WAIT! Why Did R. Elazar Ben Azaryah Continue Throughout the Night??

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com

The question was made famous by the author of the Mishkenos Yaakov, one of the greatest students of the Volozhin Yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Bruchin (1780-1844). Rav Bruchin was the Rav of Karlin, was the premier student of Rav Chaim Volozhin and a grandson of Reb Boruch of Shklov – one of the Vilna Gaon’s top talmidim.

ONLY UNTIL MIDNIGHT

But let’s get back to his question. R. Elazar Ben Azariah is of the position that the Mitzvos of eating the Korban Pesach and of eating Matzah are only until Chatzos – Halachic midnight (see Psachim 120b). According to the drasha of “Baavur Zeh” the Mitzvah of Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim would also only be to midnight.

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WHY WAS HE ONE OF THE FIVE?

Why then in the Hagaddah, right after avadim hayinu, do we find Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah among the other four Rabbis Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon gathered in Bnei Brak telling the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim all night? They did so until their students came and said, “The time to recite the morning Shema has arrived.” He held that the Mitzvah only lasted until midnight!

ANSWERS

What follows are seven different answers to the Mishkenos Yaakov’s question. The final answer is given by Rav Yeruchem Olshin Shlita, one of the four Roshei Yeshiva of Beis Midrash Gavoah in Lakewood, New Jersey. Rav Olshin discusses and reviews four of the six answers that are presented below as well.

THE SHAIM MISHMUEL’S ANSWER

Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein (1855-1926) author of the Shaim MiShmuel in his hagaddah answers that R. Elazar Ben Azariah was in the hometown of the Rav of Bnei Brak – Rabbi Akiva. The Gemorah in Sanhedrin (32b) tells us that Rabbi Akiva lived in Bnei Brak. R. Elazar Ben Azariah conducted himself like Rabbi Akiva – when he was in Bnei Brak.

THE MISHKENOS YAAKOV’S ANSWER

Rav Yaakov Bruchin provides an answer to his own question (his sefer was printed in Vilna, in1838). He says that there are two Mitzvos going on here. They are:

The Mitzvah on Pesach of Discussing or Sippur Yetzias Mitzrayim.
The Mitzvah throughout the year of Remembering – zchiras Yetzias Mitzrayim.

Rav Bruchin writes that present also there at Bnei Brak was the Nassi – Rabban Gamliel – who held that the Mitzvah of Sippur was all night. The five Rabbis fulfilled Mitzvah #2 of Zchira that night specifically, so as not to disrespect Rabban Gamliel, and at the same time not to appear as if they are adding on to a Mitzvah in the Torah. They, therefore, chose to fulfill Mitzvah #2 that night – so as not to create a maaris ayin of adding onto Mitzvah #1.

THE NETZIV’S ANSWER

Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (1816-1893) learns similarly to the Mishkenos Yaakov in that they were fulfilling Mitzvah #2, but he writes that they also fulfilled Mitzvah #1 simultaneously. He held that one may continue fulfilling Mitzvah #1 – even later, but there is a caveat. It may not appear to be adding onto a Mitzvah. In other words, one may continue fulfilling a Mitzvah that ended at point X during point Y – but it may not appear to others that the Mitzvah extend from point W to point Y. The only way to do that is to fulfill Mitzvah #2 as well.

THE STEIPLER’S ANSWER

Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita’s father, the Steipler Gaon, Rav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky zt”l (1899-1985) in his Sefer Kehilas Yaakov on Brachos (p.15) gives a different answer. He writes that there is no further fulfillment of Mitzvah #2 – once a person has already fulfilled the Mitzvah of remembering it – earlier that night in the Shma. The Steipler Gaon notes that there is no mention anywhere of a person being praiseworthy for remembering it all night. He, therefore, concludes that there is a special Rabbinic Mitzvah of continuing Mitzvah #1 throughout the night. That is why R. Elazar Ben Azarya was in Bnei Brak continuing all night.

THE EMEK BRACHA’S ANSWER

Rav Aryeh Ben Zev Pomeranchik zt”l (1908-1942), a close student of the Steipler, provides in his “Emek Bracha” an altogether different answer to the Mishkenos Yaakov’s question. He writes that R. Elazar Ben Azarya was fulfilling the Mitzvah of Hilchos Chag b’Chag – studying the halachos of Pesach on Pesach itself. The Gemorah in Megillah 4a explains that Moshe Rabbeinu enacted that Klal Yisroel study the laws of Pesach on Pesach (and also 30 days earlier). R. Elazar Ben Azarya was fulfilling this Mitzvah.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE ANSWER

This author would like to suggest another possible answer. Even when there is no Mitzvah of Sippur Yetzias Mitzarim, or Zchiras Mitzrayim, or Chag b’Chag – there is a Mitzvah of uBo Sidbak – cleaving and sticking to HaKadosh Boruch Hu – the Mitzvah of coming ever closer to Him. Rashi on Chumash tells us that one can accomplish this by cleaving and sticking to Talmidei Chachom. Schar or no Schar, who wouldn’t stay up all night with the Gedolei Torah of this generation? As far as bal tosif is concerned – this is the aftermath dveikus – the discussion of the shiur with the Rosh Yeshiva – after it is delivered – where essential and key bonding occurs most. Perhaps this is the meaning of the Gemorah in Brachos (7b), “Gedolah shimusha yoser m’limudah.”

RAV YERUCHEM OLSHIN SHLITA’S ANSWER

Rav Yeruchem Olshin (Yareach LaMoadim Pesach Volume I, p. 226) questions the Emek Bracha’s answer. He points out that the pshat is not so indicated in the wording of the Baal hagaddah who writes, “hayu mesaprim b’yitzas mitzrayim kol oso halailah.” Rav Olshin further points out that this wording does not signify halachos, but rather it seems to indicate discussing the actual exodus.

Rav Olshin instead suggests that there is one Mitzvah here of relating a story. That story, however, can be improved through the notion of Hiddur Mitzvah – as long as the story is continuing in one fell swoop. Even though it is past the time, one may always improve the quality of a Mitzvah. Falling asleep – would cut the Mitzvah up and stop it. With this concept, Rav Olshin answers a number of other questions and difficulties.

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