BS”D

Sukkah 46b – 47a

Teves 10, 5783. January 3, 2023

1- We  began with a topic that is much discussed in many places in Sha”s and in the world of Lomdus. 

Reb Zeira says that one should not give his Lulav to a child while the child can indeed acquire it (be קונה) he cannot give it (or sell it) back to the father. 

This one-way transaction is based on a תקנה of the Rabanan. Min Hatorah, a child under Bar Mitzva cannot buy or sell. Acquire or gift. 

Seeing that unscrupulous people would grab away items from children causing anxiety, the חכמים enacted that once the child is given something it belongs to him. Period. The תקנה is for the קטן to acquire, not to give it to others. 

Thus,  giving the Lulav to a child would be non reversible. Meaning the father/giver would not be able to ‘own’ it by taking it back from him. 

2- From this suggestion, of not giving it to a קטן, it would seem that there is no method at all to give it to a  קטן and get it back – even with a מתנה על מנת להחזיר. 

As we mentioned in a previous shiur,  the Rosh writes מתנה על מנת להחזיר will not help with a קטן- ‘since to fulfill the תנאי the קטן would need to ‘gift it’ ‘back to his father.
This means that according to the Rosh,  in general with any מתנה על מנת להחזיר the return is not automatic. It needs a full הקנאה in return. 

We mentioned the קצות that disagrees and explains that מתנה על מנת להחזיר goes back automatically to the original owner. 

We discussed if giving to a קטן with a מתנה על מנת להחזיר would indeed work with a Lulav. 

3 – Another wide ranging topic discussed concerns an Esrog that was unpaid for before Yom Tov. 

The buyer acquired the Esrog with קנין משיכה by taking the Esrog home. Now, this קנין, as opposed to קנין כסף, is only מדרבנן. 

So the question is: does the buyer ‘own’ the Esrog only at a דרבנן level (an issue of the לכם on the first day)  or the תקנת חכמים has the power to elevate their קנין to a דאורייתא level. 

We mentioned the מחנה אפרים who was the first one to raise this question. 

4- We began the famous Sugya of what to do about Sukkah and Lulav on Shemini Atzeres. 

At first glance, since we are/were unsure if Shemini Atzeres is indeed the 8th day (and a separate Yom Tov on itself) or perhaps it’s the 7th day of Sukkos, of course we need to do both Lulav (מדרבנן like all  חול המועד  days), and eat in the Sukkah (מן התורה). 

 All Yomim Tovim we observe a second day since we are unsure and perhaps it is actually the first day of Yom Tov. Like the second day of Pesach. 

The issue with the 8th day of Sukkos is that it perhaps it’s the 7th day of Sukkos or maybe not. However, if it is not, then it is indeed the 8th day which is a new Yom Tov, Shemini Atzeres, on its own.

In other words, as opposed to other ימים טובים , if the day in doubt is incorrect, then it’s not a יום טוב. In the case of שמיני עצרת, if it’s not the 7th day of Sukkos then it’s a Yom Tov of שמיני עצרת.

We discussed briefly as to why we make a ברכה on יום טוב שני despite the general rule of ספק ברכות להקל.

Discussed some of the issues that arise with observing Sukkos on שמיני עצרת. 

• Such as, מוקצה for the Lulav, if it is indeed שמיני עצרת. 
• Contradiction of observing שמיני  עצרת and acting, by sitting in the Sukka, as if it is not Yom Tov. Imagine we would need to put on Tefillin on the Second Day Yom Tov!
• As the רי״ף writes, it’s a זלזול יום טוב.
• Bal Tosif. בל תוסיף. Taking the ד׳ מינים an extra day. 

5- In general, the לא תעשה of בל תוסיף when doing a Mitzvah, not in its prescribed time frame, like Tefillin on Shabbos, is transgressed only if one has the intention כוונה to be מקיים to perform this extra Mitzvah לא בזמנו. 

However, for example, someone who is unsure if today is the 7th day of Sukkos or Shemini Atzeres, on the contrary, he must sit in the Sukkah but with a תנאי: ‘If today is not Sukkos I’m just sitting outdoors for pleasure’. 

So the גמרא  says that the sitting in the Sukkah on Shemini Atzeres, which we must do, should be somehow different – perhaps by not making a לישב בסוכה. This emphasizes the doubt we’re in. Our sitting in the Sukka is without intention of being מקיים מצות סוכה if it is indeed שמיני עצרת. 

To be continued next week when bl”n well try to understand the Minhag of many, (despite an open and clear cut גמרא to sit in the Sukkah and not make a ברכה) – not to sit in the Sukkah!

6 – We encountered a truly rare and mystifying גמרא. Adding to the mystery is that no ראשונים attempt to explain. 

The גמרא relates a story about Rav Huna and all the גדולי הדור were in the farmlands with no Sukkah for the 7 days of Sukkos. They came into town only on שמיני עצרת and entered a Sukkah for the first time. 

The expression in the Gemare is גמירי דמאפר קא אתו – ‘we have a קבלה that they arrived from אפר – a marsh’. 

As Rashi explains they didn’t sit in a Sukkah until שמיני עצרת!

How is that possible? All Gedolei Hador didn’t observe מצוות סוכה?

