Berakhot Koren Bavli and Ein Aya

Berakhot Koren Talmud Bavli and Ein Aya

by Chaim Katz

Berakhot Koren Talmud Bavli (KE) is a translation (into English) of Rav Adin Even-Yisrael Steinsaltz’s Hebrew edition of tractate Berakhot. It comprises the text of the Talmud, the in-line commentary, the explanation of foreign words, the mini-studies iyunim( ), the biographies of selected sages, the description of cultural objects (hahayim), descriptions of fauna and flora and more. As far as I’ve noticed, they never mention in the front matter nor in the advertising blurbs that they added informational notes that don’t appear in the original edition, but there are more than 100 new notes in Berakhot KE.

In this paper, I’d like to present an overview of the new notes, and specifically examine the notes based on Ein Aya [1] – Rav Kook’s commentary to . [2]

I had a few questions about the notes based on :

1. In the Hebrew edition, Rav Adin created a bibliography of all the sources he used to compile his explanations. The list contains about 100 entries that stretch from Baal Halakhot Gedolot and Sheiltot (8th century) to Rabbi Akiba Eger (died 1837), the Hatam Sofer (died 1839), and commentaries printed in the Vilna Shas and the Vilna Ein Yaakov, e.g., Maharatz Chajes (died 1855), Rav Samuel Strashun (died 1872), Rav Hanokh Zundel the author of Etz Yosef (died 1867). Rav Adin did not incorporate any 20th century authors in his commentary. KE made an exception and included Rav Kook. What is the reason? 2. Ein Aya is not really an explanation of Ein Yaakov. Rav Kook points out in its introduction that his work uses Ein Yaakov as a starting point. However, his goal was to expand the literature of and produce a new type of reading material based upon ethical ideas in Jewish philosophy, kabbalah, musar and hassidut. Does KE realize that Ein Aya is not a commentary like the others? 3. Ein Aya is very long. A haggadic statement that Maharsha devotes 15 lines of explanation to, is discussed by Rav Kook in about 60 lines (30 lines of double column text). How will KE summarize all that material? [3]

First, I’ll briefly review some of the new notes in KE and then examine a few passages quoted from Ein Aya. The following are new:

1 KE Daf 16b (page 112) has a biography of Rav Safra which is copied from the Hebrew edition Moed Kattan 25a

2 KE Daf 57b (page 371) has a biography of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha copied from Gittin 58a

3 KE Daf 64a (page 409) has a note about the Chaldean astrologers, which is copied from the Hebrew Shabbat 156b.

4 KE Daf 17b (page 115) has a note about Jesus the Nazarene copied from the Hebrew Edition Sotah 47a.

5 KE Daf 9b, (page 59) there is a note about tekhelet, similar but different from the notes in Menahot 38a .

6 KE Daf 12b, (page 82) has a long note about tzizit – ritual fringes

7 KE Daf 13b, (page 91) there’s a definition of kavanah – intent

8 KE Daf 13b, (page 92) has a diagram of the placement of the tefillin on the arm and hand.

9 KE Daf 56b, (page 365) has a note describing a lion. 10 KE Daf 56b, (page 367) has a note describing an elephant.

11 KE Daf 41a, (page 270) has notes for: radish, olive, wheat, barley, and fig. The following page has a definition of a date.

12 KE Daf 59a (page 382) has a note about a rainbow.

13 KE Daf 7a, (page 42) has an unattributed explanation based on the words: “When I wanted you did not want . . . “. The explanation is from Maharsha.

14 KE Daf 10a, (page 64) has a comment concerning the relationship of the Holy One Blessed is He and the world. This explanation comes from Etz Yosef.

15 KE Daf 11b, (page 74) has an unattributed very long note about The note is taken .אהבת עולם and eternal love אהבה רבה abounding love verbatim from The Long Shorter Way (Chapter 4 – Two Ways of Loving G- d) [4].

16 KE Daf 51a, (page 323) has a clarification of a statement made by the angel Suriel. This is from the Maharsha.

17 KE Daf 58a, (page 374) has an explanation concerning the statement: “When Samaria was cursed, its neighbors were blessed”. The explanation comes from Anaf Yosef.

18 KE Daf 17a (page 114) There is a short note about the “Divine שכינה Presence” (although it’s not the first time that the word appears in the tractate.)

My sense is that the Steinsaltz Hebrew edition only introduces a note when there is a problem (on the page) that the additional note might solve. KE relaxes this constraint. I’ll illustrate this difference using the first example in the above list. We read in our :

After his prayer, Rav Safra would add: “May it be Your will, G-d our G-d, that You make peace among the members of the heavenly court…”

Rav Safra is one of many sages quoted. There is no problem that needs to be solved. The KE has a biography of Rav Safra that ends this way:

Since Rav Safra was an itinerant merchant, he never established his own and did not spend much time in the study hall. Therefore, there were those among the Sages who held that he was unlike other Rabbis, that all are required to mourn their passing.

This is a strange piece of information which doesn’t look like it belongs in a biography. However, the Talmud Moed Kattan 25a, records the following discussion:

When R. Safra died, the students did not rend their clothes for him, since, they said, we have not learned from him. Abaye argued with them: Does the say: ‘When a teacher dies’? Rather it says ‘when a scholar dies’. Moreover, every day in the study hall we discuss his interpretations of the halakha.

KE’s biography was copied from Rav Adin’s biography in Moed Katan.

There are many other examples of notes in KE that were copied from one location to another. They usually don’t fit very well in the destination location. In general, the notes regarding the religious objects add value. The notes describing the obvious (e.g., lion and elephant) are probably included for their esthetics.

Concerning Ein Aya: First, I’ll present the note, my translation and the Hebrew text of Ein Aya side by side and then I’ll discuss the note briefly.

1 KE Daf 9a (Page 57), Ain Aya Berakhot 1 112 א”ר אבא הכל מודים כשנגאלו ישראל ממצרים R. Aba said: All agree that when לא נגאלו אלא בערב, Israel was redeemed from Egypt, they וכשיצאו לא יצאו אלא were redeemed specifically during ביום . ,the night, and when they left Egypt הגאולה מעבדות לחירות they left specifically during the בכלל, פועלת בכלל עם- .daytime שלם שני עניינים. Redemption from slavery to freedom האחד הוא החופש in general has two effects on an שירגיש בנפשו entire nation: 1) An inner התרוממות שיצא מכלל liberation and exaltedness that it שפלות העבדות ונעשה When the children of Israel were senses when it exchanges the בן חורין ואדון redeemed from Egypt, they were submissiveness of slavery for לעצמו. והשני הוא (redeemed only in the evening. And autonomy and self-determination. 2 הפעולה הנגלית בעולם, when they left, they left only during A freedom to perform actions that בהיותו עם חפשי חי .the day: impact the world ופועל. There are two separate elements to In Israel these two effects are more ובישראל עוד יתר שאת the transition from slavery to pronounced. For the inner freedom is לשני אלה, כי החופש freedom. First, the slave acquires a the beginning of their own הפנימי הוא התחלה personal sense of freedom and becomes perfection – developing holy לשלמות עצמם, בקדושת master of his own fate. Second, he behaviors in , its mitzvot and המדות בתורה ומצותי’ becomes free in the eyes of others, its wisdom. While the outer public וחכמתה. והחופש הגלוי i.e., he is perceived by those freedom allows Israel to be a light החיצוני, הוא עומד surrounding him as a free man and has to the nations. A great part of the בישראל להיות לאור the potential to influence them. With latter mission has already been גויים, כאשר כבר נעשה regard to the children of Israel, the accomplished even in our time and חלק גדול מזה גם לעת first element enabled them to receive will be fully completed when G-d has כזאת, ויגמר בתכליתו the Torah and elevate themselves with compassion on His nation. For from לעת ירחם ד’ את עמו, .the fulfillment of G-d’s Zion will the Torah go forth (Is כי מציון תורה תצא commandments. The second element 2:3), Even the people in the far-way ולתורת ישראל איים provided Israel with the opportunity lands will wait to hear Torah of ייחלון. (to become a “light unto the nations.” Israel (Is. 42:4 ע”כ נחלקו הגאולות Therefore, the redemption was divided Therefore, the redemptions are לשני חלקים, כשנגאלו into two stages. The first stage, in divided into two parts. When Israel ישראל ממצרים הגאולה which they acquired private, personal was redeemed from Egypt – the inner הפנימית, היינו freedom, took placed at night; the redemption – this occurred during מבערב, שע”ז אין second stage, which drew the the nighttime. For the main point is העיקר הידיעה והפרסום ,attention of the world to the miracle not publicity or exposure to others של זולתם, כי אם of the Exodus, took place during the but a strong sense of their inner ההרגשה הטובה בחופשתם day. liberation. When they left, they הפנימית. וכשיצאו לא specifically left during the יצאו אלא ביום, ביד daytime, publicly and openly for all רמה גלוי לכל יושבי the nations of the world to see, to תבל, להורות על demonstrate their worldly mission of פעולתם הגלויה בעולם, instructing, benefiting and להשכיל להיטיב לכל illuminating all of mankind with the ברואי בצלם להאיר :light of G-d as it is written באור ד’, כדבר שנאמר ,Nations will walk in your light “וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם .kings in your glorious light. (Is לְאוֹרֵךְ וּמְלָכִים (3 60 לְנֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ KE skipped the nuance that Rav Kook was speaking about nations and not individuals. It also decided that redemption occurs in two stages, while Rav Kook only said that redemption has two components to it. They stopped short and didn’t capture the emphasis that Rav Kook placed on enlightening the nations (probably with the Noachide laws), but on the whole, it’s a fairly accurate summary.

