Shabbos: Ta’Am Hachaim Vayera 5773

Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vayera 5773

(From the archives)

Shabbos in the Parasha protection and to bless our homes when they see that everything is prepared in In this week’s parashah it is said that honor of Shabbos. On a deeper level, subsequent to Avraham circumcising however, HaShem sends us angels on himself, HaShem appeared to Avraham. Friday night as a sign that HaShem is What was the reason for this unexpected pleased with the actions that we have visit from HaShem? Rashi, quoting the performed during the week. Thus, the Gemara (Bava Metzia 86b) writes that it angels represent a sign that HaShem is was the third day from when Avraham rewarding us for our virtuous behavior. had been circumcised and HaShem was This idea sheds light on the debate visiting Avraham to inquire of his whether one should recite Shalom welfare. Yet, we do not find that Aleichem on Friday night or not. Some HaShem said anything to Avraham. The opinions maintain that one should not Ramban therefore posits that HaShem make requests on Shabbos, and there are appeared to Avraham as a sign of also opinions that maintain that one endearment, which demonstrated that should not request that angels bless him, HaShem was pleased with Avraham for as we must direct all our prayers and having circumcised himself. This, the supplications directly to HaShem. In Ramban writes, is what the Gemara light of the above-mentioned means when it states that HaShem explanation, however, we can suggest appeared to Avraham to visit the sick. that since the angels are present as a sign HaShem did not see a need to converse of the honor that HaShem is bestowing with Avraham. Rather, HaShem visited upon us, there is no need to even make Avraham as a sign of honor. Similarly, mention of them. They are HaShem’s the Ramban writes that when Yaakov emissaries but they do not arrive to was returning from Lavan and was en perform any function. The accepted route to Eretz Yisroel, he encountered custom is that we recite Shalom angels, who were sent by HaShem as a Aleichem and most people request that sign that HaShem was pleased with the angels bless them, but we should still Yaakov’s actions. It is noteworthy that bear in mind that with the arrival of the Gemara (Shabbos 119b) states that Shabbos, HaShem wishes to demonstrate on Friday night when we leave shul and His affection for His Chosen People, and walk to our homes, we are escorted by He honors us by sending us His two angels. What is the purpose of these emissaries. HaShem should allow us to angels escorting us? In a simple sense, merit being worthy of His Presence in the angels escort us home as a sign of our midst on the Holy Shabbos.

Shabbos in the Zemiros Rabbi Ephraim Wachsman, Shlita, said that regarding the service of the Kohen Askinu Seudasa Gadol on Yom Kippur, it is said (Vayikra 16:3) bizos yavo Aharon el Composed by the Arizal, Rabbi Yitzchak hakodesh, with this shall Aharon come Luria into the Sanctuary. The word bizos implies something specific and true, and Asader lidroma minarta dissima on Yom Kippur we are demonstrating vishulchan im nahama bitzipona arshin, that we are being truthful with our I shall arrange to the south the Menorah recognition of HaShem. Perhaps we can of hidden wisdom and a table with bread suggest that the same principle applies to shall I emplace to the north. The Gemara this passage, as we are declaring that (Bava Basra 25b) states that one who zeh, this, is the song of Shabbos, as the wishes to become wise should face the word Shabbos and the word emes, truth, south, whereas one who wishes to in mispar katan, digit sum, both equal 9, become wealthy should turn to the north. as Shabbos is the day of truth. For this The symbol for these two ideas is that in reason we state that this is the song of the Mishkan, the Menorah, which praise of the Shabbos day, as this is the represented wisdom, was located in the truth, which is reflected in Shabbos. south, and the Shulchan, which represented material wealth, was located Shabbos Stories in the north. I saw an amazing explanation for this passage in the Sefer There was once a Karliner Chassid who Kol Mevaser. He writes that Asader lived in a small town in a small broken lidroma minarta dissima means that the down house. This Chassid did not have ultimate goal and desire is in the south, much of anything, but nonetheless he where the wisdom is found. Nonetheless, was happy with his lot. Every year when vishulchan im nahama bitzipona arshin, the festival of Sukkos arrived, the I give permission (arshin is from the Chassid would wait until everyone else root word reshus, which means had built their Sukkos, and he would permission) for wealth to come from the then go around and ask for whatever north, as Torah scholars who are poor they had left over. People would offer will thus be able to have the resources to him a rotted board or a rusted nail, and it sufficiently honor the Shabbos. was from these leftovers that he would build his Sukkah. For seven days the Shabbos in Tefillah Chassid would sit in his Sukkah and sing with great joy. Across the field from the Zeh shir shevach shel yom hashevii Chassid lived a very wealthy man. This shebo shavas Keil mikol milachto, this is wealthy man owned the local factory and the song of praise of the Shabbos Day: employed most of the town. The that on it G-d rested from all His work. magnate’s house was large, and he did

