## Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I

###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I 8:1
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ואחר שלמה כל ימי בהמ"ק היו מורים הכהנים והלוים כדרכם בהוראה לשעתה, והי' בטוחים על אור הארון שבבהמ"ק וקדושת כה"ג שיכוונו לאמיתה ש"ת, עד שהגיע לזמן יאשי' המלך, שראה שידעך אור הארון ממקומו בקה"ק, וישראל יגלה מעל אדמתו, ומלכה ושרי' בגוים אין תורה, אור זורח ההוראה בסייעתא דשמיא, וא"כ יאבדו ח"ו סדרי ההוראה לגמרי ואי' בירו' סוטה פ"ז ה"ד, על הדבר הזה קרע יאשי' ואמר עלי להקים, וכתיב בד"ה ב' ויאמר ללוים המבינים לכל ישראל וגו' תנו את ארון הקדוש בבית אשר בנה שלמה בן דוד מלך ישראל אין לכם משא בכתף, עתה עבדו את ה' אלקיכם ואת עמו ישראל.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
** THE END OF THE FIRST TEMPLE PERIOD: KING JOSIAH CREATES A FRAMEWORK THAT FACILITATES THE GREATER USE OF PILPUL**
DURING THE FIRST TEMPLE period, after Solomon’s reign, the Kohanim and Levites [did not apply his analytical methods, but] dealt with specific cases as the need arose. In order to adjudicate in accordance with the Torah’s true meaning, they relied on the Divine light of the Ark that resided within the Temple and on the holiness of the High Priest. [This continued until] the period of King Josiah, who foresaw that the Divine light of the Ark would be extinguished from the Holy of Holies, that Israel would be exiled from its soil and “Her king and officers would be exiled among the nations, there without Torah.”¹ This meant that the shining Divine light that powered the process of adjudication through Divine assistance [would be lost]. Should that occur, it was then possible, Heaven forbid, that the methodology of adjudication would be totally lost. As noted in the Jerusalem Talmud (*Sotah* 7:4), it is because of this concern that Josiah rent his clothing and said, “The responsibility of strengthening (the Torah) rests upon me.”² The manner in which Josiah fortified the Torah is recorded in II Chronicles 35:3: “He [Josiah] said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy unto God: ‘Put the Holy Ark in the House which Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel, built; there shall no longer be a burden upon your shoulders; now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel.”

footnotes:
¹ Lam. 2:9.
² The Jerusalem Talmud there states: “‘Cursed be the one who will not uphold the words of this Torah’ (Deut. 27:26). Does [this imply] that the Torah may fall?… Pertaining to this matter, Josiah rent his garment and stated: ‘The responsibility of strengthening the Torah rests upon me.’” Josiah foresaw that they were to be exiled and it was possible that the Torah would be forgotten (i.e., fall), and the power to strengthen the Torah for the future exiles rested in his hands.


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I 8:2
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וידוע במ' יומא פ' הוציאו לו שצוה לגנוז את הארון, ואינו מובן האזהרה עתה עבדו וגו' עבודה זו מה היא עתה.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
A well-known interpretation of this verse is given in Tractate *Yoma*, in the chapter entitled *Hotziu lo.³*There it states that the phrase “put the Holy Ark” means that [Josiah] directed the Levites to hide the Ark. However, it is difficult to understand the intent of the directive, “Now serve the Lord your God and His people Israel,” [for what additional service could be placed on the Levites other than what they already performed?]⁴, Ex. 13:16.

footnotes:
³ 52b.
⁴ . In addition, what burden was associated with the Ark, since it rested securely within the Temple and was never removed? See Harhev Davar


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I 8:3
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אבל הענין, שצוה להגדיל פלפולה ש"ת, וממנו למדו החרש והמסגר אלף כולם עושי מלחמה, ודרשו בספרי האזינו עה"פ יונק עם איש שיבה, וכן הוא בס"ע פ' כ"ח, ומה מלחמה עושים בני אדם הזקוקים בזיקים ונתונים בשלשלאות אלא הכל גבורים במלחמתה ש"ת כו', ואחריה' באו יהויכין נכדו ואנשי כנה"ג והזהירו ותקנו בזה ואמרו שלשה דברים הוו מתונים בדין, והעמידו תלמידים הרבה, ועשו סייג לתורה.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
The explanation is that “to serve God” means that Josiah commanded the Levites to increase the application of pilpul to Torah study.⁵, Lev. 10:11. Although the strength of Levi was not in pilpul but in analysis and comparative logic, the scholars of Levi applied this methodology when they needed to render decisions and learn Torah with others from the tribe of Levi. However, when they (the priests) taught Torah to the Jewish people, it was incumbent upon them to teach students the art of pilpul so that they could in the future apply pilpul and derive new laws. [This reinforced the scholars’ ability to ensure the survival of the Torah when they were eventually exiled together with Josiah’s grandson, Jehoiachin]. [These scholars are referred to in II Kings as] “craftsmen, the gate sentries, one thousand, all mighty men, warriors.”⁶ As our sages expounded in the *Sifrei* in *Ha’azinu* on the verse “infants together with white-headed elders”⁷ and in *Seder Olam*, chapter 25, “What war do people bound in fetters and chains wage? Rather, they were mighty men of Torah who waged the war of Torah [through pilpul].” This approach of applying pilpul continued to be followed by Yehoiachin, Josiah’s grandson, and the Men of the Great Assembly: they exhorted and decreed, “Be deliberate in judgment; develop many disciples; and make a [protective] fence for the Torah.”⁸