2 KE Daf 10b, (page 65), Ain Aya Berakhot 1 141

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed. Why ויסב חזקי’ את wall? Rabbi Shimon b Lakish פניו אל הקיר said: From the walls of his ויתפלל. מאי קיר .heart ארשב”ל מקירות לבו There is a prayer that יש תפילה שבאה accompanies emotions that are ברגש שכלי, שהשכל intellectual, when the From the chambers [kirot] of משקיף על ערך intellect perceives the value his heart – Often prayer is הנחיצות להתפלל of the necessity of praying viewed as an act that combines ומכיר גדולת ערך and recognizes the great the spiritual and the התפילה. והנה השכל worth of prayer. For the intellectual. There is a מיוחס לרוח הלב intellect is associated with cognitive awareness of the השורה בחלל הלב. ,the spirit of the heart necessity to turn to G-d in אבל כשמגביר which resides in the chamber our time of need. When there ברחמים עד שגם .of the heart is a pressing need, calling כוחות הגופניים However, when one fortifies for a higher level of prayer, מתפעלים מרגשי oneself in prayer so much so there can be an authentic call התפילה, ונמצא that the body’s powers are emanating from a person’s very שהתפילה פועלת על aroused by the feelings heart, as the Psalmist הגוף לא על הנפש generated by prayer, then the declares: “My heart and my לבדה, נקרא שמתפלל prayer affects the body, not flesh sing for joy unto the מקירות הלב. כלומר just the soul. This is called living G-d” (Psalms 84:3) לא מהרוח לבדו praying from the walls of the שהוא בחלל הלב, heart. Namely, not just with כ”א גם בהתפעלות the spirit, which is in the בשרית, כמו שכתוב chamber of the heart, but “לבי ובשרי ירננו also with physical vitality .”אל אל חי as it written: my heart and my flesh sing to the living G-d (Psalms 84:3) This is a more difficult piece, particularly because we don’t relate to the view that (one side of) the heart is filled with spirit. We don’t identify with the description of the heart as a source of emotion and we no longer think of intellect affecting the flesh of the heart (but that’s another discussion).

The main problem with KE’s translation, is that Rav Kook is speaking here about the influence that prayer has on the person. He’s not speaking about “a higher level of prayer . . . an authentic call emanating from a person’s very heart”. He’s saying that a person can change himself through prayer. He can change his thoughts (chamber of the heart) and he can even change his character (walls of the heart). KE’s translation misses all of this. It misses the distinction between walls and chamber, and it misses the connection to the verse from Psalms that Rav Kook cites.

(It’s not the right place now to trace the history of the idea that the person refines and elevates himself through prayer. See maybe Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch on Devarim 11:13, or Rabbi Soloveitchik’s Shiurim l’Zecher Aba Mori z”l volume 2, page 29 and other places there.)

