השראת השכינה בא' בניסן, עם הקמת המשכן. הביטוי לגאולה זה השראת השכינה. הדברים מתחילים אצל כל אחד ואחד, איך להתחדש ולקבל השראת שכינה. פרשת החודש אומרת לאדם איך להכין את עצמו כדי שהשכינה תוכל לחול עליו, להצטרף למערכת הזו של תחילת החודש. פרשה זו מבטאת את החיבור לקב"ה (אחרי שנטהרנו ב"פרה", וכהכנה לג הפסח והחיבור לקב"ה).
אָמַר רַבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ: חַמְרָא דִּפְרוֹגִיתָא וּמַיָּא דִדְיוֹמְסֵת קִיפְּחוּ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ אִיקְּלַע לְהָתָם, אִימְּשִׁיךְ בָּתְרַיְיהוּ אִיעַקַּר תַּלְמוּדֵיהּ. כִּי הֲדַר אֲתָא, קָם לְמִיקְרֵי בְּסִפְרָא, בְּעָא לְמִקְרֵי ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״, אָמַר ״הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם״. בְּעוֹ רַבָּנַן רַחֲמֵי עֲלֵיהּ וַהֲדַר תַּלְמוּדֵיהּ. וְהַיְינוּ דִּתְנַן, רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי גּוֹלֶה לִמְקוֹם תּוֹרָה וְאַל תֹּאמַר שֶׁהִיא תָּבֹא אַחֲרֶיךָ, שֶׁחֲבֵרֶיךָ יְקַיְּימוּהָ בְּיָדְךָ, וְאֶל בִּינָתְךָ אַל תִּשָּׁעֵן. תָּנָא: לֹא רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי שְׁמוֹ, אֶלָּא רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה שְׁמוֹ. וְאָמְרִי לַהּ, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ שְׁמוֹ. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי? — שֶׁמַּנְהִיר עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים בַּהֲלָכָה.
that rinsing one’s entire body by pouring water on it rather than bathing in the standard fashion may well be done even ab initio. The Gemara asks: According to whose opinion is our mishna? The Gemara answers: It is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Shimon, as it was taught in a baraita: One may not rinse himself on Shabbat, neither with hot water nor with cold water; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Shimon permits rinsing one’s body even with hot water. Rabbi Yehuda says that there is a distinction: With hot water it is prohibited and with cold water it is permitted. The mishna addressed the permissibility of drying oneself with a towel after bathing on Shabbat, and added the phrase: And dried himself off even with ten towels. The Gemara comments on the formulation of the mishna: The first clause teaches us a novel concept, and the latter clause teaches us a novel concept. The Gemara explains: The first clause: One who…dried himself even with ten towels may not carry them, teaches us a novel concept, that the prohibition applies even to these towels, which do not have much water absorbed in them. The reason for this is that since he is one person, he may come to squeeze them. And the latter clause teaches us a novel concept, that even these ten people may carry the towel that they have all used, despite the fact that they have absorbed much water and the towel is very wet. The reason for this is that since they are many people, they remind each other not to wring the towel. The Sages taught in a baraita: One may dry himself with a towel on Shabbat and leave it in the window of the bathhouse; and one may not give it to the bath attendants, because they are suspect in this matter of wringing out towels. Rabbi Shimon says: One may dry himself with a single towel and carry it in his hand into his home, and there is no concern lest he wring out the water. Abaye said to Rav Yosef: What is the halakha with regard to carrying a towel home after using it to dry himself? Rav Yosef said to him: There is Rabbi Shimon, there is Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, there is Shmuel, and there is Rabbi Yoḥanan, all of whom permit it. The Gemara elaborates: Rabbi Shimon rules leniently, as we have already stated that he permits bathing and drying oneself with a towel and then bringing it home. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi agrees, as it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: When we would study Torah with Rabbi Shimon in Tekoa, we would carry oil and towels from the courtyard to the roof and from the roof into an enclosure similar to a courtyard until we reached the spring in which we would bathe, without passing through a public domain. In Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s opinion, it is permitted to carry a towel both before and after using it to dry oneself. Shmuel is also lenient, as Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said explicitly: One may dry himself with a towel and