Lag B'Omer - Rebbi Shimon Bar Yochai Insures the Torah Will Never Be Forgotten

This Torah class is brought to you by torahanytime.com. Can we begin? We're going to learn a Gamara. I'm sure everyone here is very familiar with this Gamara. This is one of the most famous Gamarahs in all of Shas, if not the most well-known Gamara in Shas. But one thing I guarantee you, you never heard it like this. Um the Gamara tells us a story. Tan Rabanan. And I'll read part of it and I'll paraphrase part of it. It's the Gamara in Berachot chof zayin amud bet to chof chet amud aleph. Maiseh detalmid echad, there's a story about a student. Now what's interesting is the Gamara does not identify who the student is, and strangely the Gamara identifies him at the end of the Gamara. And he comes before Rabbi Yehoshua. Now, let's just get the historical backdrop of the story. This Where did he come? Where was this Yeshiva? This was in the Mesivta. Which Mesivta? The Mesivta of Yavneh. When When was there a Mesivta in Yavneh? In the aftermath of the Churban Bayis Hamikdash. The Bayis Hamikdash was destroyed approximately in 68 CE. This is in the year 69 CE. Um we know because in the time of the Churban, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was let out of the city and he met Vespasian and he requested three things. One of the three things that he requested was ten li Yavneh vechachameha. Because Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai realized that the Bayis Hamikdash is not necessarily the backbone of Klal Yisrael. It's the backbone of Klal Yisrael is limud haTorah and the Sanhedrin and the continuity of Torah. Which the Mesivta in Yavneh basically took over the Sanhedrin. And Rabban Gamliel headed the Mesivta in Yavneh. He was the Nasi followed by Rabbi Yehoshua who was the Av Beis Din. Now the position of Nasi was a higher position than the position of Av Beis Din. In the Seder Doros Harishonim of Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac um the author of Dor Harishonim he explains that Klal Yisrael was now reeling from the most heart-wrenching loss that they ever had to suffer from. And that is the destruction of the Bayis Hamikdash. And because of that, Rabban Gamliel felt that in order to preserve Klal Yisrael, he needed to be noheg his nasius beramah, which means to exert his authority in order to preserve the strength of Klal Yisrael. Rabban Gamliel felt that if the chachamim were sort of weak, then Klal Yisrael would fall apart. And because of that, Rabban Gamliel consistently throughout Shas rules with an iron fist. He does not allow anybody to disagree with him or anybody to question his opinion. And of course he did this lesheim Shamayim. Now, we're already in the aftermath of the fact he put his brother-in-law Rabban Eliezer Hagadol in cheirem. And he did that lesheim Shamayim. He even said lo lechvod lechvod ya'asi si ela for the strength of Klal Yisrael. Now we have this student and he comes he asks Rabbi Yehoshua a shailah. Is Maariv reshus or is Maariv a chovah? And Rabbi Yehoshua responded Maariv is a reshus. So the chachamim a little bit difficult. Why is he asking Rabbi Yehoshua? Rabbi Yehoshua is not the head honcho here. Rabban Gamliel is the is the man in charge. He then comes before Rabban Gamliel and he says is Maariv reshus or is Maariv a chovah? He said Maariv is a chovah. Now everybody knows you don't really ask two rabbis. And if you ask two rabbis, do not tell the second rabbi what the first rabbi said. That's the worst thing you could do. And so what what does the student do? I'm like "Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Yehoshua, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT RABBAN GAMLIEL? RABBI YEHOSHUA TOLD me it's reshus." Now who is this talmid? He's like he's instigating, you know, he he's being mardin bemachlokes. So Rabban Gamliel said "Hamtein li. Wait for me acher yichlus uvalei treisin leveis hamedrash." Let's wait until all the shield bearers enter the beis hamedrash, namely the talmidei chachamim. When they entered the shailah gets up and he says is Maariv reshus or is Maariv a chovah? Rabban Gamliel says Maariv is a chovah. And Rabban Gamliel says "Anyone argues on me?" And Rabbi Yehoshua says "No. No. I don't argue with you." And Rabban Gamliel said "Oh really? But they told me that you say reshus." So at this point in time Rabbi Yehoshua um he says "Yehoshua." He doesn't call him Rabbi. He says "Yehoshua, stand on your feet and they're going to test you and let them testify against you." So Rabbi Yehoshua stood up and he said like this "If I was alive and the eid was dead, I could contradict the dead. But now that I'm alive and he's alive, I can't contradict him." So what happened? Rabbi Yehoshua said "Case closed." Meaning you know, you obviously argue with me, but what can we do? You're wrong. You know, I'm the Nasi. But the problem was Rabban Gamliel continued to sit and give shiur. He ordered Rabbi Yehoshua to stand and he never told him to sit. Acher rinenuhu kol ha'am. Now listen carefully. The Doros Harishonim which is probably the most important Jewish historical work writes, "You're medayek in the Gamara. The Gamara doesn't say that the rabbonim were meraninim after him. Rinenuhu kol ha'am." It was, you know, the amei ha'aretz who were sitting in the back and they don't really understand the content of the shiur, but they're just looking for some politics to, you know, hang on to. And they they started badmouthing Rabban Gamliel. V'amru "Lo chutzpah zeh she'Rabbi Akiva amud amud." They told Chutzpah "Okay, you can't continue to loudspeak the shiur from Gamliel. Because Gamliel is abusing Rabbi Yehoshua. He told him to stand and he's not giving him reshus