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Sukah 53

SUKA 36-56 (End of Maseches) have been dedicated by the wife and daughters of the late Dr. Simcha Bekelnitzky (Simcha Gedalya ben Shraga Feibush) of Queens N.Y. Well known in the community for his Chesed and Tzedakah, he will long be remembered.

1) AGADAH: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FIFTEEN PSALMS OF "SHIR HA'MA'ALOS"

QUESTION: The Gemara describes the source for David ha'Melech's 15 chapters of "Shir ha'Ma'alos." The Gemara relates that when David ha'Melech was digging the Shisin at the place where the Mizbe'ach would be built, he inadvertently removed a potsherd that was covering the hole of the Waters of the Deep. The waters came up and threatened to drown the world. David ha'Melech asked whether it was permitted for him to write the name of Hashem on the potsherd and to throw it back into the water in order to stop the deluge, and -- after cursing anyone who knew the ruling but would not reveal it to him -- Achitofel told him that it was permitted to write the name of Hashem on the potsherd and throw it into the water, even though Hashem's name would be erased by the water. When he saw that the water was descended too much, he said the 15 psalms of Shir ha'Ma'alos in order to raise the water level.

What was unique about the 15 psalms of Shir ha'Ma'alos that enabled them to have such control over the level of the water?

ANSWER: The KLI YAKAR (Bereishis 6:15) cites the Gemara in Sotah (16b) which states that when there is peace between a man and his wife, the Shechinah dwells in their midst. The letter Yud of the word "Ish" and the letter Heh of the word "Ishah" come together and form the name of Hashem. If, Chas v'Shalom, there is not peace between a man and his wife, the letters of the name of Hashem -- the Yud and Heh -- depart from the "Ish" and "Ishah," leaving two flames -- "Esh" -- which destroy each other.

We see that the Yud and Heh, and the name of Hashem which they spell, are related to peace in marriage. Similarly, there were 15 stairs in the Beis ha'Mikdash joining the Ezras Nashim and the Ezras Yisrael, representing the name of Hashem (the Gematria of which is 15) that is formed when there is peace between man and wife. (That is why the 15 stairs comprised two sets, one of ten and one of five -- corresponding to the Yud and the Heh -- as we learned in our Mishnah, 51b).

When there is a widespread problem with marital relations and the man and woman are involved in licentious activities, Hashem punishes with water. The world was punished with the Great Flood because of the sin of Arayos, as the Torah states (Bereishis 6:11-12). (We might add that this is also why the Egyptians were punished by being drowned, for the people of the nation of Egypt are described as being exceedingly promiscuous, Vayikra 18:3.)

For this reason, the waters of the Mabul rose 15 Amos above the highest mountain. The people sinned by abusing the Yud and Heh that spell Hashem's name that dwells among the people when there is peace between man and wife, and therefore they were punished with water that rose 15 Amos above the highest point. Similarly, the rain descended for 150 days, which is 15 times 10. Each floor of the Ark was 50 Amos wide, 300 Amos long, and 10 Amos high, for a total of 150,000 cubic Amos. This multiple of 15 alluded to the fact that it was the name of Hashem, Yud and Heh, which protected the family of No'ach in the Ark, for they were not involved in Arayos.

Similarly, the Gemara relates that Chizkiyahu ha'Melech was threatened with death in this world and the next (Berachos 10a), because he refused to bear children, having foreseen that he would have wicked descendants. When he did Teshuvah and agreed to bear children, he was given 15 extra years as a reward for restoring the honor to the name of Yud and Heh.

In our Gemara, David ha'Melech wrote the name of Yud and Heh upon the potsherd in order to prevent the water from flooding the world. David ha'Melech was calling upon the merit of the people guarding themselves from Arayos to protect the world from the water! (Kli Yakar)

We might add that this is why Achitofel refused at first to permit David to use the name of Hashem to protect the world from the water. We know that Achitofel was the grandfather of Bas Sheva (Sanhedrin 69b), and he maintained that David was guilty of an impropriety with her. As a result, he felt that David did not have the power to protect the world from the flood waters with the name of Yud and Heh. However, Hashem knew that David truly repented and could restore the peace of the world with the name of Yud and Heh.

Why is it that flood waters are the punishment for sins which create disharmony between man and wife? Chazal compare the rainwater to the male element and the earth to the female element -- "rain is the husband of the land" (Ta'anis 6b). The rainwater irrigates the earth which then produces crops. When there is no peace between man and his wife, it is water that punishes them.

The Kal v'Chomer upon which Achitofel based his ruling involved the Halachah of erasing Hashem's name for the sake of bringing peace *between a man and his wife*. Causing the waters to subside was a form of making peace between the water and the land -- between man and wife. That is why the water descended 16,000 Amos below the ground level -- which is 15,000 Amos below the original water level. In order to bring back the water to a reasonable level, David ha'Melech said 15 psalms of Shir ha'Ma'alos.


53b

2) ERASING THE NAME OF HASHEM IN ORDER TO SAVE THE WORLD
QUESTION: The Gemara relates that when David ha'Melech was digging the Shisin at the place where the Mizbe'ach would be built, he inadvertently removed a potsherd that was covering the hole of the waters of the Tehom. The water came up and threatened to drown the world. David ha'Melech asked whether it was permitted for him to write the name of Hashem on the potsherd and to throw it back into the water in order to stop the deluge, and -- after cursing anyone who knew the ruling but would not reveal it to him -- Achitofel told him that it was permitted to write the name of Hashem on the potsherd and throw it into the water, even though Hashem's name would be erased by the water.

What was David's question? It was certainly permitted to write the name of Hashem and cause it to be erased, because it was a situation of mortal danger, and Piku'ach Nefesh overrides almost all Isurim (except for Avodah Zarah, Giluy Arayos, and Shefichus Damim)!

ANSWERS:

(a) The ARUCH LA'NER answers that David was concerned that his action might involve a *Chilul Hashem,* and Chilul Hashem does *not* override Piku'ach Nefesh.

(b) HAGAON RAV Y. S. ELYASHEV (in HE'AROS B'MASECHES SUKAH) cites the RAMBAN (Sanhedrin 73a) who rules that not only do the three Isurim of Avodah Zarah, Giluy Arayos, and Shefichus Damim override Piku'ach Nefesh ("Yaharog v'Al Ya'avor"), but also any *branch* ("Abizrayhu") of those Isurim. Erasing the name of Hashem might involve transgressing a subcategory of Avodah Zarah, and therefore David ha'Melech waited until he had received a Halachic ruling that it was permitted.

(c) HAGAON RAV Y. S. ELYASHEV (in HE'AROS B'MASECHES SUKAH) suggests that the water posed no actual mortal threat to the world. Rather, the rising water was threatening to disrupt the normal lifestyle and routine of the world. There was no question of Piku'ach Nefesh, and therefore David ha'Melech waited until he had received a Halachic ruling from his rebbi.

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