We find many explanations in אחרונים starting with the מהרש״ל that it was a שעת הגזירה that prevented them from gaining access to a Sukka until שמיני עצרת. 

In the name of Reb Chaim Berlin (grandson of the נצי״ב) it says that אפרא here means Queen Ifrah Hurmiz who was the mother of Shvur , who was the king over Eretz Yisroel at the time. (Bava basra 10b) אִיפְרָא הוֹרְמִיז אִימֵּיהּ דְּשַׁבּוּר מַלְכָּא

These great men needed to meet her for טובת הכלל and sacrificed their Sukkah observance for the benefit of כלל ישראל. 

We mentioned what Reb Levke Kaplan related in the name of Reb Mottel Rivkin A”H.  Reb Mottel was told by an old Russian Jew of seeing a rare manuscript in the home of a wealthy non Jewish baron. This manuscript was of a hand written Shas on parchment. 

Upon inspection, he noticed that on the sidebar on מסכת סוכה, next to the words מאפר there was a handwritten note

מאפ״ר מאימת פחד מלכות רומי. 

 Meaning that the word מאפר was written in code. The גמרא didn’t mean that these חכמים spent Sukkos on a farm without a Sukkah. These great people were on the run or unable to observe the Yom Tov properly in fear of the oppressing Roman rule. 

We mentioned briefly the earliest know hand written manuscript of the entire Shas. 

See here. https://www.bavlionline.org/manuscripts/

The above note does not appear there. 

7- Another brilliant explanation from the Ohr Sameach.  Here: 6, 13. 

In short- the גמרא wants to prove that although we sit in a Sukkah on Shemini Atzeres a ברכה is not said. They quote the above story when these חכמים entered the Sukkah for the first time on שמיני עצרת they didn’t make a ברכה. That seems like solid proof that no ברכה is made on the Sukkah on שמיני עצרת. 

The גמרא counters that perhaps the opinion of these Gedolim was that לישב בסוכה is said only once, on the first night of Sukka. That is why they didn’t make a ברכה on שמיני עצרת. 

So their not making a ברכה on Shemini Atzeres is not a proof for us. As we make a ברכה every time we walk into a Sukkah, and we need to do it on שמיני עצרת as well. 

The גמרא responds that ‘we have a קבלה that they arrived from אפר – a marsh’. 

As above, Rashi says, they didn’t have a Sukkah until שמיני עצרת. 

The אור שמח suggests that while in the marshes they did indeed have a Sukka and made a ברכה the first night only (as per their opinion) and that was valid for the entire 7 days preceding this encounter in the city. 

But these scholars were unique in their observance of Yom Tov. While the city dwellers were unsure of the correct days of Yom Tov, (this occurred at a time before the calendar was established)  these גדולים knew the exact days of when Yom Tov occurs. 

The rule is, as per the גמרא in Pesachim 52, one who knows how to calculate the monthly calendar can indeed follow his mathematical conclusion and observe that day as the Yom Tov only with no need to observe the second day:

Indeed, one keeps one day only, but with one caveat. One can do that only if he is out of the city, traveling or in a desert. Inside the city walls he must follow the city dwellers and observe two days. 

These scholars were in the marshes kept only 1 day Yom Tov, as opposed to those in the city, who kept 2 days. On the first night of Sukkos they made a לישב בסוכה. They had no intention, as above, to make this ברכה again throughout the entire Yom Tov. On their  שמיני עצרת they obviously would not have sat in the Sukkah. 

However, they entered the city and now need to follow the custom of the locals and observe 2 days Yom Tov. So their שמיני עצרת is now perhaps only the 7th day of Sukkos. 

And their first night of Sukkos, based upon the calculation of the city people, was….ערב Yom Tov. 

So the ברכה they made on the first night was null. Since they didn’t make a  ברכה on the second night (unlike the city fellows) they never made a proper ברכה. 

So when they entered the city Sukka on שמיני עצרת, which is perhaps the 7th day of Sukkos, they would have needed to make a ברכה. Unlike the city people who made a ברכה on the second night and therefore had no need to make the ברכה. 

So why didn’t they make a ברכה?

Aha! 

That is proof that on שמיני עצרת the חכמים established that despite it being a ספק, perhaps it’s the 7th day of Sukkos, we should (sit in the Sukka but) not make a ברכה for reasons above in paragraph 4. 

BSD

Sukkah 46b 

Teves 3, 5783. December 27, 2022

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

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

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

אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על המצוות 

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

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

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

ליטול לולב לישב בסוכה, להניח תפילין להתעטף בציצית

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will continue on this topic next week BLN. 

6 – We diverged to talk about בין השמשות. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How is that? It’s a Mishna, he said. 

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

End of Kinim:

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

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

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

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

BS”D

Suka 46a (2)

Kislev 26, 5783. December 20, 2022

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

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

The Shiur was on the third night of Chanukah.

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

[See below that what the CS actually says is that occasionally, one encouters in one’s learning ideas that pertain to what is happening in his personal life].

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

3- Here is the Chasam Sofer.

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

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

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

See here. In English here.

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

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

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

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

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

See here in the בית יוסף. YD 82, 2.