carry it in his hand into his home. Rabbi Yoḥanan is also lenient, as Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The halakha is that one may dry himself with a towel and carry it in his hand into his house. The Gemara challenges this last point: And did Rabbi Yoḥanan really say that? Didn’t Rabbi Yoḥanan state a principle that the halakha is in accordance with an unattributed mishna, in which the name of the tanna who issued the rulings does not appear? And we learned explicitly in our mishna, which is unattributed, that if one bathed and dried himself even with ten towels, he may not carry them in his hand. The Gemara answers: Rabbi Yoḥanan’s version of the mishna does not teach this halakha unattributed; rather, it teaches it in accordance with the opinion of ben Ḥakhinai, which is the opinion of an individual Sage that is not the accepted halakha. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Bath attendants may bring women’s bathing garments [balarei] to the bathhouse on Shabbat as long as they cover their heads and the majority of their bodies with them, so that they are being worn rather than carried. With regard to the large scarf that is worn draped over one’s shoulders, one must tie its two ends together below so that it will not fall. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This means that one must tie it below the shoulders. In a similar vein, Rava said to the inhabitants of his city, Meḥoza: When you transport clothing for the soldiers who are staying in the city, extend them beneath your shoulders so that you will wear them like a garment and not simply carry them. We learned in the mishna: One may smear oil and rub a person’s body by hand on Shabbat. The Sages taught in a baraita: One may smear oil on and rub his intestinal area on Shabbat, and it is not a prohibited form of healing, provided he does not do so in the manner in which he does during the week. The Gemara asks: How then does one do this on Shabbat? Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: One first smears oil and afterward rubs the body. And Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One smears oil and rubs simultaneously. The mishna taught: However, one may not exert himself on Shabbat. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is prohibited to stand on the floor of the therapeutic bathhouse of Deyomset on Shabbat, because it warms and heals even if one is not bathing or exerting himself. Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: The entire period that bathing in Deyomset is therapeutic is twenty-one days; and Shavuot is included. The Gemara raises a dilemma: Is Shavuot on this side, at the beginning, of the twenty-one-day period, or on this side, at the end, of the twenty-one days? Come and hear a resolution to this dilemma from that which Shmuel said: All medicinal drinks are effective from Passover to Shavuot; apparently, the waters of the Deyomset are therapeutic in the time period leading up to Shavuot. The Gemara rejects this proof: Perhaps there, with regard to medicinal drinks, it is so, because the cooler the world, the better these drinks heal; however, here, with regard to bathing, the therapeutic effect is due to the heat, and therefore the warmer the world, the better. The time period during which bathing is effective would only begin with Shavuot. Apropos Deyomset, the Gemara cites that Rabbi Ḥelbo said: The wine of Phrygia [Perugaita] and the water of the Deyomset deprived Israel of the ten lost tribes. Because the members of these tribes were attracted to the pleasures of wine and bathing and did not occupy themselves with Torah, they were lost to the Jewish people. The Gemara relates that once Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh happened to come there, to Phrygia and Deyomset, and he was drawn after them, and his Torah learning was forgotten. When he returned, he stood to read from a Torah scroll and was supposed to read the verse: “This month shall be for you [haḥodesh hazeh lakhem]” (Exodus 12:2), but he had forgotten so much that he could barely remember how to read the Hebrew letters, and instead he read: Have their hearts become deaf [haḥeresh haya libbam], interchanging the similar letters reish for dalet, yod for zayin, and beit for khaf. The Sages prayed and asked for God to have mercy on him, and his learning was restored. And that is what we