The Hidden Light of Purim (Adapted from the Torah of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l, Pachad Yitzchok, Purim Maamar 34)

 The Hidden Light of Purim (Adapted from the Torah of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l, Pachad Yitzchok, Purim Maamar 34)

By Eliakim Willner

Eliakim Willner is author of an English volume of Pachad Yitzchok Maamorim, and of “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaTorah: An Appreciation of Torah Study”, a translation with commentary of a work by the Maharal of Prague, both published by Artscroll/Mesorah. A translation of the Maharal’s Nesiv HaAvodah awaits publication, along with many additional Maamorim.

 Long Term Benefits of a Short Term Solution

 “…and these days of Purim shall not be revoked from amidst the Jews, and their memory shall not cease from their descendants” (Esther 9:28). The Medrash explains that “even at a time when all the other holidays will be annulled, Purim will not be annulled, as the verse assures us: ‘…and their memory shall not cease from their descendants’”.

We can best understand this Medrash by way of a parable. Two individuals are ordered to recognize people in the darkness of night. One of them lit a candle and examined the faces of the people in its light in order to recognize them. The second individual had no candle, but since he was nonetheless obligated to recognize the people, he trained himself to recognize them by the differences in their voices.

Insofar as clarity and accuracy are concerned, the first individual had an advantage over the second since visual recognition is more certain than auditory recognition. On the other hand, the second individual had an advantage over the first in that he fine-tuned his sense of hearing with respect to distinguishing human voices. The individual who used a candle lacks the ability to accurately distinguish people using his sense of hearing. Thus, once morning dawns the first individual will extinguish his candle since it is useless in the light of day. The candle-driven recognition abilities that he strove to achieve at night are now redundant. As for the second individual, true, he too is now able to visually recognize people, but the fine-tuned auditory recognition abilities that he strove to achieve at night will remain with him forever.

The “Sixth Sense” of Purim 

In a leap year we read the Megilla in the second Adar month, in order to juxtapose the redemption that took place on Purim with the Egyptian redemption, which took place in Nissan. The deliberate juxtaposition of Purim with Pesach teaches us that there is a comparison to be made between the two redemptions. 

It is important for us to realize that just as the Egyptian redemption is marked by a divine declaration of Anochi, “I”, as in “I am Hashem, your G-d, Who took you out of the land of Egypt”, so too is the Purim redemption marked with its own Anochi declaration: “And I will surely hide, hastair astair…”. (The Gemara points to this phrase as an oblique reference to Purim: “Where is there a reference to Esther in the Torah? It is in the verse, ‘And I will surely hide, hastair, astair’” Devarim 31:18). The Anochi in both cases signals Hashem’s active involvement in both redemptions, albeit, as we will explain, in different ways

The significance of this fact is that there are two ways for the Jewish nation to recognize the Anochi, the “I”; the presence of Hashem as mastermind of events – either the Egyptian redemption way, or the Purim redemption way. Referring back to our earlier parable, the Jewish nation recognizing the Anochi in the Egyptian redemption way is comparable to the individual who recognizes others with the aid of a candle, a tool that provides light. The open miracles of the Egyptian redemption “illuminate” Hashem’s active involvement, as it were.

The Jewish nation recognizing the Anochi via a hidden and oblique redemption – the Purim way – on the other hand, is akin to the individual who recognizes people using a self-developed means of perception which enables him to bypass the sense of sight. There were no open miracles during the Purim redemption. Hashem’s involvement could only be discerned by “reading between the lines” of what appeared to be ordinary, natural events.

Let us expand our parable. When the day dawns brightly, and the sun rises in all its glory; that is to say – switching to the nimshal  – when, at the time of our final redemption, the light of Hashem’s glory will be orders of magnitude greater than the brightness of the sun, the earlier open miracles – the “tools” that the Jewish nation had to rely on previously in order to perceive the Anochi, the presence of Hashem as mastermind of events – will automatically become superfluous.

This is because the Anochi – the presence of Hashem as mastermind of all events – will permeate every aspect of existence after the final redemption, causing the miracles of the Egyptian exodus, in comparison, to pale into relative insignificance, just as the lesser light of a candle pales into insignificance in comparison to the light of the sun.

The miracles of the Egyptian exodus are akin to the candle of the parable. Just as a candle illuminates only its immediate vicinity, so do the Egyptian exodus miracles expose the hand of Hashem only in the events of the miracles themselves. The light of the much brighter sun is akin to the miracles of the final redemption, but in both cases our perception of Hashem’s active involvement does not extend beyond what the light illuminates; it does not extend to what appears to be “natural” everyday events. Both lights remain external tools for perceiving the involvement of Hashem.

All this is true about the holidays that are centered around the Egyptian redemption. It does not apply to the Purim redemption, in the context of which the Jewish nation taught itself to recognize Anochi – the presence of Hashem as mastermind of events – even during darkness; during hiddenness. This “sixth sense” of perception persists in the soul of the nation whether it is light or dark, just as, in the parable, the individual who taught himself to distinguish people by the sounds of their voices had no need for an illuminating tool at all in order to identify people. With our “Purim sense” we do not need to rely on the extraordinary light of the ultimate redemption to recognize Hashem as the mastermind of all events. No external “tools” in the form of open miracles are necessary.

That is why “even at a time when all the other holidays will be annulled, Purim will not be annulled, as the verse assures us: ‘…and their memory shall not cease from their descendants’”.

Supercharging the Mind with Ad D’lo’Yada 

In summary, there are two ways in which a person can be divinely enlightened. The first – the Egyptian redemption way –  can be expressed using the verse-phrase, “Hashem enlightens me” (Micha 7:8). The second first – the Purim redemption way –  can be expressed using the more expanded verse-phrase, “…although I will sit in darkness, Hashem enlightens me”.

Purim’s distinction is the enlightenment that “glows” even in the darkness. And just as the energy that guides a person even in the midst of darkness is more potent than ordinary light, so too are the intuitive insights that emerge in the below-the-level of consciousness glow of Purim especially cherished.

 

The Misoninim Mysteries: An Understanding Based on the Torah of the Maharal and the Ketzos HaChoshen

 

The Misoninim Mysteries: An Understanding Based on the Torah of the Maharal and the Ketzos HaChoshen

The Mysteries

The parsha of the Misoninim (Bamidbar 11) may superficially seem straightforward but on reflection, there are a number of puzzling aspects that beg for explanation. First of all, what was their primary complaint? Did they want meat? If so, what was the point of mentioning the vegetables that they ate in Egypt? Were they tired of the mon? Then why mention meat, any “real” food should have served their purpose? And why (posuk 7) did they seemingly speak in complimentary terms about the mon?

Why does the Torah tell us (posuk 4) that they “had a lust”; what does that add to the stated complaint of “we want meat!”? Why (posuk 10) do they add their resentment of the newly forbidden marital relationships to their litany of complaints; what does that have to do with either a hankering for meat or the “monotony” of the mon? One might say that they were complaining for complaining’s own sake, so there is no relationship between the complaints, but that seems superficial.

Finally, the quail that they were provided was immediately fatal; the moment they sunk their teeth into it, they died. How, then, did so many people die from eating it? Didn’t people watching the first quail-eaters die realize that they might be better off avoiding it?

Surely there is depth to be mined beneath the surface here.

The Benefits of a Coercive Matan Torah

To solve these mysteries – and to understand this parsha – we turn to the introduction to Sefer Shev Shmaitso, by the Ketzos, who has a unique and unifying understanding of the parsha of the Misoninim based on the Torah of the Maharal.

