The Lomdus Of Mored B'Malchus - Bechukosai 5770

27:28 & 29 כח  אַךְ-כָּל-חֵרֶם אֲשֶׁר יַחֲרִם אִישׁ לַירוָר מִכָּל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ, מֵאָדָם וּבְהֵמָה וּמִשְּׂדֵה אֲחֻזָּתוֹ--לֹא יִמָּכֵר, וְלֹא יִגָּאֵל:  כָּל-חֵרֶם, קֹדֶשׁ-קָדָשִׁים הוּא לַיֶרוֶָר כט  כָּל-חֵרֶם, אֲשֶׁר יָחֳרַם מִן-הָאָדָם--לֹא יִפָּדֶה:  מוֹת, יוּמָת There is an idea of Cheirim. What is this Cheirim referring to? 

There is a Yesod Gadol here in the Ramban which is an important idea to know for the learning of Tanach. This point is then taken to explain many difficult Parshas in Tanach. The Ramban explains that this Posuk is teaching us a new Mitzvah in the Torah which is that Klal Yisrael as a whole is allowed to create new Issurin to the point of Mos Yumas. Meaning that you can give a Chiyuv Misah through a Cheirim. 

The Ramban himself explains with this a number of Parshiyois in Nach. We find at the end of Sefer Shoftim in Perek 21, That an entire city of Yaveish Gilad as brought down in 21:10 is killed out by soldiers of Klal Yisrael, י  וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ-שָׁם הָעֵדָה, שְׁנֵים-עָשָׂר אֶלֶף אִישׁ--מִבְּנֵי הֶחָיִל; וַיְצַוּוּ אוֹתָם לֵאמֹר, לְכוּ וְהִכִּיתֶם אֶת-יוֹשְׁבֵי יָבֵשׁ גִּלְעָד לְפִי-חֶרֶב, וְהַנָּשִׁים, וְהַטָּף  There was a specific cause that everyone was to join and this city didn’t join and was put into Cheirim. What right did they have to kill out an entire city? The Ramban says that right is based on our Posuk. 

We find also in Shmuel 1 Perek 14, that Yonason the son of Shaul is participating in a day of battle, and he ate during the day. In Posuk 44 Shaul says he is Chayuv Misah, מד  וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל, כֹּה-יַעֲשֶׂה אֱלֶֹרים וְכֹה יוֹסִף:  כִּי-מוֹת תָּמוּת, יוֹנָתָן מה  וַיֹּאמֶר הָעָם אֶל-שָׁאוּל, הֲיוֹנָתָן יָמוּת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הַיְשׁוּעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל--חָלִילָה חַי-יְרוָר אִם-יִפֹּל מִשַּׂעֲרַת רֹאשׁוֹ אַרְצָה, כִּי-עִם-אֱלֹרים עָשָׂה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה; וַיִּפְדּוּ הָעָם אֶת-יוֹנָתָן, וְלֹא-מֵת  There had been a Gezaira by Shaul not to eat on the day of battle. Yonason didn’t know about this Gezaira and ate. The Posuk has to tell us that the people had to come together and find a way how to save Yonason from this Cheirim. What was the thought to kill him for eating something? The Ramban says it is based on our Posuk. 

The Chasam Sofer in a Teshuva in Orach Chaim 208 has a letter to the Maharitz Chayes which explains the concept of Mored B’malchus. We all know that someone who rebels against the king is Chayuv Misah. Where in the Torah do we find such a concept? The Chasam Sofer says that it comes from this Posuk (quoted above 27:29), from this Ramban. Anyone who is Mored B’malchus is violating a Takanah that was made right after Moshe Rabbeinu’s death in Sefer Yehosua 1:18  יח  כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-יַמְרֶה אֶת-פִּיךָ, וְלֹא-יִשְׁמַע אֶת-דְּבָרֶיךָ לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר-תְּצַוֶּנּוּ--יוּמָת:  רַק, חֲזַק וֶאֱמָץ This was a Cheirim made against any Mored B’malchus and the Chasam Soifer says that is the basis that gives the right to kill anybody who rebels against the king.  

