Shemini 5782 – Four Non-Kosher Animals & the Umos Haolam
Sponsored L’zchus Acheinu Bnei Yisroel In The Ukraine – May They Experience Yeshuos B’Karov!
Visit YTATorah.org
Shiur presented in 5780
Sponsored L’zchus Acheinu Bnei Yisroel In The Ukraine – May They Experience Yeshuos B’Karov!
Visit YTATorah.org
Shiur presented in 5780
Rav Chatzkel Levenstein, the mashgiach of Mir Yeshiva, once came into the beis medrash of Mir and went over to two bochurim who were learning and asked them what day in Elul it was. They didn’t know right away, so they started to make a cheshbon, trying to remember when Rosh Chodesh Elul was. One of them turned to the other and asked, “Nu, what day of Elul is it?” His chavrusa said, “It’s either the 9th or 10th of Elul.” When Rav Chatzkel heard this, he gave a shrei and said, “Bochurim! You don’t know what day it is in Elul?!
The passuk tells us that after Aharon died, the people lodged a complaint against Hakadosh Baruch Hu. They said they were tired of the circuitous route that they were taking, they were fed up with the difficulties of traveling around for many days and they began to speak against Hashem and Moshe, why did You take us out of Mitzrayim to die in the midbar there’s no lechem and there’s no mayim!
Yaakov Avinu was close to the end of his life. He called for his children and told them to gather around: האספו, gather together, “and I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen with you in the end of days” (Bereishis 49:1). I’m trying to imagine that. Yaakov Avinu, was the bechir ha’avos. Yaakov’s passing marked the end of the Avos era – the culmination and perfection of the foundation of Klal Yisrael.
The foundation of being an ehrliche Yid and the foundation of somebody being a talmid of Avraham Avinu is based on having good middos (Avos 5:19). And if you lack those good middos, then you’re one of the talmidim of Bilaam Harasha. He’s your rosh yeshivah, he’s your rebbi, and that is what you are drawn to.
What we’re going to discuss today is the sugya of the mabul. Now, if you want to study the mabul, the source of studying the mabul is the gemara in Sanhedrin.
The first thing we’re going to discuss today is what brought about the sin that caused the mabul. We’re going to study this aspect. We want to understand what caused man to fall to the point they did?
The Torah allots two parshiyos, Tazria and Metzora, to discuss nega’im, tzaraas. Chazal tell us that one of the main reasons nega’im and tzaraas come is for lashon hara. You have to understand, if the Torah makes such a fuss and elaborates to such a degree over the onshim of lashon hara, it behooves us to contemplate once in a while about the seriousness of nega’im and lashon hara. Therefore, Moshe warned Am Yisrael, when he said to them, ‘This shall be the law for a metsora – the law of the one that gives out a bad name.