It all begins at Sinai. Recall that, per the Medrash (Tanchuma, Noach 3) before the Torah was given to Yisroel, Hashem lifted the mountain over their heads like a barrel, har k’gigis, and told them that if they did not accept the Torah, “this will be your burial place”. Of course the question is, since the nation had already willingly accepted the Torah (naaseh v’nishma; we will observe and we will understand) why was this coercive measure necessary?

The Maharal in Tiferes Yisroel 32 answers by pointing out that things that are imperative are permanent. This is why, for example, a me’anes is bound to his victim, the anusa, for life; he forced himself upon her (imperative) and therefore the relationship becomes permanent. The Maharal cites a Medrash that explains that the coercion at Sinai metaphorically creates an unbreakable me’anes-anusa-type relationship between Hashem and Yisroel; the Sinai covenant is permanent and, come what may, neither party can back out of it. Naaseh v’nishma was a discretionary acceptance of the Torah and therefore, despite its merits, it would not have been permanently binding.

The Ketzos notes that this bond extends to the relationship between Yisroel and the Torah as well. We must study Torah; it is imperative and not optional; permanent and not transitory. He cites Yalkut Re’uveini (Vayishlach) that the Sar of the Torah, the angel in charge of the Torah, was tasked with mon production. What does the mon have to do with the Torah? The Sefer HaMagid of the Bais Yosef states that the mon had the effect of nullifying free choice and making it impossible for those eating it to occupy themselves with anything other than the Torah. Their physical appetites disappeared; their only passion was for Torah study.

Appetites for Appetites

This, then, was behind the primary complaint of the Misoninim. They wanted their physical appetites back; they “had a lust’ for their dormant physical lusts! This business of mandatory Torah-study-only wasn’t for them. They yearned for the ability to enjoy a steak again; they remembered that in Egypt they were even able to enjoy vegetables!

In short, they wanted the discretionary Torah of naaseh v’nishma only, the imperative nature of the har k’gigis coercion wasn’t letting them enjoy the physical pleasures of life. However, they sugar-coated their complaints by arguing that it was more meritorious to operate on a free choice basis than to be boxed in to Torah. We would eat the mon without being forced to, they argued; after all, it’s appealing and tasty. We would study Torah too – when we wanted to. But we want our physical appetites back!

They were way out of line. The role of that generation was to immerse themselves totally in Torah study. Har k’gigis was supposed to have a dramatic effect on their way of life during their desert sojourn and the mon was an integral part of creating that way of life.

Their punishment, writes the Ketzos, was that they got their physical cravings back with a vengeance. They knew, after the first few moments, that eating the quail was a death sentence. Yet their appetites were so strong that they were compelled to gorge themselves nonetheless!

Forbidden Marital Relationships and Har K’Gigis

This approach solves most of the Misoninim mysteries we mentioned. How, though, does their resentment of the newly forbidden marital relationships fit into this picture? The Ketzos answers this by referencing a question of the Maharal in Gur Aryeh (Vayigash). The Maharal notes that when the Torah was given, the entire nation had the status of converts to Judaism. If so, the Maharal asks, why is it that the forbidden marital relationships affected this generation? We know that a convert has the status of a newborn and his previous familial relationships are cancelled. A convert may even marry his birth-sister since the conversion nullifies the brother-sister relationship. So why were the Misoninim complaining about these forbidden relationships in the first place?

The answer, says the Maharal, is that a convert only has the status of a newborn when the conversion was done willingly. However, the conversion of the nation at Sinai was transformed into a coerced conversion when the mountain was held over their heads. Therefore their previous familial relationships were not nullified and the prohibitions applied.

If the Torah had been given on the basis of naaseh v’nishma only there would have been no practical application of the Torah laws prohibiting certain marital relationships for that generation. The “culprit” preventing that from happening was the coercive nature of their conversion brought about by the threat of har k’gigis. We now understand how this particular complaint fits into the Misoninim’s broader picture. They were bothered by all the ramifications of har k’gigis versus naaseh v’nishma, and this was one of them.

The Implications for Us, Today

Our generation does not have mon and our therefore our physical appetites are restored. We can choose to favor them, but the mon remains in our genes forever and we retain the ability to attenuate our physical desires and to choose to single-mindedly devote ourselves to the pursuit of Torah and mitzvos, just as our ancestors did in the desert.

The Ketzos adds a sobering thought. Our physical and spiritual components were implanted in us as separate entities and were “designed” to stay that way. When we leave this world our soul should be heading upwards, unimpeded and unsullied by the body, while the body reposes in the earth, disconnected from the soul.

To the extent that we humor our physical component by indulging ourselves in physical pleasures, we pollute our spiritual component by intermingling it with our bodies. The separation at death is more difficult and more painful and our souls actually retain the pollution of the physical desires we indulged in during our lives.

The Torah tells us (verse 34) “He named that place Kivros Hata'avah (Graves of Craving), for there they buried the people who crave.” Note the present tense: “who crave”. They were dead and buried, surely it would have been more accurate to say, in the past tense, “the people who craved”? But the Ketzos quotes the Akeida who writes that even after their death, their souls continue to crave since they were polluted by the body’s craving when they were connected. Sobering indeed!

May we all merit to take full advantage of the permanence Hashem blessed us with when he imposed har k’gigis, by focusing our lives around Torah and by minimizing physical world indulgences.

We Are Malochim (Adapted from the Torah of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l, Pachad Yitzchok, Shavuous, Maamar 4)

 We Are Malochim (Adapted from the Torah of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l, Pachad Yitzchok, Shavuous, Maamar 4)

By Eliakim Willner

Eliakim Willner is author of a volume of select Pachad Yitzchok Maamorim, in English with commentary, and of “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaTorah: An Appreciation of Torah Study”, a translation with commentary of a work by the Maharal of Prague, both published by Artscroll/Mesorah. A continuation of the Nesivos Olam series, “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaAvodah: The Philosophy and Practice of Prayer” awaits publication.

 The Paradox of True Servants of Hashem 

In life, our possessions can generally be classified as either luxuries or necessities. But what of wisdom? Is wisdom a luxury or a necessity? Intuitively we might say that wisdom is a necessity. How can we get along without wisdom?

That is one perspective on wisdom. But from another perspective, wisdom, and in particular Torah wisdom, partakes heavily of the character of the most lavish of luxuries. We explain this apparent paradox.

In general, necessity surpasses luxury from the standpoint of the degree of pain suffered in its absence, while on the other hand, luxury surpasses necessity from the standpoint of the degree of pleasure enjoyed in its presence. For example, the pleasure obtained from a royal audience – certainly a luxury - is infinitely greater than the pain suffered from not having a royal audience. Not having something that most people never have anyway is not a terribly great source of pain. Conversely, the pain of lacking food to eat or clothing to wear is infinitely greater than the pleasure of having those necessities. Having necessities is a state that people take for granted and do not especially experience great joy from.

The general rule is that the more an experience makes inroads onto the turf of “luxury”, the more the pleasure of having it exceeds the pain of not having it. On the other hand, the more an experience makes inroads onto the turf of “necessity”, the more the pain of not having it exceeds the pleasure of having it.

However, anyone who has been fortunate enough to observe the inner life of true servants of Hashem, knows with certainty that their relationship to their Torah study and to their service of Hashem partakes of the characteristics of both necessity and luxury, interwoven. For people such as these, when either Torah or service are lacking, the pain is akin to the lack of the most vital necessity. However, the joy and the spiritual pleasure when they are present, is akin to that of the presence of the most lavish of luxuries, and the most enjoyable of pleasures, as we have said.

