Half-Kosher People - Re'eh 5772

Today the 28th day of the month of Av is the Yahrtzeit of our Rebbi, Moreinu HaRav Pam and I would like to share with you some thoughts connected to ideas that he said.

One of the things that was Margila P’pumai (things that he said very often) regarding the Parsha of Behaimos Temaios in this week’s Parsha we have the Parsha of the Simanim of the animal that is Kosher. Of course the 2 Simanim are that an animal that swallows its cud and has split hoofs is Kosher. The Torah lists the 4 animals that have only one Siman that is Kosher and therefore, are Treif. It appears from the Posuk that these 4 animals are somehow worse because they have one of the Simanei Kashrus.

Rav Pam would repeat the Klei Yakar. The Klei Yakar says that a human being too has 2 Simanei Kashrus and they are 1) Bain Adam L’chaveiro and 2) Bain Adam Lamakom.  Serving HKB”H with things that have to do with the direct service of Hashem such as Davening and Learning and serving HKB”H in Bain Adam L’chaveiro in the service of other human beings and dealing with other people. These are two Simanim of a Kosher Jew. If a person has one Siman and not the other said Rav Pam, is worse. In other words if you have a person who Davens well and Learns well but when it comes to dealing with his fellow man, he is cruel, he is miserable, or he is dishonest, it would be better if he didn’t Learn and Daven well. He brings Chillul Hashem, a shame on the name of Bnei Torah because people look at him as a Ben Torah who Davens and Learns and yet in his Bein Adam L’chaveiro he is disgusting and he is not behaving properly. The reverse is also true. You have people who are very good, very kind, and very nice to others. However, when it comes to serving HKB”H and being careful in Mitzvos there is something missing. They are not careful to Daven and they are not careful to Learn. Such a person too brings down Sheim Shamayim because people will admire his kindness to other human beings and will somehow feel that it is not as important to serve HKB”H in the Bain Adam Lamakom. This was Margila P’pumai, a common expression of Rav Pam in teaching us. You have to have both, be kind to human beings and faithful in serving HKB”H.

The Rambam expands on this idea in Shemoneh Perakim. The Rambam says in serving HKB”H there is an attitude of Rotze Ani U’ma E’se V’avinu Shebashamayim Gozar Olai. I would like to do an Aveira but I won’t because HKB”H said don’t do it. This attitude of Rotze Ani that I would love to do the Aveira but HKB”H said don’t do it, says the Rambam is not an appropriate attitude in Bain Adam L’chaveiro, in Mitzvos Sichliyos. For a person to say I would be cruel to someone else but I am not going to be because the Torah forbids it this is a wrong attitude. A Mitzvas Sichli, a logical Mitzvah, something a person should ingrain in his nature, should do naturally. On the other hand a Mitzva of Bain Adam Lamakom (a Mitzva between man and Hashem) such as shaking a Lulav or eating only Kosher food, there a person should say Rotze Ani I will be happy to eat Treif food or I would be happy not to shake a Lulav U’ma E’se Avinu Shebashamayim Gozar Olai, but what will I do as Hashem commanded me to do as he commanded and that I will do. This is a strong distinction between Bain Adam L’chaveiro Mitzvos (logical Mitzvos) and Bain Adam Lamakom Mitzvos.

We by our nature twist things around. Most people today when it comes to stealing they will say well I would love to steal but what should I do Hashem forbade it and Boruch Hashem they won’t steal. When it comes to Treifos they say pig I would never eat bacon. It is something that goes against the nature of a Jew. This is the reverse of the way it should be. Someone who serves HKB”H properly when it comes to stealing it is disgusting to him, to take someone else’s thing. When it comes to eating Chazeir though, Chazeir is delicious. U’ma E’se V’avinu Shebashamayim Gozar Olai.

In the Sefer Tuvcha Yabi’u on this week’s Parsha he relates that there were some Jews who lived in an apartment house and on the ground floor of the apartment house there was a store that was rented by someone who sold (Nevailos & Treif) forbidden food and even bacon (Chazeir).  It disgusted them every day when they walked in and out of their apartment building to pass this place with the aroma of Treif food. They went to an Adom Gadol to ask for an Eitza. The Adom Gadol said what do you mean? He showed them a Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer says how is one to accomplish the Mitzvos of this week’s Parsha. 14:8 (טָמֵא הוּא, לָכֶם; מִבְּשָׂרָם לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ). A commandment not to eat Treif food. How does one actually actively go and perform a Mitzvah which is Shev V’al Taaseh, which is a bad action? Says the Chasam Sofer when a person sees it he should say to himself wow that is good but I am not eating it because the Torah forbids it. Now these people had a brand new attitude. Every time they walked in and out of their apartment building and they passed the store selling Treif food they would say Harini Muchan U’mizuman L’kayeim Mitzvah, I am now going to perform the Mitzvah of telling myself Avi Shebashayim Gozer Olai.

The Bracha On The Haggadah - Pesach 5772

As you know, we do not make a Beracha on Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim. The Rishonim already ask a Kasha and they give various technical reasons for not making a Beracha on Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim.

The Sfas Emes has an explanation B’derech Hamachshavah. Something that doesn’t contradict the Rishonim but goes well with what the Rishonim say. The Sfas Emes says that in general we do not make a Beracha on any Mitzvah that is Bain Adom L’chaveiro. A Mitzvah which has to do with benefitting another human being. A Mitzvah like Tzedakaka has no Beracha and even a Mitzvah like Kibbud Av V’aim (respecting ones parents) has no Beracha. The reason for that is because the Rambam has taught us that any Mitzvah which is a Mitzvah Sichli which is a logical Mitzvah is something regarding which a person should say I would do this Mitzvah even if the Torah did not obligate me to do so. That is the attitude that a person should have for Mitzvos Sichlios. The idea that even though the Torah did not obligate me to give charity even if the Torah did not obligate me to have respect for my parents I would do so anyway. When you have a Mitzvah which a person would do even if he was not obligated to do it is not appropriate to say a Beracha Asher Kidishanu B’mitzvosav V’tzivanu, blessing HKB”H for having commanded us to do this Mitzvah as if we are only doing it because we were commanded.

Says the Sfas Emes that is the reason that on a Mitzvah Bain Adam L’chaveiro such as giving Tzedakah we do not make a Beracha, because on a Mitzvas Sichli it is inappropriate to say that had Hashem given us holiness by commanding us to do this Mitzvah as if that is the reason, the motivation for doing the Mitzvah. That is true for all Mitzvos Bain Adom L’chaveiro. We talk about Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim which is not a Mitzvah that is Bain Adam L’chaveiro. It is something that is a Mitzvah Bain Adam L’makom. Nevertheless, the Yesod the main idea of Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim is feeling Hakaras Hatov, a thanks to HKB”H for having taking us out of Mitzrayim. Here too it makes no sense to say Asher Kidishanu B’mitzvosav V’tzivanu. This is a Mitzvas Sichli. It is a logical Mitzvah that we would have done even had we not been commanded. For that reason we make no Beracha. It is as if we are telling HKB”H this is a Mitzvah that we should understand to do even had we not been commanded. It is a beautiful thought.

Suspicion - Pekudai 5770

Parshas Pekudai is Moshe Rabbeinu’s accounting of the gold, silver, and copper that he took in and where it was used.  The idea of a person showing that he is honest to other people is something that is mentioned regarding Moshe Rabbeinu’s accounting here.

The Medrash Rabbah in Parshas Pekudai writes, that Moshe Rabbeinu said when the Mishkan was finished being constructed I should have a full accounting so that people shouldn’t say that Moshe Rabbeinu became wealthy from this. Moshe Rabbeinu had actually become wealthy from the etching of the Luchois. So Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t want people to suspect him so he made this Cheshbon.

Rav Pam in one of the Schmuzzin which is printed in Atara L’melech page 76-77 talks about this idea. Should a person care about what other people say? If a person is being honest and is doing things straight and there are people who want to be Choished him, is it important that he be a Naki B’Hashem Uvi’Yisrael. Some people might take a stand in Hashkafa that it is not important because it is the other person’s problem. Here we learn that it is not that way. A person must do what he can to show that he is a Naki Mai’Hashem Umi’Yisrael to be able to show that he is clearly honest in the eyes of other people.