The Maharitz Chayes himself disagrees and the Netziv in Ha'emek She'eila Siman 142:9 agrees with the Maharitz Chayes and they have a second Pshat on Mored B’malchus. They hold that anyone who is Mored B’malchus is endangering the whole Klal Yisrael and we know that anyone who endangers Klal Yisrael has a Chiyuv Misah. 

So it turns out that we have 2 Peshatim in Mored B’malchus; 1) the Chasam Sofer who says it is a Din Cheirim and 2) the Netziv who says it is a Din of a Roidef. 

One of the differences (Nafka Minah’s) are if you have to go to Bais Din so that they Pasken that he is Chayuv Misah. Tosafos in a few places in Shas is Mesupeik. According to the Chasam Sofer’s Pshat that it is a Cheirim you have to go to Bais Din like any other Chiyuv and Pasken. However, according to the Netziv that it is a Din Rodef, you don’t have to go to Bais Din. 

With this we can explain beautifully a Gemara in Maseches Megilla Daf 14a where it talks about Dovid’s intention to kill Naval Hakermeli for being Mored B’malchus אמרה לו וכי דנין דיני נפשות בלילה אמר לה מורד במלכות הוא ולא צריך למידייניה אמרה לו עדיין שאול קיים ולא יצא טבעך בעולם. Naval’s wife Avigail argues that he should not be killed. First she says can Dovid Pasken Dinei Nifashois at night? To which Dovid replies Mored B’malchus Hu and we don’t have to sit in judgment. Avigail then says Shaul is still alive so even though you are legally the king as Shmuel had already appointed Dovid as a King, he had done it secretly, so since it is not known there is not a Din of Mored B’malchus. 

The question that everyone asks is, why did Avigail first ask how can Dovid Pasken Dinei Nefashos at night, which is an inferior argument and not say right away that you Dovid are not known as the king yet? 

According to what we just discussed the Gemara is so Geshmak. There are 2 Dinim in a Mored B’malchus. The Chasam Soifer’s Din of Cheirim and the Netziv and the Maritz Chiyus Din of Ridef. So what happened? Avigail came and said there is a Din Cheirim, then you need a Bais Din. Meaning will Dovid Pasken Dinei Nefashos at night? To which Dovid replied, no he is a Mored B’malchus and therefore, does not need to have a Bais Din to Pasken. Meaning he is a Rodef and doesn’t need a Din Toirah. On the Din Rodef Avigail answers that Shaul is still alive and it is not known that you are king, Dovid. 

When do we say a Mored B’malchus has a Din Rodef? Only when he is endangering the public, because then the people won’t have respect for the king. In this case Dovid, you may legally be king but since it is not known there is no Din Rodef. She couldn’t present this argument first because the Din Cheirim would still apply and she had to argue first on that, meaning will you Dovid Pasken Dinei Nefashos at night. It is a very Geshmake understanding of a concept of Mored B’malchus which explains this Gemara and others as well.

A Minyan With A Non-Frum Participant - Emor 5773

What is the source for Minyan? The idea of Minyan needing 10 people. Believe it or not its Mekor is in this week's Parsha. We read in the Parsha as it says in 22:32 (וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ, אֶת-שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי, וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי, בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל) we have the Mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. To be Mikadeish Hashem B'soch B'nei Yisroel. How many people is B'soch B'nei Yisroel? It doesn't say. We know that there is an idea of Kiddush Hashem B'farhesia, a public Kiddush Hashem. But how many people make it into something public? The Gemara in Maseches Sanhedrin 74b  says (וכמה פרהסיא אמר ר' יעקב אמר רבי יוחנן אין פרהסיא פחותה מעשרה בני אדם פשיטא ישראלים בעינן דכתיב ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל בעי רבי ירמיה תשעה ישראל ונכרי אחד מהו תא שמע דתני רב ינאי אחוה דרבי חייא בר אבא אתיא תוך תוך כתיב הכא ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל וכתיב התם הבדלו מתוך העדה הזאת מה להלן עשרה וכולהו ישראל אף כאן עשרה וכולהו ישראל) and learns through a two-step Limud from Korach and then the Miraglim that just like the Miraglim in the case of the sinners of the Miraglim were 10 so too the same thing here you need 10 people to make a Minyan B'farhesya. So this is the idea that we have Minyan being 10. That is in regard to being Mikadeish Sheim Shamayim B'rabim. The Gemara in Maseches Berachos 21b says (וכן אמר רב אדא בר אהבה מנין שאין היחיד אומר קדושה שנאמר ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל כל דבר שבקדושה לא יהא פחות מעשרה מאי משמע דתני רבנאי אחוה דרבי חייא בר אבא אתיא תוך תוך כתיב הכא ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל וכתיב התם הבדלו מתוך העדה הזאת (עי' מסורת הש"ס) מה להלן עשרה אף כאן עשרה) and extends this to the idea of Minyan in Davening. So that this is the source of Minyan Asara.

Rav Moshe has a number of Teshuvos regarding the following Shaila and these Teshuvos have to do with the source of Minyan as we have explained. Rav Moshe was asked whether someone who is a Michaleil Shabbos (a Mumar) can count towards the 10 people of Minyan or do you have to have 10 people who are Shomrei Shabbos, who are religious people. Rav Moshe says let's look at the Gemara. The Gemara says that we learn Minyan from the Miraglim and the Gemara goes on to say that maybe the non-Jew should count towards Minyan (in Sanhedrin 74b). Maybe a non-Jew should count towards Minyan. The Gemara responds that it is not so as you need similar to the Miraglim from whom we are learning. The same thing here and therefore, a non-Jew does not count towards Minyan. Says Rav Moshe, so the Gemara is saying that non-Jews don't count towards Minyan. The Miraglim were Reshaim and yet they are counted towards the 10. The Gemara says Dumya D'miraglim. Therefore, a Mumar, someone who is not a Frum person still could count towards Minyan. This is Rav Moshe's Psak.

Although Rav Moshe stresses that when you are making a Minyan in this manner you should not say Chazaras Hashatz. That is, it is enough to be Maikil on this Kula to say Kaddish and Barchu. But to make an extra 19 Berachos not. Therefore, say what we call a short Shemoneh Esrei when counting a non Frum person towards a Minyan. This is Rav Moshe's Psak based on this Limud.

It is interesting that in the second Igros Moshe Orach Chaim, that Rav Moshe was challenged. He was challenged by a questioner who brought to him the Psak of Rav Moshe Rosen who said that a non Frum person doesn't count towards Minyan for Mussaf because you don't accept Korbanos from people who are not Frum. The Minyan towards Korban Mussaf can't be counted if a Frei person is part of the 10. Rav Moshe responds that on the contrary from Rav Moshe Rosen's Psak regarding Mussaf we see that otherwise he would hold that a non Frum person does count towards Minyan. It is only Mussaf that has a Din of Korbanos that are not brought from a Mumar, there a Mumar doesn't count. But otherwise he does count.

Rav Moshe has a third letter in Cheilek Gimmel. There someone challenged Rav Moshe from the Shela Hakadosh who said that the Miraglim were Tzaddikim. If they were Tzaddikin then we can't learn from there to count towards Minyan even a Rasha. To that Rav Moshe essentially responds that that is not Pashut Pshat. Pashut Pshat when you read the Chumash is that the Miraglim were Reshaim. If they had done Teshuva HKB"H would not have punished them because Teshuva works for an Onesh Bidai Shamayim. Thereofore, Rav Moshe stands by his Shitta that a person who is not Frum can still count towards Minyan. I should mention that there is a Teshuva in the Divrei Chaim who disagrees with this Psak who holds that a non Frum person does not count towards Minyan. Either way, my point is that this is a Limud from this week's Parsha.

After the Chuppah - Naso 5772

As you know, the Parshios are divided in ways that separate between topics. It is very strange that Parshas Bamidbar contains Masa Bnei Kehas, the Tzavaa and different details of what the family of Kehas carried and this week’s Parsha begins with Masa Bnei Gershon and the Masa of the Bnei Mirari (with the details of the job of the Bnei Gershon and Bnei Mirari and the things that they carried when transporting the Mishkan). It is very strange that the 2 Parshios should be broken up in a way that it doesn’t leave either the Bnei Gershon or the Bnei Mirari together with Parshas Bamidbar. After all Parshas Naso has plenty of Pesukim to spare. Or the reverse, putting the Bnei Kehas in this week’s Parsha. It is a very strange way for it to be broken up.

In the Sefer Acharai Ro’i he has a beautiful Pshat. The Hakdama to this Pshat is the Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh who writes that when the three families of the Leviim divided the job of carrying the utensils of the Mishkan from one place to another it wasn’t one job that was divided among three. Rather it was three jobs in the sense that each carrying job had its own personality had its own uniqueness. The Bnei Kehas carried the Aron. Ha’aron Nosei Es Nosav. It was not a job that involved heavy physical work. It was easy to do. The Aron carried those who carried it. It was a certain level of carrying. Bnei Gershon carried the curtains that housed the Shechina. They carried things that were very close to the Shechina. The Bnei Mirari had the hard job of carrying the Kerashim the wooden beams that formed the walls of the Mishkan and their job was the most physical of all. In sorts the Bnei Kehas had the most spiritual job, the Bnei Gershon in between, and the Bnei Mirari the most physical part of this holy work of carrying the Mishkan.

Parshas Bamidbar always occurs before Matan Torah, before Shavuos. This is something mandated by the Gemara in Maseches Megillah 31b (13 lines from the bottom) (תניא ר' שמעון בן אלעזר אומר עזרא תיקן להן לישראל שיהו קורין קללות שבתורת כהנים קודם עצרת) (Ed. Note: the Gemara mentions that the Klalos of the end of Sefer Vayikra in Parshas Bichukosai are read before Shavuos, however, Tosafos in Dibbur Hamaschil (קללות שבת"כ קודם עצרת ושבמשנה תורה קודם ראש השנה) mentions (ומטעם זה אנו קורין במדבר סיני קודם עצרת כדי שלא להסמיך הקללות שבבחוקותי לעצרת)). Parshas Naso is always afterwards. As you know Mattan Torah is very much like a Chuppah between Klal Yisrael and the Ribbono Shel Olam. When it comes to getting married there are different attitudes which a person must succeed at dealing with in marriage.

When ones comes to a Chuppah, Ha’aron Nosei Es Nosav. A person is carried to the Chuppah on cloud 9. A person is carried there happily. It is not a hard job to come to one’s own wedding. However, after the wedding a person has to know that the job changes. It becomes much more tedious and it becomes much more difficult. First you have the job of having walls, utensils, things in the house that keep the Kedusha of the house going. Later on in life if one is successful and is Zoche to have a family, Zoche to have a business, Zoche to have a home, than the job becomes a much more physical job. A job that involves much more labor and much more difficulty. All of this to build a Mishkan, a place of Kedusha.  Therefore, the Parsha was broken up this way. Before Mattan Torah which is the Chuppah of Bnei Yisrael with the Ribbono Shel Olam, we have the carrying of the Ha’aron Nosei Es Nosav. We talk about carrying the Mishkan and the matter of carrying the Aron, of flying high as one approaches Mattan Torah as one approaches the Chuppah. After the Chuppah which was Shevuos, we read about the next job, maintaining the Kedusha that we have and ultimately the Bnei Mirari which is the job of doing physical things, hard things that have to do with our physical existence. For example, going to work, paying bills, struggling with physical challenges. All of this in a manner of Kedusha of leading to the building of the Mishkan. Therefore, the Seder is B’davka. The Seder is Kehas first, Shevuos second, Gershon & Mirari next. A beautiful Vort for the Parsha and a beautiful Vort for this coming month of June where many of us have Aufrufs, Chasunah, Sheva Berachos, Simchos relating to Chosson V’kallah. This is a very appropriate Vort for such an occasion.

What Mordechai Gave - Purim 5772

Esther’s Cheilek in the Neis of Purim came because she had a specific Zechus. It was the Zechus of Tzniyus that Esther had. What Zechus did Mordechai have?

