YN: Congratulations on the publication of the second
volume of the Chumash HaGra, a mere three months after
publication of the first volume on Chumash Bereishis,
as part of a project of the Machon Moreshet Hayeshivos. How
were you able to do it in such a short period of time?
Rav Eliach: Many years of studying the Gaon's
teachings formed the basis of the books. In addition, the
actual work of compilation of the material was carried out
over a period of many years. I hope that we have accurately
reflected the Gra's teachings, and be'ezras Hashem,
that the entire project will now be completed as soon as
possible.
YN: Your Peninim Meshulchon HaGra on the Torah
is quite well known in the Torah world. By the way, I think
that after it was published, many other books with the Gra's
teachings came out. Imitation is obviously a sign of success.
But let's get back to the question of what chidushim
in Chumash Hagra are not found in Peninim,
besides the fact that the current series includes the text of
the Chumash, Onkelos, and Rashi.
Rav Eliach:Most of the peirushim in
Peninim are teachings that were said throughout the
years in the Gra's name. The majority are what the Torah
world calls, "tidbits," nice explanations and
chiddushim appropriate to venues like the Shabbos
table.
In Chumash HaGra, we have cited the Gaon's
elucidations that do not stem from the world of sod;
everything that can help us better understand the
Chumash. These range from the meaning of words to
extensive interpretations of various topics,
chiddushim, and simply brilliant ideas. We also cite
translations and explanations of specific words according to
the rules of grammar of loshon hakodesh to explain
particular problems in understanding a posuk. This can
also aid our understanding of themes running throughout the
Torah.
We have placed the explanations alongside the verses
themselves in an organized fashion. Short vortim are
interspersed with many more detailed explanations.
Chumash HaGra also contains many short vortim,
which include many ideas said in the name of the Gra, some in
his own words and some on the words of his students. There is
a hand symbol at the beginning of each of these
chiddushim to aid the reader, so he doesn't have to
spend a lot of time searching for a particular idea. He can
scan the text for these hand symbols marking unique
chiddushim or ideas. These are usually what we call
"geshmak," nice insights, tailor-made to give over to
fellow daveners at shul or to the family at the
Shabbos table.
Sometimes the hand symbol denotes a most interesting basic
idea in hashkofoh, useful for those involved in the
spreading of Torah knowledge or for anyone seeking to enhance
his own understanding. The symbol also marks an interesting
chiddush of another type, a gem of the Gra's infinite,
all-encompassing wisdom that has been revealed to us.
YN: Could you give us a few examples?
Rav Eliach:The Gra gives us a fundamental explanation
of one of the basic concepts in Judaism: the soul. Within
this framework, the Gra is the deciding voice in the
difference of opinion between the mekubalim and the
philosophers we have gleaned from his Shenos Eliyahu
on the Mishnah, maseches Shabbos, and from his
sefer Yahel Or on the Zohar.
The sefer (on Bereishis) also includes a
fascinating explanation of the word keshes, on the
topic of the bris between Hakodosh Boruch Hu
and His creations. Concerning this, the Gra teaches, "All the
philosophers and their interpreters were confused, for this
topic is beyond human understanding."
YN: Before we proceed, let's return to the question
with which we started. Is Chumash HaGra meant to
replace your Peninim MiShulchan HaGra or will
Peninim still occupy its own rightful position?
Rav Eliach:Peninim has its own unique
qualities. Boruch Hashem, that book has earned a
respectable place on the Jewish bookshelf. It speaks to
everyone, even to the general public which is perhaps less
knowledgeable. It offers short vortim for the Shabbos
table and similar occasions. The new Chumash HaGra
will not render it obsolete.
In addition, Peninim contains many sections that are
not included with the Chumash HaGra, such as the
interpretations of the aggados of the Shas, on
Nach and on the megillos, or on various
prayers. Peninim also includes notes at the bottom of
the pages to study and think about. All this in one
affordable volume that everyone can relate to.