learned in a mishna that Rabbi Nehorai says: Exile yourself to a place of Torah and do not say that it will follow you, as if you are in a place of Torah, your colleagues will establish it in your hands, and do not rely on your understanding alone. It was taught: Rabbi Nehorai was not his name, but rather Rabbi Neḥemya was his name; and some say that Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh was his name and his statement was based on the personal experience of forgetting his Torah due to his failure to exile himself to a place of Torah. And why was he called Rabbi Nehorai? It was because he would illuminate [manhir] the eyes of the Sages in halakha. The mishna taught: However, one may not scrape off the oil on Shabbat. The Sages taught in a baraita: One may not scrape his body with a scraper on Shabbat. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: If one’s feet were dirty with mortar and excrement he may scrape them in the usual manner with a scraper and need not be concerned about violating a prohibition. Rav Shmuel bar Yehuda’s mother made him a silver scraper to use on Shabbat to distinguish it from a weekday. The mishna also taught that one may not enter a swampy river full of mud on Shabbat. The Gemara explains: What is the reason for this? Due to the mud, as it is likely that one will slip and fall and come to violate the prohibitions of bathing and wringing out his clothes. We also learned in the mishna that one may not make a drug to induce vomiting on Shabbat. Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They only taught that this is prohibited with a drug, which is considered a medicine; however, inducing vomiting by hand is permitted. It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Neḥemya says: Even during the week, if one need not vomit for medical reasons, it is prohibited to induce vomiting because it causes loss of food. And we learned in the mishna that one may not align a young infant’s bones in order to straighten them on Shabbat. Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: With regard to swaddling an infant on Shabbat, one may well do so. The Gemara challenges this statement: Didn’t we learn in the mishna that one may not align an infant’s bones? The Gemara answers: There, the mishna is referring to the bones, vertebrae, of the spine, because straightening them appears like the prohibited labor of building. We also learned in the mishna that one may not reset a break in a bone on Shabbat. Rav Ḥana of Baghdad said that Shmuel said:
חמרא דפרוגיתא - שם מדינה שיינה משובח:
קפחו עשרת השבטים - שהיו בעלי הנאה ועסוקים בכך ולא היו עוסקים בתורה ויצאו לתרבות רעה:
(ב) חֲמִשָּׁה תַּלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה קַיָּם הָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין לְפָנָיו, כְּשֶׁנִּפְטַר הָלְכוּ לְיַבְנֶה, וְהָלַךְ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ אֵצֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ לְאֵמָאוֹס, מְקוֹם מַיִם יָפִים וְנָוֶה יָפֶה, הִמְתִּין לָהֶם שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ אֶצְלוֹ וְלֹא בָאוּ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹא בָאוּ בִּקֵּשׁ לֵילֵךְ אֶצְלָם, וְלֹא הִנִּיחַתּוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ, אָמְרָה מִי צָרִיךְ לְמִי, אָמַר לָהּ הֵן צְרִיכִין לִי. אָמְרָה לוֹ חֵמֶת הָעַכְבָּרִים מִי דַרְכּוֹ לֵילֵךְ אֵצֶל מִי, הָעַכְבָּרִים אֵצֶל הַחֵמֶת אוֹ הַחֵמֶת אֵצֶל הָעַכְבָּרִים, שָׁמַע לָהּ וְיָשַׁב לוֹ עַד שֶׁשָּׁכַח תַּלְמוּדוֹ, מֵאַחַר זְמַן בָּאוּ אֶצְלוֹ שָׁאֲלוּ אוֹתוֹ פַּת חִטִּין אוֹ פַּת שְׂעוֹרִים מִי טַב אָכְלָהּ בְּלִפְתָּן, וְלָא יָדַע לַהֲשִׁיבָן בַּלִּפְתָּן.
למה דווקא ״הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם״?
למה דווקא ״הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם״? מה זה אומר חרשות הלב?
למה התפללו עליו רחמים? איך שכח תלמודו?
כאשר ר' אלעזר בן ערך קורא את הפסוק ״הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם״, הוא אומר לנו ששורש הבעיה היא חרשות הלב. כאשר עבר ממקום תורה, הלב איבד מהקשר שלו, מהחיות של התורה, עד כדי כך שתלמודו נעקר.
מכך שחכמים התפללו עליו, אנו למדים, שכאשר נבין גם אנחנו שהבעיה היא בלב, רק אז נוכל להתפלל ולתקן. כלומר, קודם כל צריך לתקן את הלב, שיהיה לב טוב, שיהיה במקום תורה.
וכל זה בפרשת החודש, כי הפרשה הזו מראה על התחדשות הלב, על חידוש הקשר שלנו והברית עם הקב"ה. ובפרשה זו אנחנו צריכים להתעורר ולעורר את הלב אל הקב"ה.
כאשר הבעיה היא חרשות הלב, אזי התיקון הוא בלב טוב.
״הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם״
מַתְנִי׳ בָּצֵק הַחֵרֵשׁ, אִם יֵשׁ כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ שֶׁהֶחְמִיץ — הֲרֵי זֶה אָסוּר.
with regard to the combination of two pieces vis-à-vis ritual impurity during Passover, when it depends upon their volume. However, during the rest of the year there is a distinction based upon whether the owner is particular about it or not. The Gemara explains: What are the circumstances of the mishna’s case? It is a case where there is less than an egg-bulk of ritually impure food, and it touched this dough in the bowl, and then it came into contact with ritually pure food. During Passover, when the prohibition that applies to the dough causes it to be considered significant although it is a very small quantity, it combines with the first piece of food. Together they are the size of an egg-bulk, which is able to transmit the ritual impurity of foods. However, during the rest of the year, when there is no prohibition that imparts this significance to the dough, the matter is dependent on the owner’s particularity; if he is particular about it, i.e., he does not want the dough to be there, it is considered food rather than part of the bowl, and it combines with the other piece of food. However, if one prefers its continued presence in its current location, it is considered like part of the kneading bowl itself, rather than food. Rava strongly objects to this: Was the language taught in the mishna: Combines? Didn’t the mishna teach that it interposes? Abaye’s explanation does not account for this term. Rather, Rava said that the mishna should be understood as saying: And so too with regard to purifying the kneading bowl via immersion. The Gemara explains: What are the circumstances of the mishna’s case? It is a case where the kneading bowl became ritually impure, and one wishes to immerse it. During Passover, when the prohibition of an olive-bulk of leaven causes it to be considered significant, it interposes between the water and the kneading bowl, and the immersion is ineffective. However, during the rest of the year, the matter depends upon whether or not the owner is particular about it. If he is particular about the dough and wishes to remove it, it interposes between the water and the bowl. However, if the owner desires it to be present, it is considered like part of the kneading bowl itself, and it does not interpose between the water and the bowl. Rav Pappa strongly objects to this: Was the language taught in the mishna: And similarly with regard to ritual purity? Didn’t the mishna teach: And similarly with regard to ritual impurity? Rather, Rav Pappa said the mishna should be understood as saying: And similarly with regard to the transfer of ritual impurity to the kneading bowl via this dough. The Gemara explains: What are the circumstances of the mishna’s case? It is a case where the carcass of a creeping animal touched this dough. During Passover, when its prohibition causes the dough to be considered significant, it interposes between the bowl and the creeping animal, and ritual impurity does not descend to the kneading bowl, i.e., the kneading bowl does not become impure. During the rest of the year, when it depends upon whether one is particular about the presence of the dough, if he is particular about it, it interposes between the bowl and the creeping animal and prevents the bowl from becoming impure. However, if he desires it to be present, it is considered like it is part of the kneading bowl itself. Therefore, the entire bowl becomes ritually impure when the carcass of the creeping animal touches the dough. MISHNA: Deaf dough is dough for which it is difficult to determine if it has been leavened. It is comparable to a deaf-mute, who cannot communicate. If there is dough similar to it in that water was added to both at the same time, which became leavened, the deaf dough is prohibited. Although it has not shown external signs of becoming leavened, it can be presumed that the deaf dough has also become leavened. GEMARA: The Gemara seeks to clarify the ruling of the mishna: If there is no dough similar to it, what is the halakha? Rabbi Abbahu said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: According to the Sages, leavening occurs in the time it takes a person to walk the distance from Migdal Nunaya to Tiberias, which is a mil, two thousand cubits. The Gemara asks about this formulation: Why is it necessary to mention the distance between these two places? Let us say that leavening begins after the time it takes a person to walk a mil. The Gemara answers: This statement incidentally teaches us that the length of a mil is the distance from Migdal Nunaya to Tiberias. Rabbi Abbahu said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: With regard to a kneader, i.e., one who kneads dough for others and should maintain the ritual purity of the dough; and similarly, with regard to washing one’s hands for prayer (Arukh), and with regard to washing hands before eating, one must search either for a ritual bath to immerse the vessel he is using to knead the dough, or for water to purify his hands, provided that water is accessible within the time it takes to walk four mil, eight thousand cubits. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Ayvu said this halakha, and he said it about four cases, as opposed to the three cases mentioned previously. And one of them pertained to the tanning of hides, which lasts for the time that it takes a person to walk four mil. As we learned in a mishna: And all types of thin, soft hides, which have the status of flesh with regard to ritual impurity because their texture is similar to flesh, that were tanned in order to be made into leather, or that one trod upon for as long as necessary for the leatherworking process, are ritually pure. They are considered to be leather and are no longer considered like the flesh of the animal, except for the skin of a human corpse, which always remains ritually impure. The Gemara asks: How much time must one tread upon a hide for the leatherworking process? Rabbi Ayvu said that Rabbi Yannai said: It is the amount of time it takes to walk four mil. Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: They taught that one must search for water to wash one’s hands before eating or prayer for the amount of time it takes to walk four mil only when the water is before him, in the direction that he is traveling. However, when it is behind him, he need not return even a mil. Rav Aḥa said: From this statement one may infer that he need not return a mil, but he must return less than one mil in order to obtain water. MISHNA: How does one separate ḥalla in ritual impurity during the Festival day of Passover? Ordinarily, one may separate ritually pure ḥalla from dough and give it to a priest immediately so that he may eat it. Ritually impure ḥalla is unfit for a priest and must be burned, yet it is prohibited to bake or burn anything that is not fit to be eaten during the Festival day. However, it is also prohibited to wait and burn it after the Festival day, since it will become leavened in the meantime. Rabbi Eliezer says: A woman should not designate it as ḥalla prior to baking; rather, she should refrain from doing so until it is baked. In other words, she should wait until she has baked all of the dough, and there is no risk of it becoming leavened. Only then should she separate ḥalla from it. The portion of ḥalla may then be kept until after the Festival day, when it may be burned. Ben Beteira says: She should separate the ḥalla before it is baked, and place the dough in cold water so that it will not become leavened. Rabbi Yehoshua said:
מתני' בצק החרש - שאין ניכר אם החמיץ אם לאו שמשונה הוא כחרש הזה שיש לו אזנים ואינו ניכר אם שומע אם לאו דאין אדם עומד על ברורו ועל דעתו לישנא אחרינא בצק החרש קשה כחרש ואינו ניכר שהחמיץ ר"ל הכסיפו פניו ואין סידוק לסימן החימוץ:
יש חרש פיזי, אבל יש גם "הַחֵרֵשׁ הָיָה לִבָּם". הלב עצמו פועל, אבל כמו החרש, לא ניכר אם הלב שומע או לא. הלב עצמו פועל, יכול להיות שגם מקיים מצוות, אבל משהו חסר. הופך את הבן אדם לשטחי. וכאשר אני מבין שהבעיה בי, שחסר לי משהו בחיוניות, זה כבר התחלת הפיתרון, ההכרה בבעיה.
איך פותרים? להתחבר לתורה, לקבל חיוניות, לאמץ את הלב הטוב של ר' אלעזר בן ערך.
לב טוב
(ח) רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמָּאי. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמְךָ, כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ.
חֲמִשָּׁה תַלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן... הוּא הָיָה מוֹנֶה שִׁבְחָן... וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ, מַעְיָן הַמִּתְגַּבֵּר... אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר מִשְּׁמוֹ, אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף מֹאזְנַיִם וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס אַף עִמָּהֶם, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם:
(ט) אָמַר לָהֶם, צְאוּ וּרְאוּ אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיִּדְבַּק בָּהּ הָאָדָם. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, עַיִן טוֹבָה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, חָבֵר טוֹב. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, שָׁכֵן טוֹב. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, הָרוֹאֶה אֶת הַנּוֹלָד. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, לֵב טוֹב. אָמַר לָהֶם, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ מִדִּבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁבִּכְלָל דְּבָרָיו דִּבְרֵיכֶם...
(8) Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.He used to say: if you have learned much Torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.
(9) He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the right way to which a man should cleave? Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye; Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion; Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, foresight. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included. He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the evil way which a man should shun? Rabbi Eliezer said, an evil eye; Rabbi Joshua said, an evil companion; Rabbi Yose said, an evil neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, one who borrows and does not repay for he that borrows from man is as one who borrows from God, blessed be He, as it is said, “the wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous deal graciously and give” (Psalms 37:21). Rabbi Elazar said, an evil heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.
