Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Bereishit Volume 25, No. 1 24 Tishrei 5771 October 2, 2010 Sponsored by the Parness family in memory of Anna Parness a"h Today's Learning: Tanach: Yehoshua 3-4 Mishnah: Kilayim 1:2-3 Halachah: O.C. 548:13-15 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Avodah Zarah 49 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Terumot 47 With gratitude to Hashem, we now begin the 25th cycle of Hamaayan / The Torah Spring. Thank you to our readers for your continued support. Rashi z"l opens his commentary on the Torah by citing the following midrash: Rabbi Yitzchak said, "The Torah [which is a book of laws] should have begun with the verse (Shmot 12:1), `This month shall be for you the first of the months,' which is the first commandment given to Yisrael. Why, then, does it begin with the story of Creation? Because of [the lesson taught by] the verse (Tehilim 111:6) `He declared to His people the strength of His works, in order to give them the heritage of the nations.' Should the peoples of the world say to Yisrael, `You are robbers, for you took by force the lands of the seven Canaanite nations,' Yisrael may reply, `All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He. He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed, He gave it to them, and when He willed, He took it from them and gave it to us'." Even so, why is this idea so important that the Torah should begin with it? R' Moshe Zuriel shlita (former mashgiach ruchani of Yeshivat Sha'alvim) quotes his teacher, R' Shmuel Dvir z"l, who explained as follows: R' Moshe ben Nachman z"l (Ramban; 1194-1270) writes that true observance of the mitzvot can take place only in Eretz Yisrael. Although we are obligated by Torah law to observe the commandments even in the Diaspora, that observance is only practice for the time when we (hopefully) will merit to observe the mitzvot "for real." Thus, R' Dvir said, the entire story of our nation's beginning, from the time of Creation, through the lives of the Patriarchs and the slavery in Egypt, until the first mitzvah is taught in the third parashah of the Book of Shmot, serves to drive home how essential Eretz Yisrael is to Torah observance. In this light, R' Zuriel adds, we can understand why, following the sin of the Spies, Moshe pleads with Bnei Yisrael (Bemidbar 14:9), "But do not rebel against Hashem!" On no other occasion did Moshe imply that Bnei Yisrael were "rebels." There it was appropriate, however, because one who willingly separates himself from Eretz Yisrael separates himself from Hashem. (See also Yehoshua 22:16-18). (Drishat Zion) ******** "Bereishit " (1:1) Rabbeinu Machir z"l (Spain; 14th century) writes: This word is an acronym for the Hebrew words: Ba'rishonah / from the beginning, ra'ah Elokim / G-d saw she'yikablu Yisrael Torah / that the Jewish People would accept the Torah. [This alludes to teaching of our Sages, cited by Rashi z"l, that world was created specifically for this purpose.] (Avkat Rocheil p.97) ******** From the same work: "The ruach Elokim / Divine Presence hovered upon the surface of the waters." (1:2) The word "Elohim" is used in the Torah not only as a reference to G-d, but also as a reference to leaders (see, for example, Shmot 22:7). Here, the Midrash Rabbah interprets "ruach Elokim" not as a reference to G-d, but rather as a reference to mashiach, as in the verse (Eichah 4:20), "The ruach / breath of our nostrils, Hashem's anointed one." If so, asks Rabbeinu Machir, what does it mean that mashiach hovered over the surface of the water? He answers: Water refers to Torah (as in Yeshayah 55:1-"Everyone who is thirsty, go to water," which our Sages say is a metaphor for Torah) and prayer (as in Eichah 2:19-"Pour out your heart like water in the Presence of the Master"). In the merit of Torah study and prayer, mashiach will come. (Avkat Rocheil p.26) ******** "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." (1:26) The Midrash Rabbah relates: Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: When Moshe was writing the Torah, he recorded each day's creation until he reached the above verse, whereupon He said, "Master of the world! Why are You giving support to heretics [by referring to Yourself in the plural and implying that You need the consent of the angels to create man]?" Hashem answered, "Write this, and whoever wants to err let him err. From this, greater men will learn humility and will ask permission from lesser men." R' Doron David Gold shlita (menahel ruchani in the Itri Yeshiva in Israel) observes: The midrash refers to a person who "wants to err." The midrash is teaching that what lessons one derives from Torah depends on one's approach. One who approaches Torah study with complete faith in the holiness of the text and the subject matter will never reach heretical conclusions. However, one who wants to err, i.e., one who approaches Torah in search of support for his pre-conceived, mistaken notions, will certainly err. (Tiferet Avot p.1) ******** "Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized that they were naked." (3:7) R' Joseph B. Soloveitchik z"l (1903-1993) explains: After Adam and Chava sinned, they instinctively realized that they had forfeited their pristine status and had gained nothing in return. They had not attained what the serpent had promised (3:5), "On the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like Elokim, knowing good and bad." R' Soloveitchik continues: We read (Hoshea 14:2), "Return, Yisrael to Hashem, your Elokim, for