2 not lack anything in the way of when suddenly he had a brainstorm. In materialism. The wealthy man had the town’s cemetery, the people would everything he could imagine, but he was place wooden planks to serve as not happy. In fact, he was more than just tombstones instead of the standard not happy. He was really sad and marble or stone tombstones. On the downright miserable. The Sukkah that wooden planks was inscribed the words the wealthy man had built every year “Here lies..” The Chassid knew that was a wonder. The Sukkah was the size there were many wooden planks in the of a football field, with an oak table, cemetery, so he thought to himself: candelabras and running water. The “certainly there will not be hundreds of Sukkah had within it everything one people who die in this town over could imagine. Nonetheless, every year Sukkos. Thus, why would anyone care if the wealthy man sat in his Sukkah, and I were to borrow a few planks and return when he would hear the Karliner them after the holiday?” The day before Chassid singing from across the field, it Sukkos arrived and the wealthy man drove him absolutely crazy. There is looked across the field and smiled. This nothing that makes a sad person so sad year there was no Sukkah outside the as to meet a happy person, and there is house of the Karliner Chassid. Sukkos nothing that makes a sad person happier arrived and the wealthy rich man sat at than to meet another sad person. One his oak table in his Sukkah, with his year as the festival of Sukkos candelabras and everything he could approached, the wealthy man was struck imagine. The wealthy man recited by an idea. The wealthy man approached Kiddush in peace and blissful quiet. He everyone in his town and told them, then began to eat his fish, still in peace “When the Karliner Chassid comes and blissful quiet. Suddenly, from across around asking for a rotted board or a the field, he heard singing! The wealthy rusted nail, do not give it to him.” Now man quickly jumped up! “How can it when the wealthy man issued such a be?” he wondered aloud. He looked directive, what was anyone to do? After outside and lo and behold, across the all, the wealthy man did own the town. field, a shabby Sukkah was propped Thus, when the Chassid requested from against the Karliner Chassid’s house. the townspeople if they could spare a The wealthy man ran across the field and leftover piece from their Sukkah, the burst in on the Chassid. “Where did you people would just shrug their shoulders, get the wood for this Sukkah?” the turn their palms up, and shake their wealthy man exclaimed. The Karliner heads. “I am sorry,” they would say, Chassid received the wealthy man with a “but this year I cannot even spare a rusty glowing face. “Shalom Aleichem! Come nail.” The Chassid was rejected by every in! Sit down!” Still standing, the rich single person in town and was about to man repeated his question, “Where did despair of building a Sukkah that year, you get this wood from?” “I will be glad

