PARSHAT: MATOS- MASEI
28 Tamuz 5770 / 7/10/2010
DAF YOMI: Shevuos 13
GUEST AUTHOR
Rabbi Moshe Greebel
Associate Member, Young Israel Council of
Rabbis
“The most important men in town would come to fawn on me!
They would ask me to advise them, like a Solomon the wise.
If you please, Reb Tevye, pardon me, Reb Tevye,
Posing problems that would cross a Rabbi's eyes!”
From If I Were A Rich Man
There has certainly always been a tendency to assume that wealthy people are the smartest of all. We tend to equate wisdom with dollar signs, intellect with affluence. But, this is not an accurate assumption, according to the simple meaning of the following Mishna in Avos 2-5: “
…..Nor everyone who engages much in business, becomes wise…..”
That is, those who transact great volumes of merchandise through their very successful businesses, are not always the smartest people in the world. Without doubt, certain people are granted opportunities and even leverage (nepotistic, economic, political, etc.), advantages which are not there for the masses. Why HaKadosh Baruch Hu mandates that certain individuals do much better financially than others, is not an easy query for us in which to engage.
Nevertheless, from where in the Torah, did our Chachamim know that financial success in commerce, is not the barometer of wisdom? For the answer to that question, we turn to a certain Gemarah in Airuvin 55a. But, in order to comprehend the Gemarah, the following Passuk (verse), which shows that the Torah is not found in heaven or in the far reaches beyond the sea, is presented:
“It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it?’
Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do
it?’” (D’varim 30:12-13)
Based on this Passuk, the above Gemarah teaches us the following:
“Rabbi Yochanan expounded, ‘”It is not in heaven”, it is not to be found among the arrogant; “neither is it beyond the sea,” it is not to be found among merchants or dealers.’”
Real wealth in business comes through international markets, which must be visited from time to time. And, since merchants spend so much time traveling the seas (or skies in a Gulfstream G500), there is little time for them to study the true wisdom of the Torah. Hence, not all who do large volumes of business, are wise Torah scholars (see Rabbeinu Ovadiya in Avos 2-5).
From the first of this week’s joined Sidros, the Chasam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer [Schreiber] of Pressburg 1762- 1839) of blessed memory, in his text Toras Moshe, offers us a very informative perspective of the above Mishna in Avos. Deliberate on the following. Just prior to Moshe’s instruction to the B’nai Yisroel of the laws concerning N’darim (promises, oaths), the Torah states:
“And Moshe spoke to the chiefs of the tribes concerning the B’nai Yisroel, saying, ‘This is the thing which HaShem has
commanded.’” (Bamidbar 30:2)
Two questions come to mind immediately. Why did Moshe speak to the chiefs of the tribes first? Additionally, what is the meaning of ‘This is the thing’?
The Chasam Sofer begins by citing our above Mishna of ‘Nor everyone who engages much in business, becomes wise.’ Now, it stands to reason, that if ‘not everyone becomes wise,’ some in fact, do become wise. Yet, it must be understood that when our Chachamim learned this particular Mishna, they were definitely not only speaking of the kind of business where buying and selling volumes of merchandise made one wise, or didn’t. Rather, they were speaking as well of the business of Torah study, as we see from the following Passuk:
“For the merchandise of it (of Torah) is better than the merchandise of silver, and its gain than fine gold.” (Mishlei 3:14)
On this Passuk, Rashi explains why the business of Torah is better than the business of merchandise:
“All exchanges which a man makes in business, result in one taking this, and one taking that. However, if one says, ‘Teach me your Perek (chapter of Torah matter), and I will teach you mine,’ both P’rakim (chapters) are shared by them.”
Basically, in actual business, the one who buys takes the merchandise, and the one who sells takes the money. But, buyer and seller never share, which is a major feature of the business of Torah.
Now, it would seem that one who engages much in the business of Torah, should become wise. Yet, as was previously said on this Mishna, not everyone becomes wise in engaging much in the business of Torah. How could such a thing be? The Chasam Sofer explained with the following parable.
On a certain day, a great Rav would publicly instruct Torah, and teach the correct path of HaShem, on which all should walk. Now, one man said to his neighbor, “You attend the public lesson of the Rav, and I will learn another subject at home. Afterwards, I will learn the words of the Rav from you, and will teach you what I learned. We will then possess both lessons.”
Now, while this may be quite true, taught the Chasam Sofer, there is no comparison whatsoever between hearing the lesson of a noted Rav, and hearing the lesson of another Talmid (disciple). For, from the mouth of a noted Rav, who teaches publicly in honor of heaven, the Sh’china (Divine Presence) speaks from his throat. Such a thing simply cannot be said even for a Talmid who speaks the words of his Rav. This then, is what is meant in the Mishna by not everyone becoming wise in the business of Torah. Those who forego the words of the Rav, to hear the words of the Talmid, do not in fact, become wise.
And that, instructed the Chasam Sofer, was the intention of Moshe in the beginning of this Sidra, when it states, “And Moshe spoke to the chiefs of the tribes concerning the B’nai Yisroel.” That is, he spoke to the B’nai Yisroel about the chiefs of the tribes. In LaShon HaKodesh, the expression ‘El’ usually translates into the word ‘to.’ ‘El Roshei HaMatos’ would mean ‘to the chiefs of the tribes.’ Yet, the term ‘El’ can also mean ‘concerning,’ as we see in several other places in Tanach. A few good examples of this, would be the following:
“And HaShem spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, and gave them a charge to the B’nai Yisroel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to
bring the B’nai Yisroel out of the land of Egypt.” (Sh’mos 6:13)
Rashi explains there that the expression means ‘and gave them charge concerning the B’nai Yisroel and Pharaoh.’ Another example is:
“Concerning this child I prayed…..” (Sh’muel I 1:27)
There are quite a few other instances in Tanach, where the term ‘El’ means concerning.
Concluding, the Chasam Sofer explained that when Moshe spoke concerning the chiefs of the tribes, he was assuring the B’nai Yisroel that every word of Torah that the chiefs of the tribes would instruct, will certainly be for the honor of heaven. They are as a noted Rav to the B’nai Yisroel, and not as a Talmid who is quoting his Rav. It is not therefore, that Moshe spoke to the chiefs of the tribes first. Instead he spoke to the B’nai Yisroel concerning the authority of the chiefs. Our first question is resolved.
And, that is what Moshe meant by ‘This is the thing which HaShem has commanded.’ That is, what the chiefs of the tribes teach the B’nai Yisroel, is literally what HaShem commanded. And so, both our questions are resolved.
In conclusion, “There’s no business like Torah business, like no business I know.” Search throughout the entire world, and a better investment will never be found. Devotion to Torah study always winds up in the Accounts Receivable Ledger, and offers an immeasurable profit of attaining the truest of all knowledge. May we at all times be cognizant of this.
May we soon see the G’ulah Sh’laimah in its complete resplendency- and in our times. Good Shabbos.
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