to sit." And the people started to say "How long will Rabban Gamliel continue to abuse Rabbi Yehoshua? Last year he abused him." Meaning he didn't treat him with the proper respect. We know the famous Gamara in Maseches Rosh Hashanah, the Mishnah in Rosh Hashanah, when there was a machlokes between Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua about the new moon and Rabban Gamliel ordered Rabbi Yehoshua to come in on the day that Rabbi Yehoshua thought was Yom Kippur and publicly desecrate Yom Kippur so that to to be mechazeik the psak of Rabban Gamliel. And then before, the year before, in the story with the bechoros of Rabbi Tzadok. What was the story of the bechoros of Tzadok? A very important halacha. A firstborn animal is kosher. And anyone who shechts a bechor is chayav misah. Unless the bechor develops a mum, then it becomes the personal property of the Kohanim. However, we don't trust Kohanim that the mum developed naturally because if a if a kohen intentionally puts a mum on the animal to be able to shecht it, we kinas him. And even if a kohen says the mum developed naturally, we don't believe a kohen because we say he had ulterior motives. The question is what if the kohen was somebody of the caliber of Tzadok? Rabbi Tzadok is a tzaddik. He's a he's a ish emes. Should we trust him? Rabban Gamliel said "No, we don't trust anybody." And Rabbi Yehoshua said "Someone of the caliber of Tzadok, we do trust." And Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua "No, you follow my psak. I'm the Nasi and we don't listen to assistants." So this is the third occasion that Rabban Gamliel is exerting forceful authority over Rabbi Yehoshua. So they decided let us depose Rabban Gamliel. So they had a big dilemma. Who are they going to appoint? The Gamara continues on like the tenth line. To appoint Rabbi Yehoshua he's too involved. It would look It would look like political, right? He's not gayav adam, right? To appoint Rabbi Akiva? No, we can't. Why? Because if you're a bit leading rabbi, you're always going to have critics and you need you need the s'michah to protect you. Rabbi Akiva didn't have the s'michah. Elamai, let's appoint Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah. He has three He has three ingredients. He's smart, he's rich, and he's tenth generation from Ezra. He's smart, so he fits the bill, he could teach Torah. He's rich, he could deal with the government. And finally he has s'michah and nobody could harm him. So they presented him the proposal and they they said to him "You want to be Rosh Yeshiva?" He said "Look, got to ask the boss." So he goes he asks his wife. And by the way, we learn from here The wife is the boss. that asking the boss is just a courtesy, but you don't have to actually listen. Because the Gamara says he said he has to ask the boss. So he asked the boss and he said "No." And he said "Yes." And he did it. So why did he say he has to ask the boss? The answer is just a it's a sign of respect. So let me ask my wife. And she said "But they're going to depose you, too." He said "No, it's kedai even if they depose me." So if he was asking her, if he said he has to ask her why does he have to ask her if he's not going to listen to her? So there's a lot of discussion on this sefer Divrei Torah of the Musaf Chaim. He says this is just a sign of courtesy, but bimili deshmaya, he made his own decision. Fine. Anyway the Gamara continues. The Gamara says he had one problem. He had one problem. He was very He was too young, right? Everybody knows the story. He was 18 years old. He didn't have any white hair. And which is not a problem if you're a rabbi because as soon as you become a rabbi, the white hair comes very quick. So that's what happened. The Gamara says a miracle happened and 18 rows of white hair grew. And this is what Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah said "Hareini anik uven shivim shanah." But not actually shivim shanah. Okay, the story continues. The day that they deposed Rabban Gamliel, they removed the guard from the beis hamedrash. They say "Why was there a guard in the beis hamedrash?" Because Rabban Gamliel had a policy. Rabban Gamliel used to announce and cry out "Kol talmidei chachamim toicham kevarai al yikanes leveis hamedrash." That no hypocrites allowed. Now that's why there weren't so many people in the beis hamedrash. It was nobody there. Because Rabban Gamliel did not allow students "She'ein tocham kevarai." You see, everyone's good on the outside. The problem is the inside in as good as the outside. So we all had a rule that no hypocrites allowed. So on that day that they put up a big sign, all hypocrites welcome. So now all of a sudden it became a very popular Yeshiva. So the Gamara even says they had to add benches to the base of matters. It's a matter of like it's either 400 benches or 700 benches meaning thousands of tell me them were now allowed entry into the base of matters. I always say hayan to the point where the Gamara says that Gamaliel had a sad he said maybe I stopped Torah from I was my name from Israel. Now get a load of this. He had a dream and in the dream Hashem showed him a beautiful vessel with ashes inside meaning you're right. All these are they're beautiful on the outside and they're rotting on the inside. Meaning they were being to the policy of Gamaliel that really tell me in Gamaliel should not enter. Says the Gamara no they weren't. Really Gamaliel was wrong. So why they show him in the dream? Cuz they didn't want him to feel bad. So you see from here you saw Nifla that even someone who has a good dish and even someone who gives and they're that doesn't mean that they're right and it doesn't even mean that you should follow