Tu B'Av
By: Rabbi Price
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this Shiur Tu B’Ov This week on Monday, July 26,is also the 15th of Av as it is called “Tu B’Ov”. It is the Yahrzeit of my Grandmother | LIBA YITTA BAS YACCOV YEHUDA, so I’m writing this as a merit for her Neshomo. Tu B’Av is a festive day as the Mishna says in Maseches Taanis 26b אמר רבן שמעון בן גמליאל לא היו ימים טובים לישראל כחמישה עשר באב וכיום הכיפורים.... Rabban Shimeon ben Gamliel said, “There were no festive days for the Jewish People like the 15th of Av and Yom HaKippurim…” The Shulchan Oruch Orach Chaim Chapter 131:6 says that we don’t say Tachanun on that day. The Mishna Berura there explains because the Gemoro says that it was a great Yom Tov in the time of the Beis Hamikdash. The Gemoro :בבא בתרא קכא.-קכא brings and explains this Mishna, by bringing different opinions of what occurred that made it such a festive day. The Gemoro brings that Rabbah and Rav Yosef say that the reason there was such great joy on ט'ו באב was, "יום שפוסקין בו מלכרות עצים למערכה -because on that day they ceased chopping wood for the fire on the Mizbeach." Rashi explains that they would chop the trees down from Nisan till Tu B'Ov for the whole year, because the sun was strong and the wood was dry. After Tu B'Ov, the sun wasn't as strong and the trees remained damp, which made a lot of smoke and was susceptible to having worms in it which would disqualify it from the Mizbeach. Since they finished such a great Mitzvah on Tu B"ov that's why there was great joy. But there's another beautiful explanation of Rabbah and Rav Yosef's reason, that teaches us a very important lesson about the importance of learning Torah. I believe I saw it in one of the sefarim of Rav Moishe Feinstein ztl, but I'm not sure which. Rav Moishe refers to the רבינו גרשום בד'ה יום שפסקו on that Gemoro in בבא בתרא who says so beautifully, ולפי שעה שהיו עסוקים לכרות עצי המערכה היו מתבטלין בתלמוד תורה אבל אותו ” יום[ט'ו באב] פסקו ועשאוהו יום טוב שמיכן ואילך היו עוסקין בתורה." "Since they were busy cutting the trees for the fire on the Mizbeach, they couldn't learn Torah. But that day [Tu B'Ov] they stopped and made it a Yom Tov because from now on they could learn Torah." I think we have to learn a lot from this Rabbeinu Gershom about the importance of learning Torah. Here they were involved in a mitzvah for the Holy Temple, and yet, the fact that they couldn’t learn Torah was considered a great loss to them. So much so, that when they finished the mitzvah and were able to learn Torah it was a great Holiday. So where are we holding?? How many of us don’t have a set time for learning Torah and we are not exactly busy with Mitzvos. Even working people who are busy with Parnassah, should make sure to set aside a specific time to learn either in a shiur, a chavrusa, or alone. My brother, who is a lawyer, gets up in the wee hours of the morning way before sunrise, to attend a Daf Yomi shiur. Those who drive or go on public transportation can listen or watch shiurim . In fact, there is a great story that I read where listening to a shiur while driving saved a person from a severe accident. I saw this story in the wonderful series of inspiring stories called, "Visions of Greatness", by Rabbi Yosef Weiss, Vol IV. Many thanks to Dovi Hirth for sending it to me. On p. 70 he has a story called, "Inspirational Echo" It is about a fellow who is listening to a mussar tape of Rav Don Segal while riding in his car. He was on a one lane highway so he only looked on the road of his lane. He didn't need to look on the oncoming traffic lane. Meanwhile, a jeep that was behind him wanted to pass him. In order to accomplish that, the jeep picked up speed and went until he was on the left of this fellow. The fellow didn't notice the jeep, but he did notice that he was driving a bit too close to the right hand side of the road. He was about to turn his wheel to the left (where the jeep was) when he heard a beep. He turned his head around and saw the jeep, and allowed the jeep to go ahead of him. His heart was pounding and he was breathless at the thought of the collision that he so narrowly averted. His mind was reviewing the whole scenario, when he realized that the beep didn't sound like a regular beep. Then who beeped him? Then he glanced at his tape deck, and a sudden thought entered his mind. He rewound the tape a bit and pushed the "play" button again. Sure enough moments later he heard a beep- the same beep that had saved him from a major collision. Ten years earlier, when Rav Segal was giving his lecture, a car drove by and made such a loud beep that it was picked up by the recorder. No doubt that the people who were listening to the speech at that time thought it a nuisance. But ultimately, Hashem had been orchestrating events so a Jew-ten years later- would be spared.. Especially on days off or vacation we should spend even more time trying to learn Torah Remember, one of the most important tools of Chinuch of your children is the example they see in the home. How can you expect your children to want to learn Torah if you don’t?! Let this Tu B’Ov be an inspiration to try to get more serious about learning Torah. My Hashem help us, especially in the summer when we have so much "spare" time, to use the time accordingly. Have a great summer.
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| Uploaded: | Sunday, July 25, 2010 |