Monday, March 05, 2012

The kadma ve'azla on venatenu

Summary: Plus, that it is a palindrome. The Gra connects it to a gemara in Shabbos about the wheel of fortune.

Post: Ki Tisa begins:

12. "When you take the sum of the children of Israel according to their numbers, let each one give to the Lord an atonement for his soul when they are counted; then there will be no plague among them when they are counted.יב. כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ לַה' בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בָהֶם נֶגֶף בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם:


The Vilna Gaon states:

"וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ -- Upon the word וְנָתְנוּ {to give} is a kadma ve'azla, to allude to their statement, za'l (in Shabbat 151b):
אמר לה רבי חייא לדביתהו כי אתי עניא אקדימי ליה ריפתא כי היכי דלקדמו לבניך אמרה ליה מילט קא לייטת להו אמר לה קרא קא כתיב כי בגלל הדבר הזה ותנא דבי ר' ישמעאל גלגל הוא שחוזר בעולם
Or, in English:
R. Hiyya said to his wife: When a poor man comes, be quick to offer {akdimu} him bread, so that others may be quick to offer it to your children. You curse them! she exclaimed. A verse is written, he replied: 'because that for [bi-gelal] this thing', whereon the School of R. Ishmael taught: It is a wheel that revolves in the world. 
And behold, the word וְנָתְנוּ {give} is a palindrome, producing the same word read forwards and backwards. For also the one who gives, at times will need that it be given to him. And this is what is hinted to by וְנָתְנוּ with a kadma ve'azla, as be quick to offer {akdimu} bread to a pauper in order that others are quick to offer to your children. Therefore you initiate and give to him."

We can add this to the other times that the Gra darshens trup.

1 comment:

YK said...

Incredible how the Gaon's hidushim on trup always blend in so well. Thanks
YK

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin