Torah Teasers
Parshas Hezeinu.
1. The pasuk says (Haazinu 32:18), “Tzur Yeladcha Teshi,” Hashem taught us how to forget. “Vatishkach Kel Micholilecha,” and we forgot Hashem our creator. What is the lesson here? Ans… A person went crying to his friend that he owed someone money, and that the lender constantly harasses him to pay back. His friend advised him that when the lender comes to collect, he should act like a lunatic by shrieking and dancing wildly and doing all sorts of crazy things in order to scare him away. Sure enough, the day came when this same friend who gave him this advice, himself lent him money. When he came around to collect, this genius started doing the silly act that his friend taught him. Seeing this, his friend gave him two whacks with his stick and said, “Fool, I taught you this trick – don’t use it on me.” The Dubno Maggid says, “Hashem gave us a wonderful gift in the ability to forget. Without it we would not be able to go on in life after a fight or after death of a loved one. We would not do a thousand things that we need to do because of one bad experience many years ago. Forgetting things over time helps heal our many wounds. So what do we do with this wonderful gift? We use it to forget Hashem. For that we get two smacks!
2. The Pasuk says (32:4) “HaTzur Tamim Pa’aloi Ki Chol Dirachav Mishpat, Kel Emuna V’Ein Avel; Hashem action are flawless, for all His ways are just, Hashem is faithful without any injustice.” Injustice? We talk about how righteous Hashem is. Why use the term of “unjust” at all? Ans….Rav Shach says from the Vilna Gaon that it is impossible for humans to take into account all surrounding circumstances and dispense perfect justice. For example, when someone commits a crime that requires the death sentence, has the court also determined if his children deserve to be orphans or not? What about the person who he says hello to every morning? Has the court figured out if they can compensate that person for the loss they are inflicting on them? When Hashem dispenses judgement, He has accounted for everything – from the most glaring consequences to the most minute nuance. This is truly a tribute that we humans can marvel at. Hashem’s justice system is pure justice, without the slightest trace of injustice.
3. “Yaarof KaMatar Likchi Tizal KaTal Imrasi”, let my lessons flow like rainfall, let my sayings drip like dew (Haazinu 32:2). The Torah is compared to rain and dew. Rashi explains that everybody is always happy with the dew (Tal), unlike the rain, which people caught on the road and people who have valuable item outside that can get ruined, are not very happy about. If so, asks the Maskil L’Dovid why mention rain at all? Just compare the Torah to Tal. Ans …He answers that while dew may be pleasant, it is not enough to make plants and vegetation grow. The rain is a necessity that cannot be foregone and the same with the heavy doses of Torah that truly help us grow. He also brings from the Arizal that basic understanding of Torah, the Pshat, is compared to Tal. This is for everyone to learn and grasp. Rain is a mashal for the Sodos HaTorah, the secrets of the Torah that are not for everyone. Like getting caught in the rain, if someone is not prepared or cutout for learning Kabala, it can ruin him just like the wine in an open pit when the heavy rains come down.
4. “Zichor Yimos Olam Binu Shnos Dor VaDor”, remember the days gone by, understand each of the previous generations (Haazinu 32:7). Is this like learning about history? Ans… Rav Moshe Shternbuch says that studying Jewish history is not like studying world history. It is not about places and times, cultures and customs. Jewish history is meant to be a lesson in Emunah and Bitachon. He brings from Rav Yechezkel Abramsky that in Megilas Esther it says that the whole story of the miracle of Purim is written in the annals of Paras and Madai. Why does the Megilah need to tell us this? Rav Chatzkel explains that at first glance we would think that the Megila is telling us the story of Purim. Therefore, the Megila specifically tells us that if you are interested in the sensational story, you will get a better and more detailed account in the Persian history books. The Megila however was written Al Pi Ruach HaKodesh and is meant to teach us the Nissim and kindness that Hashem does for Am Yisroel. If you want to understand the ways of Hashem, the Megila is your source. But if you are looking for a good story, you will be sorely disappointed and are searching in the wrong place. The lesson here, says Rav Shternbuch, is that when learning Jewish history, if your source material is from Porkei Ol, you will be misreading history and certainly the lessons of history. “Binu Shnos Do VaDor”, it is not enough to know history, the real benefit is only achieved by understanding it. Jewish history done right is not history, it is Torah!
5. What does this parsha tell us about raising our children? Ans…. Teshuva is always accepted at any age. A person can sin most of his life and at the end do proper teshuva and erase a lifetime of bad deeds and then die a tzaddik. However, there could be collateral damage that cannot be repaired – the children. Children tend to learn by example as they mimic their parent far more than we understand. When a child grows up watching their parents behave and act in a certain way, even if one day the parent wake up and do an about face and completely change their ways, they cannot expect the children to follow. The Melitzei Aish says that this is hinted in the words of the Parsha “Sheechais Lo Lo, Banav Mumam”, this can be read “Corruption, not him, his children are left blemished.” There is no amount of corruption that cannot be repaired, but the children, they remain scarred forever. (Iturei Torah)

Memories

One year, a talmid chacham in Bnei Brak was niftar before Purim. Shortly thereafter, one of the Steipler’s close students came to see him and discuss a matter concerning the almanah of the talmid chacham who had passed away.

In the midst of the conversation, the Steipler said suddenly, “Pesach is approaching. The almanah will sit down the night of the Seder and be pained by her loneliness. She will remember that her husband always ate hand matzah the night of the Seder, but most probably she would not have bought hand matzah. I’ll give some of my matzah to her.”

The Steipler got up and took out his package of matzah and gave some to his student. He said, “There’s enough here for the night of the Seder. When you give her the matzah, don’t say that I sent it to her, because it’s forbidden to give a present to a woman. Simply say that I gave you this to you to give over to someone who needs it.”

The talmid later said, “It’s impossible to describe in words the incredible excitement and tears in the house of the almanah when I entered and said to her, “I have matzah for you from the Steipler for the night of the Seder.” (Chaim Sheyesh Bahem: Halichos Vehanhagos)
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A rich woman who had been married for many years without bearing children came to the Rav of Budapest with a large sum of money. She wanted to donate the money to the Rav in order that he would daven for her to be blessed with children.

“I’ll give you an eitzah” said the Rav. “Send the money to Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, the Rav of Yerushalayim. He’s a great tzaddik, and Hashem will surely listen to his tefillah and you’ll merit zera shel kayama.”

The woman agreed to the Rav’s suggestion, and she sent the money to the Rav of Yerushalayim. A few weeks passed and the husband of the woman came to the Rav, and complained bitterly to him, “Why did you send the money without my knowledge? I demand that you send a letter immediately to the Rav of Yerushalayim requesting that he return the money.”

The Rav was very upset by the husband’s demand and said, “I’ll give you the whole amount from my pocket, as long as you don’t demand the money back from the Rav of Yerushalayim.”

While they were still discussing the details of getting the money back, the postman arrived with an envelope for the Rav. The Rav opened the envelope and was astounded to find a letter in it from the Rav of Yerushalayim accompanied by the full amount of money the man’s wife had sent to him.

The Rav had written, “I received the letter with the money enclosed. However, since the Rav wrote that the woman gave him the money, I suspected that she might have done this without the permission of her husband. Because of this, I am sending back the money, and I request from the Rav that he return the money to the woman as quickly as possible. It should be understood that I didn’t refrain from the fulfilling the woman’s request because of this. I davened fervently for her, and may my tefillohs be accepted before Avinu Beshamayim.” (Ukarasa Leshabos Oneg)
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The author of the Sefer Shemiras Ha’Guf v’Hanefesh, R’ Lerner, once approached Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, z’tl, to inquire about a source for a certain halacha included in his sefer. Rav Shlomo Zalman responded that he was not familiar with the source. When Rav Lerner was ready to print his sefer, he included this halacha, and he wrote that he had asked Rav Shlomo Zalman for the source, but he was not familiar with it. However, his peers in his kollel tried to persuade him that it would be disrespectful to the Gadol Hador to publicize this.
R’ Lerner again approached Rav Shlomo Zalman, and Rav Shlomo Zalman told him that anyone who writes a sefer is regarded as the Gadol Hador on that topic, and if he wasn’t embarrassed to admit that he didn’t know the source, why should he? Instead, he should publicize in the sefer that he was not aware of the source, and it was possible that someone, either in Eretz Yisrael or Chutz Lea’Aretz, would be able to provide it. Sure enough, that’s exactly what’s happened, and after the sefer was published, someone wrote a letter to R’ Lerner with the source. (Heard from R’ Lerner)