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

4- So here is the גמרא about חנוכה.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the lines of this Piyut סטל discusses:

See here from פיוטי יניי the Rebbe’s library:

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

The גביעים were green gold.

The כפתורים were red gold.

The פרחים were white gold.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read the linked article at length.

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

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

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

Reb  יעקב ישראל סטל

Here is the link to the article.

See also here. #7 from שפרבר.

BS”D

Sukkah 46a

Kislev 19, 5783. December 13, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At a Bris there is the pain of the child.

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

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

We discussed other Mitzvos not mentioned in Tosfos. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So he paraphrased the Pasuk:

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

Instead he said 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shiur Sukkah 45b (3)

BS”D

Sukkha 45b (3)

Kislev 13, 5783. December 6, 2022

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

See last week’s link and also here. 

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

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

What Bracha do you make on Hearts of palm?

See here. 

The bracha is  Ha’adama…

3- We began the Sugya of the ברכות on the 

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

4 – Making of a Suka (ברכה or not)

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

Bavli – No.  Menachos 42b

ובישראל אין צריך

Yerushalmi – Yes. Brochos Chapter 9:3 

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

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

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

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

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

5 –Sitting in a Sukkah and Bentching on the Lulav

The opinion of Shmuel:

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

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

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

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

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

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

בקיצור There are two approaches to this issue. 

The approach of the Rosh:

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

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

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

The approach of the אגור:

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

We follow the opinion of the אגור. 

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

7- Sitting in a Sukkah and Bentching on the Lulav

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

Both, Sukkah and Lulav require a ברכה every day. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page 273:

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

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

סמ”ג  מ”ע ג. 

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

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

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

משמע שאנשי מרסיי לא הניחו תפילין…

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

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

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

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

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

 שבת קל, א

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BS”D

Sukkah 45b (2)

Kislev 6, 5783. November 30, 2022

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

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

יכולני לפטור את כל העולם כולו מיום שנבראתי עד עתה.

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

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

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

In short: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chida mentioned previously

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

Here is the parable there:

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

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

Listen to Reb Mordechai Eliyahu’s story

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

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

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

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

We discussed in the past  אספקלריא המאירה 

See shiur here: 

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

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

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

7- וכנגד ל”ו מסכתות

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

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

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

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

Story with Michael Steinhardt

and Dovid Lichtenstein

Will continue IY”H next week. 

BS”D

Sukkah 45b

Mar-Cheshvon 28, 5783. November 22, 2022

1 – We began with the Gemara that follows the Mishna where it identifies a particular area (Kalania or Motza) right outside Yerushalayim that was designated as (what is called today) a ‘Free Zone’. Meaning that goods that enter this assigned zone are exempt from taxes. 

We mentioned the famous tragedy of the plane that a terrorist bomb blew up that was carrying many Jewish people that travelled regularly to a Free Zone in Panama. Interestingly, this Free Zone city is also called Colon! 

“Most of the 21 people killed were Jewish businessmen operating in Panama’s Colon Free Trade Zone”. 

Alas Chiricanas Airlines Flight 00901

See here. Here. Here. 

הי”ד.

2 – The Gemara describes the long ערבות that were placed at the side of the מזבח and ‘hovered’ ‘a full אמה over the top’. Being they were 11 Amos in length, they were placed on top of the יסוד to accomplish this overhang of 1 אמה. 

1 + 5 + 3 = 9. Plus 2 to create the overhang. Due to the horizontal angle of the ערבות it needed to be placed on the יסוד. 

3 – The Gemara continues with various explanation of the פסוק 

.״אִסְרוּ חַג בַּעֲבוֹתִים עַד קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ״

One is: 

כׇּל הָעוֹשֶׂה אִיסּוּר לֶחָג בַּאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ בָּנָה מִזְבֵּחַ וְהִקְרִיב עָלָיו קׇרְבָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אִסְרוּ חַג בַּעֲבוֹתִים עַד קַרְנוֹת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ״.

Rashi, in his first explanation says that the Gemara is referring to the eating and drinking on Yom Tov. Meaning to say that one should ensure that the Yom Tov is enjoyed in a festive was by eating and drinking. 

The Maharshah wonders, if it means just consuming food, then how does the word אסרו, which generally means binding, constraining or limiting, fit in. 

He suggests that it refers to the constraint of not over indulging and getting too drunk!  

לפרש”י לשון איסור לא ידעתי לפרש. ולולי פירושו נראה דאיסור כמשמעו שעושה לו איסור וגדר במצות אכילה ושתיה בחג דהיינו שלא לאכול אכילה גסה ושלא ישתכר יותר מדאי שאינו לש”ש והרי אותו מותר שלא אכל ושתה נחשב לו כאילו בנה מזבח והקריב עליו קרבן 

4 – In this context we mention the jousting of last week that Tosfos writes that if it is done בדרך שמחה, damages that unintentionally occur, are not considered גזילה.

We spoke about the רמ”א in the laws of Purim OC 695, 2 that quotes some opinions that say concerning damage cause during the festivities of Purim פטור לשלם! 

5 – דרך גדולתן. 

This is a general concept that one needs to hold the ד’ מינים in a upright position ‘as they grew’. 

