English translation — מסעי ב

A.

In connection with the number of the years of the life of Aharon the Kohen which is told in a verse <b>by itself </b>in our parshah¹

— "And Aharon was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor" — it says in the Yerushalmi²

: A hundred and twenty-three times that Israel answers Halleluyah

(when saying Hallel³)

corresponding to the years of Aharon.

What is the connection of the answering of "Halleluyah" with "the years of Aharon"?

Does the Yerushalmi explain⁴

: Halleluyah, praise G-d in His holiness⁵,

for Aharon His holy one,

for Aharon the holy one of the Lord⁶.

D.

E.

That the praise of the Most High is connected with Aharon the holy one of the Lord,

as it says "Praise G-d in His holiness".

From this very thing that the Yerushalmi connects the recitation of 123 times Halleluyah

Corresponding to the years of Aharon with the verse "Praise G-d in His holiness" — that the praise must be "in His holiness" — it is understood,

that the connection of Aharon to the recitation of Hallel is not only in a matter of number

(that both have the number 123),

which is only an external matter&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt;,

rather there is between them a connection in &lt;b&gt;content&lt;/b&gt;: the recitation of Hallel must be connected with "His holiness",

which is the essence of Aharon; and on the contrary — this is the reason for that which they are equal in their count.

one must understand: what is the connection of the answering of Halleluyah

(in Hallel)

with Aaron⁸?

B.

This matter

(that the 123 times Halleluyah correspond to the years of Aaron)

is brought in the book of the Rambam,

in the laws of reciting Hallel

(which he inserted⁹

into the laws of Chanukah¹⁰),

when he speaks about the custom of reciting Hallel "in the days of the early sages,"

and this is his language:

After the one who recites the great Hallel begins and says Halleluyah, and all the people answer Halleluyah, and repeats and says Praise, servants of the Lord, and all the people answer Halleluyah, and repeats and says Praise the name of the Lord, and all the people answer Halleluyah, and repeats and says May the name of the Lord be blessed from now and forever, and all the people answer Halleluyah,

And likewise for every

thing,

until they were found answering in the entire Hallel Halleluyah one hundred and twenty-three times,

A sign for them [of] the years of Aaron.

one must understand: it is known that the book Yad HaChazakah of the Rambam is a book of "halachos halachos"¹¹,

i.e.

that is

he brings in his book only matters of halacha

(and not matters of derush or storytelling),

and in the language of the Yaavetz¹²

: and things from which no law from the laws nor ethics and conduct and necessary knowledge emerge, it is not his way, may his memory be blessed, to involve himself with them in this composition — for what purpose does he bring this sign?

Simply, the reason for a sign is to help remember.

And in our case — to remember the number of the Aniyas HaHallel

(and one can say that this is when it is not a regular number)¹³.

But it is difficult to say that only for this does the Rambam bring it,

because it is not the way of the Rambam in his book Yad HaChazakah to give signs to remember the numbers which he brings¹⁴.

is therefore plausible to say,

that the sign is also a <b>halacha</b>.

And one must say the point of the explanation in this:

With the bringing of the sign, the Rambam intends to indicate the definition of

The answering of Halleluyah: that all the 123 times that one must answer Halleluyah constitute together one concept

(similar to the years of one and the same person)¹⁵,

and consequently,

that if one misses answering Halleluyah one time,

there is lacking in the "completeness" of that concept — it must be the full number of 123 answers,

which together constitute a unique content

(corresponding to the years of Aharon).

What is the explanation of this,

that the 123 times of answering Halleluyah are all together <b>one</b> matter?

Also: since the sign is "years of Aharon",

it is understood from this,

that this is connected with the essence of Aharon¹⁶.

What is the connection¹⁷?

3.

will one understand this with an introduction to the opinion of the Rambam regarding the order of reciting Hallel — that he writes¹⁸

(regarding the aforementioned custom which was "in the days of the early sages")

: this is the first custom <b>and in it it is fitting to go</b>.

is seemingly not understood: it is explained in the commentators of the Talmud¹⁹,

that the reason of

The custom mentioned above "in the days of the early sages" was due to the paucity of knowledge in that time,

there were many "who are not expert" who had to fulfill the recitation of Hallel through the emissary of the congregation.

Today, as the Rambam says that it is "proper to go" in this custom,

and not that it is "proper" that each one should recite Hallel by himself²⁰?

It is from this itself compelled that according to the Rambam,

it is even though that the &lt;b&gt;reason &lt;/b&gt;of the enactment

(in the order of reciting Hallel)

was because of the "those who are not proficient" — but they established the order of recitation in such a manner,

that through this &lt;b&gt;nothing should be missing &lt;/b&gt;in the recitation

(also from those who are proficient)

; it is as if one had recited the entire Hallel by oneself.

And one can say,

that the reason for this is understood from the words of the Rambam in his ruling of the law in the order of reciting Hallel,

where he says that:

(a)

The response of the people is — <b>Halleluyah</b>²¹

(not like the opinion of other Rishonim²²,

that the response of Halleluyah was only at the first chapter of Hallel,

but at the

other chapters they would answer the word which is the head of that chapter)

(b)

There is a certain number of the Halleluyahs

("a sign for them [of] the years of Aharon"),

i.e.,

One must have all 123 times.

That is,

That is,

The explanation in this:

Regarding the order of answering when a great one recites the Hallel,

the Meiri asks²³

: Why must one have the answering of Halleluyah — one can fulfill one's obligation

(Hallel)

by hearing from the emissary of the congregation

(the one who hears is like the one who answers²⁴)?

And he answers,

that Hallel "is like prayer,"

and regarding prayer there is a principle²⁵

that "a person cannot fulfill the obligation of his fellow through it."