footnotes:
⁵ See Ha’amek Davar
⁶ “He [Nebuchadnezzar] exiled all Jerusalem and all the officers and all the mighty warriors, ten thousand exiles, and all the craftsmen and the sentries of the gates”: II Kings 24:16; Jer. 52:28.
⁷ Deut. 32:25.
⁸ Avos 1:1.


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I 8:4
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וכ"ז הוא סיבה להגדיל הפלפול והחקירה בישראל, ופי' הוו מתונים בדין, שלא תצא הוראה בשקול הדעת, אלא להטיל ספיקות ולחקור ולהעמיק עד שיבא להכרעה ברורה, וגם ע"י דבוק תלמידים ושאלותיהם הרבה תורה וחכמה יוצאת כיודע מאמר ר"ח בתענית ד' ז' ומתלמידי יותר מכולם. עוד הזהירו לעשות סייגים לתורה, היינו אסמכתות וגזרות דרבנן, ועי"ז מתרבה הדעת והחקירה מהו דאורייתא ומה דרבנן, והכל ראה מאורן של ישראל הוא יאשי' המלך והזהיר עבדו את ה' אלקיכם, שלא תשתכח התורה ח"ו, ואת עמו ישראל, שידעו כדת מה לעשות בדינים שאינם מחותכים עד כה.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
These three decrees strengthened the use of pilpul and analysis in Israel. Being “deliberate in judgment,” means not to adjudicate by logic alone, but also to consider every possible outcome with deep analysis, until one arrived at a clearly convincing decision. In addition, by including many students in the discussions, they raised many questions and these discussions resulted in producing much Torah and wisdom. As expressed in the well known saying of R. Haninah in *Ta’anis* 7a, “I learned much from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and most of all from my pupils.” The exhortation, “Make a (protective) fence for the Torah” refers to the creation and application of *asmachtos*⁹ in this context refers to rabbinic decrees based on supporting words in Scripture, even if they are in conflict with the simple meaning of the verse (See manuscript cited on page 253 of *Otzeros ha-Netziv*). and *gezeros*, rabbinical decrees designed to prevent violation of the Torah. [The use of *gezeros* and *asmachtos*] increases knowledge and analysis because their use forces the scholars to investigate the Torah laws thoroughly in order to determine what is rabbinic and what is Biblical.¹⁰ All this was foreseen by the luminary of Israel, King Josiah, who directed [the Levites], “Serve the Lord your God” so that the Torah would not be forgotten, Heaven forbid. He [Josiah] directed, “serve… His nation Israel” [meaning that the Levites should teach Israel how to decide *halachah*] when they encounter undecided laws [in various areas].¹¹ – “possessors of the Divine Chariot.” As it is written in Num. 7:9, “To the sons of Kehas he did not give because they are obligated in the sacred service; they carry on their shoulder.” Why does Scripture need to mention that they bear the Ark on their shoulders instead of stating that they carry the holy vessels with staves, as mentioned in *Terumah*? Because Scripture is stressing that the Levites were to be a vehicle of God’s Divine Presence, which required them to be immersed in thoughts of holiness. This type of thought originates from the back of the head, which is connected to the shoulders. A similar idea is expressed in Tractate *Arachin,* which states that this verse refers to the mitzvah of singing in the Temple, as that service also required the Levites to be immersed in holy thoughts. Therefore, Josiah’s directive to the Levites was to hide the Ark and no longer separate themselves from others and be immersed in holiness, symbolized by bearing the Ark. The directive of Josiah, “Serve the Lord your God and His people Israel,” is translated by the Netziv as “Serve the Lord your God *together*with His people Israel” (e*s* may also be translated as “with”). This means that they were to be involved with the masses in the service of God by applying pilpul to Torah study. See *Harhev Davar* 28:10 and Ex. 13:15.