In the Sfas Emes 637 (Taf Reish Lamed Zayin) he explainsthe Posuk 2:11 יא  וּבְכָל-יוֹם וָיוֹם--מָרְדֳּכַי מִתְהַלֵּךְ, לִפְנֵי חֲצַר בֵּית-הַנָּשִׁים:  לָדַעַת אֶת-שְׁלוֹם אֶסְתֵּר, וּמַה-יֵּעָשֶׂה בָּהּ  Mordechai didn’t miss a day. This was a big thing because this was over a few years that Mordechai checked on Esther every day and this was the Zechus that caused Mordechai to have a part in the Neis. This idea of giving and not being selfish is the Yesoid of the whole miracle of Purim. Everything that happened was because of a tremendous giving.

Esther gave and was sacrificing her whole life, literally as it says in 4:16 וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָבַדְתִּי, אָבָדְתִּי She was forced to be in the house of Achashveiroish where she didn’t want to be.

Mordechai also gave as it says in 10:3 ג  כִּי מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי, מִשְׁנֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, וְגָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים, וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו--דֹּרֵשׁ טוֹב לְעַמּוֹ, וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל-זַרְעוֹ  We know that Mordechai went down in a Ruchniyas Madreiga because he got involved with being a Prime Minister for Achashveiroish. That was the most selfless thing he could do. To give up his Madreiga in Ruchniyas for Klal Yisrael and Mordechai did it. This was the Zechus that Mordechai had. This is the Yesoid of Purim.

(9:27) כז  קִיְּמוּ וקבל (וְקִבְּלוּ) הַיְּהוּדִים Originally, Klal Yisrael was Mekabeil the Torah for selfish reasons because Hashem threatened them with a mountain on their heads, so they had self interest. Here they were Mekabeil without self interest.

Maseches Megillah begins with דף ב, א משנה  מגילה נקראת בי"א בי"ב בי"ג בי"ד בט"ו This Inyan of when the Megillah can be read is really a side Inyan of Purim. Why does the Masechta start this way? The truth is it is the same idea. The Gemara explains that the people who lived in the cities sacrificed because they would rather Lain the Megilla on Purim, however, for the sake of the people who came in from the surrounding smaller towns they had a Laining on the 11th, 12th, or 13th. This is also a Madreiga of giving.

This connects to Parshas Tetzaveh because in the Parsha we have all the Begadim of the Kohen and at the end of the Parsha we have the Mizbai’ach Haketores. The Mizbai’ach Haketores doesn’t belong in Parshas Tetzaveh and the Rishonim starting from the Ramban talk about it.

Rav Moshe used to say, that the reason that the Mizbai’ach Haketores is in Parshas Tetzaveh is because this Parsha talks about the Middah of a Gadol B’yisrael. The Gemara says that the Ketoires smelled as far away as Yericho. They gave.

A Kallah in Yerushalayim didn’t have to put on perfume because they were Nehena from the Ketoires. The Ketoires gave Hana’a all over the place. Rav Moshe used to say that is why the Ketoires is in the Parsha of the Bigdei Kohen and Kohen Gadol. The Kohanim always had to be dressed in the Middah of giving.

Mordechai is learned out from the Torah because of the words Mar D’ror which comes from the Ketoires which is this Middah of giving. This is the Yesoid of Purim. Purim is a Yom Tov of giving not only of your money but also of your Koiches to your Avoidas Hashem.  

J014 - 2-4 - The Return Of Rachav Hazonah

סתירה לכאורה ברש"י אם רחב היתה זונה או פונדקאית.