them. Doesn't mean anything and doesn't mean anything. Sometimes somebody needs a job. So they have to give or somebody sometimes people they need parnassa so they have a good dish but it doesn't mean they're right. So someone could give people special divine gifts but it has no bearing on whether we follow them here the Gamara is saying that Gamaliel was wrong. So why did they write him a Gamara? Because he's a sadist and they don't want him to feel bad but it doesn't mean he's right. Okay. What? Oh how is Gamaliel like this? Look the Ari Zal could look at your face and tell you what's doing. So the Ari Zal came hundreds of years after Gamaliel. I don't know. Some hypocrites he just knows. Now I would say now extra bedding. Now I want to tell you I want to tell you half of a fella I forgot to put this part on the sheet. I thought it wouldn't be a good idea. But it's very good idea. The Gamara says like this on that day Yehudi Yehuda came to the base of matters. He said am I allowed to leave the house? Gamaliel said sir Rabbi Yeshua said of course I'm allowed to. Gamaliel said what are you talking about? I'm allowed to leave my house. Rabbi Yeshua said they're long gone. Gamaliel said no not so fast. Why? But it says the Asher was I'm only that Hashem did return I'm only and Rabbi Yeshua said no Hashem did not return I'm only. So there's a between Gamaliel and Rabbi Yeshua whether you're allowed to marry someone from because did they return or did they not return? Fear that I'm only. Then the Gamara continues. Gamaliel felt very bad. And Gamaliel said let me go be Rabbi Yeshua. So he got to his house and he sees his house the walls are black they're darkened it looked like he had a very lowly profession. I'm only Gamaliel says because he's a chef I'm only from the walls of your house it seems like you're a blacksmith. To which Rabbi Yeshua says woe to the generation that you are the leader Gamaliel because you don't understand the of how they support themselves. So there seems to be a very harsh exchange. Gamaliel said to Rabbi Yeshua you look like you're a blacksmith. Rabbi Yeshua says woe to our generation that you're the leader. What's the back and forth over here? Gamaliel says I insulted you be Rabbi Yeshua said go fly a kite. He said be me in the honor of my family. Fine. So now the question is who's going to tell the that Gamaliel is being reinstated? So the Gamara says a certain laundry said I'm going to do the job and ultimately in the meantime Rabbi Akiva told the to lock the base of matters cuz Gamaliel had you know henchmen and he Rabbi Akiva didn't want henchmen to disturb the men. Bottom line is I'm Rabbi Yeshua said I'm going to go to Gamaliel and Rabbi Yeshua told Gamaliel you can have the job back. I only did it we only did this for the honor of now that you asked for you could be the again. And the Gamara says they had a very big dilemma. The question is what should they do? What should they do? To remove the completely they can't do that. Why? They have no reason. Let them have a good time. No that never works. Assistant rabbis is bad news. Assistant rabbi you're just causing problems. No they're no assistants. Assistants don't work. So what did they do? Gamaliel got three weeks Rabbi got one week and that's Shabbat in the question Shabbat who? You want to know who Shabbat is so we need who Shabbat is. Shabbat is. No we wanted to know who's giving the Shabbat. And then the Gamara concludes but I say tell me by the way you know who started this whole mess? But I say tell me Rabbi Shimon by the way that man was Rabbi Shimon by the way. So one of our say there are a lot of questions on this Gamara. There's a safer could I hear Rabbi Shimon which from a Friedman who was column the city bells he has something like 68 on Lag B'Omer. So we're going to go through pieces of um I would say about three of them. We're going to do parts of my days my summer hey and my summer one. I'm only the one in the plan. Okay I would say the first thing you want to know is the Gamara off the bat says you want to tell me his name? Apparently not. Apparently there's a big cover up over here. Apparently we're throwing we don't want people to know his name. So we don't want people know his name. So why would I you know why do you need to wait till the end like somehow this is like the grand finale. It's like reading the end of the last page of the book. Like it's a big site who the guy is. We don't want to say who it is. And if you make it to the end of the story then we'll be then we'll give you the privilege of knowing who this town that is. We want to know we want him to know what it is we want people to know so say it off the bat. Another thing is if somebody asks the rabbi a question fine. So you're going to go shopping? That's a problem. But when you go to the second rabbi and the second rabbi gives an answer you don't want the last thing in the world you do is say really? Do you know the rabbi down the block said you don't know what you're talking about? You know I don't need to speak in a hurry. This is great but the last rabbi says you're you're not allowed right? So why is Rabbi Shimon what? That that I don't think that would be the correct thing to do. You want to get another opinion why would you tell you know they're basically why would Rabbi Shimon tell Gamaliel that Rabbi Shimon argue on him? Rabbi Shimon knows full well what Gamaliel does to people who argue on him. Remember last year when Rabbi Shimon argued on Gamaliel? So he would think to preserve look you see that when Gamaliel stood up in the base of matters said does anyone argue on me? Rabbi Shimon was afraid to say his opinion. So Rabbi Shimon should have been wise enough to know that Rabbi