Who Knows One
Q. If a tree falls in a forest and there’s nobody around to hear it, does it make a noise?
Answer: Yes, it makes a noise. The verse says, “There is no speaker, and no words, without their voice being heard.” (Tehillim 19:4) Even if no creature hears the noise, Hashem hears it.
Q. On one historic Yom Kippur, the entire Jewish people ate and drank and were praised for it by Hashem. When did this occur?
Answer: When Shlomo Hamelech built the Bais Hamikdosh, Yom Kippur occurred during its seven Inauguration Days. The Sanhedrin decided that, not only must the Inauguration Sacrifices be offered but, moreover, the people must cook, eat, and drink on Yom Kippur or else the happiness of the Inauguration would be incomplete. (See Mo’ed Katan 9a.)
Q. You are one of the judges in a Jewish court in a capital case. It is your turn to state your opinion. If you say, “I find the defendant innocent,” then the defendant receives the death penalty. But if you say, “I find the defendant guilty,” he goes ‘scot-free.’ What is the case?
Answer: You are the last judge to vote, where all the other judges have already said ‘guilty.’ According to Torah law, convicting someone of a capital crime requires a Sanhedrin of 23 judges. After hearing testimony from eye-witnesses, the judges vote. If at least thirteen of the judges vote ‘guilty’ the defendant is executed. There is a surprising exception to this, however: If ALL the judges vote guilty, then the defendant is acquitted. Here’s why. There are two ways to look at everything. There’s no situation in this world without some merit or positive side. If not one judge was able to see the good side and declare the defendant innocent, something’s wrong. The positive side of the case must have been missing during the presentation of the evidence. Therefore, he is acquitted.
Q. When is a non-kohen called first to the Torah in the presence of Kohanim?
Answer: When he is the only non-kohen present. (Shulchan Aruch, O.C. 135:12)

Know Your Gedolim…
Who Is This?

Talk the Talk — Walk the Walk
Stats on the Parsha…

53rd of the 54 sedras – 10th of 11 in D’varim / 3 Parshiyos; all open / 52 p’sukim – 614 words – 2326 letters /
Haazinu p’sukim are among the Torah’s shortest. The Chinuch does not count any mitzvos in Ha’azinu; the Rambam lists one. See later.
A “few” words about the unusual layout of Haazinu in a Sefer Torah: Most Sifrei Torah are written with columns of 42 lines each. The column containing the beginning of Haazinu has the last 6 lines of Vayeilech, from the word V’A’I’DA.
Side point: This is one of only 6 columns whose first word is set by mesorah. The mnemonic acronym B’KA SH’MO (BEIS-YUD-HEI-SHIN- MEM-VAV) indicates the 6 special column- starters. They are: B’REISHIS (obviously), YEHUDA from parshas Vay’chi, HABA’IM from B’shalach (heading the unusual Az Yashir column), SH’MOR L’CHA from Ki Sisa (right after the reading for Fast Days), MA TOVU from Balak, and V’A’I’DA in Vayeilech.