Points discussed. 

a – Rashi mentions the Lulav Aravos and Hadasim. He omits the Esrog! 

b- The Halachah is that the Esrog too needs to be held with the פיטום on the top. When one sees an Esrog tree the פיטום is actually facing down, towards the ground. 

Here is the reason we hold it Pitum up. 

:שולחן ערוך > אורח חיים חלק ד > הלכות לולב

ב כל ארבעה מינים הללו צריך ליטלן דרך גדילתןמט דהיינו שיהא ראשיהם למעלה ועיקריהם למטהנ ואם הפכן בשעה שנטלן לא יצא ידי חובתו בנטילה זונא והאתרוג אע”פ שהוא תלוי באילן עוקצו למעלה מכל מקום דרך גדילתו נקרא עוקצו למטהנב וצריך ליזהר מאד בהדס שבא ממרחקים להתיר אגודתו ולראות אם מונח כתיקונו דלפעמים נותנים ראשו של בד זה בצד עיקרו של בד זה וגם לפעמים כופפין ראשי הבדיןנג:

c – We mentioned in the past what to do in the Southern Hemisphere. 

d – What about the walls of the Sukkah? Do they need to be, if made of wood, ‘upright’? 

We discussed the Tur OC 631 who says there is no requirement to do so despite some מדקדקים. 

See the Bach here.

6- We continued from last week’s shiur about the שם ע”ב. 

BS”D

Sukkah 44b – 45a

Mar-Cheshvan 20, 5783. November 15, 2022

1- We discussed the story concerning the righteous fellow that asked Reb Elazar that villagers come and hoe his vineyard during Shmittah and eat from the olive grove. Meaning that he is using grapes of Shmittah to pay for their work on the olive trees. לכם לאכלה ולא לסחורה. 

Is it appropriate or inappropriate?

When he was told not to do it, he left immediately and received praise from Reb Elazar. 

“I have resided in this land for forty years and I have not seen a person walk in a path as straight as this man does”. 

What was so great about this man? He heard a פסק דין and left. How does that reflect on his greatness? 

The ערוך לנר  suggests that the fact that this person left immediately, without even saying the appropriate goodbye, shows his concern for the workers on his property. He hurried to tell them to stop taking olives as payment so as not to transgress the prohibition of doing ‘business’ with פירות שביעית. 

2 – We had an issue about the next instructions given to this fellow:

Declare the olives ownerless for the poor  (be מפקיר), and pay perutot coins (cash) to the laborers as payment to hoe the grapes groves.

There is a Mitzvah for everyone to be מפקיר his produce at the beginning of Shmittah So why did this fellow need to do it again? 

In passing we mentioned the famous argument 450 or so years ago between Reb Yosef Karo and the Mabit – Reb Moshe di Trani:  Is this הפקר is an active commandment and happens only when one is actually מפקיר, or if it happens automatically. The difference is if one did not do it – is it הפקר or not?  Also – in the case of a field of a goy. 

See here if the obligation to be מפקיר applies just on the produce or on the actual field itself. 

3- Based on the next piece of Gemara, we mentioned the Halachah (OC 249) that one is not allowed to begin a journey on Friday morning that will take more than 4 hours or so. 

The reason is that by limiting the journey’s time, we are ensuring that his arrival at his destination to allow him enough time (the balance of ⅔ of the day) to prepare for the Shabbos meal. 

If he leaves early in the morning and travels just 4 +- hours, the day will still have plenty of hours (8 +-) for Shabbos preparation. 

ראה הצ”ע בערוך לנר 

כסא דהרסנא

The concern is that people need to be prepare for the Shabbos meal. Thus, when he arrives at his destination late on Friday he will not have time or ingredients to cook for Shabbos. 

That would apply even if one is returning from a trip and heading to his own home! 

The reason is that perhaps his wife and children don’t have or didn’t prepare enough food to feed him. His arrival and the lack of food for him, will cause strife in his home. “Tatty, why didn’t you tell us you’re coming home”……..

However, there are exceptions to this rule and in general this Halachah does not apply today since BH, we are blessed with an abundance of food and the arrival of one more person will not cause anyone to go hungry. 

Mentioned the story of Reb Yisroel Labkowski, a true ירא שמים, who packed חלות and wine when he left the mountains to Crown Heights late one Friday afternoon.  

R. Yisroel, 2nd from L., 

4- We came across the two rows of benches that surrounded the בית המקדש and the cover above them. Since one could not carry his Lulav on Shabbos, people would bring them on Friday and place them on these benches. 

5- Daf 45a. Famous for (probably) being the only place in Sha”s that Rashi writes something of קבלה. 

The Mishnah says:

דֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְרָאשֵׁיהֶן כְּפוּפִין עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. תָּקְעוּ וְהֵרִיעוּ וְתָקְעוּ. בְּכׇל יוֹם מַקִּיפִין אֶת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ פַּעַם אַחַת וְאוֹמְרִים: ״אָנָּא ה׳ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, אָנָּא ה׳ הַצְלִיחָה נָּא״. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: ״אֲנִי וָהוּ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָא״.

Now what does אֲנִי וָהוּ mean? 

We discussed the opinion of Rashi, Tosfos and the Rambam.

