Close To Torah

ותען אסתר ותאמר שאלתי ובקשתי (אסתר ה:ז).

“Esther responded saying, ‘please grant me my request and my plea!’” (Esther 5:7).

Most Significant

This verse is in one way the most significant one in the entire Megillah! How so? There are one hundred and sixty-seven verses contained throughout the entire ten chapters of this scroll. The middle verse is thus the eighty-forth one (with eighty-three before and after it). This is our verse. I would like to illustrate how the middle verse captures the essence of the entire Sefer and what that means for us based on our present study.

What’s Going On Here?

There is a fascinating thesis that states, if one wishes to understand the theme of a Torah portion, he must study the first, middle and last verse of that section. For example to understand Parshas Bereishis, one can study the first, middle and last verse. This will encapsulate the basic idea found in the entire portion.

Proof and Explanation

This idea is hinted and elucidated quite clearly by at least two Chazal.

First, Rashi in Shabbos (55a) states that the reason that Hashem’s signet ring says “Emes” is because the word Emes is all encompassing. It is comprised of the letters Alef, Mem and Tuf. These are the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet (אמת). This is based on the verse in Isaiah (44:5) that states, “Ani Reishon VaAni Acharon U’Mibaladoy Ain Elokim, I am first and last, there is no other God besides me”. (Rashi is basing his comments on: Shir HaShirim Rabbah (1:46) and Shemos Rabbah (4:3).) Hence, we see that there is an idea of an essence being seen from the beginning, middle and end. See also Shabbos (30b).

Secondly, the Gemara in Sotah (14a) states: Rav Simlai says that the Torah begins with Chessed, kindness, as it states, “Hashem provided Adam and his wife with clothing”, and it ends with kindness, as it says, “Hashem buried Moshe”.  The Midrash (Tanchuma Vayeira 4) adds to this: “The Torah begins with kindness in that Hashem adorned Chava in honor of her marriage to Adam. It ends with kindness by Hashem burying Moshe. Its middle expresses kindness as it states that Hashem visited Avraham when he was recuperating from his circumcision and insisted that he not stand up for Him”.

Conclusion

What emerges is clear proof that examining the beginning, middle and end of a Torah idea reveals the entire Torah theme encompassed. In the case of the entire Torah, one learns that Hashem desires for us to take the lesson of proper love and care for others. By extension, it appears that this technique can be applied to every individual Parsha and Sefer in Tanach as well.

One More Proof

Additionally, the Gemara Kiddushin (30a) tells us what the middle word of the Torah is. It is “Gachone, stomach” in Vayikrah (11:42). Why is this important for us to know? This thesis may just be the reason that Chazal found this fact important to identify. In fact, that is how the Vilna Goan explains the Gemara. He states that the middle word is the most important to know for upon it revolves the theme of the entire Torah, which proceeds and follows it. (The full development of this is beyond the scope of this essay. See the words of my dear Rebbe, Reb Aharon Feldman shlit”a, for extrapolation upon it, in “The Juggler and The King”.)

Example (You can skip to the next subtitle if you want to get back to Esther already!)

Here is a brief example of how this approach work. We will analyze one Parsha in the Torah, Parshas Va’ara.

The first verse states:

וידבר אלקים אל משה ויאמר אליו אני ה’ (ו:ב)

“Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, ‘I am God’.”

The middle verse (61 of 120) states:

ויעשו כן החרטמים בלטיהם ויעלו את הצפרדעים על ארץ מצרים (ח:ג)

“The magicians copied the plague and they too brought frogs upon the land”.

The last verse states:

ויחזק לב פרעה ולא שלח את בני ישראל כאשר דבר ה’ ביד משה (ט:לה)

“Hashem strengthened the heart of Pharaoh and he refused to release the Jews, as Hashem had foretold to Moshe”.

Briefly, the theme of the Parsha is the underpinnings which began the redemption. These three verses show that the redemption had not yet set in and that Pharaoh had not thus far accepted Hashem’s sovereignty! It wasn’t until the completion of the Ten Plagues that Pharaoh and his people were brought to their knees in subservience and awe of Hashem. The first and last verse both express this idea most clearly, it is the recurring theme of the Parsha. Hashem was displaying His Kingship and Egypt was not responding as of yet. The middle verse states that the magicians still believed that they were capable of emulating Moshe’s God-sent miracles. This is the summary of Va’ara, and is eloquently and briefly stated between all three verses, spanning the three areas of the Parsha. One question remains, why does it discuss the frogs specifically?

The frogs of Perek Shira sing the song of, “Baruch Shem Kvod Malchuso, Give praise to Hashem’s Honorable Kingdom”. The significance of this verse is that this amphibian constantly sings to Hashem. The Midrash states that when Dovid completed Sefer Tehillim, he asked Hashem if any creature sings more praises than himself. Hashem responded by sending a frog to his feet!

