NACH 01 – Yehoshua 1-24 – Fall of Yericho – Yair Ben Menashe – Battle of Ai – Yehoshua Stills the Sun – Battle of Givon – Praying at the Grave of a Tzaddik – Speaker: Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld zal.
00:00 – The Battle of Yericho. The unusual faith of Rachav in protecting the People of Israel shows how a person who comes from the lowest depths can rise to the highest spiritual levels.
*04:20 – “There’s no such thing as a person having passed the point of no return.” – Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld zal.
05:50 – Why didn’t Yehoshua have any sons? This was a punishment for having stated a Torah law in front of his teacher, Moshe Rabbeinu. The Zohar HaKodesh, however, says that Yehoshua did not sin because his intentions were pure.
06:54 – During the battle against the kingdom of Ai, a Jewish warrior was killed. Yair ben Menashe, the only casualty, was considered the equivalent of 36 members of the Sanhedrin. HaShem had assured Israel they would be completely victorious, so Moshe Rabbeinu asked HaShem about the meaning of this loss.
10:00 – HaShem commanded a lottery to be held to reveal the person who robbed spoils from the city of Yericho.
*10:46 – “No matter how bad his behavior, a Jew still retains the holy title of Jew.” – Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld zal.
10:50 – A lottery is arranged because HaShem refused to speak Loshon Hara (evil report) about a Jew. The culprit – Achan – is found and he confesses. The power of Viduy – confession.
14:19 – The strategy against the city of Ai that led to victory was used by the Israeli army in the war of 1967.
*15:05 – How HaShem wages war.
*17:07 – NOTE about the importance of establishing and upholding effective judicial system to combat evil. Judges who are too liberal and show mercy when it’s not warranted are themselves criminal.
19:43 – The deception of the inhabitants of Givon in offering a false treaty of peace.
24:00 – Yehoshua commands the sun to silence itself and thereby causes time to stand still during the battle against Givon. The Torah teaches that the sun and all other elemens in the universe arei in motion while the earth is stationary. Everything in the universe, even natural objects that seem inanimate, has a consciousness of HaShem.
*30:53 – Chevron was given to Calev ben Yefunah for his faith in the power of prayer at the grave sites of tzaddikim.
32:44 – The Torah forbids seeking help from the dead, but Tzaddikim are considered alive even after their passing. When we stand at the grave site of a tzaddik we are aligning ourselves with his merit while praying only to HaShem.
36:45 – The parting legacy of Yehoshua.
Transcript:
These shiurim are all based on a review of נ”ך. “NaCH” is Neviim [The Prophets] and Kesuvim [Writings] which begins with the story of Yehoshua taking the Jews into Israel after the passing of Moshe Rabbeinu.
We’re going to go through these shiurim, the stories of NaCH, with all the commentaries, or as many as possible from the Gemara and other sifrei kodesh, and just a few words of review that we continue on further.
The Navi begins with the story of Yehoshua taking the Jews into Israel and his first step was a miracle that emulated the nes [miracle] that Moshe Rabbeinu demonstrated to the Jews in dividing the Waters of the Red Sea – Yehoshua divided the Waters of the Yarden – the River Jordan. All the Jews crossed over this River in dry land.
And Yehoshua his first step was to send spies to the city of Yericho – Jericho. Two spies – they were Calev, his partner, and Pinchas, the Kohen Gadol. These two spies came to Yericho. They were given a haven, refuge, in the home of Rachav, who hid them until they could leave safely, and then the Jews attacked the city. They marched around it for seven days. On the seventh day the wall of Yericho sank into the ground.
01:28 – They conquered the city. They destroyed everyone there except Rachav and her family. Now just one, this is a review of the last shiur, one point though to dwell upon a little bit longer. We mentioned the fact that Rachav, this woman, was a zona.
The word zona means an illicit woman who had affairs with different types of men for profit. The word zona also means one who provides – hazon umefarnes – coming from the word mezonos – food.
There is a discussion as to which one of the two applies to Rachav. However the Gemara states very clearly Rachav was an isha zona who was very much coveted – desired – by princes and kings who all came to seek her favor. Despite this fact that Rachav had so colorful a past, a long past because she was approximately 50 years old at this time, but still the Gemara says that she was, she possessed such a rare beauty that no one could resist her.
