English translation — חה"ס ג

1.

Regarding the mitzvah of Hakhel¹

(whose time is on the night after the first festival day of Sukkot²,

which is the beginning of the Chol Hamoed days³)

one finds a special matter that one does not find by other mitzvos of the Torah: the mitzvah of "Hakhel" encompasses all Jews,

also <b>infants</b>,

as it says in the verse⁴

"Gather the people, the men, the women, and the infants, etc."

In general one does not find,

that in a Torah mitzvah minors should have a participation from the Torah together⁵

with all Jews — unlike by Hakhel⁶

the Torah includes them in the mitzvah together with all Jews.

And one could say,

that in this unique aspect of Hakhel,

there is expressed a fundamental point in the content and essence of the mitzvah of Hakhel,

as follows.

2.

As one learns in the plain sense,

the participation of infants in the mitzvah of Hakhel is an obligation that applies

(not upon the minors themselves,

but)

upon the <b>father</b>

(and mother),

that they should bring them; and as the Gemara

(in Chagigah⁷)

says, "Infants, why do they come? In order to give reward to those who bring them."⁸

- And according to this, it must simply turn out,

that also when the minor is in such a situation that an adult in the same situation is exempt from "Hakhel"

(for example: a deaf person,

blind and the like),

he, as a minor, is included in the obligation - since the obligation and commandment is not upon him,

but upon the father to bring him,

there is no difference in which situation the minor is⁹

According to this, however, it is not understandable: the Gemara says in tractate Kiddushin¹⁰

regarding the commandment of Hakhel,

that even if in the verse it would not have stood explicitly the obligation of Hakhel for women, one would have derived the obligation for women with a kal vachomer from minors - "if minors are obligated, women are not all the more so":

If the obligation regarding a child is only on those who bring them,

as above,

how is it possible to say about them "children are obligated"?

Also: since the "children" themselves are not

obligated - how can one from them derive a kal vachomer that women are obligated¹¹?

(which says "to give reward to those who bring them")

is not according to halachah,

since this is only an "aggadah",

a "drash"¹²

and "we do not derive [law] from the aggados"¹³,

and that according to halachah it is accepted that minors are themselves obligated as above from tractate Kiddushin -

Because we find in many places that one derives from the Gemara also regarding halachah,

As one sees¹⁴

that the counting of the commandments¹⁵

bring down the Gemara in connection to the commandment of Hakhel,

until one also finds in the poskim¹⁶

that one learns from this regarding the matter of Torah study by women].

3.

One could seemingly say,

according to how the commentators¹⁷

explain,

that in

The verses of Hakhel speak about two types of ketanim: one type of ketanim are those who have reached the age of education,

about whom it is stated in the second verse¹⁸

"and their children who do not know shall hear and learn to fear the Lord your God" - that the commandment lies upon them themselves; but the preceding verse "Assemble the people, the men, the women, and the little ones" also speaks about a second type of "little ones" of a younger age,

such ketanim who have not reached the age of education¹⁹,

and about them it is said "why have they come,

in order to give reward to those who bring them"²⁰

- and the reward is also present regarding the bringers of the ketanim who have reached the age of education - follow the reason.

According to this it emerges that what is said "little ones are obligated" speaks about "little ones" who have reached the age of education and they are included in hearing and learning.

It is however a difficulty to learn it this way,

because,

a)

Also by minors who have reached the age of education, the obligation of education for commandments in general is not upon the minor&lt;sup&gt;21&lt;/sup&gt;,

but upon his raiser and educator,

which as a rule it is the father - and simply it is also so in our case; and even if you would say that by the commandment of Hakhel there is a special command also upon the minors themselves

(not as by other commandments)

and the minor himself is called an obligated one in the matter -

which

holding,

that a minor who has reached the age of education,

although the obligation of education applies to the educator,

it does not mean, however, that the minor is exempt,

rather from the aspect of the commandment of education the minor is called obligated in that commandment]

It will, however, according to this turn out a novelty in the difference between the two types of minors — that by very young minors where the obligation and commandment is only upon those who bring them

("in order to give reward to those who bring them" of tractate Chagigah),

the obligation of Hakhel includes also such minors who according to their status would have been exempt from Hakhel in their adulthood;

And specifically the older minors,

who have reached the age of education

(the infants of tractate Kiddushin),

since they themselves are called obligated in Hakhel,

their obligation applies only when they are in such a situation that in their adulthood they would have been obligated in Hakhel — and it is not avoided that one should distinguish in such a manner between the two types of minors.

b)

And the main point²³,

from the language of the Gemara in Kiddushin "&lt;b&gt;infants &lt;/b&gt;are obligated" — and not "minors are obligated" and the like — implies simply that there it speaks about the same type of minors as in Chagigah

("infants" — "young children"²⁴)

; and as Rashi²⁵

infers that "infants are obligated" is known from the phrase "and the young children",

which is stated in

(the previous)

verse

(not from the verse after it "and their children who do not know etc.").

from this it is proven that the minor himself has upon himself the obligation of the mitzvah

of Hakhel; and according to the opinions&lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;

that the obligation applies also to the youngest of minors,

they too are obligated in the mitzvah of Hakhel.

