"The 20th of Sivan" More Important Than Ever - The Fast & the Incredible Remez in the Parsha

Okay, good morning everyone. Welcome. For those of you have come from far and wide. Today is the 15th of Sivan, but Thursday is Sivan. What is Sivan? Sivan is a very significant day in the calendar. In yesteryear, Sivan was a fast day. Actually, usually fast day, a tragedy happened. Tragedies actually have repeated themselves on Sivan. The and tough pay brings. Now, tough pay is the last before Rosh Hashanah. I'm sure you've heard my joke many times that is tough pay off. You know, cuz it's a tough time of the year and you need a lot of coffee. Yeah, that but the right before that is tough pay Yamin. These are the days that we fast. For example, Rosh Nissan, the sons of Aaron died. On the 10th, Miriam died. On the 26th, Yeshua died. On the 10th of Yar, Eliyahu died. On the 28th, Shmuel Hanavi. On the 23rd of Sivan. But have you on the 25th, Shimon and Hanina were killed. On the 27th, Hanina Tragyoin the Emai and so on and so forth. Based on this, all the ask, why are we joyous on Omer? Usually you fast on the day that it passes. Fine. In this one, the says, um a whole other list of fasts. For example, the quotes the safer Tanya not to be confused with the Tanya of the Reb Shmuel Zalman of Liadi, Tanya was a is a work related to the Shulchan Aruch Halacha from the Rishonim. Talks about the fast of Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Chukas, a fast for the burning of the Sefarim. And in the year tach vetat two kehillos were destroyed and the minhag is to fast on the 20th of Sivan because of the destruction of tach vetat. So, the 20th of Sivan is a fast day for the Chmielnicki pogroms. Um And it's also brought in the Sha'arei Teshuvah over here. Actually, what's amazing is the Sha'arei Teshuvah brings and Rabbi Yaakov Emden brings that twice in his history tragedies happened. Here, the Rabbi Yaakov Emden writes in the Siddur bishnas tach tach kuf lamed alef that's the year 4,931. You know, about 800 years ago. hoist agzeiras kedoshei Bavelus b'Tzarfas Jews were murdered in France. >> [snorts] >> venasa bahem nes gadol It's interesting how the French in 800 years have not changed at all, but that's a different story. v'huchva lo taanis chomer k'maasheh kasuv b'seder hadoros shel Reb Yehudah Kohen v'sach einsham. So, it was already a fast 800 years ago. And then then in the year tach vetat, 1648-1649, kav'u taanis acheinu bnei Polin. Al sh'um gzeiros gedolos b'Polin v'Ukraina bishnas tach vetat of the last millennia. V'nishbach dam Yisrael kamayim. Jewish blood was spilled Al kein hagadol Therefore, they could all decree a fast to cry and to fast every year. To cry for the Tsar of to cry for the Tsar of the physical affliction. You have in there the whole fast. It will be considered a great service. Aside from the Tsar [snorts] that is considered like your mackerel the carbon of your and down. Okay, so twice historically 800 years ago in France and 400 years ago in Poland and the Ukraine. That's the 20th of Sivan. So it's actually an important fast day and as I'm sure you've noticed it is not widely observed. It's not a widely observed fast unfortunately because of the weakness of our of our makeup. >> [snorts] >> Usually on Tisha B'Av I speak out the following question. Rabbi Soloveitchik in his kindness writes the following words. I do not know why there are no kindness recited on Tisha B'Av which commemorate the Minsk persecutions. The kindness that were composed to commemorate persecutions and which are recited on 20th of Sivan are not said on Tisha B'Av. So there's also that are said and Soloveitchik wants to know why don't we talk about the programs on Tisha B'Av. Yeah. So if you remember Rabbi Moshe answers this question. He doesn't quote Rabbi Soloveitchik. Rabbi Moshe in 77 11 brings a different question. That during the Holocaust 6 million Jews were killed. Why is there no established fast day and day of tfila for the Holocaust? Yeah? That's That's the question that was brought to Why is there no official fast and day of tfila for the Holocaust? So says in the kinas that all of says on Tisha B'Av it's that they didn't make a fast day for the Crusades which was affected all of Europe where most Jews lived and many cities were destroyed. The The The decrees of the Crusades are called Tatnu Tatnu 1096. And they killed many Jews even in Israel. The Crusades killed Jews in Israel. So in the kinas we say we're not allowed to establish another day for fast and crying and we need to mention them on Tisha B'Av. So for that reason says the same reason we don't have a fast day for the Crusades and we don't have a day designated to commemorate the Crusades. That's the very reason we don't have a day to commemorate the Holocaust. So the question is but so why is there a day to commemorate the pogroms? You know, you can't have it both ways. Says if you're going to say we don't commemorate the Holocaust cuz it's saved for Tisha B'Av, so why don't we commemorate the pogroms on Tisha B'Av? Why do we have a special