In fact, those who knew her, who saw her once, could never forget her. Yet she had descended so low, to this point of illegal traffic with lords, princes. And despite this point, she had a strong desire to convert, because she was imbued with a deep true faith. She was the only one who recognized the future would be a victory for the Jews, and that the Jews were truly the Chosen People of HaShem. So she did her part in taking the risks of protecting these two spies and then asking them to save her life, preserve her and her family – which was granted.
The end was that she did convert, and she was rewarded by having Yehoshua, who was the holiest person in the world next to Moshe Rabbeinu, marry Rachav. This means that a person can rise from the lowest depths, the very lowest, and become the king or queen of the world, spiritually. This was the case of Rachav, about whom too, the Zohar HaKodesh says, that it was not just in this world that she rose so high, becoming the wife of Yehoshua, but she also had a special place set aside for her in Gan Eden eternally – again proving that no person should ever give up hope.
If he feels, and even if his feeling is correct, that he is the lowest person in the world, the worst person, he has sinned the most – he still has the opportunity, the door is still open to him, to become the greatest person in the world. He just needs that desire, a true desire, a true will to return to HaShem, and HaShem will accept him back.
04:20 – There’s no such thing as a person having “passed the point of no return”. That does not exist exist.
There was one detail, though, the story the Gemara adds: that Yehoshua married Rachav. Of course they lived happily ever after. One thing was lacking, though no fault of Rachav’s. She never had a child. She never had a son. Yehoshua had no sons. And this was due to a misdeed on his part. The Gemara says that any person who states a din – a Hebrew law – in front of his rabbi, the penalty his death. There was one time when Yehoshua made a statement of law in front of his rabbi, Moshe Rabbeinu, and this statement was made – the intention was to give honor to Moshe Rabbeinu. There’s a whole story about that in the Chumash.
We won’t go into that detail now, but his kavana – his intentions were pure and good for the sake of honoring Moshe Rabbeinu. But because he stated a law in front of Moshe Rabbeinu, his penalty, which should have been death, was commuted for a punishment that was equal to death.
If a person has no children, then he is considered a living corpse. So that “mi she ain lo bonim” – no children is the same as a death penalty. That’s why Rochel, she begged Yaakov Avinu. She said “Help me. Give me children. Im lo, meysa anochi. If not, I am dead.” The Gemara says, from here we learn that no children is a curse that is just as bad as death itself. This is why Yehoshua lived with Rachav but never had sons, due to this one act on his part.
However, strangely, the Zohar Hakodesh seems to disagree with this. Because the Zohar Hakodesh says that there were four people in the world who never committed a sin from the moment they were born until the day they passed away, according to the Gemara. The Zohar HaKodesh says: we add a fifth name – the name of Yehoshua also, never committed a sin in his lifetime. This act apparently, the statement on his part, because the intentions were so pure it is not regarded as a sin on his part, though the penalty was executed against him.
06:56 – Now from here, Yericho, they moved on, and this was the first victory they enjoyed. They had to do battle against 31 kings in Israel. The second city they went to attack was the city of Ai – city or land – part of a country. The Land of Israel was divided in different countries, different kings. It went against the kingdom of עי – Ayin Yud – and in this battle Yehoshua sent a small number of soldiers. In this first battle, 36 Jews were killed. He had been guaranteed by HaShem that no Jew would die. The Jewish army was repulsed. 36 dead. Yehoshua was shocked. Now this we find in the Navi.
Just to add a small point: the Gemara says that the wording of the Navi is that he sent 3,000 soldiers, figuring it was an easy battle. And the passuk says that the people of Ai killed approximately 36 Jewish men. How can the Torah say “approximately 36 men”?
Every Jewish life, every Jew is like a world. How do you say approximately? You can’t count the exact number of casualties? The Gemara says “c’shloshim ushisha ish” means they killed “like 36 men” which means that they killed one single person and he was equivalent to 36. Now one man being as great as 36 men means that he’s very good. But you might get 36 ordinary people so there’s no real bargain there.