And since so, the question returns to its place²⁷

: How does this align with what the Gemara says about "children" — "to give reward to those who bring them",

and also with the principle <b>simple </b>

(and it is logical)

that there cannot be any obligations regarding "young children"²⁸

who are not people of understanding²⁹?

4.

One will understand this with the introduction of the explanation in the beginning of the discourse of Rabbi Avraham ibn Ezra "If men come to learn, women come to hear" — for at first glance,

what is he thereby innovating?

This is indeed stated explicitly in the verse "so that they may hear and so that they may learn".

One cannot learn,

that in הכי נמי — with "if men to learn and women to hear" his intention is not to reveal a novelty,

rather he says this as an introduction to the conclusion "why do they come"&lt;sup&gt;30&lt;/sup&gt;,

and in the manner of the style "בשלמא"

(or "הניחא"&lt;sup&gt;31&lt;/sup&gt;)

men etc. women etc.,

Because a)

then instead of "אם" there should have stood the &lt;b&gt;usual &lt;/b&gt;language "בשלמא",

b)

furthermore: also "בשלמא" the Gemara says when there is in it

A novel concept or rationale,

that one derives

(and not that which is explicit),

and along the lines of the expression "בשלמא למ"ד"³²

- but in our case he does not provide any novelty on that which the verse states explicitly.

And even more difficult: the exposition of Ibn Ezra is brought in Rashi's commentary on the Torah³³,

divided according to the individual words of the verse: on "אנשים" Rashi says "ללמוד",

then he quotes from the verse "נשים" and explains - "לשמוע",

and on "טף" he says "למה באו לתת שכר למביאיהם".

One sees,

that also the "ללמוד" by "אנשים" and the "לשמוע" by "ונשים" is an explanation in itself

(not merely an introduction to the question "טף למה באין")³⁴.

5.

At first glance, it can be explained according to the words of the Tosafos: "It says in the Yerushalmi that it is not like Ben Azzai who said a person is obligated to teach his daughter Torah" — since in the verse it says "so that they may hear and so that they may learn" without specification,

it implies that it includes also women&lt;sup&gt;35&lt;/sup&gt;,

therefore Rabbeinu Avraham

(who holds that one may not teach Torah to Jewish daughters,

not like Ben Azzai)

needed to say and explain,

that the verse means "in separate directions": "Men come to learn and women come

(only)

to hear".

It is, however, forced to learn it this way,

because the sugya in the Gemara and the derashah of Rabbeinu Avraham come to teach primarily the laws and details of "Parshat

“Hakhel” and not the law that women are obligated or forbidden in Torah study.

6.

The point of the explanation in this:

simple meaning³⁶

the verse "Assemble the people, the men, the women, and the children, etc. so that they hear and so that they learn and fear, etc."

is that the commandment of Hakhel is upon an individual

(the king),

he should assemble the men, the women, and the children,

but not a commandment upon the men, women, and children themselves.

and the continuation of the verse "so that they hear and so that they learn and fear the Lord your God to do, etc." explains the purpose and intention of the commandment

"so that your days and the days of your children be multiplied, etc."³⁸,

and more - which

(in general and usually)

does not mean a matter and action that occurs in the present,

but rather what will result afterwards]

The purpose of the mitzvah of Hakhel

(through the king who assembles and reads before them portions of the Torah)

is,

that from this should come forth to the entire community of Israel they shall hear and learn etc.

(seemingly)

from the language of the Rambam³⁹

: "It is a positive commandment to assemble all Israel, men, women, and children ..

and to read in their ears from the Torah portions that encourage them⁴⁰

in the commandments and strengthen their hands in the true faith."