day of Sivan to commemorate the pogroms? Do you remember the has a Noira. He says you cannot compare the tragedy of 1648-1649 through Roisch Hakazaken. You know what that means? >> I don't know. The head of the Cossacks. That that were Jews who were killed in Ukraine and in Poland. The reason is first of all, it wasn't a general decree. It was very pinpoint. It was on the Jews of Poland and Ukraine and that's it. Didn't affect Jews in other countries or in other areas. So since it was isolated, we don't commemorate it on Tisha B'Av. It has its own day. But then he says something amazing. He says the decree of 1648-1649 was not a decree of the government. It wa- it came about through an uprising, through rebels. You see, you can only trace back a tragedy of the korban if it's the reigning government that is inflicting these punishments on the Jewish people. So you know, the idea being that malchus and sovereignty belongs to the Jewish people and when the nations of the world destroyed the temple, they so to speak usurp our power and our sovereignty and if they inflict harm on us, that's a direct result of the korban. Whether it's the Babylonians, whether it's the Persians, whether it's the Greeks, whether it's the Romans, whether it's the Germans. The Germans have world power, they have certain supremacy and they're using it to to inflict great harm on us, that's a direct result of the korban of the mikdash. But here it's not the government who's attacking us, it's anti-government, it's anti-establishment, it's the rebels. So therefore that's not related to the korban. So that's not commemorated on Tisha B'Av, it's commemorated on a different day. In other words, R' Moshe is establishing the following principle. You only commemorate on Tisha B'Av those tragedies that are government inflicted. However, if it's anti-establishment, that's not related to the Hurban, and therefore it's commemorated on a different day. You know, you could ask on that approach that uh would explain why the Crusades were uh were are commemorated on Tisha B'Av because that was from the Pope and the church even though maybe you could argue not exactly uh it's not like the the church came up with this idea. There were marauding uh bandits, and they didn't know what to do with them. They were just pillaging. So, they came up with this idea, let's go free Jerusalem. So, the Pope said, "Okay, go. Go, you know, get out of Europe. We don't want you here." So, you could debate whether that's related to the Hurban, but that's the use of the Ramasha that anything that's coming from the government is commemorated on Tisha B'Av, is traced back to the Hurban. This wouldn't explain, let's say, why we don't commemorate Spanish Inquisition on Tisha B'Av, that certainly was from the government. But, there are other reasons for that, and we've discussed it over the years. What I'd like to mention and bring to your attention now is another idea. To explain why Chof [snorts] Sivan we do commemorate Chmielnicki pogroms, and we don't commemorate it on Tisha B'Av. On Megillas Eichah, there's a peirush called Palgei Mayim. It was written by Rav Yaakov Lorberbaum the Baal Ha Nesivos Ha Mishpat. Yeah, you ever hear of the Ketzos and the Nesivos? The classic Sifrei Lomdus. The Nesivos wrote a peirush nifla on Eichah. And he says something amazing. He says there is no purpose in remembering tragedy. For what? Let's let's get together today and not eat and wallow in self pity and and commemorate how they killed us. Yeah, what's that going to do for us? They're not They're not going to do it again. No, they're If they find out that they did it the first time, they might they might want to try again. Well, there's no purpose in memorial and just commemorating tragedy. Let's make museums and and and commemorate how they like to kill Jews. There's no purpose in that. This is a waste of time. The purpose is to study what avera did we do that brought this about to make sure we don't do it again. But there's no purpose. There's no value in remembering bad things that happened to the Jewish people. Otherwise, you'd be spending the whole year. Maybe that's why, you know, Sivan 17 is not widely observed. Is not widely observed. What are you supposed to do? As fast every single day of the year? There is no Jewish value in commemorating bad things that happened to us. The purpose is The purpose is You need to identify the root cause of the tragedy. And study what was the avera. And make sure you don't repeat your sin. And therefore the Nasi writes in his commentary to he says I'm not explaining to you what the tragedy of Yeshua is or Kamana. I'm going to identify what Klal Yisrael did to bring this about so that you understand not to repeat it. Fine. With that introduction, I think that's very significant and it could be a great vista to understand what tragedies we commemorate on Tisha B'Av and which ones we don't. You see, it would only make sense to commemorate tragedies on Tisha B'Av if the avera that brought it about is related to Tisha B'Av. But if the aveira that