The Gemara says 36, meaning 36 of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin – that means the Supreme Court – the chief rabbis of the Jews – consisted of 71. Of 71 rabbis, the majority is 36. That means that this one person, whose name was Yair Ben Menashe, was the equivalent of the majority of the entire Sanhedrin, so great and so holy was he. He fell victim in this battle.
This was a great blow to Yehoshua and he tore his clothes in mourning. He began to cry and to pray to HaShem.
And HaShem replied, “The reason this happened was – the reason there was defeat – is because חטא ישראל – the Jews have committed a sin.
They have gone against My command. I stated that when you conquer and destroy Yericho – Jericho, everything in that city should be wiped out. Do not take any loot from that city. Destroy every last vestige of the city.
Somebody did take some treasures from there and because of that crime the blessings were taken away from the Jews. They had to pay for it.” Yehoshua asked HaShem, “Who is that one? Let me punish him!”
09:38 – And HaShem said, “You’ll draw lots of all the 12 tribes of Israel
and then one of those will come out as the guilty one. And in that tribe you’ll draw lots again, to decide which family.
In that family, you draw lots a third time to decide which individual. You have to go through a long process of drawing lots.”
Two questions: in the first place, we know that the Gemara says in Sanhedrin that HaShem said to Yehoshua חטא ישראל – the Jews committed sins”.
HaShem did not say “A sin was committed.” He said “The Jews committed sins.” The Gemara says: note this word. That when a Jew commits a sin,
no matter how great a sin it is, it can cause the death
of so big a tzaddik, it is still “a Jew committed a sin.”
He does not lose his identity. He is still a Jew. No matter how evil and sinful a Jew is, he is still a valuable individual. He is a Jew. Because in any given moment he can return to HaShem and become a good Jew. But the title, that blessed title of Jew still remains.
The second point, of course, was: Yehoshua asked HaShem “Who is guilty?”
HaShem said, “Don’t ask me. Draw lots.” Why?
Why go through this long process? HaShem could have said, “This person was the guilty one” and that’s it. The Gemara says: because there are three sins that are considered three major crimes – the worst possible sins in existence.
One is idol worship. The second is murder, and the third is adultery. Each one of these three is punishable by death. These are the three worst sins possible. Yet there is one sin that is so serious, it is as bad as these three combined. And that sin is loshon hara – to speak evil about a Jew is as bad as the combination of all these three sins.
HaShem said to Yehoshua, “When I say that loshon hara is so great a crime, you want Me to commit a crime like that? I teach Jews not to speak loshon hara, you want Me to say a bad word about a Jew, that this individual committed the sin of taking the city of Yericho? I will not say that. Let the truth come out through the drawing of lots. A miracle will bring out the right one, but I will not pronounce the name of the guilty person.”
We see from here that the humbleness – c’vachol – the modesty of
HaShem himself in being so careful, so cautious and not emitting a word that could be construed as loshon haran. Now they drew lots and of course the guilty one came out. This was Achan – his name was Achan who had taken some of the חרם – some of the spoils from the city of Yericho.
Yehoshua told him, “You have been determined as the guilty person through the drawing of lots. Now I ask give honor to HaShem by confessing your sin. There are two reasons for that. In the first place, confess because these lots are a miracle of HaShem. If you refuse to confess,then you could throw a bad light upon faith itself.”
Because Achan was prepared to say to Yehoshua, “How do you find me guilty by drawing lots? I could show you a better way to draw lots. Let’s take a choice between you and the Kohen Gadol. Yehoshua and the Kohen Gadol will draw lots. One of the two is guilty. It’s very easy to prove anyone guilty that way.”
Yehoshua said to him, “Give honor to HaShem by confessing, for one thing.
And secondly, if you confess, the mitzvah of vidui – confessing your sin before HaShem – is so great, that by confessing alone
a person can have the sin completely erased as far as the future is concerned. So that you must die for this sin. But you’re guaranteed you’ll die only once. ‘Die once’ means that you die here but you arrive in heaven pure. You will die for the sin and you go directly to Gan Eden.”
Now Achan, being a good Jew, regretted his act and stated, “True that I committed a sin. I did as follows: I took, I had a desire to get, certain types of treasures there. I regret this now and I want to repent for this sin as far as the future is concerned.”