(ה) לֵב טוֹב. לְפִי שֶׁהַלֵּב הוּא הַמֵּנִיעַ לְכָל שְׁאָר הַכֹּחוֹת וְהוּא הַמָּקוֹר שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נוֹבְעִים כָּל הַפְּעֻלּוֹת. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַפְּעֻלּוֹת אֵבָרִים מְיֻחָדִים, מִכָּל מָקוֹם הַכֹּחַ הַמְעוֹרֵר לְכָל הַתְּנוּעוֹת הוּא בַּלֵּב, לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לֵב טוֹב. וּמִפְנֵי זֶה אָמַר רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ מִדִּבְרֵיכֶם:
(1) "A good eye": One who suffices with what he has and does not seek extraneous things - and is not envious when he sees that his fellow has more than him.
(2) "A good friend": who rebukes him when he sees him doing something that is improper.
(3) "A good neighbor": who is found near him, whether by day or by night; whereas a good friend is not found near him all the time.
(4) "Seeing the consequences of one's actions": One who looks out and sees what will be in the future. And through this, he calculates the loss [engendered by doing] a commandment versus its reward and the reward [engendered by doing] a sin versus its loss.
(5) "A good heart": Since the heart is the generator of all the other forces and it is the source from which emanate all of the actions. And even though there are specific limbs for [different] actions, nonetheless, the place of the force that animates all of the actions is in the heart. Therefore, Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh said, "A good heart." And for this reason, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said, "I see the words of Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh [as better than] all of yours."
(6) "what is an evil path that a person should distance himself from": He needed to ask them this, as he did not understand from their first words that the evil path is the opposite of the good path [that they each suggested], since not with all that is good is its opposite evil. As [for example] piety - and that is going beyond the letter of the law - is good, but one who is not pious and holds his actions according to the law of the Torah is not evil. And it may have been possible to say, if sufficing - and that is a good eye - is the good path, the seeking of extraneous things is not the evil path, as he does not hurt any person with this. And so [too] with the other traits. Therefore, he had to ask them, "what is the evil path that a person should distance himself from."
(7) "One who borrows but does not repay": And this is the opposite of "seeing the consequences of one's actions;" as if he does not repay, who will [now] lend to him and he will be stuck in [his] famine. And he did not say just, "not seeing the consequences of one's actions," as it is possible for a person who does not see the consequences of his actions not to come to a mishap, as he will be able to rescue himself when that consequence comes to him.
(8) "'but the righteous one gives graciously'": [It is] speaking about the Holy One, blessed be He, who is the righteous One of the world, Who gives graciously to the lender what this one borrowed from him and did not repay him. It comes out that the borrower is in debt to the Omnipresent.
(ט) ר' אלעזר אומר לב טוב. רמז"ל פי' שזו היא מעלת תקון המדות לפי שדעותיו של אדם נובעות מן הלב. ובזמן שלבו טוב כל מדותיו ישרות ודעותיו נכונות ונמצא שמח בחלקו ומתחבר עם הטובים ואינו חפץ אלא בדבר שיש בו תועלת ולא הפסד...
(י) אמר להם רואה אני את דברי ר' אלעזר מדבריכם שבכלל דבריו דבריכם. כי אדם שמדה כזאת שוכנת בקרבו טוב הוא גם לחבריו ולשכניו ולכל העולם. גם מדת הנדיבות יש לו כי אם הגוף והלב מתנדב לבני אדם לחפוץ בכל חפצם ולעשות רצונם כל שכן שיתנדב להם בממונו. וכל מדה טובה תשכון באדם כזה. כי החפץ דבר גדול מן המעשה בלב מרפא. כי הנה המצות פעולת האברים מלאכה לבד היא ונקלה לעשותה. אך שיתן עיניו ולבו שם כל הימים לחשוב מחשבות לעשות מלאכת ה' מרוב הדבקות ואהבתו בשם ית' הוא אליו הדבר הזה:
(9) Rabbi Elazar says: A good heart: Rambam, may his memory be blessed, explained that this is the virtue of perfecting the traits - as the attributes of a person come from the heart. And when his heart is good, all of his traits will be straight and all of his attributes will be correct. And he will be 'glad in his heart,' befriend the good and only desire a thing which has a positive goal and not a loss. So did Rabbi Meir Halevi (Ramah), may his memory be blessed, write. And though the matter is like this, it [only follows] according to their [approach]. But this explanation does not fit according to our approach. Hence it appears [correct] to explain that [with] "a good heart," he means to say the trait of willpower (literally, will). That is the tolerant one who is not short tempered, distances himself from the trait of anger and answers softly. Even (but) when someone does evil to him, he tolerates him and there is no bitterness in his mouth - as 'his palate is sweets and he is all delights.'
