to teach the secret of the preparation of the לחם הפנים  and sought to keep the secret within their family. The craftsmen of the House of Avtinas did not want to teach the secret of the preparation of the קטורת.

Our גמרא relates the attempts by the חכמים to use the ‘experts of Alexandria’ in Egypt to either bake the לחם הפנים or to prepare the קטורת.

Both experiments failed – the bread didn’t stay fresh and the smoke of their קטורת did not rise in a ‘solid stack’.

2- Why Alexandria? No other location anywhere in the world had professional bakers or ‘herb mixers’? Was it a coincidence that Alexandria had at that time, both artisan bakers and expert chemists?

A suggestion – looking for a source to base this on.

The tragic story of בית חוניו as per the גמרא מנחות קט, ב.

See here. Here. See below.

At the time of his death, שמעון הצדיק said to the Sages: חוניו , my son, will serve as High Priest in my stead. Shimi, חוניו’s brother, became jealous of him, as Shimi was two and a half years older than חוניו .

Shimi said to חוניו treacherously: Come and I will teach you the order of the service of the High Priest. Shimi dressed חוניו in a tunic [be’unkeli] and girded him with a ribbon [betziltzul] as a belt, i.e., not in the vestments of the High Priest, and stood him next to the altar.

Shimi then said to his fellow priests: Look what this man vowed and fulfilled for his beloved, that he had said to her: On the day that I serve in the High Priesthood I will wear your tunic and gird your ribbon.

The fellow priests of חוניו wanted to kill him because he had disgraced the Temple service with his garments. חוניו ran away from them and they ran after him. He went to Alexandria in Egypt and built an altar there, and sacrificed offerings upon it for the sake of idol worship. בית עבודה זרה

This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. According to Rabbi Meir, the temple of חוניו was built for idol worship.

 According to Reb Yehuda חוניו went to Alexandria in Egypt and built an altar there, and sacrificed offerings upon it for the sake of Heaven. לשם שמים.

 Can it be that the חכמים , who were looking for alternative bakers and mixers of קטורת , figured that since a ‘parallel’  בית המקדש exists in Alexandria, the local craftsmen (who who baked and mixed the incense for that  בית המקדש ) would be able to duplicate it for the בית המקדש in ירושלים?

As above, it’s only a suggestion.

Comments and sources are welcome.

3- We mentioned the Tosfos in Yuma as to why experts were needed to bake bread that would not go bad after 7 days when this was one of the 10 ניסים of the בית המקדש.

(ה) עֲשָׂרָה נִסִּים נַעֲשׂוּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ: לֹא הִפִּילָה אִשָּׁה מֵרֵיחַ בְּשַׂר הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וְלֹא הִסְרִיחַ בְּשַׂר הַקֹּדֶשׁ מֵעוֹלָם, וְלֹא נִרְאָה זְבוּב בְּבֵית הַמִּטְבָּחַיִם, וְלֹא אֵרַע קֶרִי לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, וְלֹא כִבּוּ גְשָׁמִים אֵשׁ שֶׁל עֲצֵי הַמַּעֲרָכָה, וְלֹא נִצְּחָה הָרוּחַ אֶת עַמּוּד הֶעָשָׁן, וְלֹא נִמְצָא פְסוּל בָּעֹמֶר וּבִשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם וּבְלֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, עוֹמְדִים צְפוּפִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים רְוָחִים, וְלֹא הִזִּיק נָחָשׁ וְעַקְרָב בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם מֵעוֹלָם, וְלֹא אָמַר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ צַר לִי הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁאָלִין בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם.

4- So the secret of the herb מעלה עשן was closely held by the אבטינס family.

בֵּית אַבְטִינָס הָיוּ בְקִיאִין בְפִיטּוּם הַקְּטוֹרֶת וּבְמַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן וְלֹא רָצוּ לְלַמֵּד. שָׁלְחוּ וְהֵבִיאוּ אוּמָנִים מֵאַלֶכְּסַנְדְרִיאָה וְהָיוּ בְקִיאִין בְפִיטּוּם הַקְּטוֹרֶת. וּבְמַעֲלֶה עָשָׁן לֹא הָיוּ בְקִיאִין. שֶׁלְבֵּית אַבְטִינָס הָיְתָה מְתַמֶּרֶת וְעוֹלָה וּפּוֹסָה וְיוֹרֶדֶת. וְשֶׁלְאֵילוּ הָיְתָה פוֹסָה מִיַּד.