But since "it is not complete prayer" they were lenient,

that one need not say the entire Hallel

(as with prayer),

rather it is sufficient to answer Halleluyah or the like.

From this, however, that the Rambam says about the custom "and in it it is fitting to go,"

it is implied,

that this is not a leniency

(because then it would be understood,

that it is more fitting not to use a leniency

(and say the entire Hallel)).

And therefore it can be said,

that according to the Rambam, one who answers to these Hallels is considered as if it should be counted exactly as if one had oneself said

(entire)

Hallel.

And in the manner that we find by answering Amen to a blessing,

that "one who answers Amen after the one who recites the blessing, behold this one is like one who recites the blessing"

: when one hears and has intention to

fulfill one's obligation but one does not answer Amen,

one also fulfills one's obligation,

but one is not "like one who recites the blessing".

But when one answers Amen,

then "behold this one is like one who recites the blessing".

That is: according to the Meiri,

the responses of Halleluyah and chapter headings

(not an addition to the essential obligation of reciting Hallel,

but they are)

an <b>additional</b> enactment,

and in his language²⁷

: "in order to amplify the matter of joy"; that is,

the obligation of reciting Hallel can be fulfilled through hearing, by the principle of one who hears is like one who answers²⁸,

but in order that there should be joy,

there must be participation in actual recitation,

and this is through the responses of Halleluyah etc.

The Rambam however teaches,

that the response of Halleluyah etc. is

(not a separate matter in the obligation of reciting Hallel,

but)

a part of the obligation of reciting Hallel: the matter of joy that is in the obligation of Hallel creates an obligation that one must recite

(the whole)

Hallel,

and therefore they enacted the responses etc. so that each one should become "like one who recites Hallel".

And for this reason it is a custom that "it is proper to follow"²⁹.

5.

Since the answers need to effect that one should be “like one who says Hallel,”

it is understandable,

that they instituted

a wording

(— chosen a word)

that has a connection to

(whole and wholeness of)

Hallel — in the manner of the answering of “Amen”

(from the word truth³⁰),

which effects that one should be “like one who blesses.”

And therefore the Rambam holds that one answered "Halleluyah upon every thing"

(and not — the chapter headings)

— because this expresses the general and essential content of Hallel.

And since the intention of this order is,

so that it should be as one says the entire Hallel by oneself — it is understood,

that for this all 173 times of answering Halleluyah are required,

for which the Rambam brings the sign

(as above sec. 2).

6.

According to this, one will also understand the connection of the answering of Hallel by the people to Aharon,

and also — to "the years of Aharon":

The essence of Aharon is — "loves peace and pursues peace, loves the creatures and draws them near to Torah"³¹

— the unity of all Jews.

And the matter of Aharon is expressed in the Torah in connection with the count of the years of his life: at the time of his death,

when he was 123 years old,

it says in the verse³²

"And they wept, etc. <b>all</b> the house of Israel",

and Chazal³³

explain,

that in this Aharon was even greater than Moshe,

because his essence was "pursuer of <b>peace</b> etc."

And this is the connection of the Halleluyah answers to "the years of Aharon",

because

(those distant from Torah and His service&lt;sup&gt;34&lt;/sup&gt;)

and brings them close to Torah” — is also]

The &lt;b&gt;action &lt;/b&gt;of the enactment is,

that instead of each Jew saying Hallel &lt;b&gt;by himself&lt;/b&gt;,

all Jews become united in &lt;b&gt;one &lt;/b&gt;recitation of Hallel.

And even more: since the poor people do on it that it should be as if each one says complete Hallel,

it comes out that this is a true unity

When one fulfills only in a manner of "listener is like responder" — this is still not a perfection of unity.

Because even though that all fulfill with the same recitation of Hallel,

this is however in a manner that the fulfillment of the commandment of Hallel is not equal for all: one

(the prayer leader)

fulfills it through recitation,

and all others are only listeners

("receiver")

from the prayer leader and fulfill their obligation through his recitation.

But through the poverty of Halleluyah it is revealed that all have the matter of Hallel in the same manner — <b>the recitation of</b> Hallel; and this itself is in a manner of <b>unity</b>: the <b>one</b> recitation of the chazzan is the recitation of "<b>all the people</b>" who "respond".

7.

Based on all the above, one can say,

that this is also the explanation — in the manner of a sign and hint — in a general question in the Rambam here: why did the Rambam place the laws of <b>Hallel</b> in the laws of <b>Chanukah</b>³⁷?

At first glance, their place is in the laws of prayer³⁸?

And according to the above it will be understood: according to the explanation said it turns out,

that one of the main matters in saying Hallel

(according to the first custom but that "it is fitting to go")

is the unity of Jews — that which all Jews together stand in a state of peace in the ultimate,

until a complete unity.

And this is the conclusion and seal

(that "everything follows the conclusion"³⁹)

of the laws of Chanukah,

that "the entire⁴⁰

Torah was given to make peace in the world"⁴¹.

8.

The Gemara⁴²

says "The Holy One, blessed be He, sought to make Hezekiah the Messiah",

but because "You performed all these miracles for him and he did not recite song before You",

therefore he was not the one who redeemed the Jews.

Since the measure of goodness is greater etc.⁴³,

it is understood,

that the matter of reciting Hallel and song upon miracles brings near and brings the redemption.

May it be His will,

that through this clarification of the law in the laws of Hallel,

and also through this

(the deed is the main thing —)

praise and laud the Most High for all the miracles that He does with Jews,

which is seen openly that "the hand of God has done this"⁴⁴,

"for the Lord your God is He who gives you strength to make wealth"⁴⁵,

One should merit speedily, literally, to the recitation of the tenth song⁴⁶

and in the future to come — in the manner of a new song⁴⁷,

in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Mashiach.

Shabbos Parshas Masei 5741)