Riddles of the Week

Riddles of the Week

(For answers see inside)

1. In this week’s parsha we learn about the mitzvah of bikkurim. Rashi on the pasuk: ושמרת ועשית אותם - “I guarded and did them” writes: Those who brought bikkurim heard a bas kol [heavenly voice] blessing them, הבאת בכורים היום תשנה לשנה הבאה - ”You brought bikkurim today, may you merit to bring again next year”.

The question is: If, those who brought bikkurim were blessed with the above, then it should come out that they would live forever, as every year they were blessed that they could bring it again next year. Doesn’t this make sense? How are we to understand the bas kol?

1. Which letter is missing from the parsha of bikkurim, and what is the significance?
2. During the viduy ma’aser confession one mentions: לא עברתי ממצותיך ולא שכחתי – “I didn’t transgress any of the mitzvos, and I didn’t forget anything” (Devorim 26:13). Rashi explains: “I didn’t forget to make a berachah when separating ma’aser.” We see from this Rashi that there is an obligation to recite a berachah before carrying out a mitzvah. There is a machlokes if this berachah is de’O’raisa or derabonon, but there is certainly a chiyuv to make a berachah.

There is a machlokes Rishonim if there is a mitzvas aseh to do teshuvah (see Minchas Chinuch, Mitzvah 364). According to those who maintain that there is a mitzvas aseh to do teshuvah, why don’t we find that we make a berachah before doing teshuvah, like we do with all other mitzvos?

1. In this week’s parsha we have the pasuk: ארור אשר לא יקים את דברי התורה הזאת לעשות אותם – “Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah” (Devorim 27:26). The Ramban learns that this refers to a chazon who doesn’t put the sefer Torah away properly, and it ends up falling. Such a chazon is considered “cursed”. The Imrei Aish (Shu”t, Orach Chaim 6) mentions this as a reason for why when a sefer Torah falls on the floor one should fast. Since such a person is “cursed”, he fasts to remove the curse.

The Gemara in Makkos (22b) says, “How foolish are those people who stand in front of a sefer Torah, yet, they don’t stand in front of talmiday chachomim”. We see from this Gemara that a talmud chocham is greater than a sefer Torah. The question is, if we fast when a sefer Torah falls, then certainly we should fast when a talmud chocham. Is this the halachah? If not, why not?