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The shiur in English
The Yanuka’s own words in this shiur, translated into English by Lehallel · 798 words · 5:20. Press a time to hear it said.
0:00 Honored Rav, may I ask a question? They say that Moshe Rabbeinu passed away on Shabbos, and on the other hand it is written that he wrote thirteen scrolls on Shabbos. How can that be? This needs our Rav's mind.
0:37 He desecrated the holy Shabbos? Look at that. That Moshe Rabbeinu desecrated Shabbos. What is this? Let the Rav resolve it. If it were today, in our time, they would make a circus out of it. How did Moshe Rabbeinu write a Torah scroll on Shabbos? And thirteen scrolls, at that.
1:02 Let us say a few things; we will answer your question, with Hashem's help. You know that it is written in the Midrash, in Parashas Vayeilech, that Moshe Rabbeinu passed away on the holy Shabbos day.
1:32 He composed thirteen scrolls; he wrote the thirteen Torah scrolls. He wrote them on Shabbos. He wrote them on the holy Shabbos. There is Rabbeinu the Rosh on Tractate Pesachim, chapter 10, section 13. Rabbeinu the Rosh writes that Moshe Rabbeinu passed away on Erev Shabbos. He did not pass away on Shabbos.
1:57 Before it. So that no one should say he wrote the scrolls on Shabbos. That is for you to know. So one can say it this way: he did not really pass away on Shabbos; he passed away on Erev Shabbos. Right? So we have answered the great difficulty. There is another answer, from Rabbeinu the Chasam Sofer, Part 6, section 29. Rabbeinu the Chasam Sofer writes that in truth, we know that in section 328, paragraph 45, it is written that it is permitted to whisper an incantation on Shabbos, with regard to the trapping of scorpions: if he wants to whisper over a snake, over a scorpion, so that it will not harm him, then there is no trapping in a whisper.
2:37 If he makes an incantation, it is not considered that he trapped them; it is not called trapping. So he says, Rabbeinu the Chasam Sofer writes that Moshe Rabbeinu used hashba'as hakulmus, the adjuring of the quill, on Shabbos, and that worked as a kind of incantation; and so he wrote it on Shabbos by adjuring the quill. And so it is permitted by that same law, since that is how he did it. So it is in Tractate Sanhedrin, page 101, and he brings several more proofs. And so it is permitted, and so there is nothing wrong with it. One can say this as well.
Read the whole shiur in English (5 more parts)
3:04 So that is another answer. And there is another answer, from the Maharif, in Responsa Maharif, section 203. Rabbeinu the Maharif writes, I am bringing you another answer, if you want to hear another answer. Another answer, from the Maharif: he brings that with Moshe Rabbeinu it means his mazal died on Shabbos. His mazal died on Shabbos, his mazal. He brings it in the name of the Rokeach, who brings it in the Laws of Sukkah, section 221; he writes it there...
3:38 He says that the mazal of Moshe Rabbeinu departed from him on Shabbos, and so: 'though he himself does not see, his mazal sees.' Since his mazal departed on Shabbos, he knew he was soon to pass away. That is the meaning: it departed from over Moshe's head, not that he himself died on Shabbos. So it is like the opinion of the Rosh: he died on Erev Shabbos. So it makes sense that he wrote them; it is not a difficulty. One can also say... those thirteen... that Moshe Rabbeinu did not die, and so on.
4:05 And so on. Let me tell you... But a scroll like that, how can one read from it? Why? It is not written by hand. He raises a difficulty, the darshan. This answer does not find favor in his eyes. He sings piyutim for us on the holy Shabbos, so he is used to always raising difficulties.
4:34 A joy to see you. A joy to see all of you. So do look at the responsum of the Chasam Sofer, Part 6, section 29. There he writes that in truth there is no problem at all with adjuring the quill, and many holy ones and tzaddikim practiced this, and so too many, many sefarim. And they say that even the sefer of Maran the Chida, Shem HaGedolim, was written by adjuring the quill. He wrote it, and an awesome kedushah rests on it, and it is all the same, from Heaven, even though it is a miraculous act.
5:03 According to Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, who writes regarding Chanukah that what is made by a miracle is not to be used, and so on; but in halachah this is something high above high. May we all merit the adjuring of the quill. These are words for the holy Shabbos.
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