3 KE Daf 63b, (page 408), Ain Aya Berakhot 9 344 אמרי דבי ר”י: מאי דכתיב The school of R. Yannai taught: What is (משלי ל לג): “כי מיץ חלב the meaning of (Mishle 30:33) The יוציא חמאה במי אתה מוצא culturing of milk produces fermented milk חמאה של תורה? – במי שמקיא yogurt) … In whom do you find fermented) חלב שינק משדי אמו עליה” milk of Torah, in the one who spits out רבים הם הפדגוגים המתנשאים .the milk he nursed from his mother להביא דרכים להקל את עול הלימוד, וחושבים שיביאו There are many educators who pride ברכה לעולם בהקנותם את themselves for introducing methods that הידיעות והלימודים התורניים make learning simpler. They imagine באופן קל, שלא יצטרך האדם they’ll benefit the world by transmitting להיות עמל בהם. lessons and knowledge of Torah in an תועלת הדבר אינה אמנם אלא undemanding way, eliminating the need to מתעה, כי הידיעות לא .for a person to work תימדדנה על פי כמותם כי אם This assistance is misguided. Knowledge על פי איכותם, על פי עומק ,isn’t measured by quantity but by quality ההבנה וחריפות השימוש בהם according to depth and perceptiveness that לכל חפץ.ביותר לימודי enable the student to apply the knowledge התורה, על פי גודל הרושם to any situation. More so regarding Torah שפועלים על הלומד, לענין knowledge, which is measured by the התכונה של המוסר המעשים profound impression on the student in his Matters of Torah are only retained by one הטובים ויראת ה’ הטהורה. ,ethical personality, virtuous behavior who kills himself over it [5] ובזאת יהיה מועיל רק הלימוד .and pure fear of Heaven While educators often try to make Torah שאינו בא בדרכים קלים Success will come when the studies do not study easier because they believe that ונוחים לקלוט, כי על-ידי .follow an easy and undemanding curriculum doing so will lead students to accumulate היגיעה ועבודה שכלית מתעלה For through exertion and mental effort, a more information and Torah knowledge, האדם למידות נעלות, ולהיות ,person is elevated to ethical behaviors their approach is fundamentally flawed. נוטה אל השכל ואל כל דברי and turns with love and longing toward The significance of Torah education is קודש באהבה וחפץ לב, wisdom and holiness. The learning affects qualitative, not quantitative. It is not והלימוד פועל עליו להיות him such that he’s entirely dedicated and the sheer volume of knowledge amassed; it כולו נתון ומסור ללימודיו. devoted to his lessons. Learning is the quality of the Torah wisdom that על-כן יצא מהלמוד שעל-ידי specifically with great effort produces a is attained. Simplistic, facile methods היגיעה דווקא, עומק ההבנה ,deep understanding, clarity in knowledge of study do not facilitate deep והידיעה הברורה עם הפעולה ,and the pleasing way of serving G-d understanding. That can only be achieved הרצויה לעבודת ה’ ויראתו fearing Him, and purifying one’s through hard work and serious effort וכל טהרת המדות. .character אבל הלימודים הנכנסים באופן Studies that are acquired easily, without קל, בלא יגיעה ועבודה exertion and tremendous struggle will כבירה, ישארו לעולם שטחיים always be superficial, frozen and detached וקפויים, עומדים מחוץ לנפשו from the person’s inner soul. They will של אדם הפנימית, ופועלים have minimal impact on his behavior and מעט על מעשיו ועל יצרי .personality לבבו. ,Therefore, the fermented milk of Torah ע”כ חמאה של תורה, הברור the choice purified portion of Torah, the והמובחר שבה, העיקרי, key aspect, clarified by deep thought and המחוור בעומק רעיון ושום profound understanding that strengthens שכל והמרבה אומץ הנפש ביראת the soul in the fear G-d, and in the ways ה’ ודרכי קודש במי תמצא? רק of holiness in whom will it be found? Only במי שנתגדל על עבודת התורה in one who was raised laboring in Torah בעמל, וקנה אותה בדרכים and acquired Torah by following the beaten כבושים שע”י יגיעה ועבודה ;paths of strenuous effort and great toil רבה, שעמדו לו להתרחק מן who distances himself from his childhood הילדות וכל געגועיה, לבלתי pleasures so that his Torah was not קנותם בדרך שעשועי ילדים, acquired though childish games. He spits כ”א מקיא חלב שינק משדי אמו out the sweet milk he nursed from his עליה mother