Shimon probably did not want word to get out that he argues on Rabbi Yeshua that he argues on Gamaliel. So what's going on over here? Especially who was Rabbi Shimon a student of? Student of Akiva. Rabbi Akiva's students all died. Until Rabbi Akiva had to start all over. Who was one of the five he started with? Rabbi Shimon. So Rabbi Shimon have learned his lesson from the first 24,000 Rabbi Akiva who they were the same in there. Where was this that this story took place? Was this before the 24,000 This was after because Rabbi Shimon was not a student of Rabbi Akiva until after the 24,000 Rabbi Akiva passed away. Mhm. This is immediately after the one right? No. This This might say here. It's way after the one. Since you started 17 years later. It's in the aftermath of the one. I did say that it took place one year after the one. But If I Rabbi Shimon let's see let's see. Where did this story take place? Where did it happen? In Yavneh. Let's talk about what was happening in Yavneh. By the way let's observe another phenomenon how every year as Lag B'Omer approaches Lag B'Omer is like the up and coming every year more people sort of jump on the bandwagon of Lag B'Omer. You know he becomes more and more popular every year. I know when I was a kid, they gave out a few bows and arrows, he played baseball, and that's it. And now already it's it's a major Yom Tov, it's very recognized. What's all this momentum with with Rabbi Akiva? The Gemara says in Shabbos kuf lamed ches mem beis, tanu rabanan, k'she nichnasu rabbanan l'Yavneh, l'Keren b'Yavneh, when the chachamim entered Keren b'Yavneh, amru, asidah Torah she'tishkach mi'Yisrael. The Torah will be forgotten. She'ne'emar, hinei yamim bo'im ne'um Hashem Elokeim, v'shilachti ra'av ba'aretz, lo ra'av l'lechem, v'lo tzama l'mayim, ki im lishmo'a es divrei Hashem. There's going to be a famine, and no one's going to know any Torah. Asidah Torah she'tishkach mi'Yisrael. Why do you think the chachamim when they entered Keren b'Yavneh they said, "The Torah will be forgotten"? Then the Gemara continues. Tanya, Rabbi Shimon BAR YOCHAI OMER, TORAH MI'YISRAEL. Heaven forbid the Torah never be forgotten. She'ne'emar, ki lo yishakach mi'piv zar'o. Amazing. Chachamim enter the yeshiva, they looked around, and they said, "This Torah has no chance. It's all over, it will be forgotten, nobody will know anything anymore." Until Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai stood up, "Chas v'shalom, the Torah will never be forgotten." Interesting. What prompted the chachamim to make this comment that the Torah will be forgotten when they entered Keren b'Yavneh? What was it about Keren b'Yavneh that prompted the talmidim to make the chachamim to make this statement? Well, let's understand for a moment. Who was the nasi in the mesivta of Keren b'Yavneh? Well, if you look at the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah with the story around Rabbi Yehoshua, that was gozer on Rabbi Yehoshua to come to him with his money stand on Yom Kippur, so the Gemara the Mishnah says, natel makluy b'yado, v'halach l'Yavneh eitzel Rabban Gamliel. Ah. Who is the rosh yeshiva of Yavneh? None other than Rabban Gamliel. And what did it say on the door of Yavneh then? On that yeshiva? It said, "Kol hitzdafim yitz'u." "Kol talmid chacham she'ein tocho k'varo, al yikanes l'veis hamedrash." So basically, it was a very selective, very elitist yeshiva. And 99% of people were not allowed into the yeshiva. It's no wonder then, says the sefer K'dai Rabbi Shimon, that when the chachamim went into that yeshiva, and they saw the applications on the on the yeshiva's desk, which was probably a pile up to the ceiling, and then they saw how next to it the number of talmidim who were accepted, they said, "Chas v'shalom she'tishkach Torah mi'Yisrael." Cuz the policy of this yeshiva was, "Kol Kol talmid chacham she'ein tocho k'varo, al yikanes l'veis hamedrash." The mar Rabbi side, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, he probably had a different policy. If Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said and felt that the Torah will not be forgotten, probably Rabbi Yehoshua a probably Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai like Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya disagreed with Rabban Gamliel, and they probably Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai probably would have had an open door policy to the beis hamedrash. And that's why Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said, "No, chas v'shalom she'tishkach Torah mi'Yisrael." She'ne'emar, ki lo yishakach mi'piv zar'o. So suggests the sefer K'dai Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai looks at Yavneh, and he says, "This yeshiva, we ain't going any places with this kind of policy." So he says the only way to preserve the Torah for all of Yisrael is we need to depose Rabban Gamliel temporarily to abolish this practice of kol kol talmid chacham she'ein tocho k'varo, al yikanes l'veis hamedrash. So he goes, he sets up the whole thing. He goes to Rabbi Yehoshua. He says, "Rabbi Yehoshua, what do you hold in that matter?" The matter matters to Rabbi Yehoshua. He goes to Rabban Gamliel, "What do you hold in that matter?" You have Rabbi Yehoshua said, so he set up the whole stage. Because he knew that this talmid was a smart man. He knew Rabban Gamliel would not be happy that Rabbi Yehoshua argued on him. He already has eidos. He knows from the ma'aseh of Rabbi Tzadok. He knows from the story in Rosh Hashanah that Rabban Gamliel does not condone people who disagree with him. So Rabban Gamliel stands up, and he makes Rabbi Yehoshua stand up, and he doesn't allow Rabbi Yehoshua to sit down. Chachamim