What is the spiritual source that energizes this remarkable phenomenon?

A Personal Naaseh V’Nishma 

This is what Rabbeinu Yonah taught in Shaarei Teshuva 2:3:

“… For one who accepts upon himself to do whatever the masters of Torah instruct him, from that day onward… And from the time that he accepted this in his heart, he acquired merit and reward for his soul for all of the commandments and ethical acts. And happy is he for justifying his soul in a short time…

“And it is said in Avos D’Rav Nosson 22, ‘Anyone whose actions are greater than his wisdom - his wisdom will endure, as the posuk states (Shmos 24:7), “We will do and we will take in”, Naaseh V’Nishma’. [The implication of the sequence is that we are prepared “to do” whatever it is we are told to do regardless of what the command that “we will take in” will be. The taking in is only necessary to define the command and enable us to set the action in motion.]

“The reason is that when a man accepts upon himself with a faithful heart to keep and do according to the ‘Torah that he was taught, and about the judgement that was told to him’ (Devarim 17:11), from that day, he has the reward for all of the commandments that his ear heard and that he understood, as well as for all of the things which his ear has still not heard about…

“And it emerges that the actions of this man are greater than his wisdom, since he did not know the thing, but the reward for it is in his possession. And it is of the same nature as the declaration of the nation Yisroel at Mount Sinai, ‘We will do and we will take in– they accepted the actions upon themselves before hearing what was required of them. And in no other way it is possible for the actions of a man to be greater than what he knows.”

These are the words of Rabbeinu Yonah.

The Sinai Baseline 

The lesson of Rabbeinu Yonah’s words is this: The Mishna that teaches (Avos 3:9) that the only wisdom that endures, is the wisdom of a person whose actions are greater than what he knows, is built on the same principle as Yisroel’s declaration of “We will do and we will take in”, when the Torah was given.

The implications are earth-shattering. The Mishna is actually teaching that the heights that Yisroel achieved at Sinai with that statement, subsequently became the standard against which the wisdom of every Jew is measured – to the extent that if his wisdom does not measure up to that standard, it will not endure!

That statement, which, at Sinai, shook all the worlds in wonderment, and at which an amazed heavenly voice cried out, “Who revealed to My children this secret formulation used by the malachai hashares, per the posuk (Tehillim 103:20), ‘Those mighty in strength, who perform His word, to take in the voice of His word’ (‘perform’ precedes ‘take in)” – that same statement is now the universal baseline. The only way for any Jew to achieve the wisdom-enduring level of “actions greater than knowledge” is for him to precede “we will take in” with “we will do” in his personal service to Hashem.

How are we to understand this?

The Malochim and Us 

The explanation is as follows. The precedence of “we will do” to “we will take in” on the part of the malachai hashares means that the taking in is not the cause of their fulfilling the will of Hashem. The taking in merely enables the fulfillment by defining the required act, but the fulfillment itself is independent of any particular cause, since the malachai hashares exist only to fulfill the will of their Creator. Their very name defines their essence; the word for “angel” is malach and that word means “delegate” or “agent”. Heavenly beings are referred to in this way because their mission is their existence. The rule is that a single malach cannot have multiple missions because a malach’s mission is synonymous with its existence and a single entity cannot have more than one existence.

Chazal teach us (Chagigah 14a) that there are malochim that sing a single song of praise to Hashem, and then expire. But can malochim “die”? Death was decreed when Odom ate from the Aitz HaDaas, but malochim were not included in that decree. Rather, the malochim expire simply because they have no existence independent of their mission. The moment their mission is done, they are themselves, by definition, done. Thus, if a maloch’s mission was a one-time declaration of Hashem’s sanctity, it will cease to exist once it has made that declaration.

To put it another way, it is the maloch’s “we will do” that defines their existence since it establishes their status as agents of Hashem and therefore it must precede their “we will take in”. Being an agent of Hashem gives them the capacity to fulfill Hashem’s missions. “We will take in” enables the mission specifics to be transmitted to them. Once the mission is complete there is nothing further for that maloch to “do” so it ceases to exist.

However, the specific maloch-like behavior of “will do” before “take in”, meaning, no justification for existence without the “do”, was transplanted into mankind when the Torah was given. From that point onward, there exists in the physical world an entity such that the justification for its existence, and the fact of its existence, is to fulfill the will of its Creator. The identity of that entity? The Jewish nation.

The defining feature of the events surrounding the giving of the Torah was not that the heavens descended upon the earth; not the spectacular miracles resulting from that event. It was, rather, the introduction of the concept of chad hu, “overlapping identities” – the unity of Hashem, the Jewish nation and the Torah. The implication of introducing the concept of chad hu is that from that moment onwards it is not the “take in” that triggers the “will do” but rather, that the “will do” is a natural outcome of the unity; the “take in”  is no more than a means of actualizing the “will do”. In that model it is inevitable that the “will do” precede the “take in” just as it does with respect to angels. We are one with the Torah, our mission, and it defines our identity, just as a maloch’s identity is defined by its mission. In that way, we, denizens of the lower worlds, partook of the secret of the denizens of the upper worlds.

As a result, every fresh insight that enters the mind of every Jew – that is, every “take in” – is guaranteed to have been preceded by a “will do”, thus maintaining, for every Jew, the constant equilibrium of the actions of a man being greater than what he knows.

The Ever-Present Mission 

Moreover, since, from the moment the Torah was given and onwards, every Jew’s advancement in Torah knowledge and in service to Hashem is attained on the basis of chad hu, we must view these advancements not as new acquisitions obtained from outside his current sphere, but rather as self-vitalizations, based on a preexisting foundation. Such a person is, in a manner of speaking, pulling himself up by his own bootstraps. Since he is one with Hashem and the Torah, his accomplishment is tantamount to uncovering and activating a novel Torah thought, or a laudable practice, that was already there as his previously accepted “mission”, albeit in latent form. Thus, however much he grows, he will always be “greater than what he knows”.

Torah is Life 

We are now prepared to identify the spiritual origin of the two-sided relationship that true servants of Hashem have with their Torah and their service. We said that it is a relationship comprising both necessity and luxury, for, to a true servant of Hashem, the pain of absence with respect to Torah and service, is as acute as the pain of someone lacking a vital necessity, while the pleasure of possessing Torah and service is as intense as the pleasure of enjoying the most extravagant of luxuries.

This paradox becomes plausible when we realize that the distinction we drew earlier between luxuries and necessities applies only to the trappings of life and to the process of seeking them out. When it comes to life itself, however, this distinction dissolves. The drive to survive fundamentally outweighs even the combined desires for necessities and luxuries. A person saved from drowning in a river does not gauge his reaction to that experience using the same pain versus pleasure yardstick that he would use to gauge his reaction to necessities or luxuries.

A person facing the prospect of his imminent demise is struck with a stark realization of what it means to live. All the pleasures of the world pale into insignificance when measured against the possibility of a second chance at life itself. Thus, when it comes to a life-or-death situation, the pain of absence and the pleasure of presence are equal partners. They are both at their height.

As we stated earlier, all advancements in Torah and service to Hashem that are worthy of the name take place as self-vitalizations, based on a pre-existing foundation. They are not new acquisitions obtained from outside the person’s current sphere, but are newly-vitalized chunks of potential which themselves derive from his already-integrated oneness with Hashem and with the Torah. They are above and beyond the plane in which necessities and luxuries fall into different categories. These advancements are, in other words, acts which bring life, and distance death, and as such they both bring joy in their presence and despair in their absence, akin to the feelings of someone plucked from a raging river.

