Answers to Last Week’s Riddles
1) How were the Jewish people able to fulfill the mitzvah of giving tzedokah in the wilderness when there were no poor and needy Jews, as all of them received food and drink on a daily basis?
Rabbeinu Bechaye (16:21) answers that those who collected their manna properly were able to share it with those who neglected to collect their manna before the sun melted it 4 hours into the day (Shemos 16:21). The Chiddushei HaRim suggests that the wealthier Jews were able to describe luxurious foods to the simple Jews so that they could select those tastes for their manna. Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman explains that they were still able to do other acts of kindness with their bodies to assist fellow Jews in need.
2) Did the babies in the wilderness eat manna, or did they nurse from their mothers?
The Gemara in Yoma (75a) teaches that the manna was able to resolve legal disputes. For example, if a woman got divorced and immediately remarried and gave birth to a child and each of her husbands claimed paternity, Moshe would tell them to wait until the following morning, when a portion of manna for the boy would fall at the tent of his true father. This would seem to indicate that babies ate the manna. The Chasam Sofer (Yoreh Deah 294 and Choshen Mishpot 12) writes that this proof is not clear, as perhaps the additional portion of manna was so that the mother would have the ability to nurse the baby. The sefer Dagan Shomayim (7) suggests that perhaps the extra portion only fell when the child was older and had stopped nursing, or perhaps it fell only once to clarify paternity, but not to feed the child. He also cites Rashi in Yoma (75a) who writes that there were 5 tastes which could not be tasted in the manna because they were dangerous for pregnant and nursing women, which implies that they did nurse. However, he notes that the Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 5:9) teaches that the taste of the manna changed to be appropriate for the person eating it, and one of the examples given is that for babies it tasted like mother’s milk, implying that babies did eat the manna.
3) In this week’s parsha we have the pasuk: ויאמר משה אכלהו היום כי שבת היום לה' היום לא תמצאו בשדה . The Gemara in Shabbos (117b) learns from this pasuk which mentions the word היום three times, that there is an obligation to eat three meals on Shabbos. There is a dispute in the poskim as to whether the obligation is de’O’raisa or derabonon. The Charedim (14:3) and Levush (Orach Chaim 291) learn that it’s de’O’raisa, whereas the Maharil (siman 94, cited in Elyah Rabbah, Orach Chaim 291) learns that it’s derabonon. The Gemara in Shabbos (118b) cites R’ Nachman who says: תיתי לי דקיימת שלש סעודת בשבת - “I deserve to be rewarded, as I eat three meals on Shabbos”. The question is, everyone agrees that there is a mitzvah of eating three meals on Shabbos, so why should R’ Nachman receive special reward for doing so?
The Madanay Asher cites ten answers to the above question here are a few of them:
Tosfos in Bechoros (2b) explains, that in the times of R’ Nachman people weren’t careful with the mitzvah shalosh seudas, whereas R’ Nachman was, therefore, he felt he deserved to be rewarded.
A number of poskim allow one to eat fruit for the third meal of Shabbos, R’ Nachman was makpid and made sure to wash, therefore, he felt he deserved to be rewarded. (Chida, Pesach Einayim Shabbos 118b)
When it comes to mitzvos that involve eating, it’s very hard to do them with the correct kavonah, as there is a physical benefit involved. Nonetheless, R’ Nachman managed to do it l’shem Shomayim. (Shu”t Kesav Sofer, Orach Chaim 39)
The Sefer Chasidim cited in Magen Avraham (267:1) maintains that if one makes early Shabbos he needs to make sure to eat at least a kezayis after nightfall. The Taz (291:6) argues very heavily, as tosfos Shabbos is de’O’raisa, and if it’s good enough for kiddush it’s good enough for the seudah as well. R’ Nachman was makpid to eat a kezayis after nightfall, even though it seems that the Taz is correct, therefore, he felt he deserved to be rewarded. (Chida, Pesach Einayim Shabbos 118b)
The Zohar (cited in Magen Avraham, 444:2) maintains that one can fulfill the mitzvah of shalosh seudas with Torah. R’ Nachman however, was careful and made sure to fulfill it with eating. (Madanay Asher)
The Tur (291) writes, that if one is to full to eat shalosh seudas he is exempt. Therefore, one should plan in advance and make sure not to eat too much in the morning. R’ Nachman was careful and made sure not to overeat and was therefore able to fulfill the mitzvah of shalosh seudas. (R’ Shamai Gross)
4) We mentioned above, that we learn out from a pasuk in this week’s parsha that there is a mitzvah to eat three meals on Shabbos. Being as it is a mitzvah, why don’t we make a berachah: אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וצונו על אכילת ג' סעודות בשבת – “Who sanctified us with his mitzvos and commanded us with the mitzvah of eating three meals on Shabbos”?
To this question the Madanay Asher cites six answers, again we will mention a few:
The Avudraham explains, that we don’t recite a berachah on the four cups of wine we drink on seder night, as we only recite a berachah when the mitzvah is done in one go, if the mitzvah is done in parts then we don’t recite a berachah. Based on the above, since the three seudas of Shabbos are eaten at different times of day, and not all in one go, no berachah is recited.
However, the Sdei Chemed (Pe’as HaSodeh, Mareches Berachos 3) is not happy with the above comparison, as the four cups of wine is the one big mitzvah done in four parts, whereas the three meals eaten on Shabbos are three separate mitzvos.
The Sdei Chemed himself answers, we only make a berachah on a mitzvah when it’s clear that we are doing it for a mitzvah. For example on matzah and maror we make a berachah, as it’s clear that it’s being eaten for a mitzvah, as if there was no special mitzvah one would eat chometz, and one wouldn’t eat bitter herbs. Eating three meals on Shabbos, however, is not clear that it is being done for a mitzvah, as people normally eat regardless.
The Gemara in Shabbos (117b) asks, “How many meals must one eat on Shabbos?” and the Gemara answers “Three”. The sefer Binyohu asks, why the Gemara doesn’t simply say, “On Shabbos one must eat three meals”, why does the Gemara say it in a question-answer format? He explains that the Gemara is coming to teach that the number three is fundamental, and if one eats only one or two meals he doesn’t get the mitzvah at all. Based on this we can understand why there is no berachah, as on Friday night or on Shabbos morning when one eats he can’t make the berachah, as he may end up not eating three meals. (R’ Yosef Deutsch) (However, I’m not sure why when eating the third meal of Shabbos one doesn’t make a berachah, as by then he is certainly going to fulfill the mitzvah?)
5) In this week’s parsha we learn about Krias Yam Suf, after emerging Klal Yisroel sang Shirah, in the Shirah we have the pasuk: זה אלי ואנוהו – “This is my G-d, and we should beautify him”, we learn from this pasuk the concept of hiddur mitzvah. The Gemara in Shabbos (133b) learns from here that one should make the mitzvos beautiful and one should write a nice sefer Torah, using nice ink, and a nice quill. The question is, why is a nice quill considered hiddur mitzvah? Nice ink, and nice writing makes the sefer Torah nicer, but what does a nice quill achieve, surely it’s not noticeable in the final product?
The Sefas Emes (Shabbos 133b) answers, that the actual writing of a sefer Torah is a mitzvah, and even though it won’t be recognizable at the end, since the writing is a mitzvah it should be done with a nice quill.
I thought to answer, that we find that when one writes with a nice pen, he writes nicer. If one has a nice pen, subconsciously he puts more effort into his writing, and the end product looks nicer. I later found that the Har Tzvi (Yoma 71) in fact says like this.