said, "Enough already." So what they do? They deposed Rabban Gamliel. And the moment they deposed Rabban Gamliel, they opened the doors of the beis hamedrash. They added 400 or 700 benches to the beis hamedrash. Thousands and thousands of talmidim are entering Keren b'Yavneh, cuz Rabbi Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai knew, "Chas v'shalom she'tishkach Torah mi'Yisrael." It's very interesting. This machlokes is actually a halachic machlokes. Could you teach talmid chacham she'ein tocho k'varo, or do you teach everybody? So really it's machlokes. Look for a moment in Numbers 16. The Mishnah says in Pirkei Avos, perek aleph, Mishnah aleph. Maybe you got up to this Mishnah. The Mishnah says, "Moshe kibel Torah mi'Sinai, u'msarah l'Yehoshua, da da da, Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, heim amru shlosha d'varim." What did they say? "He'emidu talmidim harbeh." Appoint and establish many many talmidim. Says Rabbi Tzadok, "What's the chiddush? Why not?" You know, the more the merrier. NO, BECAUSE UNTIL THEN THEY ARGUED WITH THAT HALACHA. Says Rabbi Tzadok, "Lo k'Rabban Gamliel, d'amar kol talmid chacham she'ein tocho k'varo, al yikanes l'veis hamedrash." K'ma Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, she'melamdim Torah l'chol adam, v'eintzach l'vei chachara. That's the chiddush of the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah. Not like Rabban Gamliel. Yeah, but like this. Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, but here's Rabbi. Rabbi is redacting this and codifying this halacha. The Anshei Knesses HaGedolah always held this way. But in the aftermath of the churban, Rabban Gamliel instituted a policy of kol talmid chacham she'ein tocho k'varo. Rabban Gamliel felt in order to keep the backbone of the Torah, you have to keep it pure and clean, so he did not allow people into the beis hamedrash. But Rabbi, who by the way was a descendant of Rabban Gamliel, mi'veis Rabbi Meir ba'al hanes Rabbi is codifying the halacha that it's not just uh figuratively. He's not just bringing random things. Rabbi is codifying "He'emidu talmidim harbeh." So we have this great debate between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabban Gamliel had a closed door policy. Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya had an open door policy. And possibly Rabbi Shimon is instigating this, cuz Rabbi Shimon is l'shitasei that what? Ki lo yishakach mi'piv zar'o. So let's try to dig a little bit further. What's going on in the story? Why does Rabban Gamliel have the closed door policy? Why does Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya have the open door policy? What's Rabbi Shimon's interest over here? Why is Rabbi Yehoshua the ba'al the the ba'al plugta? Rabban Gamliel knocks on Rabbi Yehoshua's door. Rabbi Yehoshua says, "Come in." Says Rabban Gamliel. Rabban Gamliel looks at the walls of the house. Rabban Gamliel says, "It looks like you're a blacksmith." And Rabbi Yehoshua says, "Woe to the generation that you're the leader." What's the exchange over here? So on a simple level, al pi pshat, there's a teshuvah in the Sha'alos U'Tshuvos Tashbetz, that wait a second, was Rabbi Yehoshua a blacksmith? Yes, he was. So what Rabban Gamliel was saying to Rabbi Yehoshua was, "I don't understand. You're a you you work?" There's a halacha that anyone who's in a public position of Torah is not allowed to do melacha bifnei am v'eidah, cuz it's demeaning to the position. The the halacha is that someone who's an av beis din or a nasi, someone who has a position of Torah leadership, cannot do melacha. When I say melacha, he can't do manual labor, it's demeaning in front of the people. So if Rabbi Yehoshua did do melacha, he must have done it b'tzina, cuz he wasn't allowed to do it bifnei am. Rabban Gamliel never saw it. So Rabban Gamliel walks in, Rabban Gamliel says, "You're kidding me. You do melacha? You need to support yourself? I don't understand. You do this b'tzina? I can't believe it." And what Rabbi Yehoshua says to Rabban Gamliel, "Rabban Gamliel, you're not doing your job. Cuz the job of the gadol hador is to ensure that the talmidei chachamim are taken care of by the tzibur, that they don't have to lower themselves to the melacha." So Rabbi Yehoshua is saying to Rabban Gamliel, "Um oil l'dor that you're the leader, why are you not overseeing that the talmidei chachamim in the dor don't have to do melacha? They don't have to do it bifnei am, and they don't have to do it The mar Rabbi side, there's a a much deeper pshat in what's going on in this Gemara. So fasten your seatbelts, because every Gemara has a explanation al pi pshat, but now we're going to learn the sod of this Gemara, the most famous Gemara in Shas. Comes the Ram Mipano. Ram Mipano, Ram Menachem Azarya of Pano, one of the great Italian mekubalim. Uh the Ram Mipano was a student Rabbi Yisrael Sarug. Rabbi Yisrael Sarug was Yalla boys you with me? What happened a play last night? What there was some kind of eating any game or something what's going on? Right? So not that I heard. So so the Ramak was a student of Rabbi Yisrael Sarug and Rabbi Yisrael Sarug was a talmid of the Arizal before Rabbi Chaim Vital. So we know there are a lot of admonitions Arizal gave that nobody is allowed to give over his Torah except for Chaim Vital. But Rabbi Yisrael Sarug is considered to have been grandfathered in cuz he already studied by the Arizal before Chaim Vital. So Ramak wrote something called Gilgulei Neshamot and Ramak says and he's megaleh based on the traditions of Arizal who various personalities in Tanakh were gilgulim of sometimes even who Amora'im were gilgulim of sometimes even who Rishonim were gilgulim. And he says