I was delighted to see a Vort in the Ayalas Hashachar from Rav Shteinman. In order to appreciate my delight I have to first review something that Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky writes in Emes L'yaakov on Parshas Vaeschanan on page # 479 on the Posuk 6:5 (בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ). Rav Yaakov was fond of saying that it is unusual that there is no word for the brain in Tanach. Moach in Tanach doesn't refer to the brain although it is used that way in modern Hebrew. There is no word for the brain in Torah Shebichsav.
Rav Yaakov is Mechadeish that the word Leiv (which is translated typically as heart) is actually a reference to the brain. We find very often expressions regarding the heart that have to do with wisdom (וְתֵן בְּלִבֵּנוּ לְהָבִין וּלְהַשכִּיל) that is actually a reference to the brain. This is Rav Yaakov's thought. When we say that Tefillin are Neged Haleiv Rav Yaakov explains, it means the Tefillin Shel Rosh which are by the head.
This always disturbed me because in many places the word Leiv seems to refer to the heart nevertheless there are many other places where it seems to refer to the emotions and not to the brain. It says in Shemos 4:14 (וְרָאֲךָ וְשָׂמַח בְּלִבּוֹ) that Aharon will see you and rejoice in his heart. Or the idea of Leiv Chomeid the heart has jealousy, that is not the intelligence that has jealousy it is the emotion that has jealousy. Therefore, this Rav Yaakov remains something of a mystery.
I had heard many years ago that Rav Yaakov saw to make a distinction between the word Leiv and Levav saying that Leiv could mean heart as in the idea of (בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ) to serve Hashem with all your heart means with all your intellect and all you're thought. But that is not the way that it is brought in the Sefer and apparently it was not his Maskanah. Ad Kan the Vort of Rav Yaakov.
In this week's Parsha on the Posuk in 28:3 (כָּל-חַכְמֵי-לֵב) Rav Shteinman writes independently the same Yesod. He says he believes that the word Leiv is a reference to the seat of intelligence, the brain. That the brain is referred to in Tanach as Leiv. However, he does go on to add another Nikuda which helps us with the places that seem to be contradictory, that seem to say that Leiv is the heart.
Rav Shteinman asks a Kasha. He asks how can you say that Leiv is the brain when Aharon Hakohen goes toward Moshe Rabbeinu in Parshas Shemos in Perek 4 the Posuk says in 4:14 (וְרָאֲךָ וְשָׂמַח בְּלִבּוֹ) that Aharon will see you and rejoice in his heart. Rashi says as Schar for doing this Aharon was Zoche to the Choshen Mishpat in this week's Parsha and Urim V'tumim that are placed on the heart. The Choshen is certainly not worn on the head it is worn on the chest which is the place of the heart. Therefore, says Rav Shteinman we seem to see that Leiv refers to heart.
Rav Shteinman answers the word Leiv actually means the central point. As it says in Parshas Vaeschanan 4:11 (עַד-לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם). Or in Mishlei 30:19 as is quoted in the Mishna in Maseches Shabbos 83b (דֶּרֶךְ-אֳנִיָּה בְלֶב-יָם) that the boat travels in the midst of the ocean. So that Leiv doesn't actually refer to specifically intellect the brain or specifically to the heart the emotion. It can be used for either one because the word Leiv is a reference to the essence of the person. It is true, a human being is made essentially of two things. 1. Emotion and 2. Intellect. That is what differentiates the human being from all other animals and therefore Leiv can apply to both. Of course it refers to that Eiver, that limb that pumps blood because that too is the center of the human being. It is what provides blood to the entire body. Here Chacham Leiv means wisdom, wisdom being deposited in the Leiv.
Here we have an addendum to Rav Yaakov which makes his Havana understandable. Leiv is used to refer to the brain, Leiv is used to refer to emotions, and it is even used to refer to the Eiver which pumps blood through our body.
Rav Yaakov is Mechadeish that the word Leiv (which is translated typically as heart) is actually a reference to the brain. We find very often expressions regarding the heart that have to do with wisdom (וְתֵן בְּלִבֵּנוּ לְהָבִין וּלְהַשכִּיל) that is actually a reference to the brain. This is Rav Yaakov's thought. When we say that Tefillin are Neged Haleiv Rav Yaakov explains, it means the Tefillin Shel Rosh which are by the head.
This always disturbed me because in many places the word Leiv seems to refer to the heart nevertheless there are many other places where it seems to refer to the emotions and not to the brain. It says in Shemos 4:14 (וְרָאֲךָ וְשָׂמַח בְּלִבּוֹ) that Aharon will see you and rejoice in his heart. Or the idea of Leiv Chomeid the heart has jealousy, that is not the intelligence that has jealousy it is the emotion that has jealousy. Therefore, this Rav Yaakov remains something of a mystery.
I had heard many years ago that Rav Yaakov saw to make a distinction between the word Leiv and Levav saying that Leiv could mean heart as in the idea of (בְּכָל-לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל-נַפְשְׁךָ) to serve Hashem with all your heart means with all your intellect and all you're thought. But that is not the way that it is brought in the Sefer and apparently it was not his Maskanah. Ad Kan the Vort of Rav Yaakov.
In this week's Parsha on the Posuk in 28:3 (כָּל-חַכְמֵי-לֵב) Rav Shteinman writes independently the same Yesod. He says he believes that the word Leiv is a reference to the seat of intelligence, the brain. That the brain is referred to in Tanach as Leiv. However, he does go on to add another Nikuda which helps us with the places that seem to be contradictory, that seem to say that Leiv is the heart.
Rav Shteinman asks a Kasha. He asks how can you say that Leiv is the brain when Aharon Hakohen goes toward Moshe Rabbeinu in Parshas Shemos in Perek 4 the Posuk says in 4:14 (וְרָאֲךָ וְשָׂמַח בְּלִבּוֹ) that Aharon will see you and rejoice in his heart. Rashi says as Schar for doing this Aharon was Zoche to the Choshen Mishpat in this week's Parsha and Urim V'tumim that are placed on the heart. The Choshen is certainly not worn on the head it is worn on the chest which is the place of the heart. Therefore, says Rav Shteinman we seem to see that Leiv refers to heart.
Rav Shteinman answers the word Leiv actually means the central point. As it says in Parshas Vaeschanan 4:11 (עַד-לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם). Or in Mishlei 30:19 as is quoted in the Mishna in Maseches Shabbos 83b (דֶּרֶךְ-אֳנִיָּה בְלֶב-יָם) that the boat travels in the midst of the ocean. So that Leiv doesn't actually refer to specifically intellect the brain or specifically to the heart the emotion. It can be used for either one because the word Leiv is a reference to the essence of the person. It is true, a human being is made essentially of two things. 1. Emotion and 2. Intellect. That is what differentiates the human being from all other animals and therefore Leiv can apply to both. Of course it refers to that Eiver, that limb that pumps blood because that too is the center of the human being. It is what provides blood to the entire body. Here Chacham Leiv means wisdom, wisdom being deposited in the Leiv.
Here we have an addendum to Rav Yaakov which makes his Havana understandable. Leiv is used to refer to the brain, Leiv is used to refer to emotions, and it is even used to refer to the Eiver which pumps blood through our body.
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה