DailyHalacha.com

Rabbi Mansour 2012
Shabbat Morning class
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The Yissachar & Zevulun Agreement
"??????? ??? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?????"
"And of Zevulun he said: rejoice Zevulun in your going out and Yissachar in your tents"
This Pasuk is part of Moshe Rabeinu’s blessing to each of the tribes. What is the meaning behind the Pasuk? Why is Zevulun blessed when he goes out, and Yissachar blessed when he is in his tent? Why is Zevulun mentioned before Yissachar, when Yissachar was in fact older than Zevulun?
In this class we offer several ways to understand the Pasuk, and the relationship between Yissachar and Zevulun.
On explanation is that Moshe Rabeinu was referring to the classic agreement known as "Yissachar-Zevulun", where someone agrees to support someone else who is studying Torah, and they split the reward that the one who is studying receives. One who provides financial support for someone else to study Torah, enables him to remain fully dedicated in body and mind to the Torah. This was the agreement between Yissachar and Zevulun. Zevulun would go out to work and support Yissachar, who would remain studying Torah in the tents. The Pasuk mentions Zevulun before Yissachar, because we apply the dictum of the Rabbis "greater is the one who causes others to do, more than the one who does!" It also says "?? ??? ??? ??? ????" -"if there is no support and sustenance, there is no Torah!" Zevulun is blessed in his share of the partnership, in going out for commerce. Yissachar is blessed for success, in his share of studying Torah (which is represented by studying in the "tents").
In addition, Moshe blessed Zevulun in their " "???? -going out, because usually the wealthy man is very comfortable in his own home, he has all the amenities and luxuries. However when he travels his is out of his domain and he needs Berachah, this is why Zevulun (who represents the wealthy merchant) is blessed when he "goes out" from home, because that is when he needs the blessing! Yissachar however stands for the scholar, who usually lives very meagerly, without enjoying the benefits and comforts that others enjoy in their home. Therefore Moshe blesses Yissachar with a blessing in their home, because that is where Yissachar can use his blessing!
Moshe Rabeinu was also delivering a message to Zevulun. He was giving him advice for financial success. One of the great keys to success in business is a positive attitude. When one approaches his profession with joy and an upbeat attitude, his chances of success increase dramatically. This is why Moshe told the tribe of Zevulun "??? ?????" -"be happy" when you go out to work! Make sure you have a positive attitude, and this will bring you success!
There is a holy name )???( that is associated with financial success. The last letters of the words "????? ?? ???" spell this holy name. In the words that spell the name, the Torah hints to the secret of how to achieve this success, and that is by being happy )???( !
We allude to the holy name of Parnasah )???( when we answer "????"
in Kaddish. The word "???" equals 214, and the ?' in the beginning of the word causes us to double it. (Like the blessing of Yishak to Yaakob was "???? ??" and Rashi explain this to mean Hashem should give and give again!) 214x2=428. 428 is the numerical value of "???" , and we are connecting to this name when we say "????" .
We also allude to this holy name in Birkat Hamazon, when we praise Hashem for providing for us "??? ???? ???????" the words ??-???-?????
total 428 (58+72+298=428).
The benefits of a Yissachar-Zevulun partnership are very great. The reward that one receives for supporting a Torah Scholar transcends what normal logic would dictate. One would think that the benefits that are
enjoyed by a Torah Scholar as a result of his studies would not be enjoyed by the business man who supports him. For example, a Torah scholar is afforded a special protection from his evil inclination as a result of his studies. The business man who supports him should seemingly not have the same benefits, since he is involved with his business rather than studying!
Our Rabbis teach us that this is not so. The businessman who supports someone who is studying Torah enjoys the same level of protection from his evil instinct as the Torah scholar! This is what Moshe meant when he said " "??? ????? ????? -"be happy when you go out, since you have the protection and benefits that will be with you as you go out into the world!
Shelomo Hamelech wrote in Kohelet "??? ????? ??? ????" which can mean "in the shade of wisdom is the shade of money". What did he mean by wisdom and money shares the same "shade"? This can be explained; that when a person who supported Torah scholars with a "Yissachar-Zevulun" partnership passes away he is brought to Gan Eden. In Gan Eden there are different classes of Torah going on, and one is brought to the class on the same level of that which he is on.
When the Torah supporter passes on, one would think that he should be brought to a very low level class in Gan Eden since after all, he is not a learned man. Shelomo Hamelech is coming to teach us, that the one who supported Torah will be brought to the same level class as the one who he supported! "??? ???? ??? ???" they will be under the same "roof" in Gan Eden! The one who supported the Torah scholar will understand everything just as the scholar himself!!
These are some of the amazing benefits of those who forge this partnership with Torah scholars; they enjoy all the benefits and spiritual growth of the scholars themselves!
In some cases the benefits of the supporter, are even greater than the one who is learning! How is this possible?
This happens is a situation where the one who is studying does not utilize his time completely. If there are times when his is lax, and does not study for the entire period of time that he is supposed to, this no fault of the
one who is supporting, for all he knows the scholar is studying the entire time!
The one who supports a Torah scholar, gets full credit for the time that the scholar should have been studying, even if in fact the scholar failed to do so himself!
This phenomenon is also found by a wife. A wife shares the reward for her husband’s Torah study, and very often receives even more reward than her husband! A wife cherishes her time with her husband, and when the husband goes out to learn, the wife immediately feels it and she begins to receive credit. Whereas the husband has to actually begin his study, in order to benefit from the rewards of studying Torah. The time it takes him to get from his home to the shul, and settle himself to study is not counted on the same level as it is for his wife.
One may ask; if the Torah scholar’s wife gets half the reward, and the one who supports him gets half, what is left for the Torah scholar himself?! He will be left to bereft of all reward for his toil in the study of Torah?! Hacham Baruch Ben Haim ztl explained that Hashem’s reward is limitless; it’s not that the wife gets 50%, and the supporter gets the other 50%, leaving nothing. The way it works is, that the wife shares the credit with her husband without actually taking away from her husband! Hashem just "matches" the credit, and gives it to his wife without diminishing from the husbands portion, same goes with the one who supports the scholar, he shares the reward with the scholar without stripping it from him! Hashem is so merciful, and makes it so beneficial for all parties when one supports someone else enabling them to study Torah! He gives all the benefits of Torah study to the one who supports but does not actually study, and he maintains the complete reward for the one who is studying, even though he is receiving support!
It is a very worthwhile endeavor for those who can afford it, to try and find someone devoted to Torah study and in need of financial assistance, and make such an agreement with them. All parties will have tremendous benefits both in this world and the next!
The Pasuk of " "??? ????? ????? ?????? ????? is also alluding to the association between those who "go out", and those who "stay in" at a time
of war. The ones who go out are the ones who are doing the fighting; the ones who stay in are the ones who are left behind studying Torah. The Torah is telling those who go out to war " "??? ????? ????? -be happy when you go out to fight! Why? "?????? ?????" -because you have someone studying back home in the merit of your success. The war is not won on the battlefield; it is won through the merit of those studying Torah.
David Hamelech wrote; "?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ???????" -"our legs stood up at the gates of Jerusalem". Our Rabbis explain "?????? ??? ?????? ??????" -"our legs stood up strong in war-why? ?????? ??????? -because of the "gates" of ???? . The war is won on account of those who are studying back home, and this gives true strength to those who go out to battle.
We should realize this, and insist that the Yeshiva boys remain learning, rather than have them leave their studies and go out to fight. Our chances of victory are only strong when they are in Yeshiva studying!