Reb Eliezer

Continuing on the above discussion of tefila betzibur. It says in SA O’CH 109,2 that over here the late comer would start with the baal tefila and say kedusha with him and not as usual with the tzibur. The RMA says there that it is not direct action. The Taz explains the view of the pointing to O’CH 125 that the tzibur should listen quietly to the baal tefila and over here he is saying kedushah with him. The Igros Moshe O’CH 3,9 argues pn the above Chasam Sofer likut shut 3 mentioning the RMA above. He can’t understand the Chasam Sofer such that he thinks the whole view of the Chasam Sofer is in error. The Shevet Halevi 4,11 says that he happens to recognize the words of the Chasam Sofer and what he is writing is correct. I don’t personally understand Reb Moshe ztzl question on the Chasam Sofer as Tosfas’ chidush is that the late comer recites kadusha together with the shliach tzibur and not with the tzibur which seems to follow exactly the view of the Chasam Sofer that the shliach tzibur creates the tefila betzibur.

ברכות כא,ב

There is an argument between Reb Moshe ztz’l and the Chasam Sofer what is tefila betzibur. The Chasam Sofer holds this is tefila bekol ram, when the baal tefila repeats the shmonei esrei who unites us with his tefila. Reb Moshe says that it is at the time when we all are davening quitely as we see by korban pesach. All brought a korban pesach individualy yet was considered a korban tzibur. Our Tosfas on the bottom of the page, who says that if you daven together quitely with the shliach tzibur you can say the whole kedusha as this is not considered tefilas yachid, seems to follow the view of the Chasam Sofer.

ברכות כא,א

To understand the statement, wouldn’t it be good if we could daven the whole day. The Chidushei Harim asks why is eating dust a curse for the snake, when dust is available everywhere? Hashem told the snake, here is your food and don’t bother Me. Hashem told him, I don’t want to do anything with you. We thank Hashem that we can daven to him על שאנחנו מודים לך for the fact we can praise You. ‘הללוי-ה הללו את ה we praise Hashem for being able to praise Him and He does not push us away from Him. מתאוה הקב’ה לתפלתן של צדיקים, HKBH desires and enjoys the prayer of the pious. We are happy that we can daven and would like to do it the whole day since it brings us closer to Hashem as the word קרבן means being close.

The answer to showing favoritism by Hashem needs some explainations. To praise for Hashem’s provision can be the benefit of the provision itself or the appreciation of the provider. We appreciate a small because it comes from ‘Hashem’. Similarly, as we show appreciation for the small amount given, Hashem judges us on a level of a human being and appreciates the small amount of mitzvos we perform and show favoritism for it.
Another explanatiion I heard, do we eat to live or do live to eat? Do we make a brocho to eat, or do we eat to make a brocho? In the first case, the importance is the food, so it needs a shiur whereas in the second case the importance is the brocho. so the food is not as important and we get rewarded by showing favoritism
to us.
The Chasam Sofer asks that according to the Rambam where making an unnecessary brocho violates לא תשא, do not utter my name in vain, how can we make a brocho on something we are not mechiyuv to make on? He explains that when we care about brochos, we will be blessed that a small amount will satiate us and therefore we will be mechuyav to make a brocho on it and will be rewarded accordingly.

ברכות כ,א

The question about mirales is because they were about a few generations apart from Rav Yehuda. We have the students, Rebbi to Rav to Rav Yehuda to Rabeh to Abeya. They questioned, why they are not worthy of it?
Why do we have to be worthy of it? Why doesn’t Hashem bring miracles to believe in Him? I heard an interesting idea. Hashem proved himself already. A doctor does not have to get a license MD everytime. Once he got it, he is accepted in the American Medical Assodiation as a full pledged doctor. The previous generations who were weak in their emunah needed miracles. We have inherited our emunah and know about the miracles, we don’t need to be shown more.