KE, missed the point here as well. Rav Kook isn’t speaking about education or Torah education. It’s not about “deep understanding that can only be achieved through hard work and serious effort”

He’s speaking about love of G-d. The fermented milk of Torah represents the Torah studies that, under the proper conditions, lead the person to the love of G-d. Knowledge isn’t sufficient; one must labor and exert himself in these Torah studies and only then will they succeed in leading him to holiness.

(The basis of Rav Kook’s idea might be in the Devarim (on Deut. 6 6) quoted by Maimonides Book of Commandments, Positive #3, “You shall love G-d your G-d with all your heart’, can I know how to love G-d? The Torah therefore says: These words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. Thus, you will come to recognize the One who spoke and the world was created and you’ll cling to His ways.)

4 KE Daf 10a, (page 62), Ain Aya Berakhot 1 128 He lived inside his mother’s womb and דר במעי אמו ואמר שירה, offered songs of thanksgiving; he went יצא לאויר העולם . . . out into the air of the world… הבדל יש בין המסתכל רק One who looks at the real world בהשקפה שטחית על המציאות, superficially cannot recognize the הוא לא יוכל להכיר רוממות grandeur and beauty of the majesty of G-d ה’ והדר גאונו ועם זה הוד nor the splendour of the human soul, as נפש האדם, רק מהדברים his perception of the real world is based הגלויים בסימני החכמה exclusively on obvious visible traces of שבמציאות. כדברי חוה”ל, wisdom. In the words of the Duties of the שבסימני החכמה הגלויים Heart, (Hovot HaLevavot by Bahya ibn המשכיל והכסיל שוין בהם. Pakuda Spain 11th century): based on the אבל החכם האמיתי, הוא obvious visible traces of wisdom in the יחדור אל סימני החכמה real world, both the intelligent man and הצפונים, שלעין הרואה רק the fool are equivalent. חיצוניות הדברים לא יולד On the other hand, the truly gifted מהנה שום רוממות נפש. אבל David… resided in five worlds and said person will find hidden insights in the החכם האמיתי, יכיר החוט a song of praise corresponding to each very things that didn’t inspire or של חסד ההולך בכל המעשים :of them elevate the person who looks at the world כולם מהתחלתם עד מטרתם, There is a tremendous difference superficially. The truly gifted person ויכיר נפלאות השם ית’ between looking upon an experience in a will recognize the line of kindness that ויודה לשמו. ומטוב לב superficial manner and reflecting upon extends through all creations from their ישיר על ד’ ועל טובו, it and contemplating it. An individual beginnings to their ultimate purpose. He ויכיר הוד נפשו המכרת את who merely sees the external will not will appreciate G-d’s wonders and thank הדרת מלך הכבוד. ע”כ דוד ,come to understand the deeper Him. With happiness he will sing for G-d ע”ה שבו חובר עומק הדעת spiritual significance of a given and for His goodness. He will recognize עם נועם השירה האלהית, experience or encounter. Natural events the majesty of his own soul that אמר שירה על הדברים שרק like pregnancy, birth and nursing may perceives the grandeur of the glorious בחכמה והשקפה רבה יוכר seem to be mundane events experienced King. Therefore, David (peace to him), הודם ופלאם. ,by humans and animals alike. However who combined in himself depth of דר במעי אמו, לפי one with a higher level of spiritual knowledge with sweet Divine song, sang החיצוניות אין להפליא discernment will appreciate the vast about things that are discerned only with כ”כ, מקרה האדם בזה כמו difference between man and animal. King wisdom and deep contemplation. שאר החיים הבלתי מדברים, David’s songs of praise, uttered at He lived inside his mother’s womb… אז הוא במדרגת השרצים ג”כ every stage of life, attest to the Seemingly, there is no reason to be שהם במדרגה הנמוכה של magnitude of his sensitivity to G-d’s amazed. The experience is similar for a מערכת החי. beneficence and to his appreciation of human or any other animal that doesn’t אבל כשהתבונן, כי בהיותו .His role in the world speak. In the womb, the human embryo is במצב הנמוך הזה אז נגמרו just like an amphibian or a lizard, the ונוצרו כל יצוריו כולם, lowest rungs in the animal hierarchy. וכל האיברים המשמשים But when he reflects deeply, that in לכוחות הנפש היותר נשגבות this lowly state all organs and limbs, אחד מהם לא נעדר. א”כ מה which will serve the loftiest powers of רבה התכונה הנעשה בבטן the soul, are being completed. Not one is המלאה ביצירת האדם, שאז missing. If so, how great is the work במצב רחוק משלמות taking place in the womb for the design והתפתחות כזה, צריכים of a person. Then, being so far from שיוכנו לו כל הכוחות וכל perfection, all the material and הכלים הרוחניים והגשמיים spiritual abilities he will later need שיצטרכו לו בהיותו אדם are developing so that he’ll develop into המעלה, המחבק זרועות עולם a refined ethical person, who embraces in ומרחבי אין קץ בדעו his brain and mind, the foundations of .ושכלו the world and its infinite expanses.