Only an outside observer, who pigeonholes the experiences of servants of Hashem into one or the other of necessity or luxury categories, will be perplexed at the apparent duality of how they relate to their experiences – as if they were both necessity and luxury at the same time. But the reality is that there is no duality. In fact, they are seeing the outcome of unity. Yisroel and the Torah are one.

It All Started at Sinai 

We say in birchas kriyas shma, “We will rejoice in the words of Your Torah and in Your commandments… For they are our life…”.

The stated reason for the rejoicing seems to be beside the point. Are there not things that people rejoice about other than the fact that they are alive? The reference, however, is not to ordinary joy but to the joy experienced by a person saved from drowning in a river, who rejoices in life itself. When a person is spared after staring death in the face, he becomes acutely conscious of the fact of his existence, and there is no joy more intense than the joy experienced at that moment.

Similarly the Torah and mitzvos continually awaken us to the very fact of our existence and for that reason “we will rejoice in the words of Your Torah and in Your commandments, for they are our life”. Thus this is not merely a statement about one particular thing that we find joyful, it is an explanation of why we are continually in a state of joy. The Torah and its commandments are unique in their ability to keep us in a continual state of joy because they are the raison d'etre for our very existence.

May the yom tov of Shavuous renew our joy in the Torah, and may that joy last throughout the year!

The Bitterness of the Marror – and the Bitterness of Tisha B’Av (Adapted from the Hakdomo to Sefer Shev Shmaitso, Os Shin)

 The Bitterness of the Marror – and the Bitterness of Tisha B’Av (Adapted from the Hakdomo to Sefer Shev Shmaitso, Os Shin)

By Eliakim Willner

Eliakim Willner is author of a newly released volume of select Pachad Yitzchok Maamorim, in English with commentary, and of “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaTorah: An Appreciation of Torah Study”, a translation with commentary of a work by the Maharal of Prague, both published by Artscroll/Mesorah. A continuation of the Nesivos Olam series, “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaAvodah: The Philosophy and Practice of Prayer” awaits publication, as does “To Be A Jew”, an adaptation with commentary of the Hakdomo to Sefer Shev Shmaitso, from which this article is drawn.

 

A Strange Connection

Chazal make a curious connection between the Seder night and the night of Tisha B’Av. The Shev Shmaitso, in his introduction, explains the relationship between these two apparently disparate occasions.

We begin with the source for this connection in the Medrash Rabbah (Eichah Rabbah 3:5):

“‘He has filled me with bitterness; He has sated me with wormwood’ (Eichah 3:15). With what he filled me with bitterness on the nights of Pesach, per the posuk, ‘they shall eat it with matzo and marror’ (Bamidbar 9:11), he sated me with wormwood on the nights of  Tisha B’Av, the ninth of Av.”

The Medrash is drawing a parallel between the bitter marror of the nights of Pesach and the much more bitter “wormwood-like” experience of the night of Tisha B’Av, when the two Batei Mikdash were destroyed. Tisha B’Av always falls out on the same day of the week as the first day of Pesach, but the connection between the first night of Pesach and Tisha B’Av runs deeper, as the Shev Shmaitso will explain, based on another Medrash in Eichah Rabbah 1:20.

Avrohom’s Argument to Hashem

“On the night of Tisha B’Av our forefather Avrohom entered into the kodesh kodoshim. Hashem “took him by the hand” and strolled with him through its length and breadth, and asked him, ‘What brings you, my cherished one, to My home?’ (Yirmiyahu 11:15) He responded, ‘My Master, where are my children?’ Hashem responded, ‘They sinned and I exiled them among the nations’. Avrohom responded, ‘Were there no righteous among them?’ Hashem responded, ‘…the many perform evil design’ (Yirmiyahu 11:15). Avrohom said, ‘You should have focused on the righteous among them’. Hashem responded, ‘Their many were bad, as the posuk testifies: “…the many perform evil design”’.

Upon close analysis there seems to be something amiss with this dialog. Avrohom asks, “Were there no righteous…”, seeking mercy on the basis of more merit than sin. Hashem responds in a manner implying that in fact that this was not so. Why, then, does Avrohom persist by suggesting, “You should have focused on the righteous”? He was just told that there was no majority of righteous!

Transgression Cancellation

It seems to me that we must understand Avrohom’s argument in light of a concept presented in the Drashos of Rabbi Yehuda Moscato (Nefutzos Yehudah), who has a novel understanding of the principle of judgement being based on the conduct of the majority. He writes that this judgement works through the mechanism of “transgression cancellation”, such that if person A is a murderer, person B, a thief, person C, a bribe-taker, person D, a usurer, etc., the transgression categories “cancel each other out” – meaning that since most people do not fall into each individual category the net result is that no transgression category will have a majority of the population.

Thus, the population can be judged favorably, in this lenient understanding of the concept of judgement being based on the conduct of the majority, even if the net sum of overall transgressions in the population exceeds the net sum of overall mitzva actions.

Another way of viewing this “mitzva-centric” approach is to consider each mitzva individually, asking of each, “are the majority of the population observant of this mitzva?” If the answer is “yes” that counts in the “favorable” column. If the answer is “no”, that counts in the unfavorable column. After all the mitzvos have been processed in this way, the two columns are summed, and positive or, G-d forbid, negative judgement is applied based on the column with the highest value.

Bitul of an Issur with an Issur

This is analogous to the principle expounded in Zevachim 78a that if one combines and eats a mixture of pigul, nosar and tamei he is exempt from penalty. There are various disqualifiers that prohibit the consumption of meat from a korban. The three mentioned here are pigul, which is meat from a korban offered with improper intent, nosar, which is meat from a korban whose time limit for consumption has expired, and tamei, which is meat from a korban that was rendered ritually impure by contact with a person or object that was itself impure. Penalties are imposed on those who violate these prohibitions by eating a minimum olive-sized piece of any of those meats.

The reason for the exemption of penalty is the principle of bitul, annulment. If a prohibited substance is mixed with a larger amount of a different substance, the prohibited substance is nullified. Here, all three substances are prohibited, but the prohibitions are different, and with respect to each of the substances, the others, although prohibited in their own right, are capable of nullifying that substance. (This is a complex topic; see the Gemara and commentaries for additional detail and explanation.)

Avrohom’s Lomdishe Argument

Now, let us apply this principle to our question on the Medrash. Originally Avrohom asked if there were actual righteous people among the nation, meaning “righteous” in the classic sense of overall merits outnumbering overall transgressions. Told that there were not – “the many perform evil design” – Avrohom responded, “You should have focused on the righteous among them”, meaning that Hashem should have applied the mechanism of “transgression cancellation”. Although each of them were guilty of several categories of transgression, they were “righteous” with respect to the categories of transgression that they were did not violate, in comparison to the “un-righteous” others who did violate those transgressions. The transgressions of person A are not the transgressions of person B, etc.

This answers our question on the Medrash. Avrohom was not asking the same question twice. Having been told that considering all the mitzvos in aggregate the nation had more transgressions than merits, Avrohom contended that a favorable judgement should nevertheless have emerged, using Rabbi Moscato’s “mitzva-centric” understanding of judgement based on the conduct of the majority.

To this Hashem responded, “Their many were bad…”, meaning that prohibitions do not “cancel each other out”. Only the sum total of transgressions versus merits is significant. There is no “transgression cancellation”. And on that basis the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash and the exile were deserved.