Achan was put to death by skila, by stoning. The sin was erased and the Jews advanced on to the city of Ai again. This time, of course, proving completely victorious. But this time we find a strategy used by Yehoshua, who was the commander-in-chief of the Israeli army, a strategy that’s been used recently by the present-day Israeli army in the Battle of ’67. The strategy used by Yehoshua in this battle against the city of Ai was a very simple one, yet it worked so beautifully.
Naturally, we must preface this statement with again the guarantee by HaShem: if you will listen to the command of HaShem, if you believe in HaShem, remain loyal to HaShem, you don’t really need wars. Wars are just there as a motion, an action to appear as a battle because HaShem doesn’t need weapons with which to win a battle.
15:15 – One person can pursue an entire army if HaShem wills it. We have seen that happen in The Six Day War. All we need is just that HaShem inject a fear – a panic into the enemy and they flee. A shadow can make them flee. Yet this was a lesson to teach us for the future.
This first act of actual battle with Ai, Yehoshua selected 30,000 soldiers and he told them to wait behind the city of Ai. One section behind, one on each side, wait there in the dark, that is, surrounding the city, and then Yehoshua himself with the bulk of the Jewish Army would come – advance onto the city a frontal attack. The city of Ai would be overconfident.
They defeated the Jews the first time, they have nothing to fear. So as he advanced with his army, the king of Ai came out to greet him with the entire army of Ai. Yehoshua feigned – pretended – fear, and ordered a retreat to the part of his soldiers.
The king of Ai urged his men on: “Attack and destroy!” That was his command. In order to attack and destroy, they had to leave the city of Ai completely. Yehoshua began to flee with his army. They left the city of Ai.
When they were completely outside of the city of Ai, Yehoshua turned suddenly, held up his spear very high in the air, and this was a signal for the three other branches of the army to enter into the city. They did this immediately, set fire to the city, and high, large pillars of smoke
and flame rose up in the air. The people of Ai – the army – turned back and saw their city in flames. This, of course, broke their morale, broke their hope, and then they were being attacked from all sides.
They were completely wiped out.
The king of the city of Ai was taken captive. He was killed by Yehoshua.
There a vital lesson the Torah teaches us: if you ever have pity, compassion on someone who does not deserve it, then this is the highest
degree of אכזריות – sadism and heartlessness. The Torah itself says that it is a crime to have pity on those who HaShem commands to be wiped out.
17:32 – To get off topic for a moment, one of the painful items of today is the permissiveness, the lack of justice that prevails in today’s courts. The extensive crime rate, the rise of crime rate which, according to the Torah, is due to the fact that there is no punishment meted out to the criminals.
The true deterrent to crime is punishment. A person commits murder he must be put to death. A person commits a felony or an ordinary crime,
a misdemeanor, he must be punished for it. To release a criminal, to allow him to go out into society, means to invite further attacks or further crimes by this person. That the Torah does not condone at all.
The first rule is: wipe out evil and crime through a punishment that fits the crime. If judges will be lenient, they are not doing the criminal a favor. But more important – they are the guilty ones who are hurting innocent people, innocent citizens.
There are thousands and perhaps tens of thousands of people today who have died innocent victims to criminals because of the leniency of judges who consider themselves liberal, good-hearted, when actually they are the most cruel people on earth. These judges who release potential dangerous criminals, they are the essence of cruelty.
This is what the Torah teaches us where Yehoshua himself took the king of the city of Ai and killed him, the same as Shmuel Hanavi, Shmuel the prophet, who was an old, venerable tzaddik who would never hurt a fly, an insect, an animal, himself took a sword and displayed this point by killing the King of Amalek, Agog. Not just killing him but by cutting him into four quarters to show that there is no mercy to be shown to the real evil people that exist.
This was the second battle that Yehoshua held in Israel. This time, of course, the battle was victorious. They wiped out the city of Ai. Then they advanced further to go on to battle other nations, other countries, or other lands – divisions of Israel.
20:00 – Before they could go further though, a little incident took place where there was a city called Givon. The people of this city began to realize that this juggernaut, the Jewish People – the Jewish Nation – were victorious throughout, and that defeat was imminent for every nation in Israel. Now there was no turning back, there was no surrender for these nations.