The Chumash HaGra includes all these elements and
many more which are gleaned either from the Gaon himself or
from his students. They are of immeasurable value. For the
first time, all the words of the Gra on nigleh on the
Chumash are collected in an organized fashion, making
them accessible to everyone.
YN: When I hear you describe the whole process, I
can't help but appreciate the immense work involved in
compilation of Chumash HaGra. In my opinion, this book
should be on the shelves of the library of every Torah Jew,
next to the most basic books.
Rav Eliach: You've taken me back a couple of years, to
the exciting, busy time I had while compiling the book. I sat
in the presence of one of our gedolei hador and
described my plan to compile all of the Gra's teachings on
the Chumash on nigleh, verse by verse. He asked
me, "Do you mean a Chumash that contains the Gra's
explanations, alongside Onkelos and Rashi?"
"Yes," I answered.
He then smiled at me and said, "That's really a good idea;
wonderful!"
He added, "Chumash HaGra," he raised his voice, "is
not merely permissible, but a desirable and worthy
undertaking! What a question! The very idea of Chumash
HaGra can be immeasurably both important and useful."
This is perhaps the moment when I got the courage to pursue
the project, having received the approval of one of our Torah
giants for such a profound, comprehensive undertaking. To
having the Gra's peirush verse by verse can be of use
to so many people: from a melamed in cheider, a
ram in yeshiva, any Jew studying the weekly
parsha, or a seminary student doing her homework.
YN: You have told us that all the peirushim
cited in the sefer are taken from the Gra's
nigleh explanations only. On the other hand, most of
the Gra's writings stem from his knowledge of the
nistar. How did you find such a large quantity of
material?
Rav Eliach: Interestingly enough, I found most of the
Gaon's nigleh peirushim in his compositions on
nistar: his Yahel Or on the Zohar, his writings
on Sefer Yetsira and on the Tikkunei Zohar
Chodosh. The Gaon had a unique ability to teach us that
all aspects of Torah are intertwined, and all his
nigleh writings contain elements of sod. The
opposite holds true, too.
In practicality, this meant that from almost all of the Gra's
writings we were able to glean explanations and brilliant
chiddushim on the Chumash. This includes his
writings on the Tanach, on the Mishnah and the
gemora, on the Talmud Bavli as well as on the
Yerushalmi and the midrashim. We can add his
works on grammar and language. We also found material in
still-unpublished works.
Often we combined material from several sources on the same
topic.
YN: Why did you decide to limit the sefer to
the Gra's nigleh explanations?
Rav Eliach: Our goal was to make the book accessible
to anyone. Explanations based on sod, although utterly
lofty and holy, are reserved for a privileged few only. Were
we to cite them along with those of pshat, remez and
drush, I believe we would miss the mark. Our goal of
bringing the Gra's wisdom to Klal Yisroel would not
have been achieved.
We reached this decision upon consultation with the
gedolei Yisroel. They also told us not to include
material from the Gra's Aderes Eliyahu< on the Torah,
even though it was partially written by the sons and students
of the Gra.
YN: How did you handle pshat explanations that
leaned towards the sod? As you have told us, sometimes
the borders are unclear.
Rav Eliach: With the advice of many gedolim,
including our friend Rav David Cohen the rosh yeshiva of
Yeshivas Hevron, we cite some "borderline" explanations, as
he calls them. These include some elements that even if we
can not fully understand them, we can have an inkling of
understanding.
YN: How much were gedolei Yisroel involved in
this project?
Rav Eliach: In my opinion, any Torah writings include
elements of the fundamentals of our faith. A published
sefer can either serve to reinforce our
Yiddishkeit or do the opposite, chas vesholom.
This is why we must consult with our gedolim before
publication of any sefer.
Ever since I merited to become close to my rav and teacher,
HaRav Chaim Kanievski in 5752, I try to discuss all issues
with him. He makes the decisions. He has guided me throughout
the editorial process of Chumash HaGra and has
approved each step along the way. His handwritten comments on
each page were added to the text. In addition, a copy of a
section of his note to me, with his remarks, appears at the
beginning of the book.