(10) He said to them: I see the words of Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh [as better than] all of yours, because your words are included in his: As a man that has a trait like this dwell within him is also good to his friends and to his neighbors and to the whole world. He also has the trait of generosity; as he is generous to people with his body and heart, to wish what they desire and to do their will - all the more so will he be generous to them with his money. And every good trait will reside in a person like this - as the will of a healthy heart is a greater thing than the act. As behold, the commandments are the action of the limbs [and] are only labor, and easy to do. But that he should place his eyes and his heart there all the days to think of thoughts to do the labor of God from great devotion and love [of God] for his Name, may He be blessed - that is the [true effort] from this thing.
כשמת בנו של רבן יוחנן בן זכאי נכנסו תלמידיו לנחמו. נכנס רבי אליעזר וישב לפניו וא״ל רבי רצונך אומר דבר אחד לפניך א״ל אמור. א״ל אדה״ר היה לו בן ומת וקבל עליו תנחומין. ומניין שקבל עליו תנחומין שנא׳ (בראשית ד׳:כ״ה) וידע אדם עוד את אשתו אף אתה קבל תנחומין א״ל לא די לי שאני מצטער בעצמי אלא שהזכרת לי צערו של אדה״ר. נכנס ר׳ יהושע וא״ל רצונך אומר דבר אחד לפניך א״ל אמור. א״ל איוב היו לו בנים ובנות ומתו כולם ביום אחד וקבל עליהם תנחומין אף אתה קבל תנחומין. ומניין שקבל איוב תנחומין שנא׳ (איוב א׳:כ״א-כ״ב) ה׳ נתן וה׳ לקח יהי שם ה׳ מבורך. א״ל לא די לי שאני מצטער בעצמי אלא שהזכרת לי צערו של איוב. נכנס ר׳ יוסי וישב לפניו א״ל רבי רצונך אומר דבר אחד לפניך א״ל אמור. א״ל אהרן היו לו שני בנים גדולים ומתו שניהם ביום אחד וקבל עליהם תנחומין שנאמר (ויקרא י׳:ג׳) וידם אהרן אין שתיקה אלא תנחומין ואף אתה קבל תנחומין. א״ל לא די לי שאני מצטער בעצמי אלא שהזכרתני צערו של אהרן. נכנס ר״ש וא״ל רבי רצונך אומר דבר אחד לפניך א״ל אמור. א״ל דוד המלך היה לו בן ומת וקבל עליו תנחומין ואף אתה קבל תנחומין ומניין שקבל דוד תנחומין שנא׳ (שמואל ב י״ב:כ״ד) וינחם דוד את בת שבע אשתו ויבא אליה וישכב עמה ותלד בן ויקרא את שמו שלמה אף אתה רבי קבל תנחומין. א״ל לא די שאני מצטער בעצמי אלא שהזכרתני צערו של דוד המלך. נכנס ר״א בן עזריה כיון שראהו אמר לשמשו טול לפני כלי ולך אחרי לבית המרחץ לפי שאדם גדול הוא ואיני יכול לעמוד בו נכנס וישב לפניו ואמר לו אמשול לך משל למה״ד לאדם שהפקיד אצלו המלך פקדון בכל יום ויום היה בוכה וצועק ואומר אוי לי אימתי אצא מן הפקדון הזה בשלום אף אתה רבי היה לך בן קרא תורה מקרא נביאים וכתובים משנה הלכות ואגדות ונפטר מן העולם בלא חטא [ויש לך לקבל עליך תנחומים כשחזרת פקדונך שלם] א״ל ר׳ אלעזר בני נחמתני כדרך שבני אדם מנחמין. כשיצאו מלפניו הוא אמר אלך לדמסית למקום יפה ומים יפים ונאים והם אמרו נלך ליבנה למקום שתלמידי חכמים מרובים אוהבים את התורה הוא שהלך לדמסית למקום יפה ומים יפים ונאים נתמעט שמו בתורה הם שהלכו ליבנה למקום שת״ח מרובים ואוהבים את התורה נתגדל שמם בתורה:
When Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai’s son died, his students came in to comfort him. Rabbi Eliezer came in and sat before him and said: My master, if you please, may I say something? He said: Speak. So he said: Adam the first person had a son who died and he accepted comfort. And how do we know that he accepted comfort? For it says (Genesis 4:25), “And Adam knew his wife again.” So you, too, should accept comfort. He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you need to remind me of Adam’s pain as well?Rabbi Yehoshua came in and said to him: If you please, may I say something before you? He said: Speak. So he said: Job had sons and daughters, and they all died on the same day, and he accepted comfort. So you, too, should accept comfort. And how do we know that Job accepted comfort? For it says (Job 1:21), “The Eternal has