קו' תוס' איך החיו את רחב והכתיב "לא תחיה כל נשמה"?
במגילה יד תירצו שרחב לא היתה מהשבעה עממין.
בסוטה לה וגיטין מו תירצו שהאיסור לא חל אז והתחיל אח"כ.
.
אולי י"ל בדעת רש"י שרחב היתה זונה בתחילה אבל כבר עשתה תשובה לפני זה ונעשית פונדקאית, ונתיישב הסתירה ע"ש.
עי' מכילתא פרשת יתרו שאמרה חטאתי בנדה חלה והדלקת הנר. ותמוה שלא היתה יהודיה. והי' נראה מזה שכבר נתגיירה. אלא דצ"ב דלא היו שם ישראל לגיירה.
נר' שכבר קיבלה המצות אף שלא טבלה לשם גירות. ודומיא דבאיש שייך מל ולא טבל ששייך במצות, (עמש"כ בזה בבנין ציון ע"פ תוס' בפרק הערל, לגבי מעשה שהיה בירושלים בדר שמל ולא טבל ודנו אם ישמור שבת או לא) ה"נ באשה דאין מילה יהיה דינה כך בקבלת מצות.


בס' אהבת יהונתן כת' דגבי רחב אנו רואים מדת השי"ת שהבא ליטהר מסייעין לו.
רחב באה לעזור למרגלים ונשכרה היא עצמה בהצלת חייה.

כעי"ז בגמ' המתפלל בעד חבירו והוא צריך לאותו דבר נענה תחילה. לכאו' הכוונה למי שבאמת מתכוון בשביל חבירו, ולא שיבקש מי שצריך לאותו דבר להסכים שיתפללו זל"ז כדי שיענה הוא עצמו, שנמצא שאינו מתפלל על חבירו אלא בשביל עצמו.

אבל במג"א סי' קל ס"ק ב כת' שיותר נכון הנוסח ביה"ר של ברכת כהנים "בין שחלמתי על אחרים בין שחלמו אחרים עלי" שמתפלל בעד חבירו תחילה. ובאמת חולקים עליו האליה רבה (מטעם שנוסחת הש"ס הפוך) והיד המלך בהל' תפלה. (מטעם שאמרנו שכוונת הגמ' למי שמתפלל מחמת שהיטיב לבו עד שטובת חבירו יקר בעיניו מטובת עצמו.)
והתורה תמימה פרשת וירא, וגם בספריו תוספת ברכה בפרשת נשא, ובברוך שאמר, הק' על המג"א קו' אחרת. שכוונת הגמ' למי שמתפלל רק בעד חבירו ולא בעד עצמו כלל.
והמשנה ברורה בהל' ברכת כהנים פוסק דלא כהמג"א.

עוד כת' מג"א בסי' ר"ל סק"ו עוד נ"מ שמי שהתעטש ואמר חבירו "אסותא" יענה הוא "ברוך תהיה" כדי שיהא מתפלל על חבירו.
וכאן כת' המשנה ברורה כדברי המג"א ונראים דבריו כסותרים פסקו בהל' ברכת כהנים?
נר' שהמ"ב לא הסכים לטענת יד המלך אבל הסכים לטענת התורה תמימה ואתי שפיר.

בטעם הדבר כת' החת"ס פר' וירא שדבר זה אינה שכר אלא מציאות בבריאה שהמתפלל לחבירו נענה תחילה.


רחב הורידה אותם בחבל והתפללה באלו חטאתי באלו תמחול לי. ר שוואב הק' שלא יתכן שהיתה זונה  מפורסמת 40 שנה (עי' מסכת תענית דף ה) וכולם עלו בחבל?
ותי' שבאמת באו אצלה בפירסום אבל היו כמה שהתביישו והיא העלה אותם בחבל. והיינו שלא היתה לה החוצפה של מצח אשה זונה טד שלא הבינה שיש בזה בושה, זה הי' "נקודה טובה" שלה. ומשם התחיל תשובתה. וזה יסוד חשוב בתשובה. התשובה מתחלת מנקודת הצלם אלוקים שנשאר שלם. אולי זהו כוונת המשנה "אל תהי רשע בפני עצמך". ומזה הטעם אין מתחילים עשי"ת עם "על חטא".

ובשם הבעש"ט: "אם יהיו נדחך בקצה השמים משם יקבצך... ומשם יקחך". אם יהיה נדחך בקצה הארץ הול"ל? אלא - "אם יהיה נדחך", אם תחטא ותהיה נידח, " בקצה השמים" - ונשאר איזה קצה שמימית בתוכך, "משם יקבצך..." - זוהי מקום התחלת התשובה...