footnotes:
⁹ Asmachtos
¹⁰ One cannot enact preventive measures without a thorough understanding of the origin of the laws and how they were derived. For example, preventive measures cannot be applied to prevent the violation of other preventive measures.
¹¹ Until the time of Josiah, the Levites were separate from the masses, immersed in their sacred duty to God. (See Num. 8:14, “You shall separate the Levites from among the Children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine”). That form of service is “a burden upon your shoulders” because they were ba’alei merkavah la-Shechina


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I 8:5
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ובחבורנו רנה ש"ת הוספנו לבאר אזהרת יאשי' בזמנו, ע"ד הדרוש והמוסר. כי נצרכו לשנן ולהבריק חרבם ש"י והדברים עתיקים, וכאן לפי צורך הלכה אנו באים. ועליו קוננו והי' ביום ההוא וגו' והבאתי השמש בצהרים והחשכתי לארץ ביום אור, ואי' במ"ק ד' כ"ה דאר"י זה יומו של יאשי', היינו משום שהחל להאיר עיני ישראל, באזהרה זו, ואלו חי עוד, היה מרבה תורה בימיו, אבל רבו עונות ונחשך אור ישראל, ולא נשתיירה אלא ההכנה.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
In our book, *Rinnah shel Torah*, in which we use much exegesis and ethics, we dealt more extensively with Josiah’s directive to his generation.¹² Josiah and his generation needed to sharpen and brighten the sword of Israel. [Although that which is explained in *Rinnah shel Torah*] are the words of the ancients¹³ [we will not now elaborate on this further], because our goal here is to describe the development of *halachah*. [The prophet Amos] eulogized Josiah, stating, “It will come to pass in those days, says the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the *yom or* – the day of light.”¹⁴ In Tractate *Mo’ed Katan* 25b, R. Yohanan states that this verse refers to the day of King Josiah’s death. Josiah had begun to brighten the eyes of Israel [with his directives to increase pilpul and communal Torah study]. Had he lived longer, he would have greatly increased the amount of Torah [knowledge] in his day. However, the sins [of the generation] were great and the lamp of Israel was darkened, and all that remained of Josiah was the framework [that he had created].

footnotes:
¹² This directive and the importance of applying pilpul outside of Israel are described in the section entitled Shear Yisrael.
¹³ The phrase “words of the ancients” is from I Chron. 4:22.
¹⁴ Amos 8:9.


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I 8:6
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ויש להוסיף בזה דפי' יום אור, הוא יום הגשם, וכדאי' בב"ר פ' כ"ו, וכ"ה תענית ד' ז' ב', כל אור האמור באיוב בגשם הכ"מ, באשר הוא מקור אור הצלחת חיי האדם, ואם כי קשה יומא דמטרא כדאי' בתענית ד' ח' ב', מכ"מ ממנו יוצא האור, וביותר כשהשמש זורח אחרי' כדאי' שם ד' ג' ב' שמשא דבתר מטרא כתרי מטרי והנה כשהגשם יורד, ואחריו נמשך השמש, לא בא תועלת קשי יום המטר אל נכון האור וזוהי מליצת הכתוב, והחשכתי לארץ ביום אור, שלא תהא תועלת הגשם כראוי, ולזה נמשל כל עת צרה ליעקב, אשר ממנה יושע, והצרה היא מקור האור, וכך חשכת אור התורה ע"י גלות הארון וישראל, גורם אור הפלפול ולהגדיל תורה בכל תפוצות ישראל.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
Another interpretation of the term “day of light” is a day of rain. As is mentioned in *Bereshis Rabbah* 26, and in Tractate *Ta’anis* 7b, whenever the word *or,* light, is used in the Book of Job, it refers to rain, which is the fountain of light that brings prosperity to man’s life. Though [at times] “a rainy day is as calamitous as a day of judgment” (see *Ta’anis* 8b), nevertheless, from this rain flows light, [i.e., prosperity]. The [benefit of rain] is even greater when the sun shines after rainfall, as it says in *Ta’anis* 3b, “Sunshine after rain is as beneficial as two rainfalls.” For behold, when rain is followed by [a significant amount] of sunshine, the benefit of the rain greatly outweighs any calamity that results from it. This is the metaphor indicated in the verse, “I will darken the earth on a day of light,” meaning that the full benefit of the rain will not be realized. This [reference to darkening the earth on a day of light] is also explained through the parable, “It is a time of trouble unto Jacob, but out of it shall he be saved.”¹⁵ The trouble [of Jacob] is the source of [Israel’s] light, because the darkening of the light of Torah that occurred with the exile of the Ark and Israel, caused the creation of the light of pilpul and the magnification of the Torah throughout the Diaspora.

footnotes:
¹⁵ Jer. 30:7.


