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Chazal (Megillah 32) made a takkanah that Parshas
Ki Savo always be read before Rosh HaShanah so
that ‘tichlah shanah v'kililoseha.' Let
the previous year and its curses conclude, and the new
year begin with its blessings. However, we do find
in this week's parsha some wonderful brachos as
well, and it is worth paying attention to them and seeing
what we can do to bring them into our lives.
“U'va'oo alecha kol ha'brachos ha'ayleh
v'hisigucha, ki sishma b'kol Hashem Elokecha. Baruch
atah ba'ir, Baruch ata ba'sadeh ….”
“And all of these blessings will come upon
you and reach you when you listen to the voice of Hashem
your G-d. You will be blessed in the city, you will
be blessed in the field…”
The Pasuk first says a general statement: ‘All
these blessings will come upon you … if you observe Hashem's
Mitzvos …” Then the p'sukim go on to specify
in detail the particular brachos. And while
all mitzvos certainly bring a person Hashem's brachos,
the S'fas Emes suggests that ‘ki sishma …'
means especially the mitzvah of observing Shabbos. Because,
as we say in Lecha Dodi “Likras Shabbos l'chu
v'nailecha, ke he m‘kor hab'racha.” ‘Let us go
forth towards the Shabbos, for it is the source of blessing.” All
the blessings that we look for and hope for during the
week come to us through Shabbos. Shabbos is the source
of all blessings.
That is what our pasuk means. If you
observe Hashem's mitzvos – in particular the
one of Shabbos, then ‘kol h'brachos ha'aileh' – all
these blessings – will come upon you. And as the
six days of the week unfold, you will be blessed in the
city and in the field … your children and your livestock
etc. This is why there are six brachos after
the general bracha. The general all-inclusive bracha comes
on Shabbos, and that is followed by six brachos, one for
each day of the week. This is also why we say these p'sukim in “V'yitain
lecha” at the end of Ma'ariv on Motza'ai Shabbos. That
is exactly what they are talking about. Do you want
to get Hashem's brachos? The way to get them is through
Shabbos. Shabbos is the source of all blessings.
One of the fascinating brachos of Shabbos is described
in Meseches Shabbos Daf 113. The Gemara tells
us that taking large steps (pesiyah gassah), removes
1/500th of the ‘light of a person's eyes' – his
vision. Then the Gemara says that there is a remedy
for this vision problem: ‘… and it is restored through
the Friday night Kiddush.” In fact, based on
this Gemara, there developed a minhag to look at
the wine or actually to even place a drop of the kiddush wine
into one's eyes. (See Tur and Beis Yoseif Orach
Chaim 269 as to whether this is permitted in light
of the prohibition of refuah, healing, on Shabbos.)
While the discussion of the Poskim regarding
this Gemara certainly implies that we are talking
about a real vision problem and a segulah for its
remedy, it is interesting to note that the Me'iri on
the Gemara learns that it is not so much the ‘kiddush'
or the wine of the kiddush that is the remedy, as
much as it is the peace and tranquility of Shabbos that
restores the vision. Perhaps, according to the derech of
the Me'iri, we can offer the following homiletical
interpretation of the Gemara.
Life is a rat race. It always has been, and it certainly
is even more so today. We spend our week running
here and running there, trying to make a living, trying
to exercise our control over things. We are trying
to make them turn out as well as possible. These
are the ‘large steps' Chazal are talking about. Taking
these ‘large steps' truly has a negative impact on a person. By
taking these ‘pesiyos gasos' we run the risk of
losing our perspective, of corrupting our values, and of
distorting our vision. As Chazal say: Taking
large steps reduces a person's vision.
But there is a remedy. Shabbos. An island
in time. A time to step back and regain our focus
on what is important. A time to connect to Hashem,
to His Torah and to its values.
Shabbos is the time when we can regain our vision.