you have stumbled through your iniquity." This means: "You have failed to achieve the goals that led you to sin." When man can acknowledge that his sins have gained him nothing, he has a significant motivation to repent. (Noraot Harav Vol. 16, p.25) ******** "Hashem Elokim called out to the man and said to him, `Ayechah / Where are you?'" (3:9) The Midrash Rabbah identifies the word "Ayechah" as conveying the same message as "Eichah" / "Alas! How has it happened?" (as in the opening verse of the Book of Eichah). But what do these words have in common other than the seeming coincidence of their identical spelling (with different vowels)? R' Shmuel Yafeh Ashkenazi z"l (Turkey; 1525-1595) explains: The word "Eichah" is a cry: "How is it possible that you did something so senseless with no real benefit?" In the Book of Eichah it means: "After I brought you into a Land flowing with milk and honey, how is it possible that you committed the senseless acts that led to the destruction of the Temple?" Here, where Hashem called to Adam, it means: "Where were your thoughts? After I placed you in such a perfect place, how could you sin so senselessly?" (Yefeh Einayim: Devarim) ******** Where is Gan Eden? Is Gan Eden a physical place, or is it a spiritual "place" where souls receive their reward? If it is a physical place, where is it? R' Moshe ben Nachman z"l (Ramban; 1194-1270; Spain and Eretz Yisrael) answers the first of the above questions. He writes: The secret of the matter is that these things have a double existence. [On the one hand,] Gan Eden, the Four Rivers (Bereishit 2:10-14), the Tree of Live, the Tree of Knowledge, the cherubs and the spinning sword blade (3:24), the fig leaf, the belts and the leather garments (3:21) -- all of these [places and things] are meant to be taken literally. "This matter is true and well-founded," Ramban writes. In addition, he explains, they allude to a wondrous secret which can be understood by reading them as a deep metaphor. We find a similar double level of meaning regarding the layout of the mishkan / Tabernacle. On the one hand, the mishkan existed as a physical place whose detailed description is found in the Torah; on the other hand, that layout also is a metaphor for secrets of higher worlds. Ramban continues: Even as a physical place, Gan Eden is superior to all other places, for lofty spiritual worlds are parallel to it. [It also is the choichest of physical locations.] Adam Ha'rishon, the handiwork of G-d's Hand, was placed in Gan Eden for the benefit of his physical body [because having a well nourished and well cared-for body promotes joy, which, in turn, promotes spiritual accomplishment (Chazon Yoel, based on Ramban to Bereishit 25:34 and Rabbeinu Bachya to Bereishit 27:4 and Shmot 18:12)]. Ramban adds: Just as we believe that Eretz Yisrael, in general, and Yerushalayim, in particular, are places whose nature enables one to more readily attain prophecy--how much more so was this true in the Bet Hamikdash itself!--so, those who resided in Gan Eden experienced lofty visions, and their souls were uplifted by exposure to deep secrets. Indeed, they encountered spiritual beings (angels) in their daily existence. The fact that they attained everything that a human being is capable of attaining was due to their being in a special place, just as the Torah implies (Shmot 25:40) that Moshe attained what he attained because he was in a special place (i.e., on Har Sinai). This, writes Ramban, is what we know about Gan Eden. (Sha'ar Ha'gmul) Rabbeinu Machir z"l (Spain; 14th century) writes that the physical Gan Eden and the Gan Eden of the souls parallel each other. He explains: When the soul leaves the body, it is not capable of moving directly from the physical world to a purely spiritual world. The physical Gan Eden is the way-station here on earth where the soul spends some amount of time before rising to the spiritual worlds. (Avkat Rocheil ch.21) Where is the physical Gan Eden? The midrash Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer (ch.20) states that the entrance to Gan Eden is near Har Ha'moriah / the Temple Mount. Adam Ha'rishon was created from the earth of the Temple Mount, and placed into Gan Eden. When he was expelled from Gan Eden, he returned to the Temple Mount, settled there and built an altar there. R' David Luria z"l (1797-1855; Lithuania; author of commentaries on many midrashim) writes that the Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer does not mean that the entrance to Gan Eden is literally near Yerushalayim, for that would be inconsistent with the Gemara (Eruvin 19a) which states: "If Gan Eden is in Eretz Yisrael, its opening is in Bet She'an; if it is in Arabia, its opening is in Bet Gram; if it is in Mesopotamia, its opening is in Dumaskanin in Babylon." Rashi z"l explains that the reason that the Gemara asserts that, if Gan Eden is in Eretz Yisrael, its opening is in Bet She'an, is because Bet She'an has the sweetest fruits of all of Eretz Yisrael. This, writes R' Luria, refers to the fruits of Ginossar (another name for the Kinneret region); apparently, its fruits are sweet because they grow near Gan Eden. Furthermore, R' Luria writes, the Gemara (Pesachim 8b) states that ultra sweet fruits do not grow near Yerushalayim so that pilgrims would not ascend to Yerushalayim on the festivals for the ulterior motive of eating the region's fruits. It follows, R' Luria concludes, that Gan Eden cannot be very near Yerushalayim; rather, if it is in Eretz Yisrael, it is near Bet She'an. (Be'ur Ha'Radal)