Rebbi Akiva Enters the Orchard to Write Haggadah Shel Pesach - An Approach Based on the Rashbatz

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Rabbi Daniel Glatstein’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

One of the most mysterious Gemaras in Shas, one of the most intriguing Gemaras, Maseches Chagigah Yud Daled Amud Beis, Tanu Rabbanan, Arba'ah Nichnasu LePardes, four of the all-time great Tana'im entered the Pardes. Rashi says that means they said a Shem and they were Alu LeRakia, they rose up to the heavens. Tosfos says through a Shem it was as if they uh rose up to the heavens. They were entering mystical realms to try to delve entering mystical realms to try to delve into the most sublime, rarefied areas of Torah. Who were these four sages? Ben Elohim, Ben Azai uBen Zoma, Acher, and Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva warned them, you're going to get to an area it's going to be closed in. It's going to look like light blue marble, don't say water water, God will not tolerate that. The Gemara tells us of the fate of these four Tana'im. Ben Azai hitsitz u'meis, Ben Azai gazed and he died. A love Hashem A love Hashem Yakar Be'einei Hashem Hamaves LaChasidav. Ben Zoma gazed u'nifg Rashi says he became mentally affected. A love Hashem Davash Motzei Acher DiYacha Pentes Bo VeHechesai. Acher was Kitzetz Ben Etiyas. Acher went off. He cut down the saplings. Rabbi Akiva Yatza BeShalom. A few questions. A few questions. Why did they want to enter the Pardes? What was their motivation? What was their objective? But more importantly, this story is actually very relevant to Pesach and to the Haggadah because one of the great Rishonim, the Rashbatz, amazingly in his commentary to the Haggadah brings that the Dalet Banim is a reference to the Arba'ah Nichnasu LePardes. Ben Zoma, Ben Azai, Acher, and Rabbi

Jump to a moment

1. 0:01One of the most mysterious Gemaras in Shas, one of the most intriguing Gemaras, Maseches Chagigah…
2. 1:32A few questions. Why did they want to enter the Pardes? What was their motivation? What…
3. 3:04questions. The Gemara continues that Rabbi Akiva never would stop a learning session. He was never…
4. 4:36was the one who would make sure the children would sleep on Erev Pesach to be…
5. 6:38access to the Sha'ar Nun. Is it possible that he accessed the Sha'ar Nun when he…
6. 8:09way, the Pele Yoetz in his commentary on the Haggadah says they were Mesaprin, Mesaper Nun,…
7. 9:43Moshe Rabbeinu went up the 344, he's 345 now. Really, we should need to make up…
8. 11:50and sod. The pardes gets us out of mitzrayim. Perhaps these four chachamim were nichnasu lepardes.…
9. 13:21will make yetzias mitzrayim pale in comparison. So Ben Zoma has the darshan koel not to…
10. 14:54veshir hashirim kodesh kodashim. Shir hashirim is the sha'ar nun. Shir hashirim is a Therefore Rabbi…

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