Another side point: Many Sifrei Torah are written so that each column begins with a VAV. This is not a requirement, but is a fairly common practice of Sofrim. Because of the B’KA SH’MO tradition, 5 of the 245 columns of a Torah will not begin with a VAV.
Back to Haazinu. The first 6 lines of the column belong to Vayeilech. Then a line is left blank. The remaining 35 lines of the column are the first half of the “song” part of Haazinu, with each line written in two parts with a space between them. The second column begins with the 35 lines of the second half of the “song”, followed by a blank line and 6 “regular” lines of Torah text. Haazinu concludes on the following column (approx. 14 lines).
The Geula — What to Expect
Don’t Build The Bais HaMikdash At Night
The pasuk (Bahalosicha 9:15) says, “U’B’Yom Hakim Es HaMishkan”, the day the Mishkan is erected. The gemara in Shavuos says (15b) that Abaye says that from here we learn that the Bais HaMikdash is not built at night, just like in the Midbar it was not erected at night. Why not, asks the Ben Ish Chai?

He answers that the night symbolizes the dark and bitter Galus, as we wait for the light of the Geula. We learn from here, says the Ben Ish Chai, that we should not force the geula to come by building a Bais HaMikdash when the darkness still surrounds us. We must wait for the Geula Sheleima when the light of Hashem shines, through the light of Moshiach, and only then, when the Galus is truly over, will we be zocheh to build an everlasting Bais HaMikdash.

The Day Apikursus Takes Over The World

The gemara in Sanhedrin says, “Ein Ben Dovid Ba Ad Shetis’hapech Kol HaMalchus L’Minus”, Moshiach will not come until the world is ruled by Apikursus. Rava says, this is seen in the pasuk (Tazria 13:13) “Kulo Hafach Lavan Tahor Hu”, that when a person is completely covered by Tzora’as, he is tahor. Similarly, when the world is totally covered by the tzora’as of apikursus, it will become tahor.

Rav Shimon Schwab explains the reason for this seemingly contradictory phenomenon. The world was created by Hashem who is Kulo Tahor. He created tumah to challenge mankind to prove their purity. The whole power of Tumah is derived from the energy of tahara which it tries to sap and divert. If there is no tahara, then tumah has no place to expand and it simply disappears.

Once the world becomes completely full of apikursus, with no straight thinking minds to counteract it, it will disappear on its own. When a person is totally overcome by tzora’as and does not have a single spot of pure skin, the tzora’as has nothing to act on and is rendered ineffective.

May we zocheh to witness the historic day when “Kol Harisha Kula KeAshan Tichla”, when all the wickedness evaporates and dissipates like smoke and the world is restored to its original state of purity.
Yetzias Mitzrayim & The Final Geula
Much has been written about how the final geula will take shape. As we get closer we all wonder and wait with bated breath. Rav Moshe ben Machir, one of the Gedolim in the time of the Arizal and the author of Seder HaYom, says the following.

He asks, why do we celebrate our freedom on Leil Yetzias Mitzrayim? We ourselves are suffering in a very long galus of Edom and Yishmael. He answers that it we cannot compare our plight now to our plight in Mitzrayim since we have the freedom now to do as we please, despite the constant oppression. We suffer but our sense of “self” has not been taken away.

However, he asks, this golus is still terrible because the fact is that we are subject to the whims and oppression of the world around us. He answers that this is nothing since we can be redeemed at any moment and we are always just seconds away from freedom. We have all the reason in the world to believe that next year’s seder will be in Yerushalayim in the light of Moshiach.

In Galus Mitzrayim, the fact was that we had no possibility of ever getting out. Hashem needed to change the entire Bria and the laws of nature to free us. That is what we mean when we say in Avadim Hayinu, that had Hashem not extricated us, we would still be in Mitzrayim. That was the true and dire situation. In today’s galus, says the Seder HaYom, we can easily leave the galus through natural means without defying the laws of nature.

Surely we will witness great Nisim and Niflaos as Hashem avenges our two thousand years of suffering, but our freedom is right here just around the corner with very little in the way! Im Kol Zeh Achakeh Lo B’Chol Yom SheYavo!

This week’s Torah is B’Zchus: those who are putting time and effort into building their succas and picking out the finest esrogim and lulovim around.

Distributed by the Chevre Marbitz Torah D’NMB

Created By Rov Allen Sherman