סנהדרין צט

R’ חיים שמחה וויטלס had a beautiful explanation of על שלושה דברים העולם עומד.  He had great respect for his fellow Jews, always making an effort to complete his תפילה with the ציבור so that they would not need to wait for him to complete קריאת שמע and שמונה עשרה.  Similarly, being a בקי in all the דינים of the שולחן ערוך he was able to promptly answer the שאלות presented to him.  He put an original twist on the statement in the משנה that על שלושה דברים העולם עומד.  He said those were three things on which the עולם, the crowd, stands and waits: על הדין, when the דיין is not a בקי בהלכה and needs to research his rulings; על האמת, when the רב is slow in getting to the אמת at the end of קריאת שמע; and על השלום, when the רב keeps the עולם waiting until he gets to עושה שלום at the end of תפילת שמונה עשרה.

06/10/2021