Parshas Vaeschanan has the first Parsha of Kriyas Shema and Parshas Eikev has the second Parsha of Kriyas Shema. In Parshas Vaeschanan, in 6:7 it says, (וְשִׁנַּנְתָּם לְבָנֶיךָ), that there a Mitzvah of teaching Torah to your children. Rashi says that (לבניך: אלו התלמידים) Levanecha means Eilu Hatalmidim, that this instance of Vanecha refers to your students. In this week’s Parsha, in 11:19 it says, (וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת-בְּנֵיכֶם), meaning, you are to teach them to your sons. From here we learn to teach a son Torah. We know that the first time the Torah says a word, it is for Pashut Pshat. In the second instance of that word we learn the Chidush. Here, if it says to teach your son, I would think it means to teach your biological son. It would be by the second instance that I would say that it comes to teach me about teaching students. Why here is it the opposite? A possible Teretz might be that the Derech of teaching Torah is more Pashut to be a Rav to a Talmid then a father to a son. Not every father can naturally be a teacher. Of course if the father teaches a son he is also a Talmid. Maybe the Chidush here is, that L’vanecha, the Pashut Pshat is Limud Hatorah.
It says in Parshas Vaeschanan in 6:6, (וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם–עַל-לְבָבֶךָ). Meaning and these words that I command you today shall be upon your heart. In our Parsha it says in 11:18, (וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת-דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה, עַל-לְבַבְכֶם). The Kotzker asks, shouldn’t the Torah say that these words should be in your heart, why does it say on your heart? Why is the word Al (on) mentioned in both Parshiois? The Kotzker gives an insight into human nature. Most of the days of a human being, a person is not ready to make major changes in his life. Every once in awhile an occasion happens when a person is moved and he could change. During Kriyas Shema we say Al L’vavchem, put it on your heart, meaning when the time comes and you are ready to change and the heart will open, these words will fall in and you will change.
Rav Akiva Eiger has a Teshuva in Siman Tes. He has a tremendous Chidush on Mezuzah which the Parsha speaks about in 11:20 (וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל-מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ, וּבִשְׁעָרֶיךָ). If someone leaves his house even for 2 days he is not being Mekayeim Mitzvas Mezuzah while he is away. When he returns home he starts to do the Mitzvah again. If someone leaves their house in the morning and comes home that evening he would not make a new Brocha on Mezuza. However, if you go away for 2 days, Rabbi Akiva Eiger says you do have to make a new Brocha on Mezuza. You wouldn’t say Likboia Mezuza as the the Mezuza is affixed already; however, there is a Nusach to say. Rabbi Akiva Eiger actually Paskens this way at the end of Siman Tes. The Minhag is not this way. Why so? If someone stores things, that space called a Beis Ha’oitzer, is Chayiv Mezuzah. If someone has an apartment that he is storing things in before he moves in, is he Chayiv Mezuzah at that point?
Rav Pam was asked this Shaila. Rav Pam was at a Simcha in which the Soifer Rav Feldman from Flatbush was in attendance. They had a disagreement regarding this Shaila. Rav Feldman said, it is not a Beis Ha’oitzer and you wouldn’t be Chayiv and Rav Pam held anytime you store things it is a Beis Ha’oitzer and you would be Chayiv. Rav Feldman brought a Raya that you are Patur from this Rabbi Akiva Eiger, in which we see that when you are away for an extended period of time, you are Patur from Mezuzah and that is why on your return you must make a new Brocha. You see from here that if you store things in a house and you don’t live there you are Patur from Mezuzah. Rav Pam responded, you are correct that Rabbi Akiva Eiger holds that way, but why do all the Poiskim hold that if you go away for a few days you don’t make a new Brocha? It is Farkert, it is a Beis Ha’oitzer and is Michuyav in Mezuza even if you are not there. So a person should put up a Mezuzah as soon as he starts to store things in a place that is going to be his home.
The next Pshat is also a Rabbi Akiva Eiger and it has to do with Birchas Hamazoin which also stems from this week’s Parsha in 8:10 (וְאָכַלְתָּ, וְשָׂבָעְתָּ–וּבֵרַכְתָּ). Rabbi Akiva Eiger is Misupeik in his Hagaois to the Shulchan Aruch in Siman Kuf Pei Vav about a Kattan who eats before night and bentches, however, he is still full when it becomes night and he becomes a Bar Mitzvah that night. Does he have to repeat Birchas Hamazoin? Ai, he bentched already? What he bentched he bentched as a Kattan, and the bentching of a Kattan can’t Patur the Bentching of a Gadoil. What is this Talui in? This depends if the Chiyuv Birchas Hamazoin comes from the Achilah of a Kezayis and as long as you are still full that you can still Bentch. Or, it is the S’viya that is Michayeiv.
The Mishnah B’rurah brings a Pri Migadim with the following Kasha. If a person has less than a Kezayis of bread and for whatever reason he is full now, is he Michuyav to Bentch? The Pri Migadim says you need (וְאָכַלְתָּ, וְשָׂבָעְתָּ) so you are Patur if you ate less than a K’zayis and are full. This would be a Raya to Rabbi Akiva Eiger’s Shaila regarding the boy turning Bar Mitzvah that evening. The boy was only full when he turned a Bar Mitzvah, the Achila was done before. Maybe you need a Sviya that comes from an Achila, this Gadol has a Sviya that comes from an Achila, while someone who is full and they ate less than K’zayis has a Sviya that doesn’t come from an Achila. The Shulchan Aruch Harav says a Chidush, that when you Bentch, since Bentching is a Hakaras Hatoiv for what you have, then Kavana is M’akeiv in Bentching. We are always looking for Segulois, the Segula for Parnasa is Benthching, so we should try to be extra vigilant in this area.
A young girl asked Rav Pam a question. Why at the end of the first Bracha of Birchas Hamazoin does it say (וּמֵכִין מָזוֹן לְכָל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא), meaning Hashem prepares food for all the creatures that he has created. It is a redundancy, because it says creatures that he created? Rav pam answered that (אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא) means because he created, meaning that a person gets what he needs to eat without using up any Zechusim. Since Hashem gave us life he has to provide us with food. So the Teitch is, Hashem prepares food for his creatures because he created them.
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