Pesach: The Refutation of the Argument

Now let us return to the original Medrash’s equation of the “bitterness” of the marror on Pesach with the “bitterness” suffered on Tisha B’Av. We do so via the continuation of the previously cited Gemara in Zevachim, which states that the previously cited rule that eating a mixture of prohibited foods is exempt from penalty, where each prohibited food is a minority of the total mixture, is counter to the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, who holds that just as mitzvos cannot nullify one another, so too can forbidden items not nullify one another.

How does Rabbi Elazar know that mitzvos cannot nullify one another? The Gemara states that the origin of the counter-view that mitzvos cannot nullify one another is a practice of Hillel, who would sandwich matzo and marror together and eat them together with the korban Pesach, in keeping with the posuk (Bamidbar 9:11), “they shall eat it with matzo and marror”.

Hillel’s actions presume that mitzvos cannot nullify one another. The Torah commands that we eat both matzo and marror on the night of Pesach. They are separate mitzvos. The suggestion that they be eaten together implies that one cannot nullify the other. We do not say that if there is more matzo, for example, the marror is nullified (and therefore the marror mitzva has not been fulfilled). Hillel’s advice does not take nullification into account and therefore he must hold that it is not a factor. By eating matzo and marror together both mitzvos are fulfilled, Hillel holds, and therefore it must be that he holds that mitzvos cannot nullify one another.

It stands to reason that Hillel holds that the same logic applies to transgressions, and that one transgression cannot nullify others, since there is no reason to distinguish between positive mitzvos and transgressions in this regard. Just as the mitzvos of matzo and marror each remain intact when they are eaten together, and we discount nullification, so also if a person eats multiple forbidden foods together, each food remains intact and nullification must be discounted as a factor. Therefore, Rabbi Elazar states, Hillel must hold, contrary to the original statement of the Gemara in Zevachim 78a, that if a person eats a mixture of pigul, nosar and tamei together, he is not “off the hook” but must suffer the penalties of all three.

(The Shev Shmaitso apparently holds that the view of Rabbi Yehuda Moscato does not align with the view of Hillel, which is normative halacha, and thus would not have a practical application.)

Hillel’s Korech is the Answer

The connection between the bitter marror of Pesach and the bitterness of Tisha B’Av now becomes clear. As Hashem told Avrohom, “Their many were bad” and transgressions do not “cancel each other out”.

The fact that we fulfill the mitzva of marror even when it is eaten with matzo is a signal that mitzvos do not nullify one another, and therefore by extension, and contrary to Rabbi Moscato’s approach to judgement based on majority, transgressions do not nullify one another. And therefore, since without that leniency, judgement based on majority means the more stringent approach of tallying the sum of mitzvos versus the sum of transgressions and applying reward or penalty to the nation based on whichever is greater. And since, unfortunately, the sum of the transgressions was greater, at the time of the Bais HaMikdash’s destruction, the harsh penalties of destruction and exile were imposed.

This is the full and profound meaning of the Medrash which draws a parallel between the bitterness of the marror on the first night of Pesach and the bitterness the destruction and exile of Tisha B’Av. “With what he filled me with bitterness on the nights of Pesach, per the posuk, ‘They shall eat it with matzo and marror’, he sated me with wormwood on the nights of Tisha B’Av”.

May we merit the final redemption and an end to the bitterness of our galus, quickly and in our days!

 

In Memory of Reb Yankel Montag, zt’l: A Beacon of Quiet Benevolence

A Life of Humble Service and Generosity

Reb Yankel Montag, a man known for his modesty and quiet benevolence, was niftar last week at the age of 75. Reb Yankel, the esteemed owner and operator of a substantial electrical supply company, leaves behind a legacy defined not just by his business acumen, but by the profound impact of his selfless acts of generosity and support.

A Successful Businessman

Reb Yankel ran a thriving electrical supply company, which he built from the ground up through hard work and dedication. His entrepreneurial spirit and keen business sense allowed him to create a prosperous enterprise that served countless customers with integrity and excellence. Yet, behind the façade of a successful businessman, and his many professional achievements, Reb Yankel remained grounded and true to his Torah values and his humble nature.

Unseen Acts of Kindness

Reb Yankel Montag's true passion lay in his quiet acts of kindness and his unwavering commitment to helping those in need. He was a man who never sought recognition or accolades for his deeds; instead, he found joy in the simple act of giving. His financial support extended far and wide, reaching individuals and families who found themselves in difficult circumstances. Whether it was to help pay a medical bill, finance a wedding, cover educational expenses, or provide for basic necessities, Reb Yankel was always there, offering a helping hand and a compassionate heart, with no fanfare.

A Pillar of Support

Reb Yankel’s generosity was not limited to financial aid. He was also a source of moral support and guidance for those who needed it most. There are countless stories of Reb Yankel stepping up the plate to assist families who lost everything in a fire or other catastrophe with financial support, moral support and even hands-on construction support.

His wisdom and empathy made him a trusted confidant and mentor to many. Reb Yankel believed in the power of encouragement and often provided solace to those facing life's challenges. His ability to listen and offer sound advice was a testament to his deep understanding of the neshama of a Yid.

Championing Education and Community

Reb Yankel Montag's benevolence extended beyond individuals to educational, religious and civic organizations. As a licensed contractor, he used his skills and expertise to provide hands-on assistance to Yeshivos, Batei Knesset and Batei Medrash. He financed projects, offered advice, and personally contributed to the maintenance and improvement of these institutions. Reb Yankel understood the importance of education and community, and he dedicated himself to ensuring that these pillars of society thrived. Among the many beneficiaries of his largesse were Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Camp Morris, Yeshiva of Brooklyn, Khal Veretzky, Yeshiva Novaminsk, Yeshiva Torah Temimah and numerous others.

He was personally involved in the building and renovation of these and other mosdos, bringing to bear not only financial assistance but also practical architectural and building advice – Reb Yankel was a licensed contractor and got his parnoso start in that field. And, as told to me by Rav Shlomo Mandel, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva of Brooklyn, Reb Yankel wasn’t above getting hands-on with the construction, the shlepping, the waste removal and other tasks that are usually relegated to the hired help. He viewed the construction as a mitzva and as such, mitzva bo yoser mi’bi’shelucho.

Reb Yankel also participated on a “lay leadership” level with the mosdos that were nearest and dearest to his heart, including Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, Camp Morris and Yeshiva of Brooklyn, among others.

A Legacy of Quiet Service

In a world where many seek recognition for their charitable acts, Reb Yankel Montag strove to avoid the limelight. His contributions were often made anonymously, with no expectation of gratitude or praise. Those who knew him were aware, usually through others, of some of his countless acts of kindness, but Reb Yankel rarely spoke of them. He believed that true tzdoko was not about acknowledgment but about the genuine desire to make a difference and to do the rotzon Hashem.

A True Eved Hashem

For many years I was privileged to daven one table away from Reb Yankel, whose ruchniesdike home base was Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin. Watching him daven was a shiur in avodas Hashem. In keeping with his mehalech of hatzneah leches, he did not engage in vocal or body language histrionics, but his demeanor – the look of concentration on his face, his unwavering focus on the siddur in front of him, the care he invested in clearly pronouncing every word with kavana – was constant. His absorption in his learning was on the same level.

If you wanted to chap a shmooze with Reb Yankel you had to wait until the final Amen of the final Kaddish, or until he closed his Gemara.

Vignettes of Chesed

To bring the gadlus of Reb Yankel home in more than just an abstract sense we present several of many, many stories that emerged as people came forward after his petira to discuss how they, personally, were beneficiaries of his benevolence.