Rashi: 

אני והו – בגימטריא אנא ה’

ועוד משבעים ושתים שמות הן הנקובים בשלש מקראות הסמוכין בפרשת ויהי בשלח ויסע וגו’ ויבא בין מחנה ויט משה את ידו ושלשתן בני שבעים ושתים אותיות ומהן שם המפורש אות ראשונה של פסוק ראשון ואחרונה של אמצעי וראשונה של אחרון וכן בזה הסדר כולן השם הראשון והו וי”ו של ויסע ה”א דכל הלילה וי”ו דויט ושם השלשים ושבע הוא אני אל”ף דמאחריהם ונו”ן ראשון דהענן בחשבון של מפרע ויו”ד דרוח קדים:

Rashi is saying that אֲנִי וָהוּ symbolizes Hashem’s name that contains 72 letters. 

We know it as שם ע”ב. 

He goes on to explain at length the basis of this 72 lettered name and the אֲנִי וָהוּ. 

This is a very deep and wide topic as explained in קבלה, חסידות and the works of Reb Levi’k. In the next few shiurim we will bl”n try to add more to this interesting phenomenon. 

• Why the right to left, left to right and finally right to left again.
• Why אני (box 37) before והו (box 1).
• Why no letter גימל in the 3 פסוקים.
• בכן which equals 72 . Said 3 times on ראש השנה ויוה”כ correspond to the 3 פסוקים with 72 letters.
• What about the בכן? Rebbe’s heart rending Sicha Purim תשי”א.
• More.

אני והו

רש”י

שמות יד, יט – כא

וַיִּסַּ֞ע מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים הַהֹלֵךְ֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַחֲנֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּסַּ֞ע עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֖ד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃

The messenger of God, who had been going ahead of the Israelite army, now moved and followed behind them; and the pillar of cloud shifted from in front of them and took up a place behind them.

  וַיָּבֹ֞א בֵּ֣ין מַחֲנֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֗יִם וּבֵין֙ מַחֲנֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיְהִ֤י הֶֽעָנָן֙ וְהַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וַיָּ֖אֶר אֶת־הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְלֹא־קָרַ֥ב זֶ֛ה אֶל־זֶ֖ה כׇּל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃

And it came between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel. Thus there was the cloud with the darkness, and it cast a spell upon the night, so that the one could not come near the other all through the night.

וַיֵּ֨ט מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶת־יָדוֹ֮ עַל־הַיָּם֒ וַיּ֣וֹלֶךְ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶת־הַ֠יָּ֠ם בְּר֨וּחַ קָדִ֤ים עַזָּה֙ כׇּל־הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הַיָּ֖ם לֶחָרָבָ֑ה וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ הַמָּֽיִם 

Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and Hashem drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split.

זוהר שמות ע’ ע”ר

Tosfos and the Ramban have a different explanation to the meaning of אֲנִי וָהוּ. 

תוספות

יחזקאל א, א

וַיְהִ֣י בִּשְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֗ה בָּֽרְבִיעִי֙ בַּחֲמִשָּׁ֣ה לַחֹ֔דֶשׁ וַאֲנִ֥י בְתֽוֹךְ־הַגּוֹלָ֖ה עַל־נְהַר־כְּבָ֑ר נִפְתְּחוּ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וָאֶרְאֶ֖ה מַרְא֥וֹת אֱלֹהִֽים׃

In the thirtieth year on the fifth day of the fourth month, when I was in the community of exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.

ירמיהו מ, א

הַדָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֤ה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֔ה  אַחַ֣ר שַׁלַּ֣ח אֹת֗וֹ נְבוּזַרְאֲדָ֛ן רַב־טַבָּחִ֖ים מִן־הָרָמָ֑ה בְּקַחְתּ֣וֹ אֹת֗וֹ וְהֽוּא־אָס֤וּר בָּֽאזִקִּים֙  בְּת֨וֹךְ כׇּל־גָּל֤וּת יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ וִֽיהוּדָ֔ה הַמֻּגְלִ֖ים בָּבֶֽלָה׃

 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after Nebuzaradan, the chief of the guards, set him free at Ramah, to which he had taken him, bonded in chains, among those from Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.

רמב”ם

דברים לב, לט

 עַתָּ֗ה כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י אֲנִי֙ ה֔וּא וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י  אֲנִ֧י אָמִ֣ית וַאֲחַיֶּ֗ה מָחַ֙צְתִּי֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶרְפָּ֔א  וְאֵ֥ין מִיָּדִ֖י מַצִּֽיל׃   רְא֣וּ

 See, then, that I, I am the One  There is no god beside Me I deal death and give life

I caused a wound and I will heal.  None can deliver from My hand.

6- The Mishnah concludes that as soon as the הושענא process was completed the adults  ‘grabbed the Esrogim from the children’s hands and bit into them!’

Rashi explains that there is no issue with גזילה here since it was done as part of the festivities. 

Tosfos derives from רש”י that this concept is not limited to הושענא רבה but to other occasions as well. When being joyous and playful the laws of גזילה and מזיק do not apply. 