The command was given to Yehoshua: wipe out and destroy, leave no one remain. All males must be killed. No nation could say “we surrender”
or “we want to make peace”. It was too late now.
The Gemara says that offer was given by Yehoshua before they entered Israel. They had their last chance to surrender and become servants to the Jews. If they refuse then there had to be a war to the finish.
The people of Givon realized this. They could not offer themselves as slaves to Yehoshua or to surrender. It was too late. They devised a scheme.
They sent a group of their men – emissaries dressed in old clothes, tattered clothes, with a deep layer of dust on them, and animals, too that were filled with dust, very tired that seemed as though they’d been traveling for days, weeks, and months.
They came to Yehoshua and they said to him, “We are from a very distant land. We heard about your exploits. We want to offer a treaty of peace with you.”
Yehoshua said, “Where are you from?”
And they said, “Very far. Not from this country.”
And without having any reason not to do so, Yehoshua made a peace treaty with them. In addition, the peace treaty was, meant that there’d never be a battle between the two.
They were not satisfied with this. They asked that the Sanhedrin would swear, would vow that this peace treaty would be a valid one – would be abided by by both sides. This they did.
As soon as they got this promise, this vow, they revealed themselves as messengers of the city of Givon which is very close by. Yehoshua was furious. He said, “You have fooled us. We have a right to attack the city to kill you because this vow was by error. [But at] the same same time, people would then say that Jews swear falsely. So we have no choice but to keep our promise – this treaty. However, the people of Givon shall henceforth be used, employed by Jews, as water carriers and slaves.”
They very happy to become their water carriers or slavesrather than to be destroyed by them and this remained as sort of a curse on the people of Givon.
Now, later on, the other countries, other lands, that Israel heard about this, especially the king of Jerusalem, together with a number of other kings, and they said that Givon had deserted them. That they were traitors, and therefore they should all join together to do battle against Givon. The people in Givon now turned to Yehoshua and said, “We are allies. We ask that you protect us.”
Yehoshua was forced to go into battle to save, to rescue Givon. He went into battle against these five Kings – the king of Jerusalem and the other four Kings.
In this battle at the city of Givon, they saw the miracles of HaShem
joining battle with them. Tremendous-size boulders fell from heaven and
crushed the enemy. This wasn’t just like bits of ice, hailstones – this was actual rocks, but giant-size rocks fell from heaven like comets. They fell upon the enemy and destroyed them.
23:58 – In addition, this battle took a long time. Yehoshua called out these words: “Shemesh beGivon dom, veyareyach beEmek Ayalon”. In order to keep the battle going where they could see what they were doing he called out to the sun, “Sun in Givon, remain still! And the moon too!” The sun would stop, if the moon would continue – they’d clash.
The moon too should remain where the moon is right now. And because of this they had many hours longer in which to pursue and complete this battle.
Now the Zohar HaKodesh explains this to mean he stopped time. This proves two things. It proves that scientists are wrong. That’s – we don’t consider it worth going into that topic. The fact that the earth is stationary and the sun revolves around the earth.
By telling the sun to pause, to halt in its orbit around the earth, this stopped time. They were able to battle for so many more hours.
In addition, note that Yehoshua did not say to the sun “Stop.” He said to the sun “Be still.” The Zohar HaKodesh says: because what gives the sun the power to move at this speed in orbit? The fact that the sun itself prays to HaShem.
The sun, though it is inorganic, it’s not a lifelike item, yet it does
possess a brain, being created by HaShem – a brain knowing its Creator. So the sun has a special שירה – a song of praise that it says to HaShem constantly, without stop.
Now, the fact that it says this tefilah is what keeps the sun going. Now Yehoshua said to the sun דום – be still, be silent – and the moment that it stopped saying this praise, the sun stopped moving. And that’s how time stopped.
The same thing, too, for the moon. What gave Yehoshua this power to stop the sun and the moon? How did he dare to say to the sun and the moon, “You stop”? The sun and the moon said to Yehoshua, “We are going as an order by HaShem. HaShem created us with the order that we continue always to revolve around the earth. So we are following the command of HaShem. Why should we listen to you when you are only a servant of HaShem?”