·       A yunger man was having parnoso difficulties after leaving kollel; nothing he tried seemed to work out. He decided to get his feet wet in real estate, going door to door, asking people if they wanted, perhaps, to sell their house. Finally he hit upon what he thought was a good deal, but the asking price was much more than he could afford. So he consulted Reb Yankel. Reb Yankel taught him the ropes of real estate investment, gave him confidence and loaned him the entire sum necessary to make the purchase. This yunger man became successful and he attributes his success to Reb Yankel.

·       Reb Yankel’s involvement in kiruv was not well-known but it was yet another facet of his chesed. There is now a wonderful, frum family whose mother, the daughter of a non-Jewish man and a Jewish woman, become frum as a result of Reb Yankel’s tireless efforts over many years.

·       A homeowner was scammed, and as a result his house went into foreclosure. Reb Yankel bought the house and allowed the owner to live there for the remainder of his life.

·       In the depression of the late 1990’s several Yeshivos had problems making payroll, and Reb Yankel laid out the funds so that the Rebbeim and staff could be paid on time.

·       During that same tekufa other Yeshivos were not always able to cover their checks on time and some of their Rebbeim got into the habit of exchanging their Yeshiva checks with Reb Yankel’s personal check so that they wouldn’t have to worry about having to delay depositing their funds.

·       Reb Yankel heard when my wife and I were about to buy our first home and he reminded me that we had to have the house inspected before we closed. When he saw my blank stare he told me not to worry, he would take care of it. He personally inspected the house and gave us a detailed report of what needed to be taken care of before we signed our contract.

·       Reb Yankel’s son Yisroel told me that when he was a camper at Camp Morris, Reb Yankel, who had a summer home there, would ask him to bring him some of the Camp cholent before Shabbos. He said, “but Abba, we have our own cholent!” And his father told him, “I’m not interested in eating the cholent, but, as one of the baalei batim helping to run the camp, I have to make sure that the food we serve our bochrim is of the highest quality!”

Remembering Reb Yankel Montag

As we remember Reb Yankel Montag, we celebrate a life lived with purpose and compassion. His legacy is etched in the hearts of those he touched, a testament to the power of quiet benevolence. Though he is now in the olam ha’emes, his spirit of generosity and humility will continue to inspire and guide us.

Reb Yankel Montag is survived by his beloved family; his wife, children and grandchildren, all of whom are following in his ways. He also leaves behind a community that is forever grateful for his myriad acts of chesed. His petira leaves a void that can never be filled, but his memory will live on in the countless lives he changed through his selfless acts of compassion, and in the mosdos that he contributed to. May he be a mailitz yosher for his family and for the tzibur.

When we reflect on the life of Reb Yankel Montag, we are reminded of the profound impact one individual can have on his tzibur, and on the world. His life serves as a shining example of how we can all strive to be better, kinder, more modest, more generous – and better ovdai Hashem.

תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים

 

HaGaon Rav Shlomo Chai David Yitzchak Halioua, zt’l, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin

By Eliakim Willner

It is impossible to encapsulate in writing an individual of the caliber of Rav Shlomo Halioua. However, the emotions rise up and spill over, and it is also impossible to remain silent in the face of the unspeakable tragedy of his untimely petira. I’m sure that many others with qualifications far greater than mine will have words of tribute and homage; chizuk and nechama, but the following are the words that emanate from my own heart. I also draw on the testimony of the maspidim at the levaya, and others with whom I communicated personally, who were profligate in their praise of Rav Shlomo.

This is a tribute that, in my worst nightmares, I never expected to write. It is barely a few hours since the shocking news broke of Rav Shlomo Halioua’s petira, and barely two weeks since the Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin oilam-at-large understood that the Rosh Yeshiva wasn’t well. In fact, he had been ill for some time but few people were aware of his condition. With incredible mind-over-matter kochos – reminiscent of the kochos of his revered shver, Rav Aharon Schechter, zt’l – he soldiered on, delivering shiurim and shmuesen in his usual carefully thought out and meticulously crafted way.

Only very recently did it become evident that his strength might have been waning. At times he sat during davening when he would ordinarily have been standing. Yet, on Rosh HaShana he took the time and made the effort to give personal brachos to the large tzibur that went to be mekabel ponim by him after davening. On Chol Hamoed Sukkos he delivered his usual insightful Maamar and joined in the simcha with a smile on his face.

When we heard that he was hospitalized with an infection toward the end of Chol Hamoed, we weren’t shocked but neither were we alarmed. After all, the Rosh Yeshiva was a relatively young man and infections were treatable.

Only in the last week did the seriousness of the situation hit us. The change in atmosphere in the Yeshiva was palpable. Tehillim were recited with great fervor during the last days of yom tov, at every opportunity in the Yeshiva – before leining, after davening, before hakafos – and a large chabura forewent the pre-hakafos kiddush and said Tehillim again, b’tzibur.

His brother-in-law, Rav Sendrovitz, tore the heavens as he led the tzibur in Tehillim after Shachris on Sunday morning. But we were not zoche to reverse the gezaira and the bitter news reached us shortly after 2:00pm Sunday afternoon, chof-hai Tishrei.

His Ascension to Rosh Yeshiva

As Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Shlomo had huge shoes to fill; much of the oilam remembered Rav Hutner zt’l and of course everyone had vivid and immediate memories of Rav Aharon Schechter, zt’l. Rav Aharon hand-picked Rav Shlomo, his son-in-law, as his successor and it is safe to say that Rav Aharon fully expected Rav Shlomo to strike a balance between maintaining the traditions and minhagim of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin, while striking out on his own path, to meet the changing needs of the times.

This was no mean feat, but Rav Shlomo was up to the task. The “old-timers” continued to feel at home in the Yeshiva but Rav Shlomo “tweaked” as necessary to accommodate the dispositions of today’s bochrim. For example, Rav Shlomo instituted “in Shabbosos” for the younger Bais Medrash bochrim to encourage camaraderie and to build their kesher to the Yeshiva. He gave the younger bochrim a greater role in organizing and managing the Leil Shabbos and weekday sidrei ha’tefillos. He was mechazek sedorim on erev Shabbos and on Shabbos kodesh itself.

Rebbe-talmid relationships have always been very strong in the Yeshiva, but Rav Shlomo strengthened them even further by traveling to Eretz Yisroel to meet with the Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin bochrim learning there. He strove to relate to each bochur on an individual level, in the Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin tradition established and maintained by Rav Hutner and Rav Schechter.

The Early Years

Rav Shlomo was the son of Rav Avrohom Halioua, zt’l, a choshuver talmid chochom who became a Rav in Flatbush after emigrating from Morocco, and of Masoda bas Jamilla (who passed away only hours after Rav Shlomo’s petira and who whose aron joined that of Rav Shlomo outside the Yeshiva so that the massive oilam gathered for Rav Shlomo’s levaya could be melave her, as well).

Rav Shlomo Halioua’s abilities became known at a young age. Rav Shlomo Mandel, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Brooklyn, told me that he saw Rav Shlomo Halioua’s potential when he was yet a young student at that yeshiva. He later learned by Rav Paler zt’l, by Rav Faivel Cohen zt’l and in the Brooklyn Yeshivas Mir, before coming to Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, where he became very close to the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Aharon Schechter, soon becoming his son-in-law. He developed and maintained a close kesher with Rav Yaakov Drillman, Rosh Yeshiva of the Novardok Yeshiva.