As an example they bring the custom (apparently popular at the time) of entertaining a חתן by jousting, obviously in a theatrical manner. Despite clothes being torn and damage to the horses , there was no concern for the גזילה that seemed to happen. . .

 ומסיימין בטוב.

BS”D

Sukkah 44b

Mar-Cheshvan 14, 5783. November 8, 2022

1- We continued the topic of the ערבה used on הושענא רבה. 

The Gemara mentions an opinion that even one ערבה is sufficient. The Halachah is to use 1 (OC 664, 4) and the אריז”ל says to use 5. 

We mentioned the  מנהג to circle the Bimah with the ערבה in addition to the לולב. 

Although there is no requirement of הדר, Rashi mentions that they should be ארוכים ויפים -long and pretty.

2- As mentioned in previous shiurim, the גמרא is unsure about the origins of shaking and/or beating the  ערבה on הושענא רבה. 

Is it a תקנת נביאים or מנהג נביאים?

The practical difference –  if it is a forceful  תקנה, then a ברכה is said on the הושענות. If it is merely a מנהג, no ברכה is said, since we cannot say  – אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו, meaning –  we were commanded. 

Rashi adds on the previous page, that even לא תסור, the general Torah  directive to follow what the חכמים enact, does not apply on a מנהג!  

מנהג – הנהיגו את העם ולא תקנו להם ונפקא מינה דלא בעיא ברכה דליכא למימר וצונו דאפילו בכלל לא תסור ליתא:

3- We suggested to characterize 3 types of תקנות of the חכמים. 

1 – מצוות דרבנן.  Such as Chanukah and הדלקת נר שבת. 

2 – תקנת נביאים or מנהגים.  Such as observing the 2nd day of Yom Tov, despite the definitive calendar we follow.  מנהג אבותיכם בידכם. 

3 – מנהגים. Either by the חכמים or an ‘accepted’ custom followed by large portions of כלל ישראל. Such as the ערבה/הושענות as is the גמרא’s conclusion.

As to the first two, a ברכה is indeed made. Chanukah, הדלקת נר שבת and 2nd day Yom Tov. At the 3rd level no ברכה is made. 

The גמרא quotes stories of Reb  אלעזר and Rav who didn’t say a ברכה  on the Hoshainos since it is ‘only’ מנהג . 

4- The big issues are concerning certain Minhagim as to what category they belong to,  which would result in a ברכה or not. 

The most famous one, as we learnt in the Tosfos on our Daf, is saying half הלל on Rosh Chodesh. 

Tosfos says that הלל on Rosh Chodesh in undoubtedly only a Minhag, so no ברכה should be said.

That is the הלכה in Shulchan Aruch. “And some say not to say a ברכה even in a ציבור and that is the opinion of the Ramabam and the custom in ארץ ישראל and environs. 

Rabbeinu Tam however says one should indeed say a Brocho for הלל on  Rosh Chodesh. He argues that although הלל is ‘only’ a  מנהג, one cannot compare it to הושענות since הושעות is ‘merely waving it’. Meaning a light  מנהג in comparison to saying הלל. 

His proof is from the ברכות on the second day of Yom Tov. (Rabbeinu Tam places them in category #3 above). ‘It is only a מנהג, and yet we say ברכות’. 

We discussed the question of רבי עקיבא איגר and the חתם סופר. 

Gilyon Hashas:

תוס’ ד”ה כאן במקדש וכו’ וב’ ימים טובים של גליות אין בהן וצונו. וקשה לי דמ”מ יקשה מברכת על אכילת מצה ועל אכילת מרור בליל ב’ דפסח, ואולי יש לחלק בין נוסח ברכה בלשון לעשות כן ובין נוסח בלשון על. אח”ז מצאתי שהקשה כן הר”ן עיין בט”ז או״ח סי’ ח’ ס”ק ו

5- As to the Chabad Minhag that has changed back and forth, the final custom is as the Rebbe said in 1981 to always say the ברכה. 

See here for the history of the Minhag according to Chabad:

ב’היום יום’ א’ טבת⁶ נדפס⁷: “נוהגים אשר היחיד מברך – בהלל – תחילה וסוף גם בימים שאין גומרים בהם את ההלל”

בברכה שאמר הרבי בסיום שיחה [בלתי-מוגהת]²⁵, הזכיר “מנהג חסידים [-המתפללים בציבור] אז מ’כאפט אריין אויך די ברכה בחשאי”.

ש”פ מסעי ה’תשמ”א.

6 – Also mentioned were the following Minhagim and the question if to make a ברכה. :

A- The Rosh who says that on Erev Yom Kippur one should make a ברכה coming out of the Mikvah. 

B- A Minhag that was enacted only because of מראית עין. Like שחיטה  on a בן פקועה. Do we make a ברכה? 

C- Lighting candles Erev Yom Kippur.  See here OC 610, 2. 

7- We retuned to the topic of last week. Keeping ones Minhagim when traveling to different communities with different customs. 

The famous Maharil and the מגן אברהם. OC 468, 12. 

8 – The Maharil’s custom not to place on his table food items (although he considered them to be 100% Kosher)  that his out of town guests did not eat.