Yehoshua’s answer was, “Of course, I am only a servant. I am nothing. But I give you this command in the name of my ancestor, who is your superior, who rules over you.
Yehoshua was a descendant of Yosef HaTzaddik. Yosef HaTzaddik’s dream was – he saw the sun, the moon, and the stars bowing to him. Yehoshua said, “In the name of my ancestor Yosef HaTzaddik, who is your ruler, I order you to stop!”
And with the credit, the merit, of Yosef HaTzaddik, he had this power to give them this order and they were forced, they were compelled to accede.
After this period of time, Yehoshua was successful destroying these five kings of Israel. There, they went on to further battles, going through a total of 31 different kings. Israel was divided into 31 lands, miniature lands with 31 kings. He went through this battle successfully and successfully wiping out one after the other. They had no trouble
whatsoever and, as it seems, there were no casualties at all.
In any battle the victors also have some casualties. They have a death list. In this case not one single Jew was killed or was even hurt. And this again to demonstrate the fact that HaShem was on the side of the Jews as long as they believed in HaShem, worshipped HaShem, and followed the mitzvos of HaShem.
The main mitzvah was, HaShem told the Jews: “Listen to what Yehoshua, your leader, tells you. Because Yehoshua now takes the place of Moshe Rabbeinu.”
28:21 – One of the last battles was the city of Chevron.
The city of Chevron, those who have been there know that the city of Chevron is famous because it contains the מערת המכפלה – the Cave of Four Couples – that cave where Adam and Eve are buried; Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, and their wives: Sarah, Rivka, and Leah. This Cave of Four Couples makes the city also be known as the city of Kiryas Arba.
Kirya means a city, of arba – of four couples. [At the] same time the Torah says there a second reason why it was called Kiryas Arba – because in this city there lived the four famous giants. These giants were the ones that the spies that Moshe Rabbeinu sent to Israel reported about. They said, “There are giants in this country. How can we ever battle them?” The Jews were frightened, they turned against Moshe Rabbeinu, and for that reason they had to die in the desert during a period of 40 years.
Now Yehoshua went to this city and showed the Jews how, with the help of HaShem, there was nothing to fear, even from these giants. The land was divided after this among the 12 tribes of Israel. This whole process took exactly 14 years. There were 7 years of battle – 7 years of wars – and 7 years in which they had people going out to measure the territories divided equally so that each one of the 12 tribes would get its portion of Israel.
Actually it was not 12 tribes. We said there were two and a half tribes who wanted to have עבר הירדן – Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe, who took their portion of the Land on the other side of the river Jordan – Trans Jordan. This was a proof that today again, the Irgun is right. The Irgun said we must capture Tans-Jordan too, and annex what is actually our Land.
The nine and a half tribes divided the rest of the Land of Israel among themselves, and this was decided by drawing lots. Decided, of course, by Heaven.
This dividing of the Land – there were certain portions that were given especially to certain people. For example, the city of Chevron was given to Kalev Ben Yafuna. Kalev was the one other person besides Yehoshua – the 12 tribes that Moshe Rabbeinu sent to Israel, 10 of them came back with a bad report.
Two came back with good ones – they were Yehoshua and Kalev. Now Yehoshua, the Torah says, HaShem told Moshe Rabbeinu to send these spies and Moshe Rabbeinu selected one from each tribe. He took his own closest student, Yehoshua – whose name at that time was Hosheya – but before he left Moshe Rabbeinu blessed him and changed his name to Yehoshua, which means KaH Yoshiecha – HaShem should help you, should assist you, rescue you, from this evil plan of the spies. So that Yehoshua was now fortified, immune against this evil.
What about Kalev, his partner? Here the Torah tells us, the Gemara says that Kalev did not get this blessing but he had this strong, solid faith – his emuna was the same as Yehoshua’s – and he feared falling into this trap of the spies, so that he went alone through the dangerous sections of Chevron where these giants were, taking the greatest possible risk.
There was a practically 100% chance of being killed by these giants, yet he risked his life to get to the Cave of Four Couples. And there he prayed at this cave. He asked the Avos – the fathers of the Jews – to help him, to rescue him from the plan of these spies.