Rav Shlomo’s gadlus in all miktzo‘os of Torah was legendary. He was a masmid from his early years; a boki in, among other things, shas, rishonim, acharonim; Maharal and Ramchal and other machshova seforim, and in inyonei tefilla. He was also a tremendous baal chesed – but always, in all areas, with the comportment of a true hatznaya leches.

His memory was incredible; it was said of him that talmidei chachomim could engage with him on any topic and he had that topic on his fingertips.

His Relationship with Rav Aharon Schechter

Rav Aharon relied on Rav Shlomo and often consulted with him on both Yeshiva and klal matters, especially in Rav Aharon’s later years. He trusted Rav Shlomo to represent him in meetings of senior Roshei Yeshiva, when Rav Aharon himself was unable to attend. Rav Aharon knew that although Rav Shlomo was an independent thinker, his and Rav Shlomo’s minds ran along similar paths, so to speak, and ultimately focused on achieving the same objectives.

A major factor in Rav Shlomo’s decision making process, even after Rav Aharon’s petira, was “How would Rav Aharon have responded to this question?” or “How would Rav Aharon have handled that situation?”

Middos and Hanhagos

Rav Shlomo was soft-spoken but firm on matters of principle and did not hesitate to hold his ground in those areas. He was adamant that once a proper course was identified, it would be adhered to.

My personal encounters with Rav Shlomo were limited, but despite the fact that he was eons above me in every respect, he related to me, as he did to most people he interacted with, as an equal. He had the rare quality of genuine humility; he never “spoke down” to anyone because he didn’t think of himself as “up”. He never lost sight of the individual and was sensitive to every person’s feelings, even as he focused on larger issues of the Yeshiva and the tzibur.

I once consulted him about an idea I had for a certain project. A conversation with him was always a pleasant affair; he was easy-going, had a sense of humor, and, aside from the matter I approached him about, was genuinely interested in what was going on in my life.

Although he immediately grasped all the implications of the idea, both positive and negative, he told me that he wanted to think about it and asked that I return a few days later for a response. When I did return he advised an approach that accentuated the positive implications of my project while downplaying the negative ones. Despite the sharpness of his intellect, he followed the dictum of chazal to not be hasty in deciding questions with halachic implications.

The Levaya

The hespedim were heartfelt and filled with much specific toichen about Rav Shlomo, and they held the oilam in their grip throughout. Sometimes the bochrim of today are described as cold or unfeeling but the wails and the wrenching sobs that rose, specifically from his many talmidim, during the hespedim, made it clear that this wasn’t so, at least with respect to the feelings of his talmidim for Rav Shlomo.

The maspidim were, in order of appearance, Rav Chaim Kitevits, R”M in the Yeshiva, Rav Yosef Halioua, Rosh Kollel Gur Aryeh, Rav Tzvi Fink, a son-in-law, the Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Malkiel Kotler (all shlita), Reb Boruch Halioua; sons-in-law Reb Yitzchok Aharon Shonek and Reb Yehuda Herzka, Reb Avrohom Halioua, Reb Yaakov Halioua, Reb Refoel Halioua, Chaim Tzi Halioua, Eliyahu Halioua; Rav Eliyahu Yormark, Rav Yitzchok Meir Sendrovitz and Rav Avigdor Kitevits (all shlita).

Much of what was said has already been covered in this tribute and it would take reams of paper to even summarize the hespedim, worthwhile as they were, in full. I will present various additional points that the maspidim brought to the fore, largely without specific attribution, since many of the points were raised by multiple maspidim.

Rav Chaim Kitevits noted that Rav Shlomo could be referred to as being comparable to a malach Hashem, in his single-minded concern for his talmidim and for the hatzlocho of the Yeshiva.

The family and the Yeshiva were all made yesomim by the petira of Rav Shlomo, in that we are bereft of the Torah that he might have transmitted, but which will no longer be available to us.

Rav Shlomo, inherently a private person, had a mokom mutzneh, a secluded portion of his intellect that was continually active in learning – analyzing, asking, answering and fine-tuning his understanding of sugyos. It wasn’t unusual for him to give the appearance of “returning to earth” from his own private world when someone approached him with a question.

His approach to learning defies typical darchei limud; it was described as “top-down”, ending in new havanos, and it became clear, after-the-fact, that these havanos emanated from the specific wording of the sugya under study.

Rav Shlomo was compared to a maayan hamisgaber that was always rooted in oilam haba and which will remain connected to his talmidim even as he himself now inhabits oilam haba.

Rav Shlomo was noteworthy for his yishuv hadaas, his bitachon and his menuchas hanefesh – his serenity, all of which lead to his perpetually exuding simcha.

As mentioned, few knew that the Rosh Yeshiva was ill for over a year prior to his petira. But the illness did result in his occasional absences from the Yeshiva for treatments and the like, so minyanim in the Yeshiva and shiurim were missed, and this was bound to raise eyebrows. Someone suggested that perhaps he should make his illness known, to avoid exciting comment by his absences. He responded that he feared that people would be reluctant to approach him with their personal or  klal issues if they knew he was ill, and he would rather have people think poorly of him than avoid availing themselves of his advice. Such was his self-sacrifice for the sake of the tzibur.

The point was made several times of his extreme zehirus in shmiras ainayim and in his dibbur. He was meticulous to never speak or listen to anything remotely approaching loshon horah. Rav Shlomo did not drive and, as related by Rav Avigdor Kitevits, he confided to a chaver that it was impossible to drive carefully without looking in all directions, and if he did that, who could tell what he might see? So he opted to be a passenger, who could avoid looking out of the car windows.

The Yeshiva had a difficult year, with the passing, first of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Aharon Schechter, zt’l, then with the passing of the Mashgiach, Rav Mordechai Schechter, zt’l, and now with the passing of Rav Shlomo, zt’l. As Rav Yormark said, “the wound that was beginning to close was ripped open”, and we, as a tzibur need to be mechazek ourselves. The Yeshiva had tremendous hatzlocho the past few zemanim and we are challenged to continue to rise to even greater heights.

As Rav Sendrovitz put it, on Simchas Torah we returned the sifrei Torah to the aron kodesh, and just two days later, Rav Shlomo was returned to his “aron kodesh” in shomayim.

But, Rav Chaim Kitevits emphasized, the Yeshiva will rise to even greater heights and the talmidim will continue to grow in Torah, avodah and yiras shomayim!

His Legacy

I had been looking forward very much to interacting with Rav Shlomo more over time. Alas, none of us will have that opportunity any longer. He was poised to make many and more significant contributions to the Yeshiva Chaim Berlin legacy as his leadership of the Yeshiva continued. Alas, that is also not to be. But even during his short tenure as Rosh Yeshiva he has left a substantial mark and that mark will endure, and be a significant foundation for his successor to build on, iyH, as the Yeshiva continues to thrive and flourish – as it is sure to. That will be Rav Shlomo’s everlasting legacy. Yehi zichro baruch.

A Deeper Appreciation of a Well-Known Ramban on Mitzvos that are Zecher L’Yitzias Mitzraim Adapted from the Torah of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l (Pachad Yitzchok, Chanukah, Reshima)

A Deeper Appreciation of a Well-Known Ramban on Mitzvos that are Zecher L’Yitzias Mitzraim Adapted from the Torah of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, zt”l (Pachad Yitzchok, Chanukah, Reshima)

By Eliakim Willner

Eliakim Willner is author of “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaTorah: An Appreciation of Torah Study”, a translation with commentary of a work by the Maharal of Prague, published by Artscroll/Mesorah. A continuation of the Nesivos Olam series, “Nesivos Olam – Nesiv HaAvodah: The Philosophy and Practice of Prayer”, and an adaptation of a collection of Pachad Yitzchok Maamorim for an English-speaking audience, are currently awaiting publication.