given, and the Eternal has taken away. Blessed is the name of the Eternal.” He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you have to remind me of Job’s pain as well?Rabbi Yosei came in and sat before him and said: My master, if you please, may I say something? He said: Speak. So he said: Aaron had two older sons and they both died on the same day, and he accepted comfort, as it says (Leviticus 10:3), “And Aaron was silent,” and silence always indicates comfort. He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you have to remind me of Aaron’s pain as well?Rabbi Shimon came in and said: My master, if you please, may I say something? He said: Speak. So he said: King David had a son who died, and he accepted comfort. So you, too, should accept comfort. And how do we know that David accepted comfort? For it says (II Samuel 12:24), “David comforted his wife Bath Sheba, and he came to her and lay with her, and she gave birth to another son, and called him Solomon.” So you, too, should accept comfort. He replied: Is it not enough that I have my own pain but that you have to remind me of King David’s pain as well?Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah came in. When [Rabbi Yohanan] saw him, he said to his steward: Take this vessel, and follow me to the bathhouse, because this is a great man, and I will not be able to withstand him.1Going to the bathhouse might indicate that Rabbi Yohanan’s mourning is about to end, as Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah will surely find a way to provide solace. So [Rabbi Elazar] came in and sat before [Rabbi Yohanan] and said: Let me give you a parable. To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a person to whom the king gave a deposit to hold. Every day he would cry and scream and say, Oy, when will I be free of this deposit? So it is with you, Rabbi. You had a son who read from the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings; the Mishnah; Halakhah; and Aggadah; and then was taken from the world free of sin. [Must you, then, accept consolation when you have returned a deposit whole?] He said: Rabbi Elazar, my son, you have comforted me as people are supposed to.When they all left, Elazar said: I am going to Damasit, a beautiful place with good, sweet water. They said: We will go to Yavneh, a place where there is an abundance of scholars who love the Torah. So he went to Damasit, the beautiful place with good, sweet water, and his reputation in Torah study diminished. And they went to Yavneh, the place where there was an abundance of scholars who all loved the Torah, and their reputations in Torah study grew.
ר' אלעזר בן ערך אומר לר' יוחנן, עשית את העבודה טוב, לימדת טוב את הבן שלך, היית מעל חבלי הזמן, החזרת את בנך שלם בלא חטא - זו הדרך להסתכל על המאורעות של החיים מתוך לב טוב, ולא רק על הקשיים שיש.
מי שיש לו לב טוב הוא מעל חבלי העולם הזה. הוא זה מי שרואה את התמונה הגדולה ויודע לנווט את עצמו.
למה הלך? יש אומרים שהלך כדי לתקן אותם, וכנראה שבכל אופן יש עליו טענה ששכח תלמודו, והיה לו גם מעיין המתגבר וזה חסר לתלמידים כשהלך.
צריך קודם כל להגדיר את הלב.
לב טוב זה מי שרואה את המצבים באופן חיובי, לראות בכל דבר את הטוב.
כמו שאומר רבנו בחיי בחובת הלבבות שער שמיני פרק ג. להסתכל על העולם בעין חיובית - כך גם העולם יוקרן אליך. לראות את הדברים מזויית שונה, לראות את הטוב שבאחר, איך לעזור לו.
אם אין חיות ואני מוצא כל מיני תירוצים וכל דבר מסיח אותי, הבעיה היא בי - אין לי מספיק חיות, התלהבות. התיקון זה הוי גולה למקום תורה. זה יכול לחדש בלב כל הזמן את ההתעוררות, ולשמור על רעננות של הלב בחיבורו לקב"ה.
צריך לזכור מה הלב שלי, מה הלב של החיים שלי, מה מזרים את הדם, שיזרים אותו על לנימים באצבעות הידיים והרגלים.