From which language it is understood,

that:

a)

The mitzvah of Hakhel is not a mitzvah upon every individual Jew,

that he must come to participate in the mitzvah of Hakhel,

Rather it is a mitzvah to &lt;b&gt;assemble&lt;/b&gt;&lt;sup&gt;41&lt;/sup&gt;

him,

and the command is to the king who has the power to assemble

(or to the court&lt;sup&gt;42&lt;/sup&gt;).

b)

The mitzvah of Hakhel - is the king's mitzvah: "You shall gather" etc. "Hakhel" etc. with the purpose

(And one could say more than this - that this is also among the details of the command to the king - that he assemble and read in a manner)

that they shall hear, etc.,

for which he reads the portions&lt;sup&gt;43&lt;/sup&gt;

"&lt;b&gt;that they spur them to mitzvos &lt;/b&gt;and strengthen their hands in the true religion"&lt;sup&gt;44&lt;/sup&gt;

(and from a platform&lt;sup&gt;45&lt;/sup&gt;)].

The men, women, and children are only that through their coming is fulfilled the command that is here upon the &lt;b&gt;assembler&lt;/b&gt;,

the king.

And through that which among Jews there is the "they shall hear, learn, fear, and observe to do" etc.

(In the future&lt;sup&gt;46&lt;/sup&gt;)

is carried out

The purpose and intention of the king's commandment.

7.

Ibn Ezra explains the content of the mitzvah of Hakhel — "If men come

(this is)

to learn, women come — to hear,"

with which he innovates two things:

a)

that there is an obligation upon the individual

(also)

upon the men and women themselves to be "coming" — to come,

for although the Torah placed the obligation and mitzvah upon the assembler

(the king),

nevertheless, from this there is an obligation upon the men and women to carry out the mitzvah

(of the assembler)⁴⁷

known concerning a woman in Pru U'rvu,

that although a woman does not have upon herself the obligation of the mitzvah of Pru U'rvu,

"Nevertheless she has a mitzvah because she assists her husband to fulfill his mitzvah",

The difference is only: Regarding Pru U'rvu no obligation is placed upon the woman,

it is only that "she has a mitzvah",

because there her assistance and participation is only from the aspect of &lt;b&gt;the reality&lt;/b&gt;,

the husband can in reality not fulfill the mitzvah of &lt;b&gt;Pru U'rvu&lt;/b&gt; which lies upon him without the woman;

In this matter, however, the participation of the men and women

(and children)

is not only from the perspective of reality,

but also from the perspective of the definition of the commandment — they are the object of the commandment,

that in which the “they shall hear” must be actualized,

“they shall learn,” etc.,

and consequently it becomes in the manner

Consequently, an obligation upon the person applies to them.

And see the words of the Charedim⁴⁹

known that there is a positive commandment upon Israel that they be blessed by the kohanim]⁵⁰.

b)

The "so that they may hear and so that they may learn etc." is not only the purpose and result of the commandment,

rather this is the content of the commandment: the obligation upon the men and women to come to the Hakhel,

is not only to &lt;b&gt;be &lt;/b&gt;there so that the commandment of &lt;b&gt;Hakhel &lt;/b&gt;the people by the king should be carried out

(and through this the purpose of the commandment in general and in the future will be achieved,

as above)

rather the "to learn and to hear" is

(also)

the content of the commandment of the coming of the men and women.

8.

Continuing from this, Ibn Ezra asks

("to learn and to hear" is the benefit and commandment of the men and women,

but)

"And the little ones, why do they come": what obligation and matter is there in the coming of the "little ones" analogous to the coming of the men and women - &lt;b&gt;in addition &lt;/b&gt;to the common denominator of men, women, and little ones,

that through the coming of all of them the commandment of the convener is fulfilled and the purpose of the Hakhel is carried out?

To this Rabbi Elazar answers,

that the matter of the infants coming is - "to give reward to those who bring them": - since regarding the infants no obligation applies,

is the concept in this and the benefit

(additional)

only "to give reward to those who bring them".

9.

Based on this it is understandable what the Gemara says "children are obligated",

and there is a possibility to learn women from children with a kal vachomer,

as above:

In the <b>essence of the mitzvah</b> of Hakhel, both men and women and children are equal,

since through their coming, the mitzvah of the <b>assembler</b> is fulfilled.

From the side of the mitzvah upon the assembler to assemble men, women, and children,

they all become equally an object of the mitzvah.

Even very young minors,

are included in the category of "children are obligated",

since through them the mitzvah of the assembler "Assemble the people, the men, the women, and the children" is carried out].

And since "the minors are obligated",

they are included in the essence of the mitzvah of Hakhel

(is even if it would not have stood women by the mitzvah of Hakhel)

one would have learned that also women are included in the mitzvah; it is only that by women it comes that by them this also becomes a chiyuv gavra

(since they are baalei de'ah)

upon the women themselves⁵¹

(which by minors this is not applicable).

Yud.

