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History of Halacha from the Mishna to Mishna Torah to Mishna Brurah

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History of Halacha from the Mishna to Mishna Torah to Mishna Brurah Rabbi Sultan Demystifying the Halachic Process History of Halacha from the Mishna to Mishna Torah to Mishna Brurah A. Age of Torah בראשית רבה (וילנא) פרשת בראשית פרשה א התורה אומרת אני הייתי כלי אומנתו של הקב"ה, בנוהג שבעולם מלך בשר ודם בונה פלטין, אינו בונה אותה מדעת עצמו אלא מדעת אומן, והאומן אינו בונה אותה מדעת עצמו, אלא דיפתראות, ופינקסאות יש לו, לדעת היאך הוא עושה חדרים, היאך הוא עושה פשפשין, כך היה הקב"ה מביט בתורה, ובורא את העולם, והתורה אמרה בראשית ברא אלקים, ואין ראשית אלא תורה, היאך מה דאת אמר (משלי ח) ה' קנני ראשית דרכו The Torah says I was the choice tool of Hashem. When a king builds a palace he uses an architect and the architect uses a script and guide book. That is, he plans it out so that every room and corridor is correct. Similarly Hashem looks into the Torah and creates the world. That is the meaning of Beresheet Bara Elokim where Reishit refers to Torah. B. Beginning of Machloket אגרת רב שרירא גאון והכי הויא מילתא דראשונים לא איתידעא שמהתהון אלא שמותן של נשיאים ושל אבות ב״ד בלבד משום דלא הוה מחלוקת ביניהון אלא כל טעמי דאורייתא הוה ידעין להון ידיעה ברורה... ומשום הנך מהומות ושמדים ושמדים ושגושין שהיו באותו זמן לא שמשו התלמידים כל צרכן ונפשי מחלוקת. We don’t know the names of the early sages except the names of the princes and Avot Bet Din because there was no dispute. As long as long as everyone knew everything very clearly there was no dispute. However, because of the persecution the students didn’t study properly and dispute arose. רש״י ב״מ לג: ד״ה בימי הא דקתני תלמוד אין לך מדה גדולה מזו לפי שמשרבו תלמידי שמאי והלל שהיו לפניו שלשה דורות רבו מחלוקות בתורה ונעשית כשתי תורות מתוך עול שעבוד מלכיות וגזירות שהיו גוזרין עליהן ומתוך כך לא היו יכולים לתת לב לברר דברי החולקים עד ימיו של רבי שנתן הקב"ה לו חן בעיני אנטונינוס מלך רומי כדאמרינן בעבודה זרה (דף י.) ונחו מצרה ושלח וקבץ כל תלמידי ארץ ישראל ועד ימיו לא היו מסכתות סדורות אלא כל תלמיד ששמע דבר מפי גדול הימנו גרסה ונתן סימנים הלכה פלונית ופלונית שמעתי משם פלוני וכשנתקבצו אמר כל אחד מה ששמע ונתנו לב לברר טעמי המחלוקת דברי מי ראוין לקיים וסידרו המסכתות The reason that the Talmud is critical to study is because when the students of Shamai and Hillel multiplied over three generations a lot of disputes emerged. There was so much dispute that it looked like there were two torah’s. This was a result of the hardship of the ruling governor so that the students couldn’t clarify the halacha until Rebbe had peace and an ability to gather the rabbis and organize the Mishna. C. Is there such a thing as a chiddush in Torah? תלמוד ירושלמי (וילנא) מסכת פאה פרק ב:ד אפי' מה שתלמיד ותיק עתיד להורות לפני רבו כבר נאמר למשה בסיני מה טעם [קהלת א י] יש דבר שיאמר אדם Young Israel of Jamaica Estates 1 Rabbi Sultan Demystifying the Halachic Process ראה זה חדש הוא