Before we present Rav Hutner’s insightful appreciation of the words of the Ramban we will quote this seminal Ramban directly, in free translation. The Ramban appears at the end of parshas Bo (Shmos 13:16).

The Ramban

“I now present a principle that will explain numerous mitzvos.

“From the time that idol worship began spreading throughout the world, in the days of Enosh, people began to develop corrupted faith ideas. Some denied the existence of a Creator and maintained that the world always existed. Some denied Hashem’s omniscience saying, ‘How does Hashem know, and is there knowledge in the Most High?’ (Tehillim 73:11). Others acknowledge His omniscience but deny his active direction of world affairs, claiming that man and beast are equal in that Hashem does not watch over them, does not reward or punish them and does not care what happens in the world.

“When Hashem chooses a group or an individual and performs miracles that depart from the natural order on their behalf these false ideas are discredited for all to see. Open miracles demonstrate that there is a G-d in the world who created it from nothing, who knows what transpires in it, who watches over His creations and who is omnipotent. Moreover, when the miracle is predicted in advance by a prophet it further demonstrates that there is truthful prophecy and that Hashem communicates with man and reveals his secrets to His servants, the prophets. This in turn demonstrates the veracity of the Torah. …

“Thus, open miracles and signs are clear proofs to the principles of our faith in Hashem and to the entirety of the Torah.

“And since Hashem will not perform signs and miracles in every generation, and in the presence of every evil person and scoffer, He has commanded us to continually make commemorations and remembrances to these miracles that we witnessed with our own eyes and to pass a record of these events to our children, and they to their children, and so on until the final generation. And Hashem was very stringent on this matter, as we see from the fact that excision was decreed upon those who consume chometz or neglect the korban Pesach…

“There are many other mitzvos that are commemorations of the Egyptian exodus and the purpose of all of them is that there be, in all generations, support for the principles of our faith through these never-to-be-forgotten miracles, and so that there shall be no opening for scoffers to deny these principles of faith.

“Thus, a person who purchases a mezuzah for pennies,  and affixes it to his doorpost, and has in mind its purpose, implicitly acknowledges that Hashem created the world, is aware of what transpires in it, actively supervises it, communicates to prophets; and he also implicitly acknowledges his belief in all the fundamentals of the Torah – and, moreover, he demonstrates at the same time that Hashem is benevolent in the extreme to those who fulfill his will, as can be seen from the fact that He delivered us from slavery to freedom and to great honor, in the merit of our forefathers, who chose to serve Him…

And in acknowledging open and public miracles, a person is at the same time acknowledging hidden miracles, which are the foundation of the entire Torah, for a person has no claim to any part of the Torah of Moshe if he does not believe that all our affairs and all our events, whether transpiring to groups or to individuals, are themselves miracles, not results of nature or predetermination.

“Rather, if a person fulfills the mitzvos his reward will be success, and if he violates them his penalty will be excision, all in accordance with Hashem’s will…”

The Pachad Yitzchok’s Understanding of The Ramban

What does it mean to say, in such strong terms, that mundane events are actually miracles? This is the focus of the Pachad Yitzchok’s discussion, as follows.

In his well-known commentary at the end of Parshas Bo (Shmos 13:16), the Ramban writes that open miracles enable us to appreciate that what appears to be the “natural order” is actually just as miraculous, albeit in a non-obvious way. Open miracles demonstrate that Hashem is continually aware of what transpires in the universe and maintains full control over all events, large and small. However, for reasons the Ramban explains, Hashem prefers to keep his “choreography” obscure, except in exceptional circumstances, hiding His involvement in what appears to be laws of nature. He concludes with the statement that anyone who does not believe that all apparently natural events are in reality “stealth miracles” has utterly rejected the Torah of Moshe.

Let us examine the inner workings of the relationship between open miracles and the stealth miracles that are commonly referred to as natural law, as defined by the Ramban.

By definition, the laws of nature take the form of limits. In the physical world infinity is a concept, not a reality. Things and events have start and end points and quantifiable measurements. Limits stand in opposition to the Ohr Haganuz, the primordial light that marked the onset of the creation process; the light about which it is said that (Chagigah 12a), “with it, man could see from one end of the universe to the other”. The light of the first day of creation is a supernatural, spiritual light that exists independently of any heavenly bodies (which had net yet been created). Hashem hid it away for a future time so that it would not be used by the sinful generations that would soon ensue. Since this light is infinite, the concept of “limit” does not apply to it and it is thus not subject to natural law, which is, as we said, bound by limits.

The Ohr Haganuz was hidden away for the righteous, in the world-to-come. (See Rashi on Beraishis 1:4, citing Beraishis Rabbah 3:6) It is important, though, for seekers of the deeper layers of meaning that underlie the words of chazal to clearly understand that when chazal say about a thing that it was “hidden away” the intent is not to convey that for all practical purposes it ceases to exist in the here-and-now.

It is a fallacy, for example, to think that when chazal teach us (See Shekalim 6:1; Yoma 53b) that the Aron, the ark of the covenant, was hidden away, they mean to imply that the world is the same with the Aron hidden as it would be if the Aron did not exist at all. If the Aron exists, it is certain that there are here-and-now implications to its existence, albeit that it is hidden. Rather, “hidden” means that the effects of the Aron’s existence prior to its being hidden are different from the effects after it was hidden. Prior to its being hidden, the effects of the Aron’s existence were overt and perceptible. After it was hidden its effects are also hidden; they are veiled and obscured. (See Pachad Yitzchok, Shavuous, Maamar 26:14)

The same principle applies with respect to the Ohr Haganuz. Ordinarily it also makes its presence felt in the here-and-now, in a veiled and obscured manner. This is what we call “nature” – finite, and following predictable rules which limit physical behavior – for example, the law of gravity limits the direction in which an object can move; the law of momentum limits how far an object will travel when force is applied to it, and so on. It is in fact a reigned-in version of the Ohr Haganuz that provides the energy for the material world to function, albeit in the limited manner that it does. However, what we call a “miracle” and what we call “nature” are actually the same Ohr Haganuz working in two different ways. A well-placed, miniscule “puncture” in the fabric of the veil that, as a rule, hides the Ohr Haganuz, manifests itself as a suspension of the normally restrained behavior in the area where the puncture was made. For example, in the case of kriyas yam suf, water rose instead of seeking its level – its behavior when the Ohr Haganuz is veiled, as it usually is. We refer to this suspension of the veiling of the Ohr Haganuz as a “miracle”. When, however, the veil remains tightly sealed in all directions, then the Ohr Haganuz only functions in muted form, its full powers hidden, and we refer to this state of affairs as “nature”.

This is what the Ramban means when he writes that, in reality, nature is actually miracles in hidden form. He is saying that the very same Ohr Haganuz that powers miracles, actually powers the day-to-day events of nature. When the hiddenness is lessened that light produces miracles. When the hiddenness remains intact that light produces nature.

The Maamar is adding an important additional dimension to our understanding of the Ramban. Superficially the Ramban can be understood as merely saying that Hashem’s involvement in world (and individual) affairs is as real and intense when it is non-obvious (through natural law) as when it is blatant (through miracles). This is certainly true. However the Maamar additionally points out that it is actually the same force – the Ohr Haganuz – that powers both natural law and miracles, although functioning in different ways. Not only do natural law and miracles have the same divine Author, they are both implemented using a common medium – the Ohr Haganuz.