THE WEEKLY SIDRA- SH’MINI
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
The Navi (prophet) tells us:
“…..He will magnify the Torah, and make it glorious.” (Y’shaya 42:21)
This Passuk (verse) teaches us that there are two aspects of Limud Torah (Torah study)- the technical, and the concealed. ‘Yagdil Torah’ (He will magnify the Torah) refers to the very many and technically complex Halachos (ritual laws). ‘V’Yadir’ (and make it glorious) refers to the hidden and concealed characteristics of Limud Torah. This very principle of the two perspectives of Limud Torah, is vividly portrayed in this week’s Sidra, wherein the Torah discusses which fish are to be considered Tahor (clean and suitable for eating):
“These shall you eat of all that are in the waters; whatever has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, those shall you eat.” (Vayikra 11:9)
Basically then, for a fish to be edible, it must have both fins and scales. The Mishna in Nida 51b, has this to say on the above Passuk:
“Whatsoever has Kaskeses (scales), has S’napir (fins). But, there are some that have S’napir and no Kaskeses…..”
That is, all those varieties of fish that have Kaskeses, also have S’napir- with no exceptions. The Gemarah there, poses the following:
“Now consider. Since we rely on the Kaskeses, what need then was there for the All Merciful to mention S’napir…..?”
If all fish that have Kaskeses, have S’napir (without any exceptions), why did the Torah have to mention S’napir at all? After a series of attempted answers, the Gemarah concludes (there and in Chulin 66b):
“…..Rabbi Avahu replied, and so it was also taught at the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yishmael, ‘He will magnify the Torah, and make it glorious.’”
Now, this answer of Rabbi Avahu and of the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yishmael on why it was necessary for the Torah to mention S’napir, certainly requires some degree of an explanation. In his text Mai’Ain Bais HaSho’Aiva, Rav Shimon Schwab of blessed memory (1908- 1993), expounded this matter in the following manner.
G-d forbid, that there should ever be an unnecessary or pointless word in the Torah, from which nothing can be learned. This is as it states:
“For there is no vain word (in the Torah) for you…..” (D’varim 32:47)
In the Y’rushalmi Gemarah of Pay’ah 1-1, the above Passuk is explained as:
“There is no vain word. And, if (you find) a vain word, the vanity is within you.”
The word S’napir therefore, is not an unnecessary term, and does in fact, teach us a great deal, taught Rav Shimon. For, the term S’napir falls into the category of ‘V’Yadir (and make the Torah glorious),’ which represents that very hidden aspect of Limud Torah, discussed previously.
So, what then, does the term S’napir teach us? In the words of Rav Shimon, we find this:
Perhaps, this (subject of S’napir) refers to the great war in the future between the Shor HaBor (the wild mountain ox) and the Livyasan (Leviathan), two very formidable creatures, where the Livyasan slaughters the Shor HaBor with its fins (S’napir), as we see in Vayikra Rabbah 13-3:
“…..How will they be slaughtered? B’haimos (the Shor HaBor) will, with its horns, pull Livyasan down and rend it, and Livyasan will, with its fins, pull B’haimos down and pierce it through…..”
This war between the two ferocious creatures also takes up several stanza in the poem of Akdamus, by Rabbi Meir B’Rabbi Yitzchak (11th century) of Worms, Germany of blessed memory, which we recite on Shavuos:
“The sport of the Livyasan with the Shor HaBor,
When they will interlock with one another, and combat.
With his horns the B’haimos (Shor HaBor) will gore with strength,
The fish (Livyasan) will leap to meet him powerfully, with his fins.
The Creator will approach them with His mighty sword,
A banquet for the righteous will He prepare, and feast.”
Therefore, continued Rav Shimon, this banquet for the Tzadikim (righteous) which will take place in the future, will come about through the S’napir of the Livyasan, which will provide the main course- the Shor HaBor. And, since the Torah needed to hint to us of this great future banquet, it included the word S’napir in our Sidra. This is what was meant by Rabbi Avahu and the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yishmael. But, there is much more.
This entire subject of the Livyasan, instructed Rav Shimon, is a very important and essential concept indeed. Consider the following Passuk:
“There go the ships; and Livyasan, which You have made to play in it (the sea).” (T’hillim 104:26)
So important is the Livyasan, that from this Passuk, the Gemarah in Avodah Zarah 3b teaches that HaShem and the Livyasan have a set time with each other every single day:
“…..During the fourth quarter (of the day), He is sporting with the Livyasan…..”
In the text Even Shlomo, according to the Vilna Gaon, this future banquet, which will take place in the Sukka of the hide of the Livyasan, represents the greatest of all Simchos (joyous events)- the Simcha of the knowledge of HaShem, which will overwhelm all the peoples of the earth. This is as the Navi states:
“…..For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of HaShem, as the waters cover the sea.” (Y’shaya 11:9)
Adding to this theme of H2O symbolizing knowledge, the Rambam (Rav Moshe Ben Maimon- 12th century) of blessed memory, at the end of Hilchos Mikva’os (in the Mishna Torah), stated:
“Water hints to (universal) knowledge (of HaShem).”
As to the further Simcha of the meat of the Shor HaBor being served at this future banquet, taught Rav Shimon, the Gemarah of P’sachim 109a teaches:
“There is no Simcha without meat.”
Pertaining to the Simcha of fish being served at this future banquet, this is represented in our Shabbos Z’miros (songs):
“Meat, and fish, and all manner of delights.”
And, that is the main symbolism of the Livyasan, taught Rav Shimon, to show us that future Simcha of the entire world having that knowledge of HaShem, while we sit in the Sukka of the Livyasan, dining on the Shor HaBor (which was provided by the S’napir of the Livyasan) at this future banquet. And so, to keep this Simcha in our minds, the Torah made mention of the term S’napir in this week’s Sidra. This is what was meant by Rabbi Avahu and the Yeshiva of Rabbi Yishmael, when they cited, “He will magnify the Torah, and make it glorious-” the latter category representing the concealed aspects of Limud Torah.
Rav Shimon concluded with this thought. Every year on Simchas Torah night, when we leave the Sukka for that year, we recite:
“As I sat in this Sukka, so may I be merited to sit in the Sukka of the hide of the Livyasan.”
This Sukka of the hide of the Livyasan then, represents that future banquet of Simcha which will celebrate the knowledge of HaShem throughout the world, may we all live to see it.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.
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