The explanation in this in the inner dimension of the matters:

- Why specifically by the mitzvah of Hakhel one finds that all were obligated in it - men, women, and children - and on the other hand the obligation of the mitzvah is upon the one who assembles,

upon the king

(or the court)

It will be understood according to the language of the Rambam⁵²,

that the mitzvah of Hakhel is "to strengthen the true religion",

or in the language of the Chinuch⁵³

"This mitzvah is a strong pillar and great honor in the religion".

And one can say the explanation of this,

that the essence of Hakhel is to reveal the point of faith in every Jew,

which is the foundation and pillar that strengthens the true religion - "and they strengthen the hands of the true religion".

The point of faith is strengthened and revealed through the fact that the king gathers all the Jews in the Holy Temple and he "reads before them".

Since the king is the heart of the entire congregation of Israel⁵⁴

and he brings in the self-nullification and acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven and fear of God into all Jews⁵⁵,

he effects through his assembling of the Jews that there should be revealed in them the point of Judaism which expresses itself in faith and fear of God.

- acceptance of the yoke of the kingdom of heaven and acceptance of the yoke of commandments,

and the portion Asima Alai Melech&lt;sup&gt;57&lt;/sup&gt;,

which all of this arouses and engraves in them the

faith and fear of Hashem over the course of all these years - "all the days that you live upon the earth"].

And for this reason the mitzvah is,

as it is stated in the verse,

in the Written Torah: a)

for all Jews equally,

because the point of Judaism which expresses itself in the awakening of faith in G‑d etc.,

exists equally in every Jew,

from the greatest of the great to the smallest of the small,

also in a child,

believers, children of believers⁵⁸,

because this is not connected with understanding and comprehension etc.,

but with the essence of the soul which exists in every Jew.

b)

It was not commanded to each individual but to the assembler—to the king,

because the proper <b>strengthening </b>

(reinforcement)

and awakening of the point of Judaism,

the point of faith,

until it should effect on “all the days”—is not in one’s own power,

but from the side and through⁵⁹

the king,

who is the general soul of the entirety of the people⁶⁰.

And based on this it is understood a wonderful matter that one finds regarding the mitzvah of Hakhel: it does not act only for a duration of time as one finds regarding aliyah laregel,

but for "all the days that you live upon the earth",

because the aspect is connected with yechidah shebanefesh,

in which there are no changes.

Yes.

And in addition - the Oral Torah explains

(Gemara and Rashi)

- that in it is revealed that which is "hidden and concealed, secret and hidden" in the Torah

that which is written⁶²

- that to this revelation and strengthening of the faith through the king must also come the revelation of the point,

it must affect and arouse the inner powers,

which is brought about through

(the service of)

the individual.

and in this not all are equal,

it must be for each one according to his manner - "men study, etc."

and after this the Gemara continues,

that by bringing the little ones and including also them in the commandment of Hakhel together with the king,

a reward is brought about

(additional enhancement)

in the inner powers of "those who bring them".

And perhaps one could say that this is more than what is brought about through their service with themselves.

12.

From this one derived the practical directive: even though the mitzvah of Hakhel is not currently applicable in practice,

as long as the Holy Temple has not yet been rebuilt,

nevertheless, "the Torah is eternal," and in spiritual service the mitzvah exists also in this time and in every place.

One must see that during the days of the festival of Sukkot, especially, one should gather together as many Jews as possible,

not looking at whatever state this or that Jew finds himself in,

including also the "young children,"

and all the more so the Jews who are obligated in all the commandments but — in the category of "young children" regarding their knowledge of Torah and observance of commandments — them too one must bring into a gathering among Jews.

And although it may be that in knowledge is still that "child" mentioned above not reached chinuch - he is still not even capable of understanding the meaning of Torah and mitzvos and Judaism - but through that which one brings him into a gathering of Jews,

that "when ten eat, the Divine Presence dwells"⁶³,

and especially in a gathering whose subject is to arouse fear of Heaven,

this helps,

that there should be revealed in him the point of Judaism and faith which is always invested with him⁶⁴.

And this will also effect that the one who brings should receive an additional reward and elevation in his service -

And also regarding that child, the point of faith will permeate him entirely so that there will be changed in him also his inner powers,

there becomes in him hearing and study,

until "and they shall fear the L-rd and keep to do all the words of this Torah".

And one merits this "great congregation shall return here"⁶⁵,

in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Mashiach,

and celebrate the congregation with King Mashiach together in the Third Beis HaMikdash.

(Hisvaadus B)

5734,

Purim 5727,

Simchas Beis HaShoevah 5713)