Rabbi Yehoshua the Baal Pluga of Rabban Gamliel Rabban Gamliel says from the walls of your house it's recognizable that you're a blacksmith. Rabbi Yehoshua was the gilgul of another Yehoshua the gilgul of Yehoshua Kohen Gadol. Who's Yehoshua Kohen Gadol? Well in the Navi Zecharya Zecharya has a vision and his vision as Yehoshua HaKohen HaGadol lefanai Malach Hashem vehaSatan omed al yemino lesitno. When do we learn that? It's the Haftarah of Shabbat Chanukah. So Yehoshua Zecharya sees a vision of Yehoshua Kohen Gadol and the Satan is standing there to prosecute and instigate against Yehoshua Kohen Gadol. And Hashem said to the Satan Hashem renounces the Satan Satan. Vayigar Hashem becha Hashem says Satan don't mess with Yehoshua Kohen Gadol. Halo zeh It's one of those unusual trop in the Haftarah. Ud Mutzal Me'Esh. And my Rabbotai who's Yehoshua Kohen Gadol? He's a Kohen Gadol in the times of Ezra and his children intermarried. We know that in Sefer Ezra we find that Ezra came back to Eretz Yisrael and a great deal of Klal Yisrael had intermarried including the children of Yehoshua Kohen Gadol. And because of that Yehoshua Kohen Gadol was punished that when Achav was thrown into the fire Yehoshua Kohen Gadol was thrown into the fire with Achav. And what happened to Yehoshua Kohen Gadol? He was saved but his garments were scorched. That's why Hashem tells the Satan enough already with Yehoshua Kohen Gadol. He's an Ud Mutzal Me'Esh he's a firebrand saved from the fire. Right that's a term we use for a survivor of the Holocaust he's an Ud Mutzal Me'Esh he he plucked from the fires. Amazingly says the Ramak Achav was burnt Achav barbecued. That's that's how people make barbecues and like Achav was burnt what? Achav ben Kulia. No not not the a different one. Achav ben Kulia a different one. So think about it Rabban Gamliel when he says it looks like you're a blacksmith he's not just looking on the outside he's looking into his soul and he sees last time around you were you were a blacksmith meaning you were scorched by the fire cuz you were the you are the reincarnate of Yehoshua Kohen Gadol who was thrown into the fire and he emerged but his his clothing were scorched. My Rabbotai and who was Yehoshua Kohen Gadol? So there's another piece of Ramak. There was another person in Tanakh who was thrown into the fire but didn't make it out. Who's that? Haran Haran. Where the pasuk says at the end of Bereishit Vayamot Haran al pnei the end of Noach Terach Aviv be'Eretz Moladeto Ur Kasdim that Haran died. Says Ramak Haran became Yehoshua Kohen Gadol. Why? Because when Yehoshua Kohen Gadol was CALLED UD MUTZAL ME'ESH WHAT DO YOU MEAN MUTZAL ME'ESH? It's like this Haran was standing there Rashi says when Nimrod told Terach we're throwing Avram into the fire and they tell Haran whose side are you are you on? So Haran said I'm on the winner's side. If if Avram survives I'm on his side if Avram dies I'm on Nimrod's side. So Haran is standing there he sees that Avram survived he said I'm on Avram's team. They threw Haran into the fire and Haran burnt up. Says Rashi from here we derive that someone who's moser nefesh al menat to be saved will not be saved. But he did a tremendous thing he was still moser nefesh al kiddush Hashem. Okay he wasn't saved this time around but Hashem says if not this time around next time around you will be saved. So Haran was thrown into the fire he didn't make it out on round one. Round two he comes back as Yehoshua Kohen Gadol he does make it out of the fire but his clothing are scorched and the third time around he is Yehoshua the Baal Pluga of Rabban Gamliel. Again Rabbotai don't take my word for it this is not what I'm telling you this is what the Ramak one of the Kadmonim one of the early talmidei talmidei of the Arizal is megaleh that Haran was nisgalgel as Yehoshua Kohen Gadol Yehoshua Kohen Gadol was nisgalgel as the student as the as excuse me Yehoshua Rabbi Yehoshua. By the way if you look in Orot Yisrael Natan Rabbi Akiva Eiger had a student Rabbi Yehoshua and he said to Yehoshua YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE? YOU'RE CHOD HAMESHULASH. Secret of secrets what did he mean when he called Rabbi Yehoshua Chod HaMeshulash? What what what what what what what makes him a Chod HaMeshulash? Says the Sefer Chareidim what he was saying to him is you are round three. Round one was Haran round two was Yehoshua Kohen Gadol you Rabbi Yehoshua round three. My Rabbotai who was the go goyrem to allow into the Beit HaMedrash a student SHE'EIN TOCHO KEBARO? Rabbi Yehoshua. You know why? Cuz Rabbi Yehoshua is the living embodiment that even if at first you're ein tocho kebaro whether this time around or next time around ultimately lo aleinu ya'aseh Godol u'Metzuyon shelo lishmah shemitoch shelo lishmah bo lishmah. Look at a guy like Haran. Haran he did the right thing he's willing to be jumped into the fire. How am I he's not tocho kebaro he only did it al menat to be saved no problem. Ultimately he was nisgalgel as Yehoshua Kohen Gadol who was lishmah and he was thrown into the fire and he made it in and therefore Yehoshua Rabbi Yehoshua was the goyrem to bring into the Beit HaMedrash talmidim she'ein tocho kebaro. Okay my Rabbotai you in here nothing yet. But the two central figures here are who? Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya. Rabban Gamliel was the Nasi and Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya usurped the Nesi'ut and they gave it to him and then he had a sort of step down a little bit and Rabban Gamliel took it back. Okay. Yeah. My Rabbotai let's go back to Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya's appointment. Listen carefully. The Gemara says let's appoint Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya why? He is smart he's wealthy and he's 10th generation from Ezra. Comes the Ramak once more and he says that Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya was not just 10th generation from Ezra but guess what? Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya was Ezra himself. He was the gilgul of Ezra. And who was Rabban Gamliel? Rabban Gamliel was Nechemia. Okay what's that going to do for us? Listen carefully. By the way the Gemara in Sukkah says look at number 20 Mit'chilah kish nishtakcha Torah miYisrael al lo Ezra miBavel he asta when the Torah was forgotten first time Ezra was RESTORED THE TORAH. AH EZRA RESTORED THE Torah the first time and the second time when the Chachamim entered Kerem beYavneh and they said chas V'SHALOM KISH NISHTAKCHA TORAH MIYISRAEL as if the Torah NISHTAKCHA MIYISRAEL. WHO RESTORED THE TORAH THE SECOND TIME? Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya the gilgul of Ezra. That is the role of Ezra that is the the role of Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya. My Rabbotai this is off the charts listen to this. Comes the Chida and this could be found in the Chida's Sefer Mar'it Ayin one of the most astounding things you'll ever hear. The Gamara says, looking at number 21 for a moment, there's a safer of Nevi'im, it's called Daniel. Okay, so that's one of them. And then there's something called Ezra Nehemiah. By the way, does anyone know in Tanakh, Ezra Nehemiah, is it one book or two books? One book. Look in Bava Basra, there are 24 books. Ezra Nehemiah is one book. So the Gamara asks, who wrote Ezra Nehemiah? The majority of Ezra Nehemiah was written by Nehemiah. Frankly, the Gamara mikhti kol mili de Ezra Nehemiah ben Hakhaliah. I mean, it doesn't mean all, it means right. Majority of Ezra was Nehemiah. U'Nehemiah ben Hakhaliah mai ta'ama lo ikhvi'ei sefar shmei? SO WHY ISN'T THE name of the book Nehemiah? We know right now in Tanakh we have one book, what do we call it? EZRA. BUT IT WAS WRITTEN BY NEHEMIAH. CALL IT NEHEMIAH. SAYS THE GAMARA, AMAR REBBI YIRMIYAH BAR ABBA, mipnei she hekhzik tovah la'atzmo. Nehemiah took credit for himself. Shenemar, zakhrah li Elohai letovah. God, remember my good merits. By the way, if you look in the last words of Sefer Nehemiah, perek yud gimmel, pasuk lamed alef, zakhrah li Elohai letovah. Nehemiah took credit for himself. He took credit? Says Rebbono shel Olam, middah keneged middah. You're going to take credit for yourself, we take credit away from you. It should have been called Sefer Nehemiah, now it's called Sefer Ezra. Fine. Comes the Chida, and the Chida says, there's nothing in this world that's coincidental. Says the Chida, I don't know about what the Gamara says, but if I open up my Mikra'ot Gedolot Tanakh, it's called Ezra, and then it's called Nehemiah. So you'll say what? That was made up by the Christian printers? Devarim gedolim me'einam ba'mikra. It was made up by them. But why do we go along with it? We should call the name of the safer Sefer Ezra like the Gamara says. If we If in reality the Gamara says, because Nehemiah took credit for himself, we take credit away from him, we should refer to the safer as Ezra like the Gamara does, why do we then give credit back to Nehemiah calling it Nehemiah? Get a load of this. Says the Chida, based on the Ramah mi'Pano, comes the Apter. More of our Rabbosai, who is Rabban Gamliel ben Azaryah? Ezra. More of our Rabbosai, who's Rabban Gamliel? Nehemiah. Listen carefully. Because Nehemiah took credit for himself, it should have been called Nehemiah first. But we took it away from Nehemiah and we called it Ezra. But then Rabban Gamliel came Excuse me, then Nehemiah came back to this world. Who was he? Rabban Gamliel. And Rabban Gamliel suffered the indignation of having to step down as Nasi. Once Rabban Gamliel suffered indignation of step So until he stepped down, the Gamara says, it was called Ezra. Once Rabban Gamliel stepped down as Nasi, and then he took the Nesi'us back, we also gave back to Nehemiah part of the name of the safer Nehemiah. So you say, gave it back to him entirely? No. THE SAME WAY MALAN BA'KODESH EINAM YOZIN, Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah MAINTAINED PART OF THE NESI'US, so too Ezra maintained part of the name. Says the Chida, that is why ad hayom hazeh, even though the Gamara says the name of the safer is Ezra, we give back a little piece to Nehemiah. Why? Because since um Nehemiah had some tikun in the matter of Rabban Gamliel stepping down, the Chida says number 24, mamila we could give Nehemiah part of the name of the safer and it's called Ezra Nehemiah. So it's mamesh chelek min ha'chelek Rebbono shel Olam gave you gave me. Mamesh um matanah te'imah. Who is Nehemiah? No. Who's Nehemiah? Who became Nehemiah? Gamliel. Rabban Gamliel. Rabban Gamliel. Why? WHY DID NEHEMIAH HAVE TO COME BACK? Because Nehemiah took credit for himself. More of our Rabbosai, who also ex- So that means Nehemiah is exerting his identity. He's saying, Rebbono shel reward me, REWARD ME. JUST LIKE RABBAN GAMLIEL DID. THREE TIMES, RIGHT? Look in perek yud gimmel of Nehemiah. Do you know how many times Nehemiah said, zakhrah li Elohai letovah? Three times. Amazingly, if you look in perek yud gimmel of Nehemiah, pasuk You could write it down. Pasuk yud dalet, zakhrah li Elohai al zos. God, remember me. And then Nehemiah. And then pasuk kaf beis, zakhrah li Elohai v'chushah li. And then pasuk lamed alef, zakhrah li Elohai letovah. So I want to suggest, keneged the three times Nehemiah took credit for himself, Rabban Gamliel also exerted himself three times. One time was after Rosh Hashanah, one time with the Bechoros at Sukkah, and