The family אבטינס were experts in preparing the incense and the smoke-creating herb, but they did not want to teach. They sent and brought craftsmen from Alexandria who were experts in preparing the incense but were not experts in the smoke-creating herb. The family Eutinos’s was going straight up, and spread, and descended. But theirs was immediately spreading.

We mentioned the או”ח קלג  בית יוסף who derives from the above story that the rule of אם חסר אחד מכל סממניה חייב מיתה applies only to the 11 main ingredients of the קטורת. Not on the addition herbs such as מעלה עשן and בורית כרשינה.

For if the חכמים knew at the outset that the Alexandrian craftsmen didn’t know how to produce a proper מעלה עשן how would they even invite them to try it out?

However, see here from the  משנה למלך who disagrees.

5- In passing we mentioned the next piece of the בית יוסף where he writes due to the above, one should say קטורת only from a Siddur so not to unintentionally skip one of the קטורת.

See here from the רמ”א.

6 –

הוּגְדַּס בֶּן לֵוִי עַל הַשִּׁיר. אָמַר רִבִּי אָחָא. נְעִימָה יְתֵירָה הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ. וְאָמְרוּ עָלָיו עַל הוּגְדַּס בֶּן לֵוִי שֶׁהָיָה מַנְעִים אֶת קוֹלוֹ בַזֶּמֶר. וּכְשֶׁהָיָה נוֹעֵץ גּוֹדְלוֹ לְתוֹךְ פִּיו הָיָה מוֹצִיא כַמָּה מִינֵי זֶמֶר והָיוּ אֶחָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים נִזְקָרִין לוֹ בַת רֹאשׁ.

“Hugdas ben Levi for the song.” (Choirmaster?) Rebbi Acḥa said, he knew a special melody. When he put his thumb in his mouth he produced all kinds of sounds and the heads of his fellow Levites were taken aback.

Story of the Gemach of various ‘Rebbishe Items’ for חתנים . Now this חתן took this all the way. He was wearing the dentures of the Rebbe of ……..

7- We finished with a question:

Reb Akiva realized that the בית אבטינס were genuine in their reasoning for not divulging the secret in the preparation of the קטורת and concludes that henceforth they should not be mentioned in a negative way.

אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי. פָּגַע בִּי זָקֵן [אֶחָד] מִשֶּׁלְבֵּית אַבְטִינָס [וּמְגִילַּת סַמָּנִים בְיָדוֹ.] אָמַר לִי. רִבִּי. לְשֶׁעָבַר הָיוּ בֵית אַבָּא צְנוּעִין וְהָיוּ מוֹסְרִין אֶת הַמְגִילָּה הַזֹּאת אֵילּוּ לָאֵילּוּ. וְעַכְשָׁיו שֶׁאֵינָן נֶאֱמָנִין הֵילָךְ אֶת הַמְגִילָּה והִיזָּהֵר בָּהּ. וּכְשֶׁבָּאתִי וְהִרְצֵאתִי אֶת הַדְּבָרִים לִפְנֵי רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה זָלְגוּ דְמָעָיו וְאָמַר. מֵעַתָּה אֵין אָנוּ צְרִיכִין לְהַזְכִּירָן לִגְנַאי

Rebbi Joḥanan ben Nuri said, I met an old man from the family Eutinos [who held a scroll about chemicals.]. He said to me, ‘Rabbi. In the past my family were humble, and transmitting this scroll one to the other. But now they are not trustworthy; here the scroll is yours and take care of it.’ When I came and repeated these words before Rebbi Akiva, his tears flowed and he said, from now on we do not have to mention them for shame.

So the question is why did Rebbi, when he wrote the משנה generations after the above story, mentioned this family not לשבח?

see Shiur on Sukkah 19b where this was discussed

 ———————————

 Google translation from Wikipedia to English.

Archaeology

Leontopolis, Heliopolis

Over the years, various archaeologists have tried to identify and discover the place of Beit Hanio. At the end of the 19th century, Edward Neville (n.), a Swiss Egyptologist and biblical scholar, identified Jewish graves in his excavations at a place called Tel al-Yehudiah, located about 35 kilometers north of Cairo.

The graves that Neville found were built in a manner similar to burial caves known from the Land of Israel. The inscriptions found in these tombs were engraved, in Greek, on simple tablets, without any decoration.