[Like serving whiskey that we, in the USA do drink, when our Israelis guests would never touch it at home……]

This is based on a Talmud Yerushalmi that in Yerushalayim, although their opinion was to allow מלאכה on Erev Pesach, due to the fact that may of the guests came from locations that prohibited to work that day, all of Yerushalayim refrained from working on Erev Pesach. 

Also see Kaf Hachayim  OC 468, 65 here:

סה) וכתב בדרשות מהרי”ל ה’ איסור והיתר דמהרי”ל נהג בביתו שלא להניח לאכול מאותן פאנצ”ן שנפל עליהם מחלוקת הגדולים לפי שמתקבצים שם בחירים מאותן גלילות שנוהגין שם איסור חלב בהן יעו”ש. והביאו מ”א שם. והוא חלב הדביק לכרם שתחת הפריסה שנוהגין בו היתר רק בני ריינוס ושאר המקומות נוהגין בו איסור כמ”ש ביו”ד סי’ ס”ד סעי’ ט’ יעו”ש.

9- Speaking of הושענות…..

We finished with the story that occurred at the Rebbe’s table upstairs in 770.  Reb Zalman Teibel, after introducing the popular melody of אנא אנא עבדא, attempted to teach another tune. 

One of the guests at the table, who did indeed have a חוש בנגינה, tells Reb Zalman Teibel what he thought of his second song:

Der Nigun is gut oif klappen Hoshainos……

יצחק (איצ’ה) חורגין 

הרב חורגין היה עורך את ההבדלה במניין של הרבי מידי מוצאי שבת, מדליק את החנוכיה בזאל הגדול ב-770, ועולה כשליח ציבור לעיתים קרובות.

BSD 

Sukah 44a 

Mar-Cheshvan 6, 5783. November 1, 2022

1- We continued on topic #3 of last week that in order not to create “אגודות אגודות”, [meaning that all כלל ישראל should be cohesive and practice the same Mitzvos] since in חוץ לארץ due to ספיקא דיומא, we do not observe Lulav on Shabbos, the חכמים uprooted the מצוה from the Israelis as well. 

We mentioned that a few years back Professor Yoel Elitzur

reached out to prominent Rabbonim with a suggestion that perhaps the original custom of taking the Lulav on Shabbos (first day of Sukkos) should be reinstated in ארץ ישראל. 

His point being that originally it was practiced in   ארץ ישראל [as stated in Yerushalmi]  and it  was only about 800 years ago that they stopped observing it. At the time, the Jewish population in חוץ לארץ were the majority as opposed to the small communities in ארץ ישראל. Thus, the minority followed the רוב. 

Today however, when the majority of the Jewish population lives in Israel, they should go back to practice what the custom was in the times of the בית המקדש. 

The response he received from all the רבנים was a firm negative. ‘Let’s wait for Moshiach’ to bring back the original custom”! 

See article here. 

2- Our גמרא questions if our custom of הושענות is a תקנת נביאים or just a מנהג נביאים. 

As Rashi explains, a תקנה is a more weighty and important enactment that just a מנהג. 

The practical difference would be –  if it is a forceful  תקנה, then a ברכה should be said on the הושענות. If it is merely a מנהג no ברכה can be said since we cannot say אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו, meaning we were commanded. Rashi adds that even לא תסור does not apply. 

This is a big topic as we find many enactments of  מנהגים  and תקנות  that a ברכה is recited. We will continue on this next week BL”N. 

3 –As a continuation of the לא תתגודדו topic, we briefly mentioned an offshoot of this סוגיא. We ran out time and will continue BL”N. 

The topic is if a citizen of a particular community that is strict in a certain הלכה travels to a city that is lenient in that הלכה, what should he do? 

Say a Yeshiva/Chasidisher person traveled in 1920 to Yemen. He is invited to eat by a local and is served meat. Surely it is Kosher. But….. they way they שחט the animal is totally not accepted in the Western Hemisphere. Any שוחט in the USA, Israel or Europe that would שחט in with the Yemenite מנהגים, would be disqualified from being a שוחט. 

Can this traveler eat this lamb chop? If he is clueless as to the difference, may his hosts offer it to him or they need to advise him first? 

As an introduction to this topic we discussed the four stomachs that a cow has and which ones have חלב which needs to be removed. 

חלב שעל הכרס and the מנהג of the בני ריינוס not to scrape off this fatty tissue. 

בני ריינוס are the famed Jewish communities that existed along the Rhine River in Germany. This designation is occasionally used for all of German Jewry as opposed to the French, Italian and Spanish Peninsula.  

See here. YD 64, 9. 

4- We came across the expression of Reb Yochanon, who lived in ארץ ישראל, that true Torah learning was in בבל and not in ארץ ישראל!

In regards to what incident did he say such a stunning statement? A rather fascinating story. It’s long but very interesting. 

‘A lion has come up from בבל!

We read the text of the Gemara in BK 117 a-b. Here it is from Sefaria.The Gemara relates another incident: There was a certain man who desired to show another individual’s straw to the gentile authorities, who would seize it. He came before Rav, who said to him: Do not show it and do not show it, i.e., you are absolutely prohibited from showing it. The man said to him: I will show it and I will show it, i.e., I will certainly show it. Rav Kahana was sitting before Rav, and, hearing the man’s disrespectful response, he dislodged the man’s neck from him, i.e., he broke his neck and killed him.