brought about is unrelated to Tisha B'Av, then it maybe is not reasonable to commemorate it on Tisha B'Av. So, obviously on Tisha B'Av we commemorate the destruction of the first base and the second cuz the tragedies the sins that brought it about because I'm sorry, excuse me, because they happened on Tisha B'Av. Okay, that's the starting point. So, Tisha B'Av we're going to commemorate all the tragedies that happened on Tisha B'Av. But you look through the Kinos and you see the sin of the various other aveiros that are commemorated on Tisha B'Av. So, you have to wonder, why do we commemorate the Crusades on Tisha B'Av? So, let's learn. What aveira did they do in the times of the Rishonim that brought about the tragedy of the Crusades? You know, what brought it about? So, in the Seder in the Sefer of Rebbi Chaim Halberstam which is called Seder Olam. He brings that we have a tradition from the Smag that what brought about the tragedy of the Crusades is that when Ezra told them, "Come back to Eretz Yisrael." They said, "No, we like it here in Worms and in Germany. You have your big Jerusalem there and we have our little Jerusalem here." So, the aveira was an apathy toward Eretz Yisrael, an apathy toward Yerushalayim. So, that is obviously very relevant to Tisha B'Av. That's the sin of the Meraglim. The sin of the Meraglim was repeated in the times of the Crusades. In fact, the Netziv says in the second pasuk of Eichah Her tears on her cheek. The Netziv says the tear of the Meraglim that they cried that they don't like Eretz Yisrael, we're still guilty of. We still don't like it. We still don't want to go there. So, that's an aveira that was the root of the Churban, which still applies today. So, the aveira that brought about the Crusades, of course, is commemorated on Tisha B'Av. That aveira is the aveira that we're we're trying to rectify on Tisha B'Av. Let's now go to another tragedy we commemorate on Tisha B'Av. The tragedy of the burning of the sefarim. What aveira brought that about? It seems the aveira that brought that brought that about is they tattled on the Rambam, and they burnt the works of the Rambam. What do you mean? They did it leshem shamayim. They thought the Rambam's works were heretical. So, apparently, there was some personal animosity there. What do you call that? Sounds like sinas chinam. So, is that appropriate to commemorate on Tisha B'Av? Of course, it is. That's the root cause of the Churban. So, the burning of the sefarim, the Crusades, these are applicable, these are relevant to Tisha B'Av. Uh maybe this is a new answer for why we don't commemorate the Spanish Inquisition on Tisha B'Av. I know over the years we've said various approaches. But what was the sin that brought about the Spanish Inquisition? The Chasdai Haivus, Cha- the Chasdai Haivus, Rabbi Yosef Haivus, was one of the leaders of Spanish Jewry. He said, "Because they got so caught up building their beautiful homes, and that was considered cause for uh That was That was considered a very severe violation of proper conduct. Is that related to the galus? Is that related to Tisha B'Av? So, maybe you could say maybe that's not related. Maybe that's a separate sin even though you could argue maybe that means they were getting too comfortable in the galus. But, let's come to Chof Sivan for a moment. Cuz Chof Sivan, I think this will provide us with a very amazing answer of why we don't commemorate Chof Sivan on Tisha B'Av. What was the aveira that brought about the Chmielnicki pogroms? You know this? So, they made some kind of supernatural she'ilas chalom. And the answer that they were told was because people speak by davening. You know about this? That the Chmielnicki pogroms the they were told via the heavens that the aveira was that there was conversation by davening. And that's why these communities were destroyed. Now, is that related to Tisha B'Av? You could say that's that's a side sin. That's an unrelated sin that has no connection to uh the aveiros of Tisha B'Av. Unless you say, "Well, it's a lack of lack of respect for for the uh Beis Hamikdash, for the the Mikdash Ma'at." But, even so, that wasn't the reason the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed. We don't find in Chazal the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed cuz they didn't show proper kavod to the Beis Hamikdash. So, yes, Chof Sivan is a great tragedy, but the aveira that caused Chof Sivan is unrelated to Churban Beis Hamikdash. It's a terrible sin, but it's a side sin. It's not fundamentally related to the the avera that caused about the carbon. And therefore, perhaps the reason why it's given its own day, it has its own uh day of designation, Khof Sivan, is because the avera that brought it about is um unrelated to the Khof base By the way, there was another avera that they attributed it to. They also attributed to uh Isru Chag. Isru Chag. That was another response that they got min ha shamayim. Now, even though in past history, Khof Sivan was not was not uh treated very severely, that's because maybe there were so many