The identification of the graves as Jewish was based on the multitude of biblical names in these inscriptions and also on the name of the site – Tel HaJewids. Among the inscriptions, one inscription was found that specifically mentions ‘Aretz Khunio’.

  At the beginning of the 20th century, archaeological excavations were conducted in the mound near the cemetery under the direction of the Egyptologist and father of biblical archeology William Flinders-Petrie.

He thought he had discovered the Leontopolis of his charioteers and it contained a city, a citadel and a temple. In Petri’s excavation, an ostracon was found written in Demotic (Late Egyptian) in which a man (probably Jewish) named Abram, perhaps one of the builders who built the site, is mentioned. From the time of Petri’s discovery until the last few years, this claim, or the identification of the site with ‘Eretz Hanio’, has not been doubted

BSD

Shkolim -14a

Elul 14, 5784. 09/18/2024

Some of the topics touched upon.

1- Not all people are judged the same. The holier one is, the more exact the One Above scrutinizes him.

“נחוניה  the digger of ditches.” He was digging ditches and caves and knew which rock cools the water and which rock was dry and how far its dryness extended. Rebbi Aḥa said, but his son died of thirst.

Rebbi Ḥanina said, anybody who says that the All-Merciful is indulgent (ignores small infractions) , his intestines shall dissolve themselves; for He is forbearing (he collects all the data) and then collects His due.

Rebbi Aḥa said, it is written, His surroundings are very ‘hairy’. Meaning that He is exact with them like a hair’s width. Rebbi Yose said, not because of this reason, but because what is written, He is awesome on His surroundings, His fear on those near Him is greater than those far away.

2- We mentioned the story told by the Arizal about a צדיק that passed away generations ago.

When this person was about to be ‘elevated’ to a higher level in Gan Eden, they redid an ‘audit’ of his life. At this stage, this new ‘audit’ picked up on minute issues that were not brought up before.

What they focused on was ‘some sand that totally unintentionally entered his shoe on Shabbos and he carried it ד’ אמות ברשות הרבים  !!!

שער הכוונות, שחרית שבת,  ק, ב.

3- Spoke about the אגרת הקודש סימן יא where the Alter Rebbe addresses the issue of pain and suffering.

Here is an overall synopsis from Chabad.org

https://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tdate=9/7/2024.

In this letter, the Alter Rebbe demands spiritual service of a caliber so seemingly formidable as to be attainable only by a chosen few. For in it he calls upon the reader not to desire physical things, even those things that are essential for his well-being and utilized in his service of G-d.

Even such essentials, states the Alter Rebbe, should not be desired for their physicality but for their spirituality, for the spark of G-dliness found within them. So much so that even if a person finds that he is lacking (G-d forbid) life’s essentials, he should not be pained by their absence; rather, he should rejoice in his belief that this is indeed for his good, as shall soon be explained. Such a lofty response to deprivation would seem to be within the reach of only a very restricted elite.

The Alter Rebbe therefore begins this letter in the singular, indicating that every single individual can attain this level of divine service. For it requires only an absolute faith in G-d, and this lies hidden within every Jew; let him but unveil this faith, and he will be able to live by it.

We discussed a phrase at the end of this letter where the Alter Rebbe concludes that everything that occurs to humans is from Above and definitely for the good. One needs to believe that is by Divine Intention all that occurs to him. He quotes a פסוק-.

מֵה’ מִצְעֲדֵי גֶבֶר כּוֹנָנוּ.

The Rebbe explains the choice of this פסוק alluding to the גמרא  in Chulin 7b, that even a small wound ח”ו on the toe of of a person is מהשם.

And the גמרא uses this particular פסוק to prove this point.

וְאָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אֵין אָדָם נוֹקֵף אֶצְבָּעוֹ מִלְּמַטָּה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן מַכְרִיזִין עָלָיו מִלְּמַעְלָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר {תהלים ל״ז:כ״ג} מֵה׳ מִצְעֲדֵי גֶבֶר כּוֹנָנוּ {משלי כ׳:כ״ד}

Rebbi Yose went up to Kufra and wanted to appoint leaders there, but they did not accept. He came and said before them: “Ben Bavai was ‘only’ an appointee on the wicks of the בית המקדש. Now if he, who was appointed over the wicks and merited to be counted with the ‘leaders’ of his generation, you who are being appointed over the lives of people, so much more.