וגו' משיבו חבירו ואומר לו כבר היה לעולמים Even what a good student would pasken was already told to Moshe at Har Sinai. תלמוד בבלי מסכת מגילה דף יט עמוד ב ואמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן: מאי דכתיב ועליהם ככל הדברים אשר דבר ה' עמכם בהר ­ מלמד שהראהו הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה דקדוקי תורה ודקדוקי סופרים, ומה שהסופרים עתידין לחדש, ומאי ניהו ­ מקרא מגילה (R. Chiya bar Aba): "... And on them (the Luchos) like everything that Hash­m spoke with you in the mountain" ­ on Sinai Hash­m showed to Moshe all the Dikdukim (e.g. Ribuyim and Mi'utim) in the Torah and in Divrei Chachamim, and what Chachamim will add, i.e. Keri'as ha'Megilah. דרשות הר״ן דרוש שלישי (http://asif.co.il/?wpfb_dl=4433) ​ "... עליהם ככל הדברים" מלמד שהראהו הקב"ה למשה כל דקדוקי תורה ודקדוקי סופרים ומה שסופרים עתידים לחדש ומאי ניהו מקרא מגילה. דקדוקי סופרים, הם המחלוקות וחלוקי הסברות שבין חכמי ישראל, וכולן למדונו משה רבינו מפי הגבורה, ושתהיה הכרעה כפי הסכמת חכמי הדור. This gemara teaches us that Moshe learned from Hashem the fine points about the Torah and the fine points of the scholars, and whatever the rabbis will generate later. The fine points of the rabbis are the disputes and logical arguments. The ultimate decision lies in the hands of the rabbis of the generation. תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא בתרא דף קלד עמוד א אמרו עליו על רבן יוחנן בן זכאי, שלא הניח מקרא ומשנה, גמרא, הלכות ואגדות, דקדוקי תורה ודקדוקי סופרים, וקלין וחמורין, וגזרות שוות, ותקופות, וגמטריאות, ומשלות כובסים ומשלות שועלים, שיחת שדים ושיחת דקלים, ושיחת מלאכי השרת, ודבר גדול ודבר קטן, דבר גדול ­ מעשה מרכבה, ודבר קטן ­ הויות דאביי ורבא ​ R. Yochanan Ben Zakai learned everything ­ Torah, Nevi'im, and Kesuvim, Mishnah, Gemara (resolutions of difficulties between Mishnayos), Halachos, Agados, Drashos, Rabbinical enactments, laws learned from Kal va'Chomer and Gezerah Shavah, calculation of the Tekufos (equinoxes and solstices), Gematriyos, parables about launderers and foxes, the speech of Shedim, of date trees and of angels, and big and small matters; i. A big matter is Hash­m's chariot (mentioned in Yechezkeil). A small matter is the questions of Abaye and Rava. תורת חיים מסכת סנהדרין דף יז עמוד א הענין תמוה דלמאי נפקא מינה קול מ"ת קיים לעולם ונראה שבשעת מ"ת יצא השפע מאתו יתברך והשפיע על הר סיני כל התורה כולה שבכתב ושבעל פה מדרש ואגדה הכל נאמר לו למשה מסיני וכל העוסק בתורה לשם שמים השפע ההוא מחזיר עליו ונח עליו וזוכה לחדש חידושי התורה ע"י השפע ההוא שהוא כדמות רוח הקדש והיינו מ"ש חז"ל וידבר אלהים את כל הדברים האלה כל מה שתלמיד ותיק עתיד לחדש הכל נאמר בסיני תורת חיים מסכת בבא מציעא דף פה עמוד א בפ"ק דבתרא מיום שחרב בית המקדש אע"פ שניטלה הנבואה מן הנביאים מן החכמים לא ניטלה קרי לה נבואה לחידושי התורה לפי שכל שהחכמים מחדשים בתורה הוא ע"י קול שפע הבא מאתו יתברך על הר סיני נראה דלהכי יסדו בחתימת ברכת התורה ברוך אתה ה' נותן התורה ולא תיקנו לומר נתן התורה... ונראה דהדא הוא דכתיב מגיד דבריו ליעקב What does that mean that the voice from Matan Torah didn’t