movements not to talk by davening. So, you know, we we've already we've corrected that. You know, no who talks by davening anymore? It's unheard of. I know. Over here, doesn't even happen. So, you know, Khof Sivan not so important. But, there's a new there's a new uh yetzer hara, and that is bringing phones into shuls. So, in our generation, Khof Sivan is as important as ever, cuz if there was ever a time that we need to correct kedushas base ha medrish and base ha knesses, it's in our time. So, [snorts] basically it comes out Khof Sivan is a fast day to try to rectify koved base ha medrish and base ha knesses. And if you ever see people that nichnasu bahem ruach shtus, and they bring their phone into the shul, should tell them, you know, there's a fast day that mourns the tragedy of people bringing phones into shuls. That's Khof That's what Khof Sivan is. That's the day. The fast of Khof Sivan, we don't we don't talk about it on Tisha B'Av. It's not related to B'Av. it's a separate fast with its own and its own cause and back in 1648 we're going back now 380 years ago it was they were talking and we could say like the the says that uh that sin is still dancing among us now what does this have to do with you ready for this fasten your seatbelt this is okay I need a a you have a here here watch this every single year we read the week of seven you know about that almost every year on a regular year for sure on a regular year is is the partial before us is a partial after the is the partial of seven let's take a look what does it say in partial of seven you might be very surprised to see I can't deal with them you know I know I tell them we can have okay let's see where am I where are my goods ah here you ready here we go take a look in you'd pass it to go home go home and go home and go home by you so may her Derek seven they traveled from the mouth of three days okay when was that When was that? Anybody know what day that was? >> [clears throat] >> You have to go to the beginning of the parashah. What day is that? The 20th day of the second month. What day is that? 20th day of the year. So you say that how that can help us with Hashem even. Then it says they traveled 3 days. You remember what Rashi says? Rashi says no they didn't. They traveled a 3-day journey in 1 day. So what day are we now? We're olive Sivan. >> Year. >> Half half olive year. Thank you. They then complained. What did they complain about? They wanted a barbecue. We want hamburgers. We want steak. Hashem says, You want steak? No problem. You're going to have steak. Moshe says to Hashem, May I only I'm going to give it all of these guys a barbecue? How how are you supposed to how am I supposed to barbecue for everyone? So Hashem says, You're going to have meat for 30 days. Now by the way, just as an aside, why is Hashem saying that 1 day, not 2 days, not 5 days, not 10 days, not 20 day? Just say for a month. We could figure out if it's a month, it's not 1, 2, 5, 10, or 20. Says the Baal HaTurim, add up 1, 2, 5. We're up to We're up to 8. V'lo asarah. >> 18. V'lo esrim. >> 30. >> 38. Ad chodesh shalem. >> 68. >> 68, but a month is really 29. 67 days, says Tosfos. There's 67 days a year we have a mitzvah to eat meat. Tosfos says. L'yom. L'yomaim. V'lo chamisha. You add up the days. That's That explains why we say not right. Okay, fine. Ad chodesh shalem. So, from chof alef Iyar Hashem punished us for how long? 29 days. The That's the Kinnam says 29 days. Ah, 29 days until what day? Chof Sivan. The punishment of the Mesuinanim concluded on Chof Sivan. That means there is no other reference to Chof Sivan in the Chamisha Chumshai Torah except for the week of the fast of Chof Sivan. V'davar pelahu. This chiddush I heard from Rebbe Yisrael Eliezer Levy. When we were doing the the cycle the the series on Dovei Yafa B'Ita. He pointed out that according to the Daas Zekeinim if you count 29 days, the Daas Zekeinim says Chodesh is 29 days. If you count 29 days from ah Chof alef Iyar, it takes you to Chof Sivan. It happens to be the Gemara makes a different chashbon. The Gemara in Taanis gets you to Chof bais Sivan. And if you look in Rav Chaim Kanievsky's sefer, you know Rav Chaim Kanievsky in the back of Taim HaMinhagim, craw, has a safer called the attic where anything not mentioned in the hummus, let's say it says a person but we don't know who or it says a date we don't know when the time tells you the time says the date was not like we're saying >> [snorts] >> let me tell you what he says he says the date was I say the date was get busy van based on the tightness but there is a valid husband to get to see van and this would be an amazing remiss to the fast day this Thursday of Sevan and perhaps it's Kadai to think like the Niseko says there's no point in fasting to feel bad about tragedy it's a simple waste of time that we don't have time to sit around feeling bad the purpose is why did this tragedy happen identify it and then our times it could be it's still relevant perhaps in a way it's more relevant than ever okay have a great day everyone called to