Rav Pam brings a Chasam Soifer in Cheilek 6 Teshuva 59. He writes to a Talmid that he is failing in V’hiyisem Li Nekiyim Mai’Hashem Umi’Yisrael and that he must be more careful. Then he writes that it easier to be a Tzaddik in the eyes of Shamayim than to be a Tzaddik in the eyes of people. It is far more important to avoid a potential Chillul Hashem and to be a Naki B’yisrael as well. He writes that for that all should be worried. It is interesting that the Chasam Soifer says over the Posuk that everybody in the world has to sin sometime and maybe Shlomo Hamelech meant that regarding V’hiyisem Li Nekiyim. It is a Pele because I would think that the Posuk means that it is impossible to avoid sin all the time, however, the Chasam Soifer must of held that it is possible to avoid sin all the time from the standpoint of Shamayim, however, it is in the eyes of people that it is most challenging to avoid sin all the time. He writes that this is the reason that Gad and Reuvein went to Galus first, because when they asked for land Mai’eiver Hayarden, they failed in this area of V’hiyisem Li Nekiyim and that was the Aveira that caused them to go to Galus first.

Rav Pam ends this piece with a story of a man who was Chayuv a Shevua (oath) in Beis Din. After he swore he paid anyways. The question was if he was paying anyways why did he swear? The person said I want to pay Lifnei Mishuras Hadin. I want to pay you because you think that I am a Ganuf. Had I paid and not swore you would have said, look he really is a Ganuf. Therefore, I swore and I will pay Lifnei Mishuras Hadin because of Vihiyisem Li Nekiyim Mai’Hashem Umi’Yisrael. This is an important Hanhaga that we can learn from Parshas Pekudai.

If you pay attention to the Pesukim you see that Moshe Rabbeinu only gives an accounting of the silver and the copper. Why didn’t he give an accounting of the gold as well? The Divrei Yoiel says that in general, generous people don’t accuse other people of being Ganavim, it is the stingy people that do. People who chose to give the gold were generous people and Moshe Rabbeinu wasn’t afraid of being accused by them. He gave a Cheshbon of only the silver and the copper.

What is troubling with this is that the first Rashi on Parshas Pekudai says that the accounting is for everything including the gold and we don’t find that in the Parsha. 

Thrown Or Fallen? - Ki Sisa 5770

32:19 Moshe Rabbeinu broke the Luchos. There are 2 seemingly contradictory Divrei Chazal. On the one hand the Gemara says that Hashem said thank you to Moshe for breaking the Luchos. On the other hand we have the Divrei Chazal that the letters from the Luchos fell into the air and the stones became so heavy that Moshe Rabbeinu couldn’t carry them because they lost the Kedushah. This seems to be a contradiction because one opinion is that Moshe broke them and the other opinion is that they became so heavy that Moshe Rabbeinu couldn’t carry them.

Rav Yisrael Salanter answers the contradiction by saying that there are 2 Luchos. One was the Bein Adam Lamakoim and the other was the Bein Adam L’chaveiroi. When Klal Yisrael was Oiver the Aveira of Avoida Zorah then the first set of Luchos with the 5 Mitzvois of Bein Adam Lamakoim became too heavy for Moshe Rabbeinu to hold. Then Moshe was left holding the second set with the 5 Mitzvois of Bein Adam L’chaveiroi to Klal Yisrael, however, he said Bein Adam L’makoim or Bein Adam L’chaveiroi without the other one doesn’t go. So one was broken by Moshe and the other broke on its own.

In 32:19 it says, יט  וַיְהִי, כַּאֲשֶׁר קָרַב אֶל-הַמַּחֲנֶה, וַיַּרְא אֶת-הָעֵגֶל, וּמְחֹלֹת; וַיִּחַר-אַף מֹשֶׁה, וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ מִיָּדָו אֶת-הַלֻּחֹת, וַיְשַׁבֵּר אֹתָם, תַּחַת הָהָר  The K’siv is Miyadoi from his hand, singular, because only one broke by Moshe Rabbeinu breaking it.

Rav Pam used to say that a Yid has 2 Simanei Kashrus, Bein Adam Lamakoim and Bein Adam L’chaveiroi and just like by a Behaima with one Siman and without the other Siman renders the animal more disgusting than one that is totally Treif, so too someone who is wonderful in Bein Adam L’chaveiroi and terrible in Bein Adam Lamakoim its very bad. This is because they will say how great is his actions are because they see his Bein Adam L’chaveiroi, however, they will learn Rishus from him. The reverse is true as well if he has only the Siman of Bein Adam Lamakoim and not Bein Adam L’chaveiroi.

Rav Druk would say the same thing by fish. Snapir, the fins that guide a fish through the water is the Bein Adam Lamakoim. Kaskeses the scales are like coins one on top of the other that represents the Bein Adam L’chaveiroi. The Gemara says any fish that does not have scales certainly does not have fins, because a person who does not have Bein Adam Lachaveiroi certainly does not have Bein Adam Lamakoim.