Here too, I think, KE missed the point. It’s not about “the vast difference between man and animal”, which Rav Kook never mentioned. Rav Kook picks the theory of recapitulation to explain David’s song. According to the theory (which was immensely popular in the second half of the 19th century), the stages of embryonic development correspond to adult stages in the evolution of the species (ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny). That’s why Rav Kook writes: the human embryo is then like an amphibian. But the theory is based on superficial similarities. The truly wise man looks beyond the superficiality and sees that each embryonic phase is not an evolutionary ancestor, but a point on a line extending from the person’s beginning to his birth. Each point on the line contains a hidden potential that will unfold and finally develop into a moral and ethical man. The insight (probably disproves the theory and) results in a greater appreciation of the Creator’s kindness, which is the song of praise that David sings.

We can now come back and answer the three questions that I posed earlier. 1) KE is not looking at Ein Aya as a typical commentary; that’s why they had no problem including Rav Kook’s words in the Berakhot volume. Additionally, I guess, the writers or editors have an admiration and affinity for Rav Kook and wanted to include some writings of his. 2) KE knows that in quoting a section from Ein Aya they are not explaining the text of the Talmud. Instead, they are attempting to follow the path of Ein Aya; to add thoughts and reading material of an ethical nature to KE. 3) It looks (at least in these few examples) that KE translated only the first few sentences of the Ein Aya section and then wrote up their own conclusions. They probably didn’t read to the end of the Ein Aya section(?), or if they did, they decided to “keep it simple”. I guess this can be excused too. In one of these notes they did write “see Ein Aya” instead of just attributing the section to Ein Aya.

Maybe the new notes in KE Berakhot aren’t of the same calibre as the original notes in the Hebrew edition. Still, they make the learning more interesting and more attractive. For this we should be thankful.

[1] Ein Aya is a work by Rav Kook on the Aggadah in Ein Yaakov, published by Makhon HaRav Tzvi Yehuda, Jerusalem. It consists of 4 volumes covering Berakhot and most of Shabbat. Though it was written over 100 years ago it was only published recently (approximately between 1995 and 2005). The text is also available at https://he.wikisource.org/wiki/ [2] Ein Yaakov is a collection of aggada from the Talmud Babli, by Rabbi Yaakov Ibn Habib (died 1516) [3] I’m using as my example: Daf 3a “Rabbi Eliezer said: The night consists of three watches… during the first watch a donkey brays, during the second the dogs howl, during the third the infant nurses from its mother and a wife speaks with her husband” [4] The Long Shorter Way, Discourses on Chasidic Thought, by Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, edited and translated by Yehuda Hanegbi, Koren/Maggid Publishers. Based on a series of lectures delivered by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz on Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi’s classic Chasidic work, the Tanya. [5] There is a printing mistake here. They mixed up the with another comment. I’m (דיבור המתחיל) passage’s key words not sure if this mistake affected the subsequent translation.