Again we see – this is brought many seforim – that there are some people who doubt the value of going to visit these holy places – in Israel, or anywhere – to visit the graves of tzaddikim.
We find that this was done so far back. Calev’s success in being saved from falling victim to the plan of the meraglim – the spies – was due to the fact that he visited the graves of the tzaddikim.
This teaches us, the Zohar HaKodesh says, that a Jew who wants to be helped can get no greater help than going to the graves of Tzaddikim and asking them to pray for him. To enlist, solicit their aid.
And it’s worth mentioning here, in reference to that point, that the students of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai zal asked him: isn’t there a possuk in the Torah which says that there is an issur, a sin, to be doresh el hameysim – to enlist
the aid of the dead? You go to the cemetery to speak to the dead?
That’s one of the major sins in the Torah. How can you then go to the graves of these tzaddikim and speak to them or, in a sense, pray to them? You’re supposed to pray to HaShem. How do you ask the dead to help?
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yachai zal said, his reply was: “Chas veshalom. This question itself is a sinful question because the Torah stresses time and again that we can never apply the word “dead” to a tzaddik. Who is dead? Only a rasha. An evil person is considered dead even while he’s alive. He’s considered a meis.
The Gemara in Berakhos says that we speak about a murderer
who is supposed to get the death penalty, it saysעַל־פִּ֣י | שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵדִ֗ים … יוּמַ֣ת הַמֵּ֑ת (Devarim 17:6, Shoftim) the death penalty is meted out to a person who is guilty only if there are two witnesses who testify that they saw the actual murder. But the sentence says “Through two witnesses… shall this guilty person be put to death”. How does the Torah say “guilty person”? מת. This “dead person” should be put to death with the testimony of two witnesses. The Gemara says he is called a dead person. Why?
Because he is a murderer. He is a criminal – he is a rasha – a wicked person. He is called dead though he is still alive.
Whereas a tzaddik, even after his passing, is called חי – alive.
So that this is no case of Doreish Al HaMeysim. When you go to the grave of a tzaddik, he is not dead. He is called alive and he cannot be included in that statement.
Secondly, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai zal said “If people would realize that any person today could not exist for half a day” – that’s the exact words used – “a person today could not exist for half a day in this world without the help of the prayers of tzaddik in Gan Eden. It is due to their prayers that we are able to continue living here. Without their prayers there would be such an evil force against us that we couldn’t live more than half a day.
So since it is their prayers that maintain us, then surely we should solicit their prayers by going to their grave asking them, enlisting their aid, and interesting them in our plight. How much better off is a person who has these tzaddikim to assist him through their prayers than one who tries to make it on his own.
Therefore the mitzvah of going to the graves of tzaddikim, especially in Eretz Yisrael, where you have the graves of the fathers of the Jews, the graves of the kings of the Jews, King David, the graves of the prophets, the graves of most of the rabbis the Gemara. Every one of these graves is extremely sacred, and it is a very great privilege to go there and pray. This is what we meant we said the names that were taken from here were all mentioned at many of these sacred places in Israel, the past trips there.
The final word of Yehoshua before his passing was to leave a tzavah – last will and testament – where he told the Jews we have been successful we shall be successful forever, if you continue to have faith in HaShem, live up to the mitzvos of the Torah, and never desert this faith. As long as you do that, you’ll be able to live as a Leading People on earth. No one can eject you from Eretz Yisrael. It’s only your own deeds if you turn to the wrong path, where you’ll find yourselves lost, a lost people.
And just as easily as HaShem established you in Israel, so easily can He have you ousted, chas veshalom. This we have seen in subsequent chapters of history. But we know, too, that HaShem has promised the moment that the Jews turn back to HaShem they are the ones that were chosen by HaShem for the Land of Israel. These two go together. The Jews belong there to study the Torah there, to worship HaShem there. We have full confidence and faith that this victory is forthcoming. We should be zoche to see it with our eyes very shortly,the coming of Moshiach, we’ll see the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, we can enjoy the glory that is due us as the… [recording ended].
Podcast (shiurim): Download (Duration: 38:08 — 52.4MB)
To dedicate this shiur, click HERE.