 Seeing Rav Kahana’s action, Rav read the following verse about him: “Your sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net” (Isaiah 51:20). Just as with regard to this antelope, once it falls into the net, the hunter does not have mercy upon it, so too with regard to the money of a Jew, once it falls into the hand of gentiles, they do not have mercy upon him, i.e., the Jew. Since gentiles who seek a Jew’s money will kill him in order to seize the property, Rav Kahana acted appropriately when he broke the miscreant’s neck, as he protected the Jew’s property and, by extension, the Jew himself.

Rav then said to Rav Kahana: Kahana, until now there were Persian rulers who were not particular about bloodshed. But now there are Greeks who are particular about bloodshed, and they will say: Murder [meradin], murder, and they will press charges against you. Therefore, get up and ascend to Eretz Yisrael to study there under Rabbi Yoḥanan, and accept upon yourself that you will not raise any difficulties to the statements of Rabbi Yoḥanan for seven years.

Rav Kahana went to Eretz Yisrael and found Reish Lakish, who was sitting and reviewing Rabbi Yoḥanan’s daily lecture in the academy for the Rabbis, i.e., the students in the academy. When he finished, Rav Kahana said to the students: Where is Reish Lakish? They said to him: Why do you wish to see him? Rav Kahana said to them: I have this difficulty and that difficulty with his review of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s lecture, and this resolution and that resolution to the questions he raised. They told this to Reish Lakish. Reish Lakish then went and said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: A lion has ascended from Babylonia, and the Master ought to examine the discourse he will deliver in the academy tomorrow, as Rav Kahana may raise difficult questions about the material.

The next day, they seated Rav Kahana in the first row, in front of Rabbi Yoḥanan. Rabbi Yoḥanan stated a halakha and Rav Kahana did not raise a difficulty, in accordance with Rav’s instruction. Rabbi Yoḥanan stated another halakha and again, Rav Kahana did not raise a difficulty. As a result, they placed Rav Kahana further back by one row. This occurred until he had been moved back seven rows, until he was seated in the last row. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: The lion you mentioned has become a fox, i.e., he is not knowledgeable.

Rav Kahana said to himself: May it be God’s will that these seven rows I have been moved should replace the seven years that Rav told me to wait before raising difficulties to the statements of Rabbi Yoḥanan. He stood up on his feet and said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: Let the Master go back to the beginning of the discourse and repeat what he said. Rabbi Yoḥanan stated a halakha and Rav Kahana raised a difficulty. Therefore, they placed him in the first row, and again, Rav Yoḥanan stated a halakha, and he raised a difficulty.

Rabbi Yoḥanan was sitting upon seven cushions [bistarkei] so that he could be seen by all the students, and since he could not answer Rav Kahana’s questions, he removed one cushion from under himself to demonstrate that he was lowering himself out of respect for Rav Kahana. He then stated another halakha and Rav Kahana raised another difficulty. This happened repeatedly until Rabbi Yoḥanan removed all the cushions from underneath himself until he was sitting on the ground. Rabbi Yoḥanan was an old man and his eyebrows drooped over his eyes. He said to his students: Uncover my eyes for me and I will see Rav Kahana, so they uncovered his eyes for him with a silver eye brush.

Once his eyes were uncovered, Rabbi Yoḥanan saw that Rav Kahana’s lips were split and thought that Rav Kahana was smirking at him. As a result, Rabbi Yoḥanan was offended, and Rav Kahana died as punishment for the fact that he offended Rabbi Yoḥanan. The next day, Rabbi Yoḥanan said to the Rabbis, his students: Did you see how that Babylonian, Rav Kahana, behaved in such a disrespectful manner? They said to him: His usual manner of appearance is such, and he was not mocking you. Hearing this, Rabbi Yoḥanan went up to Rav Kahana’s burial cave and saw that it was encircled by a serpent [akhna], which had placed its tail in its mouth, completely encircling the cave and blocking the entrance.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to it: Serpent, serpent, open your mouth and allow the teacher to enter and be near the disciple, but the serpent did not open its mouth to allow him entry. He then said: Allow a colleague to enter and be near his colleague, but still the serpent did not open its mouth. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Allow the disciple to enter and be near the teacher, referring to Rav Kahana as his own teacher. The snake then opened its mouth for him to allow him entry. Rabbi Yoḥanan requested divine mercy from God and raised Rav Kahana from the dead.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Rav Kahana: Had I known that this was the Master’s manner of appearance, I would not have been offended. Now let the Master come with me to the study hall. Rav Kahana said to him: If you are able to request divine mercy so that I will not die again, I will go with you, and if not, I will not go with you. The Gemara comments: Since the time decreed for his death had passed, it had passed.

Rabbi Yoḥanan then completely awakened him and stood him up. Thereafter, he asked him about every uncertainty that he had, and Rav Kahana resolved each of them for him. And this is the background to that which Rabbi Yoḥanan says to his students on several occasions:

What I said was yours is in fact theirs, i.e., I thought that the Torah scholars in Eretz Yisrael were the most advanced, but in fact the scholars of Babylonia are the most advanced, as evidenced by Rav Kahana’s knowledge.