3 to tell you,” the Chassid said, “just come bother, because that guy is so sad, it is in and sit down.” The wealthy man’s like he is already dead.’ The Angel of eyes darted to and fro, first gazing at the Death said, ‘He is that sad?’ ‘Yes,’ I Chassid, and then at the Sukkah, the responded, he is that sad.’ ‘Well,’ said door, and then back to the Chassid. the Angel of Death, ‘if he is that sad, I Frowning, the wealthy man at himself on guess I do not even have to bother. the half broken chair across from the Thanks for saving me the work!’” Chassid. The Karliner Chassid then said “Now,” said the Karliner chassid, “as the to the wealthy man, “Please, allow me to Angel of Death was about to leave, I tell you a story. Yesterday, I was looking asked him for a little favor. I said to the around town for some way to build a Angel of Death, ‘Listen, I helped you Sukkah, and I asked people if they could out, so maybe you can help me out?’ spare a board or a nail. It was the The Angel of Death responded, ‘Sure, strangest thing that ever happened to me, what can I do for you?’ I said to the as I could not find anything. It seemed Angel of Death, ‘I really need a Sukkah like everyone had used up their materials for the holiday.’ The Angel of Death and there was nothing left over. It was paused, and then he said, ‘You know, I already getting late in the afternoon and am not scheduled to return here until I was still walking around town without after the festival. In the burial society, even the first board to use for a Sukkah. they have the wooden stakes that they Who do you think I should then run put in a new grave before they put up the into? None other than the Angel of headstone. Those are the wooden stakes Death!” Upon meeting him, I said, that say ‘Here Lies… at the top. I am not ‘Angel of Death! Shalom Alechem!’ and planning to return here, so you can use he said, ‘Alechem Shalom.’ I said, ‘what those stakes to build your Sukkah.’” brings you to town?’ The Angel of “That is exactly what I did,” the Chassid Death responded, ‘I just have one more said. “In fact, if you look up there, you pick up before the holiday comes in.’ I can see that on each board, it says ‘Here said to the angel of Death, ‘one more Lies….’” With that, the Karliner Chassid pickup, huh? Would you mind if I ask burst into a joyous song. The Chassid’s you who it is?’” “Now, you will not words pierced the wealthy man’s heart believe this,” the Karliner Chassid like arrows. He began to cry from the continued, leaning forward, staring right depths of his heart. Finally, the wealthy at the rich man, “but the Angel of Death man asked the Chassid, “What can I do? mentioned your name!” I then said to the I cannot remove the sadness from my Angel of Death, ‘That guy? You came to heart. Tell me, I have everything, but no get that guy? You do not have to bother.’ joy. And you, who have nothing - from The Angel of Death asked, ‘I do not where do you get all this joy?” The have to bother? Why is that?’ I said to Chassid responded: “If you want to be the Angel of Death, ‘You do not have to joyous, you must go to the holy Karliner

Rebbe. There you can learn what true One idea is fear of HaShem and the simcha is.” The wealthy man went to second idea is the poor choice of Karlin, and where in the past he had appointing a king. A king is good for the been full of anger and sadness, he was people so long as they realize that the transformed into a person full of joy and king represents HaShem’s kingship on happiness, and became one of the this earth. In a similar vein, Shabbos is a greatest Karliner Chassidim. All that he time when HaShem reveals His kingship needed was for someone to ignite the on earth. It is specifically for this reason spark that was hidden deep within him. that on Shabbos, even a person who is not scrupulous in separating tithes is Shabbos in Navi believed to say that he has tithed. The fear of Shabbos is upon him and he is Shmuel I Chapter 12 deemed to be declaring the truth. We In this chapter we learn how Shmuel should all merit fearing HaShem and the requested that the Jewish people testify Holy Shabbos that He has bestowed about him that he had not cheated them upon us. or robbed from them and the Jewish Shabbos in Agadah People testified that Shmuel had not committed any crime against them. The Gerrer Rebbe, the Imrei Emes Shmuel then reminded the Jewish People (Sukkos) writes that Shabbos is akin to about their past and how they had come Sukkos as on Shabbos we request from to request from him that they have a king HaShem to spread over us the shelter of appointed over them. Shmuel then had His peace. On Shabbos all harmful HaShem perform a miracle and although agents are removed from the Jewish it was then the wheat harvest season People and then there is a place for the when it does not rain, HaShem made it Name of Heaven to rest. Similarly, rain on that day. Shmuel had this occur subsequent to Rosh HaShanah and Yom to demonstrate to the people that they Kippur the Jewish People have attained had been wicked to ask HaShem for a purity and then the Name of Heaven king. Upon seeing the rain it is said that rests upon the Sukkah. the Jewish People feared HaShem and Shmuel and they requested that Shmuel Shabbos in Halacha pray on their behalf that they do not die because they had requested to have a If one removed from the blech a pot of king appointed over them. Shmuel then warm, completely cooked food prior to informs the people that HaShem will Shabbos with the intent of returning it, never forsake His people and they and then he set it down and forgot to should fear HaShem and serve Him return it prior to Shabbos, he would be faithfully with all their hearts. There are allowed in a case of necessity to return it two ideas that dominate this chapter. to the blech on Shabbos (provided it is