“Baruch Shem” is explained by the Nefesh HaChaim to express the ruler-ship of Hashem upon the earth specifically. The bottom-line theme is that although the Makos were beginning to make their impact of showing the world that Hashem dominates, as the frog declares, this message was not yet complete. This is clearly expressed by the middle verse. Egypt refused to take the lesson of Hashem’s frogs. In the next Parsha, there would finally be a change of heart and a powerful recognition. In Beshalach, the redemption would take place with great honor and an awe inspiring demonstration.

Back On Track

Having established this idea, let us now turn to our dear Megillah. The theme of the Megillah is clear. Although it may appear that there are natural events and order to the world, we must sensitize ourselves to see past them. As faithful Jews, we look to see the great Hand of Hashem guiding and propelling all of the world events. He cares for us and constantly steers our ship to safety and victory. How do we get Him to do this? The answer is well known and clear: By turning to Him and begging Him for help. When we acknowledge Him as our King, He is proud to smile in return. This is the key to our success in this world.

The first verse of the Megillah describes the grand kingdom of Achashveyrosh. It sets the backdrop for the entire climax of adversary against the Jewish nation. There was a haughty and powerful king and he used his power to concede to decimate the Jews. The last verse spells out the entire resolution. Hashem raised the Jews to a high and untouchable status. Mordechai was a powerful governmental official, who worked to insure Jewish diplomatic security. Most importantly, the nation was at peace with each other and true closeness and love between themselves and Hashem was achieved. What does the middle verse exemplify?

The Moment of Truth

The middle verse is the hint as to how we got from the crisis to the solution! “Esther cried with supplication and pleas!” This hints to her true cries and the collective tears of the entire nation, who at that time turned sincerely to Hashem with all of their hearts. The nation committed themselves to repent and mend their ways. This is the entire lesson of the Megillah, to turn to Hashem and put our trust in Him!  The middle verse is the crux of the entire Sefer. When we daven to and connect to Hashem, He hears us and takes care of His precious children.

Number of Verses

Indeed the one word Simman, hint, found at the end of the Megillah to remember how many verses are contained is the word: Penuel (פנואל). This word has the numeric value of 167, the exact number of verses. Reb Dovid Feinstein states that every one of these words stated in the mesorah at the end of a Torah portion, is not just a random word. Each word ties directly into the Torah ideas expressed within that work. What does this word show?

I suggest that the word Penuel means, “turn to Hashem”. This is the beautiful goal and lesson of the entire holy scroll. No further explanation is necessary!

May we all merit to tap into this powerful tool, and see how Hashem truly listens to us when we turn to Him. May we achieve true happiness through our faithfulness to Him every day.

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Hashkafah, Living Purim Every Day, Machshuvah Avodas Hashem, Tefillah

 …ויאמר לאסתר המלכה מי הוא זה ואי זה הוא אשר מלאו לבו לעשות כן. (אסתר ז,ה)

“Achashveyrosh asked Esther, who is the villain who desires to destroy you and what is his motivation?” (Esther 7,5).

How To Learn

The Megillah is the Sefer that shows how the Jews reconnected to Hashem. Their hearts were so full of love and gratitude from witnessing their miraculous salvation that they were brought to reaccept the Torah willingly, once and for all! It comes as no surprise then that the Megillah contains the formula for how to succeed in learning. When Achashveyrosh wanted to figure out who had plotted to destroy the Jews, he asked Esther two questions. Tell me the facts, what was the plot, who was involved? Next, he questioned, why did he want to do this?

What then Why

This one Passuk, states the Gra (Pshat, see also Sod), contains the secret to how to properly investigate any issue. First ask: what and then ask: why! It sounds quite simple, but many people try to skip steps and in the end wind up confused. This is especially true in learning Torah.

We first seek to make the Gemara into a simple and complete algebraic formula. We define and isolate specific words as: question, answer, proof and rebuttal, etc. The Gemara says this fact and the Mishna states an opposing view, etc. We build the framework and separate the stages. Next, we work to fill in the details of each previously not known or understood variable. Why is this a valid question; why does the Gemara think this is the way to read it, etc.? We bring the Gemara to life in a systematic and thorough way. This is the way to achieve understanding and success.

Talmudic Proofs

The Gemara Berachos (63b, see Rashi as well) states that in learning one should: “first gather information, and after that, grind it and question it”. (See also Berachos (18a) and Kiddushin (30a), and Rashi in both places.)

Additionally, the Gemara (Berachos 64) asks, who is to be appointed as the Jewish leader? One who is a “Sinai”, a scholar who specializes in knowing all Torah sources and information, or an “Okair Harim”, one who is an expert in sharp and critical analysis? The Gemara concludes that the one with the knowledge is more qualified. We see the importance of first establishing the facts. Once we have established the hard facts, we are then able to build from there to delve deeper and further to grasp where the great Rishonim and Achronim were coming from. We will see how they read and developed the Gemara’s structure and conclusions.