We discussed both sides of the coin; should a person strive to assume leadership and responsibilities and use the position to help others, or perhaps stay ‘closeted’ and not involve himself with communal affairs?

We mentioned that the above was a discussion between Alexander the Great and the Jewish Scholars.

:מסכת תמיד לא

5- Also mentioned the fact that leaders are best when they have ‘a questionable history’. Lacking that, the power they assume can get to their heads and abuse others ח”ו.

https://shas.alhatorah.org/Full/Yoma/22b.18#e0n6

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נִמְשְׁכָה מַלְכוּת בֵּית שָׁאוּל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה בּוֹ שׁוּם דּוֹפִי דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק אֵין מַעֲמִידִין פַּרְנָס עַל הַצִּיבּוּר אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן קוּפָּה שֶׁל שְׁרָצִים תְּלוּיָה לוֹ מֵאֲחוֹרָיו שֶׁאִם תָּזוּחַ דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו אוֹמְרִין לוֹ חֲזוֹר לַאֲחוֹרֶיךָ.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: One appoints a leader over the community only if he has a box full of creeping animals hanging behind him, i.e., he has something inappropriate in his ancestry that preceded him. Why is that? It is so that if he exhibits a haughty attitude toward the community, one can say to him: Turn and look behind you and be reminded of your humble roots. This is why David’s kingdom lasted while Saul’s did not, as David descended from a family with problematic ancestry, namely Tamar (see Genesis, chapter 38) and Ruth the Moabite (see Ruth 4:18–22).

6- Mentioned the humorous קהילה down under that for the past fifty years has no name, no Rov or any leadership. Here.

From Zev Sero:

Katanga has an official name, Caulfield Beis Hamedrash, but nobody uses it.

https://www.facebook.com/katanga.caulfieldbethhamedrash/

Katanga Today:

On bar mitzvah invitations it says Caulfield Beis Hamedrash, and people have to ask where that is. The answer is, it means Katanga/ 

~~~

7- Berel brought a model of the מזבח made to scale. Spoke about Reb Levik’s explanation on a difficult passage in the  זהר concerning the יסוד. Will continue next week bl”n.

Thanks to YM:

When Dov Levnoni brought a model of the Beis Hamikdash to the Rebbe.

v

Watch here, and here

Amazingly, the Rebbe at a glance  noticed the ramp needed to be longer  – by three millimeters! model of the Mizbeach:

BSD

Shkolim -13b(2)

Menachem Av 30, 5784. 09/3/2024

1- Our גמרא  discusses מרדכי ,פתחיה and בלשון. All being the same person.

2- Story of the 2 mutes, during a famine or war, pointing to various objects indicating where  תבואה was available for the עומר and שתי הלחם.

גגות צריפין

In בבלי it relates this story occurring at the time of the civil war between הורקנוס and אריסטובולוס.

”כשצרו מלכי בית חשמונאי זה על זה היה הורקנוס מבחוץ ואריסטובלוס מבפנים. בכל יום היו משלשלין (אנשי אריסטובולוס) דינרים בקופה ומעלים (אנשי הורקנוס) להם תמידים (קורבנות). היה שם זקן אחד… אמר להם (לאנשי הורקנוס):”כל זמן שעוסקים בעבודה אינם נמסרים בידכם”. למחרת שלשלו להם דינרים בקופה – והעלו להם חזיר. כיוון שהגיע לחצי החומה נעץ ציפורניו בחומה ונזדעזעה ארץ ישראל ארבע מאות פרסה על ארבע מאות פרסה”

When the kings of the Hasmonean monarchy besieged each other in their civil war, Hyrcanus was outside of Jerusalem, besieging it, and Aristoblus was inside. On each and every day they would lower dinars in a box from inside the city, and those on the outside would send up animals for them to bring the daily offerings in the Temple.

DIscussed the מהרש”א who says that these mutes were actually spies sent by the אריסטובולוס loyalists that were far away from  ירושלים to make their way into the בית המקדש to advise the כהנים  where wheat is available.

Using mutes was a ploy to fool the הורקנוס  faction that laid siege to ירושלים.

מרדכי was the one that deciphered that the ‘hand signals’ gestured by the mutes were clues to the locations of the fields where תבואה was available.

3- מנחות סד, ב. Spoke about the תוספות asking as how could מרדכי have been alive at that time (era of  הורקנוס and אריסטובולוס) when he was present at the beginning of בית שני and this civil war occurred over 200 years later! (Rambam Megillah 3, 1).

Their answer is that after the original מרדכי , this particular position (ruling on the קינים) was called ‘מרדכי’, signifying and pointing to an intelligent person. So the actual name of this appointee may have been different but he was called the ‘מרדכי’.

So it wasn’t the original מרדכי that deciphered the mutes’ gestures, but an appointed person to the  מרדכי  position.

4- Story of the 3 women who spoke in code. The people of the בית המקדש understood them as inquiring as to ‘what type of bird Korban (קינין) does זבה or יולדות need to bring’

מרדכי deciphered their true story that it had nothing to do with any of the above. Rather, they each meant to say that they had experienced a נס and are inquiring about offering a  קרבן תודה.

מרדכי advised them that the bird is to be brought as a תודה קרבן.

Famous question: A קרבן תודה is brought from an animal not a bird and 40 loaves of bread. So why didn’t מרדכי advise them of their full obligation?

5- We spoke briefly about the two illustrious brothers: Reb Pinchos and Reb Shmelke Horowitz who were students of the Maggid of Mezritch.

The Alter Rebbe’s sons mention their names in the הקדמה to the Shulchan Aruch describing the times they all spent in Mezritch and the brothers’ urging the Alter Rebbe to complete his שלחן ערוך.  .

Reb Pinchos, who was a Rov in Frankfurt, authored many popular ספרים. The one on Chumash is the פנים יפות.

Discussed the observation by many in that Reb Pinchos does not mention his Rebbe, the מגיד ממזריץ  in all of his books.

Some great Chasidisher Rebbes strongly suggested that the printers were מתנגדים and simply deleted any mention of the מגיד!

It’s a big topic amongst historians.

See here:

https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=13109&st=&pgnum=138

6- In the above ספר פנים יפות Reb Pinchos writes a big chidush. ויקרא ז, יג

A קרבן תודה is not obligatory! It’s only optional for one who experienced a נס,  such as traveling across an ocean. The thanking to ה’  is a must, but to bring a קרבן is only a נדבה.

Some want to bring proof from our גמרא that although מרדכי heard their stories about the ניסים they experienced, he didn’t tell them to bring a proper  בהמה  – animal   תודה קרבן. It seems that the birds they brought sufficed. Unless, as the פנים יפות says, it’s optional and the חכמים did not enact this for women.

כלי חמדה ויקרא, קונטרס המילואים ויקרא ג.

7- We mentioned this last week in relation to כ”ף מנחם אב.

בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַיִּשָּׂא אַבְרָהָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת הַמָּקוֹם מֵרָחֹק.

וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל נְעָרָיו שְׁבוּ לָכֶם פֹּה עִם הַחֲמוֹר וַאֲנִי וְהַנַּעַר נֵלְכָה עַד כֹּה וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם.

On day 3 אברהם אבינו tell his two ‘consultants’ wait ‘here’ and I with יצחק will go till ‘there’ we will do a השתחווה and return to you both.

These instructions beg for an explanation. What is he telling them exactly? We will go till ‘there’- where is there? How far is it? When is he coming back? It seems like very ambiguous information.

Says Reb Levik: Avrohom was actually very precise. He told them exactly how far they are going and when they will return.

How is that?

Based on a פסוק in משלי ד, יח:

וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם.

שהולך ומאיר מעמוד השחר “עד נכון היום” – עד ,חצות היום שהוא בירורו של יום- רש”י

A צדיק will arrive a midday.

Reb Levik derives from the פסוק that the עקידה was to take place upon arrival, at חצות.

Now, a person can walk 10 פרסאות a day. (approximately 24 miles or 38 km). מהלך אדם בינוני ביום עשר פרסאות-

פסחים צד, א.

So, on day one and two they all covered 20 פרסאות.

On the morning of day three, אברהם אבינו tells them that he will walk alone with יצחק until midday. Meaning that in total he will have walked 25 פרסאות.

10+10+5=25.

Where is the number 25 in אברהם’s words?

וַאֲנִי וְהַנַּעַר נֵלְכָה עַד כֹּה  –

כֹּה equals 25!

He’s telling them: We’ll walk another 5 פרסאות, – for a total of 25 פרסאות,

וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְנָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם.

כוח”ט