The Rambam Hilchas Mamrim (2,9) says that if chazal say that eating chicken with meat is assur biblically, they violate baal tosif, adding to the Torah, I think this was the problem with Adam Harishon when he added to the commands to Chava not to touch the etz hadaas in the name Hashem. He should have indicated that this was his addition.

ברכות יט,ב

The Rambam holds in Sefer Hamitzvos Root 1, that a rabbinical gezera or enactment is authorized by the Torah, under לא תסור, do not sway from the words they tell you right or left. He also holds that a biblical safek is according to the Torah be ruled leniently. The chazal say that their safek is ruled leniently whereas biblical safek is ruled stringently. So question is why, what is the difference when they are both biblical? They answer
הם אמרו והם אמרו, as the whole rule is instituted by chazal, they can decide how to deal with it.
The Rambam Hilchas Kilaim (10,29) explains that for wearing rabbinical kilaim (shatnez), the respect for the individual supersedes the issur, so we don’t tear it off him whereas for biblical kilaim, the issur supersedes the respect.

ברכות יט,א

We have to be careful not to speak on the dead badly. They might have been punished already. Also, they are not here to defend themselves. Lashan hara applies infront of the person, if there is somone else there as you are ashaming him.
We find the story of the snake like round oven in Bava Metzia (59,2) where therr was a ruling, לא בשמים היא the Torah is not in heaven. The Deroshos Haran 7, explains that once the Torah was given down to earth, we must understand it with human understanding. Even though Rebbi Eliezer was mechaven to the truth, if the majority could not understand it, they could not follow it. Tosfas there asks the question, so why rely on the bas kol to pasken like Beis Hilel. Tosfas answers that there the bas kol agreed with their human understanding. The Beis Shamai were sharper, greater in quality and the Beis Hilel was greater in quantity, by the number of people, so the Torah is telling us that more people’s views brings to a better understanding.
See the Chinuch 496 where Hashem said that they have won Me over. They are willing to set aside the truth to protect the Torah by following the majority for the greater good.

The idea of לועג לרש teaches us great mussar. Don’t hurt a poor person by telling him how well you are doing or for someone being out of job, don’t tell him how good your job is. When in cemetery, you must hide your tzitzis SA O’CH 23,1. Be careful what you say to people with a handicap. Don’t hurt people by speaking about things that they are missing. Don’t make fun of them because of their deficiencies.

ברכות יח,,א

The Binah Leitim interprets Tehilim (118.,17) לא אמות כי אחיה, I should not die but live as, when I live, I should not be dead. Sometimes we forget the reason for living and act like we are dead.

A person lives on when his children follow his ways. Yaakov Avinu because he left children behind who followed he ways did not die. It says in Tehilim (115,17) לא המתים יהללו י-ה ולא כל ירדי דומה The dead cannot praisHashem nor those who descend into silence. It is followed by ואנחנו נברך י-ה but we prase Hashem, why
I think that through our praise of Hashem, the dead continue to praise Him.

There are three viiews when it comes to night. The Yereim, Rav Eliezer Mimetz, who holds that night coincides with the shkia and ben hashmoshos is 3/4 mil (18 minl) 12 1/2 min before it. Erev shabbos we follow this most stringent view with the most lenient view that a mil is 24 min. The geonim’s view there is a shkia and 12 1/2 min after it is tzeis hakochovim or night. Those who follow this are Rav Moshe Alashkar also known as Gaon Yaakov and the GRA. Finally Tosfas Pesochim (94,1) with the beginning words Rebbi Yehuda telling us the Rabbenu Taam’s view having two shkias. After the first shkia 58 1/2 min ben hashmoshos starts for 12 1/2 min and then another shkia occurs in conjuction with tzeis hakochovim. The follower of this view is the Mechaber SA O’CH 261,2 and the Minchas Kohen. Many follow the GRA and as many follow the Rabbenu Taam. The Baal Hatanye is interesting. In his Shulchan Aruch Harav he paskens like the Raabenu Taam whereas in his siddur, written later, he paskens like the GRA.