Yayin Nesech 3 – Beshalach – Moshe Rabbeinu Is Called the Engraver – 248 Limbs – Spiritual Aspects of the Printing Press – Importance of Writing and Publishing Many Seforim – Speaker: Rabbi Nasan Maimon.
Hilkhos Yayin Nesech 3 is based on 2Likutey Moharan 26.
00:00 – PARAGRAPH 5. The written Torah is studied from a page, and the Oral Torah is studied through speech (Gittin 60). These are aspects of machshava and dibur.
05:00 – מִשְׁפְּטֵֽי־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱמֶ֑ת צָֽדְק֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו – “…the judgments of the Lord are true, altogether just” (Tehillim 19:10).
*08:00 – Beshalach. The written Torah is a “reminder” as in וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־ משֶׁ֗ה כְּתֹ֨ב זֹ֤את זִכָּרוֹן֙ בַּסֵּ֔פֶר וְשִׂ֖ים בְּאָזְנֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ – “Inscribe this [as] a memorial in writing [literally ‘in the book’] and say it aloud to Yehoshua” (Shemos 17:14, Beshalach). Moshe Rabbeinu engraves into the soul of every Jew the 248 positive mitzvos. This is why Moshe Rabbeinu is called the “engraver”. מחקק is 248.
10:00 – Written Torah must be studied from a written or printed source.
15:35 – The Oral Torah is necessary to ensure that the Written Torah is understood truthfully. Originally, it was forbidden to write down the Oral Torah. However, when the rabbis became concerned that the Oral Torah might be forgotten, they removed the prohibition of writing it down, as in הֵ֜פֵ֗רוּ תּֽוֹרָתֶֽךָ – “…they have made void Your Torah” (Tehillim 119:126).
18:16 – Why the Torah must be transmitted in both Written and Oral form. The Oral Torah requires many words of constant, ongoing clarification from generation to generation.
21:10 – Why many different ספרים – books – are necessary to fully elucidate the Torah.
23:32 – As we approach the time of Moshiach, Am Yisrael’s heart [ability to understand the Torah] becomes weaker “…like a nail in a fence [compared to previous generations]” (Eruvin 53).
24:48 – Why many seforim are necessary. Rav Noson ז”ל mentions a number of Torah commentaries in the Gemara.
28:00 – The spiritual aspects of Hashem’s revelation of printing press technology at a particular moment in history, and not before. The ability to print more seforim protects Am Yisrael from misinterpreting the Torah.
*34:00 – The importance of writing and printing many Torah books. (Reiterated and expanded at 37:42).
33:20 – The importance of publishing and distributing the sheilos and teshuvos from correspondence of rabonim. NOTE on the Igros Moshe by Rav Moshe Feinstein ז”ל.
35:00 – The printing press made many seforim available that teach yiras shemayim, midos, and emunah.
36:22 – “Therefore, how great HaShem’s mercy on us, that He gave us the invention of the printing press.” Reference to Likutey Moharan 61.
39:18 – וְיֹתֵ֥ר מֵהֵ֖מָּה בְּנִ֣י הִזָּהֵ֑ר עֲשׂ֨וֹת סְפָרִ֤ים הַרְבֵּה֙ אֵ֣ין קֵ֔ץ – “And moreover my son, take heed to increase books endlessly” (Koheles 12:12) – translation based on Rashi: “Write more [Torah] books than have been already written”.
41:55 – Q&R about heart vs. mind – in the context of this teaching, Rav Nasan zal refers to the heart as the ability to understand.
42:23 – Q&R about developments in communication technology yet the generations become weaker. NOTE about Masok m’Devash on the Zohar HaKodesh.
45:35 – Q&R about writing vs speaking/listening. נַפְשִׁי֙ יָֽצְאָ֣ה בְדַבְּר֔וֹ – “…my soul went out when he spoke…” (Shir HaShirim 5:6). The word אנוכי is made up of the initial letters of the Hebrew phrase ana nafshi k’tavit yahavit – “I place my soul in my writing” (Shabbos 105a) – yet even so, speech conveys much more than the written word. Reference to Likutey Moharan 19.
47:48 – Parshas Matos – Hilkhos Nedarim. The power of speech: creating new mitzvos through speech. Link to Likutey Halakhos, Hilkhos Nedarim is HERE.
49:17 – Closing blessings.
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