Taanis (7b) states if one sees a student who is not succeeding in his Torah studies, attribute this to the fact that he does not know the basic principles contained in the Mishna. Rashi explains that he cannot go on to achieve deeper understanding that emerges from the Gemara’s debates, because of his deficiency in the basics. The Gemara concludes that indeed Reish Lakish only rose to greatness on account that he would review the Mishnayos facts forty times before attending Rebbe Yochanon’s lecture on extrapolation. Also, Rav Addah Bar Ahava would review his Mishniyos twenty-four times before attending shiur from his Rebbe, Rava.

Achashveyrosh’s Lesson

This was the exact way that the Achashveyrosh questioned Esther. First, he asked for the raw facts, what was the plot and who was involved? Only after that did he ask to understand the motivations and reason behind it. The Megillah shares this verse with us because we can learn a great lesson from his analytical approach.  

 The Best Derech

When dictating the proper Derech HaLimud, Rav Mordechai Gifter zt”l stated that when one learns, he must first “define what and then understand why“. I have been trained in this by my dear Rebbe, ybl”c, Rav Asher Zelig Rubenstein shlit”a as well. We must first strive to understand what the words are stating and then we move on to understand them. He frequently quotes Reb Nachum Parchovitz zt”l of Mir, regarding how to understand a Rashi. We first read what he is saying and then we strive to understand the logic behind it.

 Iyun and B’kiyus

The Gra in Mishley (6:8) gives a most relevant explanation of the maxim of Chazal (Avos 3:17), “If there is no flour, there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour”. The simple understanding is that Hashem only provides us with food when we learn His Torah and serve Him properly, and we also can’t learn properly without food and health. The Gra adds a beautiful depth and life to these words. There are two elements to learning Torah. They are acquiring factual knowledge and delving into the facts to plumb their depths, achieving deeper and more enlightened understanding. He states that both are vital and one cannot succeed in Torah without them. The word “Torah” in the Mishna can be seen to refer to the first aspect of gathering all the facts of the entire Torah. The word “Kemach, flour”, refers to ground and well pounded grain, this represents the elucidation and delving into the depths of Torah, by rigorous effort. The Mishna is thus stating that, “if there is no flour…”, meaning, if one does not grind and contemplate his Torah facts, then “…he has no Torah”, the large facts are not very useful as they are not being understood by deep cross-examination. Also, “if there is no Torah…”, meaning, if one does not possess a large mental library of Torah facts and information, then “…there is no flour”,  he is not able to grind, for he lacks the raw ingredients necessary. His depth is well intended, but his machine is lacking grinding material! Beautiful words!

The Focus

What is left to be understood from all of this is the proper perspective of raw knowledge versus grinding. One simple question must be asked on the Gra’s interpretation. Why is the importance of grinding stressed first before broad knowledge (“If there is no flour”, i.e. grounding and analyzing Torah)? Is not the first and most vital task the acquirement of information (“If there is no Torah”, i.e. facts)? The answer puts everything in perspective. Certainly, one must have knowledge of as many branches and facts of Torah as possible, this will give him what to chew and develop upon. However, the development and deepening of understanding and connecting to the Logic of Hashem is the primary goal. Our job is to be a Lamdan (animated scholar), not a bland encyclopedia! It’s just that the only way this is carried out is by strict adherence to the text and gaining clarity in the facts first.

Just as when a judge issues his verdict, the most important aspect was his deliberation and deep understanding of what is fair and just, so too, the Torah contemplation and understanding is the primary goal. However, this could not have been reached without the scrupulous listening to the exact words of the plaintiff, defendant and their respective witnesses, who brought the case to life. So too, in Torah, the details are of utmost significance. After that is heard, one can begin to plumb the depths, which is the true goal. This is why the importance of development is stressed first and over the actual fact-finding initiative. Only secondarily does the Mishna state that without general knowledge, one is unable to process and delve properly.

Great Story!

A man once came to the Chazon Ish and cried over his worry that his son would not study Iyun, in depth, and rather was studying diligently only B’kiyus, general and broad Torah facts. How will he ever become a Talmid Chacham?! The Chazon Ish assured him not to worry, “one can become a Gadol through B’kiyus as well!” His words proved true and his illustrious nephew, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky shlit”a, raised to greatness. He specializes in all fields of Torah knowledge, while certainly maintaining a deep and sharp analytical understanding of Talmud and law. 

When we learn and wish to develop our minds, the Megillah tells us just how to do this every day. We first strive to establish the facts and then we develop them further.

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Hashkafah, Living Purim Every Day, Machshuvah, Purim Derech HaLimud, Iyun and B'Kiyus, Limud HaTorah, Wisdom