one time in Maseches Berachos. But when Rabban Gamliel was punished and he stepped down, that was a tikun for Nehemiah, and therefore ultimately he got part of the name of the safer back. Mamesh ayom v'nora. Listen to this one. This is So this morning I had a little chalishus hadaas, because in pasuk kuf tes over there, it says a fourth time, zakhrah Elohim Elohai, remember them, God. But then I realized, no, that he's not taking credit for himself. There he's asking Hashem to remember what other Jews did. So that's okay. So then it comes out it's it's exactly three times. Want to add one thing. In the last perek of Nehemiah, Nehemiah has a problem. What kind of problem does he have? Jews who are marrying from Ammon and Moav. And he says, GET LOST, GET THEM OUT OF HERE. FRANKLY, the Malbim, what do you mean? Sancheriv came, and he was mevalbel kol umos. It's not on the sheet. Didn't make it to the sheet. But if you if you came down to this world just to hear this, it was kedai. The Malbim has a kasha. The Malbim asks, why is Nehemiah so bothered with the Ammonim and the Moavim? But Sancheriv came and mevalbel kol umos. So you know what I want to say? Nehemiah is Reshus ha'Yachid. Who's Nehemiah? RABBAN GAMLIEL. RABBAN GAMLIEL IN MASECHES BERACHOS PASKENS THAT SANCHERIV WAS NOT MEVALBEL AMMON AND MOAV. CHELEK MIN HA'CHELEK. The Malbim is forced to answer, it must be there was an Ammoni who they knew for sure he was from Ammon and that Sancheriv was not mevalbel. No, don't worry, this is Nehemiah. Who's Nehemiah? Rabban Gamliel. The same Rabban Gamliel in Maseches Berachos dealing with the same Moavi, and Rebbi Yehoshua said, no, but Sancheriv mevalbel kol umos. Yehoshua says, no, Hashem brought back Ammon and Moav. Rebbi Yehoshua says, no, you don't bring back Ammon and Moav. It's it's Nehemiah Reshus ha'Yachid. Nehemiah is Rabban Gamliel. So listen carefully. Rebbi Yehoshua is the one involved. Why is Yehoshua the one involved? Because Rebbi Yehoshua's lifetime is an example of even tam u'machshavto k'baro. You could start off as a haran, you could ultimately be Yehoshua Kohen Gadol, you can enter the Beis Hamikdash. And why Rebbi Why Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai? Because Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai needed to orchestrate to abolish the practice of Rabban Gamliel. Rabban Gamliel, following in the direction of Nehemiah, exerted his identity, and he said, kol tam u'machshavto k'baro, I'll be coming to Beis Hamikdash. So Rebbi Shimon had to underhandedly depose Rabban Gamliel depose. So he goes to Rebbi Yehoshua, what do you hold about Ammon? He goes to Rebbi Eliezer, what do you hold about Ammon? Did you know that your competitor disagrees with you? Rebbi Eliezer said, I didn't know that, I'm going to get him, and he ain't he ain't sitting down today. And they had to depose Rabban Gamliel, and they had an open door policy, and mamila Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai was able to restore the Torah. Through who? Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah. Who's Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah? Ezra. The Gamara tells us, Ezra, the first time Torah was forgotten, he restored it, and here also Ezra is able to abolish the practice of kol tam u'machshavto k'baro, I'll be coming to Beis Hamikdash. By the way, look at number 26. The pasuk says, v'hayah ki tishakhe'ach mi'pi zar'o, rosh rabbos v'tzaros. The Unsdorfer says, as if it's the front of the alef, ki lo yishakhe'ach mi'pi zar'o. The Torah will never be forgotten. Who's memorized that? Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai. Say the Sifrei ha'Kodeshim, this was not only the motto of Shimon bar Yochai, but the words ki lo yishakhe'ach mi'pi zar'o, sofei teivos, Yochai. Spell out Yochai. In fact, if you look at the kever of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai, you have the pasuk on the archway, ki lo yishakhe'ach mi'pi zar'o, spells out Yochai. So suggests the safer Kedai Hu Rebbi Shimon, that Rebbi Shimon sort of orchestrated this whole scenario to depose Rabban Gamliel, but not forever, just for one day. Why? Because Rabban Gamliel is needs to be the Nasi. But one little shittah of Rabban Gamliel would not be good for the continuity of Klal Yisrael. So Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai says, just remove him for one day and on that day will restore the Torah and the says on that day idiots was taught and whenever it says by the young it was on the day that Gamaliel was deposed even says that on the day was deposed Gamaliel sat in the base of like a humble student himself. But this was all the doing of who's model is the middle tell me then Harvey no matter what my trigger you're on no matter how low you fall even if you live in the year 2017 teach Torah to anybody. Okay. That that much I didn't say right so Never mind don't need to So the mailer as time goes on we need this to we need the teaching of Shimon the teaching of Shimon resonates with us more and more the lower we fall the more we have to read we need to grab on to the sheet of Shimon to open up the base of to no matter how far we may be by my life is of Shimon listen my color we can all always be on the sheet of Shimon my life. Talk to you thank you. Yeah. Just the one. Okay it's good it's good for a fact so that's why in the beginning of the Gamara the Gamara doesn't want to say who the student is why it looks like it's a lot of he's causing a whole lot of but in the end when we see what he accomplished that he was taught in Israel so it's the name of the student was none other than Shimon my life. Talk. You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by torahanytime.com.