5 still warm). An example of this rule is week’s edition of Shabbos: Ta’am when arranging the blech prior to HaChaim Shabbos one removed a pot from the blech and forgot to return it. One can return the pot to the blech on Shabbos as long as it is completely cooked, still warm and his original intention was to return it. If one’s original intention was not to replace the pot on the blech, he would be forbidden to return it on Shabbos. Shabbos Challenge Question

Last week we posed the question: on Shabbos we wish each other Good Shabbos or Shabbat Shalom. What is the significance of declaring that Shabbos is good or that Shabbos is peaceful? Perhaps the idea of wishing each other Good Shabbos or Shabbat Shalom is that it is said (Bereishis 21:31) vayar Elokim es kol asher asah vihinei tov meod vayehi erev vayehi voker yom hashishi, and G-d saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 9:10) states that the words vihinei tov meod allude to death. For this reason we wish each other a good and peaceful Shabbos, to demonstrate that death only has dominion during the week and not on Shabbos.

This week’s question is, what is the significance of Shabbos Chol HaMoed? If you have a possible answer, please email me at [email protected] and your answer will be posted in next

Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Vayera Daf Yomi Schedule at Maor Torah Center

5773 Monday through Friday 6:00 AM followed by Shacharis at 6:55 AM Is sponsored in memory of Rav Yishayah Bardaky (1862). R' Bardaky Sunday 8:00 AM followed by Shacharis was born in Pinsk and taught Torah at 9:00 AM there, but he decided to settle in Eretz Shabbos morning 8:00 AM followed by Yisrael after his first wife died. When Shacharis at 9:00 AM the ship carrying R' Bardaky, his son, Shmuel Akiva, and his daughter, neared Shabbos afternoon an hour before the port of Akko, it was wrecked, and all Mincha the passengers were thrown into the sea. R' Bardaky, however, was a powerful ______swimmer, and, with his two children on his back, he swam ashore. Upon Have a wonderful Shabbos reaching Yerushalayim, R' Bardaky was Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler. appointed head of the Ashkenazic community. He also was appointed vice- For sponsorships please call 248-506- consul of the Austrian Empire. 0363 And in memory of Rav Nachum Pertzovitz (Partzovitz), Rosh Yeshivas To subscribe weekly by email, please Mir Yerushalayim (1986). At the age of email 9, he attended Ramailles Yeshiva in [email protected] Vilna, and became close to its rosh yeshiva, Rav Shlomo Heiman. View Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim and other Divrei Torah on And in memory of Rav Nechemiah www.doreishtov.wordpress.com Kibel (1952-2005). Born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Holocaust survivors, R’ Kibel entered the newly founded

Yeshiva of the South, under Rav Meir Belsky, who was one of the first talmidim of Rav Yitzchak Hutner. He served as a magid shiur at the yeshiva in Memphis, then founded and taught at RITSS (Regional Institute for Torah and Secular Studies), Cincinnati’s Bais Yaakov in 1989. A few later, he played a major role in the founding of Cincinnati’s Community Kollel.