Chazal tells us that HaShem told Moshe: “Moshe,
I have a good gift in my treasury, and Shabbos is its name,
and I wish to give it to the Jewish people. Go tell
them about it.” (Beitzah 16a)
May we begin the new year with a renewed appreciation
of how Shabbos is not simply an obligation, but a special
gift that Hashem gives us. A gift that brings with
it all the blessings we so desperately want and need, and
a gift that can help us restore our vision, our values
and our perspective.
Rabbi Deutsch, an alumnus and founding
member of the Kollel, is the co-director of the Chicago Torah
Network. He still learns mornings in the Kollel.
Halacha Encounters
Shnayim Mikra v'Echad Targum
Rabbi Yisroel Langer
The Gemara in Berachos (8A) tells us that a person
should always complete the Torah portion of the week with
the congregation, reading the Hebrew text twice and the
Targum1 once.2 The Shulchan Aruch3 holds
that this is an obligation (on every male), and
not just a nice minhag. There are 2 methods mentioned in
the Achronim as to how one may fulfill his obligation. Method
#1) Read each posuk twice followed by the Targum on
that posuk. Method #2) Read each segment (until
the letter “peh”-a parsha p'sucha, or “samech”-a
parsha stuma, or a place where a new topic begins) twice,
followed by the Targum.4 One may not read the
Targum before the Hebrew text. If one read the Targum after
reading the Hebrew text only once, it is good b'dieved.5
What qualifies as Targum?
To fulfill ones obligation of reading “Targum” one
cannot merely read a literal translation of the text. Rather
the translation must explain and interpret the text. The
translation that meets this criterion is Targum Onkelos.6 One
can also fulfill his obligation of Targum by reading the
commentary of Rashi. However, those pesukim that Rashi
does not comment upon must be read a third time.7 A
G- fearing person should do both Targum Onkelos and Rashi.8
When is the proper time for one to fulfill his obligation?
One can begin to fulfill his obligation as soon
as the tzibur begins to read that parsha. Therefore one
can already start reading the week's parsha after mincha
of the previous Shabbos.9 It is best to finish
the parsha before one sits down to eat his seuda.10 If
this can not be done he should finish it before mincha
on Shabbos. There is a dispute amongst the poskim as to
what is meant by “mincha.” Some Poskim say that it means
from when the individual davened mincha (and heard Krias
Hatorah).11 Others hold that it means Minchah
Gedolah, regardless of when the individual actually davened.12 B'dieved
if one did not read it before mincha on Shabbos, he can
read it through Tuesday of the upcoming week.13 If
this is not possible he should at least finish before parshas
V'zos Habracha is read on Simcahs Torah. Parshas B'reishis
may start being read after the tzibbur reads it on Simchas
Torah.
How
to “Catch Up”
If one falls behind and has to read this week's
parsha and last week's parsha, the Maharsham14 holds
that one reads this week's parsha first and then last week's
parsha. Others hold that one should do last week's parsha
first and the this week's parsha.15
Miscellaneous
· If
Yom Tov falls out on Shabbos, the regular parsha of the
week is pushed off for the Yom Tov Kriah. In this instance
one should not do Shnayim Mikrah… of the forthcoming parsha
prior to Yom Tov.16
· The
proper time to begin Parshas V'zos Habracha is from Hoshana
Rabbah or Shmini Atzeres.17
· The
preferred time of doing Shnayim Mikrah… is during the daytime,
and Thursday and Friday evenings.18
The gemara (Brochos 8B) tells us that anyone who
completes the parsha with the tzibbur will have his days
lengthened. Perhaps one of the reasons why this halacha
is shown such great importance is because it was instituted
by Moshe Rabbeinu himself. (This is according to the Aruch
Hashulchan). As Rosh Hashanah approaches it would behoove
everyone of us to re-examine our method of fulfilling this
very significant mitzvah. Perhaps in view of some of the
details mentioned above we may find room to improve in
this area and through this be zoche to a kesiva v'chasima
Tova.
______________________________
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