###### Haamek Sheilah on Sheiltot d'Rav Achai Gaon, Kidmat HaEmek, Part I 8:7
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וע"ז אנו יכולים להמשיל יומא דעיבא כוליה שמשא, כדאי' ביומא ד' כ"ח ב', רצוני, בזה שנדעך אור התורה בירו' שהי' זורח כשמש בגבורתו, נעשה כל העולם שמשא, בכל מקום שד"א של הלכה בפלפול ושקידה זורח אור התורה, ואם שאינו בהתגלות כ"כ כמו בירו' בזמנה, ועתה בימי יאשי' המלך כשהחל הגשם, והי' אור יאשי' המלך לתועלת גדול, אבל נתקיים בו והחשכתי לארץ וגו', ולא זכינו לתועלת גדול אבל נתקיים בו והחשכתי לארץ וגו', ולא זכינו לתועלת הגשם כראוי וכך הספידו שם על ר' יוחנן דבימיו נחשך ג"כ העולם מדעת התנאים אשר גבוהה הרבה מדעת הדור שאחריהם, כדאי' בעירובין ד' נ"ג א' דר"י לבן של ראשונים כפתחו של אולם וכו' ואנו כמלא נקב מחט סידקית, וכמו שהצר עליהם העת במזוני רויחי וטעם הפירות כדאי' בירושלמי פיאה פ"ד אר"י יפה סיפסוף שאכלנו בילדותינו מאפרסקין שאכלנו בזקנותינו, כך הוגרע כח הדעת, ובא אור של ר' יוחנן ופי' המשניות ועשה תלמוד ירו', אבל לא זכינו לאורו שיגמור כיודע שלא גמר את התלמוד.

**The path of Torah, introduction to Ha'amek she'elah. Trans. by Elchanan Greenman. Urim, 2009:**
Pertaining to this concept, one can apply the parable stated in Tractate *Yoma* 28b, “On a cloudy day the sun is felt all over.” What I mean to say is [that when the sun is obstructed by clouds, its light is reflected through the break in the clouds and permeates the shady locations]. The light of Torah in Jerusalem shone as if it emanated from the sun at its zenith; but when this light was extinguished, it caused the light of the Torah to be felt all over. [The impending diminution of the light of Torah was the catalyst] for applying pilpul and diligence to the study of Torah within every four cubits,¹⁶ 8a: “Since the day the Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, has nothing in His world but the four cubits of halachah.” even though this light was not as apparent as at Jerusalem’s zenith. Therefore, during the days of King Josiah, when the rain [of Torah] began to fall, even though Josiah’s light contributed greatly [to the enhancement and survival of the Torah, his full potential was not realized]. What was realized is as described in the verse, “I will darken the earth, on a day of light,” meaning that we did not merit to experience the full benefit of the rain [of King Josiah]. [This explanation sheds light on why the Talmud in *Mo’ed Katan* also eulogizes the death of R. Yohanan with the same verse]. During R. Yochanan’s time, the world had become darker with the loss of the knowledge of the Tanna’im. For the Torah knowledge that existed at the time of the Tanna’im was much greater than that of later generations. As is stated in Tractate *Eruvin* 53a, “R. Yohanan said: ‘The understanding of the earlier sages was as broad as the *ulam* [the hall that led into the interior of the Temple], while our understanding is as narrow as the eye of a very fine needle.’” R. Yochanan’s generation was also distressed at losing the spiritual sustenance and its fruit [that had existed in previous generations]. As stated in the Jerusalem Talmud in Tractate *Pe’ah*, chapter 7¹⁷: “R. Yohanan said, ‘The late-ripening fruits we ate in our youth were tastier than the peaches we eat in our later years,’” for in his time, the *koach ha-da’as,* intellectual power, had diminished.”¹⁸ [Similar to the time of King Josiah], when the strength of understanding had decreased, it was an impetus for the arrival of R. Yohanan’s light, his explanation of the Mishnah, that is, the creation of the Jerusalem Talmud. However, we did not merit his full light, which is the completion of his task of compiling the Jerusalem Talmud. [This is the meaning of the verse, “I darkened the earth on a day of light.” This should be translated as, “I darkened the earth on a day of rain,” meaning that the *full*benefits of R. Yohanan’s Torah, symbolized by the rain, were impeded by darkness].

footnotes:
¹⁶ See Tractate Berachos
¹⁷ The original text cites chapter 4.
¹⁸ R. Yohanan lived during the transition from the tannaitic to the amoraic period.