Special Shavuot Edition זמן מתן תורתינו Celebrating the Gift of Receiving the Torah Zman Mattan Torateinu Table of Contents: Rabbis Message……………2 English Section………………..7 Torah Heritage Section…….35 Loshon Hakodesh Section…53-38 ●This Kuntres was sponsored anonymously● for the Success of the Kollel Kollel Milhamta Shel Torah 147-63 71st Ave Flushing NY 11367 347-560-4223 [email protected] 1 Kollel Milhamta Shel Torah Shavuot 5779 Zman Mattan Torateinu A Message From the Rabbi: Some years back, when I lived in Eretz Yisrael, I was zocheh to hear lectures from Harav Avraham Erlanger, author of the acclaimed sefer Birkas Avraham, every motzaei Shabbat for two years, at his home in Meah Shearim. אם בחוקותי תלכו Once, on Parashat Behukotai, he quoted Rashi on the passuk toiling in learning. He, עמילות בתורה Rashi explains that it refers to. questioned, if one learns Torah without toil, will he get the kelalot. Also, how mean “toil”? Reb" תלכו" does the text support this interpretation? How does Avraham Erlanger explained. Behukotai telechu, walk with Torah – that is what the passuk is telling us. To walk around while absorbed in Torah thought means that the Torah is part of you. in his studies. The only way to do this is by intense, immersive learning Torah, being always absorbed and engaged in one’s learning, you should be thinking of Torah on your way out of beit midrash. Says Hashem in His Torah, if you want the berachot, the only way to merit them is אדם .to be toiling in Torah. What is ameilut baTorah? “Ameilut” means to toil ,says Shlomo Hamelech, man was created to toil. Hazal comment, לעמל יולד Shlomo Hamelech did not specify what he is to toil over: Torah or vanity -- praised is he whose toil is in Torah! What they are telling us is that every human is destined to toil, to endure hardship and pain. By undertaking the yoke of Torah study, one can fulfill the toil he is due. By shirking the yoke of the Torah, one is subjecting himself to all the troubles and hardships of life. I was once learning with my dear friend Yona Batchaev and he enlightened me with the following beautiful explanation as to why one has to toil in Torah and cannot just relax with his feet on the couch and a hot cup of coffee in his hands while he learns Torah. The baking of bread is more complicated than the baking of Matzah, as it involves more ingredients. However, to fulfill the Mitzvah of Matzah properly according to the Halachic Laws is much harder than that of bread. We have to be careful with the wheat 2 Kollel Milhamta Shel Torah Shavuot 5779 Zman Mattan Torateinu from the time of harvest, making sure it doesn’t come in contact with water… We are given a scarce 18 minutes to bake it..When it comes to preserving it though, the bread gets ruined after 2 days while Matzah can remain until the next Pesah. We see that when we toil harder it stays for longer. The same is with Torah, if we toil in it, it stays with us forever. So that is ameilut; what is Torah? Torah is the essence of the entire Rashi explains בראשית ברא . creation and its raison d’etre. The Torah says the world, בראשית, בשביל ישראל שנקרא 'ראשית', בשביל התורה שנקראה ראשית and the Torah. We see that the whole entire world ישראל עם was created for was created not for pleasures, money, sharp clothing, worldly desires. Rather, for klal Yisrael and the Torah. We the Jewish nation are fortunate to be the chosen ones. We should feel proud that the world was created for us and therefore cherish it and learn our holy Torah day and night – not be engrossed in worldly matters too much. Rav Chaim of Volozhin writes that if, for one fleeting moment, the universe would be devoid of Torah study, it would instantly cease to exist. The world cannot survive for one instant without Torah. Once, addressing a gathering of rabbanim for the sake of supporting Yeshivot in the aftermath of World War I, the Hafetz Hayim wondered why we only find that the Yetzer Hara scuffled with Yaakov, not with Avraham or Yitzhak. The Hafetz Hayim explained that each of the Avot represented a different middah: Avraham was hessed, Yitzhak was gevurah, and Yaakov was emet, which is the Torah. A basic military tactic is that after a victory in battle, the victors disarm the enemy, so they cannot later renew resistance. If they would leave them armed, they could rise up again at any time and the battle might well not have been fought. Moreover, if one side could disarm or destroy the weaponry of their opponents, the battle would be won without a shot. The Hafetz Hayim said: the battles of klal Yisrael are fought in the beit midrash, by studying Torah we decimate our enemies. The Yetzer Harah seeks to disarm us by simply going 3 Kollel Milhamta Shel Torah Shavuot 5779 Zman Mattan Torateinu after the Yeshivot, thus seizing our arms and fortifications. We see that the weapon of klal Yisrael is our holy and sweetest Torah, and how much we must for it is our life and – כי הם חיינו ואורך ימינו .cherish it. The Torah is our weapon lengthy days. We have to make Torah our priority. Not because it’s nice or because your rabbi said said so, but because it is our weapon against the Yetzer I created evil בראתי, יצר הרע בראתי תורה תבלין כנגדו Hara. Hashem says inclination; I created the Torah as the antidote to the Yetzer Hara (Bava Batra 16a). The Yetzer Hara manifest itself in self-dissatisfaction, discord with oneself and others, and over-indulgence in material pursuits. Says Hashem, the remedy for that is only the Torah hakedoshah. Someone once came to the Chazon Ish zt”l requesting a beracha for success in his learning. The Chazon Ish told him that a segulah for success is hatmadah, utilizing all of one’s time for learning. Success in learning all if one claims that he put, יגעתי ומצאתי תאמין depends on us. The Gemara says in effort and succeeded, that is believable. If one claims that he succeeded without effort, or that put in effort and failed, do not believe him. We determine our success in learning by toiling and putting in effort. People mistakenly think it is important that their family revolves around כל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת ,their business dealings in order to succeed. But all is from Hashem, including Parnassah. However, this concept is true שמים— regarding being Kovea Itim Latorah- setting aside time to learn (not listen to) Torah Hakdosha. In order for us to succeed our lives, our children and our It is our .חוץ מיראת שמים- family must revolve around the Torah, because own full responsibility. When we are asked to join a Simha or event, we must make sure it fits with our learning schedule. Then, Hashem sees we are taking it seriously and He will grant us Siyatta Dishmaya -Divine Assistance- to acquire it. On Hag Shavuot, we are celebrating mattan Torah, the giving of the Torah. Which, as we just demonstrated, is what the world’s existence stands 4 Kollel Milhamta Shel Torah Shavuot 5779 Zman Mattan Torateinu on. If learned with the proper toil and hashkafah, Hashem gives us all the berachot and spares us from the yetzer hara – the life and lifestyle of misery. How fortunate we are to be given the opportunity by Hashem to live a beautiful and sweet life, full of harmony! This is what we celebrate on Shavuot, this gift that Hashem gave us. Thank You Hashem! I would like to thank Avinu Malkeinu, our Father our King, for giving us another opportunity to present you with another beautiful Torah journal written by our esteemed avreichim. Aharon aharon haviv, a special thanks to our avreichim of Milhamta Shel Torah. As it says ‘if it weren’t for My covenant night and day, I would not [have] set forth the nature of night and day. In other word, Hashem says, if I would not have the Torah, I would not have created the world. You, avreichim, who are toiling day and night learning the Torah hakedoshah, it is in your merit that the universe continues to exist. You are the foundation of all that we are and have today. I thank you on behalf of the entire community and klal Yisrael.. אמן כן ,May Hashem bless you for this, and give you the strength to continue !יהי רצון, Hag Sameah. From the depths of my heart Ariel Baal-lev 5 Kollel Milhamta Shel Torah Shavuot 5779 Zman Mattan Torateinu ●Divrei Torah-English Section 6 Kollel Milhamta Shel Torah Shavuot 5779 Zman Mattan Torateinu Torah;The Only Cure R’ Meir Weinberg בראתי יצר הרע בראתי תורה [קידושין ל:עב] It is brought down in the Gemara which means: I (Hashem) created the Yetzer Hara, and I created -תבלין the antidote which is the Torah. The Mesilat Yesharim [chapter 5] explains this with the following parable. Suppose a sick person visits a doctor and the doctor prescribes a certain medication to heal this ailment. On his own accord, the patient who has absolutely no medical knowledge decides to take a different medication. The negligence and danger in this decision is self understood, leaving the patient without a chance to be cured. The Ramhal continues, the same is true in regard to overcoming the Yetzer Hara.