cease. It seems that the revelation of Matan Torah included the written and oral Torah. Everything was said to Moshe. Anyone who learns for pure intent merits to this inspiration and is able to generate new ideas like Ruach Hakodesh. That’s the intent of the gemara that everything that will be taught later was Young Israel of Jamaica Estates 2 Rabbi Sultan Demystifying the Halachic Process told to Moshe at Har Sinai. Even though prophecy was removed from the world, the rabbis still have some prophecy in saying a novel idea in Torah which is based on the Ruach Hakodesh from Har Sinai. That’s the meaning of the bracha noten hatorah, Hashem presently continues to give the Torah. ​ ​ הקדמת הרמב״ם לפירוש משניות וכל מה שקבל ממשה הוא או אחד מן הזקנים אין לדבר עליו ולא נפלה בו מחלוקת. ומי שלא שמע בו פירוש מפי הנביא ע"ה מן הענינים המשתרגים מהם הוציא דינים בסברות במדות השלש עשרה הנתונות על הר סיני שהתורה נדרשת בהם. ובאותם הדינים שהוציאום יש דברים שלא נפלה בהן מחלוקת אבל הסכימו עליהם ויש מהם מה שנפלה בו מחלוקת בין שתי דעות זה אומר בכה וזה אומר בכה זה סובר סברא ונתחזקה לדעתו וזה סובר סברא ונתחזקה לדעתו כי מדות ההיקש שעל דרך התוכחת יקרה בסברותיהם המקרה הזה וכשהיתה נופלת המחלוקת היו הולכים אחרי הרוב כמו שנאמר אחרי רבים להטות (שמות כג). Everything that was given to Moshe is set in stone and no one can argue with it. Whatever Moshe didn’t hear explicitly can be derived from the 13 principles of how to learn Torah that was given on Har Sinai. In that realm of Torah there are sometimes no dispute and where there is dispute it is resolved by majority. D. Anachronisms in Torah תלמוד בבלי מסכת מנחות דף כט עמוד ב אמר רב יהודה אמר רב: בשעה שעלה משה למרום, מצאו להקב"ה שיושב וקושר כתרים לאותיות, אמר לפניו: רבש"ע, מי מעכב על ידך? אמר לו: אדם אחד יש שעתיד להיות בסוף כמה דורות ועקיבא בן יוסף שמו, שעתיד לדרוש על כל קוץ וקוץ תילין תילין של הלכות. אמר לפניו: רבש"ע, הראהו לי, אמר לו: חזור לאחורך. הלך וישב בסוף שמונה שורות, ולא היה יודע מה הן אומרים, תשש כחו; כיון שהגיע לדבר אחד, אמרו לו תלמידיו: רבי, מנין לך? אמר להן: הלכה למשה מסיני, נתיישבה דעתו. חזר ובא לפני הקב"ה, אמר לפניו: רבונו של עולם, יש לך אדם כזה ואתה נותן תורה ע"י? אמר לו: שתוק, כך עלה במחשבה לפני. אמר לפניו: רבונו של עולם, הראיתני תורתו, הראני שכרו, אמר לו: חזור [לאחורך]. חזר לאחוריו, ראה ששוקלין בשרו במקולין, אמר לפניו: רבש"ע, זו תורה וזו שכרה? א"ל: שתוק, כך עלה במחשבה לפני. (Rav Yehudah): When Moshe alighted to receive the Torah, Hash­m was tying crowns on the letters. 1. Moshe: You do not need crowns (Maharsha ­ to aid understanding, and surely, only You understand their meaning)! 2. Hash­m: After many generations, there will be a Chacham, R. Akiva, who will learn mountains of Halachos from them. 3. Moshe: Show him to me! 4. Hash­m put Moshe in the eighth row in R. Akiva's class. Moshe could not understand the class, he felt depressed. A question was asked, and R. Akiva's only answer was 'we know this from a tradition from Moshe from Sinai.' Moshe felt better.
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