(For the riddles, please see back page)
1) i) The Chasam Sofer answers this question based on another question. When bringing bikkurim we ask, “We did what we were asked to, please do what is asked from You” (עשינו מה שעלינו תעשה מה שעליך ). The Chasam Sofer asks: How can we say such a thing, Nechemia was punished for saying such a statement? And he explains, we are asking, that even though it is permissible to test Hashem when it comes to ma’aser, I am not doing it for any gain, I am doing because You commanded me to. However, יודע אני שאין אתה מקפח שכר כל בריה, אותו השכר אני מוותרו לכלל ישראל השקיפה ממעון וברך את עמך ישראל, ובשרו הקב''ה שכן יעשה ויברך ישראל בגללו – “I know that Hashem doesn’t withhold any reward, and I want the reward of this mitzvah to go towards the rest of Klal Yisroel, and that they should be blessed. Hashem then guarantees that this will be so, and Klal Yisroel is blessed because of him.” Consequently, it comes out that the bikkurim brought the subsequent year, comes as a result of the blessing of the one who brought bikkurim the previous year. With this we can understand the bas kol. The bas kol is saying, that as a result of this bikkurim, bikkurim will be brought next year, but it is not saying that this particular individual will bring it.
ii) It is well known that if a child follows in the way of his father, it is considered as if the father is still alive. The Gemara in Bava Basra (116a) says, “If one leaves behind a son like him, it’s like he never died”. The reason for this is, because the reason the son acts the way he does is because of the father, therefore, we see it as if the father is still alive. The Gemara says, however, this only applies if the son behaves in a good manner. Perhaps this is what the bas kol is referring to. If one brings bikkurim, he will merit to have a son who follows in his ways, and even when he dies his son will live on, and it will be as if he brought bikkurim.
2) The “samech” is the only letter missing. The Ba’al HaTurim quotes the “Ittur Bikkurim” and says that the reason for the missing “samech” is that since bikkurim is in fact 1/60th, there is no need for this letter whose value is 60.
An alternate explanation is that since one part in 60 has been separated, there are only 59 parts left and the “samech” (or 60) is missing. The Ittur Bikkurim adds, that this is why the word “tene” is used for basket instead of “sal”, which contains the letter “samech”. (Torah IQ)
3) I saw this question in Madanay Asher and he brings a number of answers:
i) The Rashbah (1:18) writes: That we don’t make a berachah on mitzvos that come about thought aveiros, such as returning a stolen item, or returning ribbis. The mitzvah of teshuvah is only applicable if one has previously done an aveirah, therefore, its very understandable why no berachah is recited. (Shu”t Beis Yitzchok, Yoreh Deah 168:12)
ii) The main aspect of teshuvah is in the heart – one regrets his previous actions and accepts on himself not to do it again, therefore, there is no berachah, as we don’t make a berachah on things done in the heart. Like we find, the Beis Yosef says, there is no berachah on bittul chometz as it’s done in the heart. (Birchas Aharon, Maseches Berachos, Maamer 308)
iii) Teshuvah is not entirely in the hands of the sinner, if Hashem doesn’t help one do teshuvah, he won’t succeed. We find that when it comes to mitzvos which are not in one’s hand to complete, we don’t make a berachah. Like the Rashbah famously says, there is no berachah on tzedokah, as perhaps the poor person will refuse to take it. Therefore, there is no berachah on the mitzvah of teshuvah.
iiii) There is no fix time for the mitzvah (see Shu”t Vayitzbor Yosef 70, and Pardes Yosef, Achrei Mos)
v) It doesn’t make sense for one to sin against his father, and then appease his father and say that he was commanded by his father to do so - one must do it on his own accord. There is no berachah, “asher kidshonu bemitzvosov vetzivonu”, as it doesn’t make sense to say we are doing teshuvah because we were commanded, we must do it on own accord. (Shu”t Beis Yitzchok, Yoreh Deah 2:168)
vi)I am not sure if this the same as above or slightly different. The Sefes Emes says that we don’t make a berachah on the mitzvah of kibbud av, as if we did it would be a kind of slap in the face to the father. If one gives a drink to his father, and before doing so he says “Boruch atah...” it takes away from the mitzvah, as it sounds like one is only doing it because he has been commanded to and not because he actually likes his father. Perhaps we can say the same thing with teshuvah, if we would make a berachah, it would look like the only reason we are doing teshuvah is because we have been commanded to and not because we really want to.
4) i) R’ Chaim Malin (Losuach Besodeh, pg. 431) writes that he heard to answer, that when a sefer Torah falls to the ground, it’s the wrong place for it, therefore, we fast. By a talmud chocham, however, he belongs on the ground. It’s true that if he falls, chas vesholam, it’s a lack of kavod, however, he hasn’t fallen down to a place he doesn’t belong, therefore, we don’t fast. He writes that he told this over to R’ Zilberstein and he agreed.
ii) R’ Gedaliah Honigsberg asked this question to R’ Chaim Kanievsky (when R’ Dov Landau shlita once fell over) and he said: “The Torah hasn’t fallen”. He then explained: When it comes to a sefer Torah it’s possible for it to fall, however, when it comes to a talmid chocham it’s not - as the body of a talmud chocham is a cover for his body, but not the Torah itself.
iii) R’ Yehudah Chezner shlita suggests: When a sefer Torah falls the tzibbur has to fast as they obviously weren’t treating it with enough respect. When it comes to a person, however, he has his own da’as [mind], and if he falls it’s his fault and not the tzibbur’s. (According to this, if someone would cause the talmud chocham to trip, then it may well be that the tzibbur should fast, tzorich iyun.)
This week’s booklet is dedicated in honor of R’ Moshe Desser on the occasion of the birth and bris milah of his new son Yisroel. Shetizkeh legadloi l’Torah l’chuppah u’l’ma’asim tovim. May he be source of nachas to his family and the entire Klal Yisroel.
