Monday, September 1, 2014

סימן א סעיף א (1, 1)[1]  שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד, I place God before me always – For countless centuries this verse (Tehillim 16:8) has been interpreted,[2] as it is being interpreted here by Rav Shlomo Ganzfried, as an expression of יראת ה' (yir’at haShem), “fear (or awe) of God.” If I think of God at all times, actively placing Him at the forefront of my mind and maintaining an awareness of Him during all my waking hours, I will be imbued with the fear of God and will be led into submission before Him. This submission will not only be expressed via our thoughts and emotions, but it will be further manifested in the way in which we behave. The hope, expressed by Rav Ganzfried in more certain terms, is that this thinking will ultimately lead a person to avoid sin and wrongdoing.
     Alternatively, this verse can also be interpreted as a clear and simple expression of אהבת ה' (ahavat haShem), “Love of God.” Scanning the whole of the chapter from which this verse has been culled we see that it is filled with expressions of faith in God and the joy that accompanies that feeling. It is, indeed, a very happy psalm and it thus lends itself to a positive interpretation. It would seem that this second approach would be the more natural, the more basic explanation for this verse.  
     What is the difference between these two approaches, between obedience to God due to fear or heeding God's wishes out of love for God? It is not that I underestimate the power of intimidation to motivate an individual to act in certain ways. Knowing that God watches your every move and takes note of all you do certainly inspires many to be on their best behavior at all times, or at least as often as they can muster the inner strength to stay consciously aware of God's watchful presence. Awareness that one is being observed in most cases will call for a change in behavior. Doctoral researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2012-2013), Sander van der Linden put it this way: “I think Thomas Jefferson was on a similar train of thought when he wrote, “Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.” I always found this to be a particularly interesting quote, as it reminds us of the fact that we tend to be on our best behavior when we know that we are being observed.”[3] If van der Linden’s comments hold true for the perception of being watched, all the more so should they hold true when we are really being watched.  
     While having God watch us can certainly be intimidating, it does not need to be. Rather than picturing God as a warden or police officer, constantly vigilant to see if anyone is doing wrong, God may be perceived as a parent sitting on a park bench watching a child at play. Certainly the parent will respond if they see their child throwing sand or pebbles at other children, but their presence at the playground is an expression of love and concern for the welfare of the child. The father or mother brought their child there for the benefit of the child, not for the benefit of the parent, and they wish to be certain that their child remains safe in this open environment. Even more, the child wishes for the parent to be there, and at times, when the child does not see the parent, he or she will go running, seeking out their “lost” father or mother, crying until they find them.
     In this chapter of Tehillim, thinking of God leads David to the hope that he will avoid sin (in keeping with one of the interpretations of “I shall not falter”), and still the overall tone is one of love and happiness. He speaks of how his life experiences and personal observations lead him to love, which further leads him to think of God. Here David says that I put God before me at all times not to enhance my fear (or even awe) of Him, but because I love Him and want Him there in my life.
     Such an attitude – coming to feel love towards God – fosters the desire in a person to want God to have a part in his life. This will lead a person to search out ways to help him feel His Presence at every turn. This provides the impetus for a person to perform the mitzvot, those behaviors designed to help the individual accomplish this goal, to build such a relationship with God.
     Given the possibility to understand this verse as encouraging us to love God and to seek His closeness, it occurs to me that in today's times this interpretation is the one to be stressed. Such a message of love at the opening to the world of halakhah would be more appropriate in this generation.
     Rav Yehudah Amital, past rosh yeshivah of Yeshivat Har Etzion, remarks, "Aside from the educational problems mentioned above, it occurs to me that in our age there is a deficiency in basing an observant Jew's service to God on fear of punishment. In an age where people are sacrificing their lives for national, social, and ethical ideals, it is demeaning for us to say that service to God is performed only due to one's fear of punishment."[4]   
     To this I would like to add without further comment a quote from Rav Yair Dreyfuss, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak in Efrat, Israel:
For this reason, R. Shagar[5] was opposed to the attempts to exchange ahavat Torah for either yirat Shamayiman external motivation for learning Torah – or an uncompromising insular ideology. In his opinion, Torah study should not be based on yirat Shamayim, at least in the Religious Zionist community, but, rather, on ahavat Torah and the curiosity and creativity inherent in learning. Only thus may the Torah be restored to its former glory as “the Book of the Covenant” between a Jew and his God.[6]


[1] Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 1:1, Rema.
[2] See for example the comments of Rashi and Ibn Ezra to this verse.
[3] “How the Illusion of Being Observed Can Make You a Better Person.” Scientific American, May 3, 2011, available at http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-the-illusion-of-being-observed-can-make-you-better-person
[4] V'haaretz natan livnei adam ("And the Earth He Gave to Man" Jewish Values in a Changing World), Alon Shevut: Tevunot, 2005, p. 20.
[5] A reference to Rav Shimon Gershon Rosenberg (1949-2007), founding rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak, who is widely known by the acronym of his name, Shagar.  
[6] “Torah Study for Contemporary Times: Conservatism or Revolution?” in Tradition 45, No. 2 (Summer 2012), pp. 33-34. The underlining in the quote was added for emphasis.   

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Scrutinize Your Leaders



Rav Shlomo Ganzfried writes in the opening to his first chapter in the Code of Jewish Law which he authored – Kitzur Shulchan Arukh: "I place God before me always" – this is a major principle in the Torah and of the qualities of the righteous that walk before God.
     The sentiment expressed by Rav Ganzfried in this remark is not original to him (an observation which holds true for most of the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, being that it is anthologized from other, earlier sources, as evidenced in part by its very name – "Kitzur" means abridged), but originates in this wording in the inserted comments of Rav Moshe Isserles (Rema) to the Shulchan Arukh (1:1).
     What does it mean to walk before God? There are two possible interpretations of this phrase. “To walk before God” could mean to pass before him and the phrase could then be understood as a parallel to that which is recorded in the Mishnah (Rosh HaShanah 1:2), “On Rosh HaShanah, all the people of the world pass before Him…” Applying this interpretation to Rema’s words would yield the idea that the righteous of which we speak are those who are always conscious of the fact that they are “walking before God,” that they are being observed by Him, even scrutinized by God. If we adopt this interpretation, then the verse “I place God before me always” is not an additional element in the lives of these righteous people, it is rather a defining element in the lives of these individuals; it is what makes them righteous ones that “walk before God.” The context of this first paragraph would support such an interpretation as it speaks of maintaining an awareness of being in God’s presence – “God is standing over him and observing his behaviors.”
     Alternatively, the phrase could also mean to walk in front of, to lead the way, to blaze the trail. In this interpretation, the idea of walking before God does not include the concept of maintaining an awareness of God’s presence and the idea of being inspected all the time. Instead it focuses on the independence asserted by these individuals to forge ahead in their service of God. In this instance, “I place God before me always” would add an element into the lives of these righteous people – the element of maintaining an awareness of God at all times.
     Of the two theories presented, personally I prefer the second interpretation over the first and not just because it is more inclusive. To elaborate:
     While all of humanity is meant to partner with God in perfecting the world,[1] only the most righteous are given the divine freedom to take the initiative.[2] There are some amongst the righteous who are trusted by God to walk the right path and so He allows them to go to the forefront; He gives them a free hand because He knows they will do what is right. Compare this idea to that expressed in the Midrash Tanchuma (Noach 5) and by Rashi (Bereishit 6:9, s.v. et).
     It is not our purpose now to present a measure whereby we can determine who amongst us ranks as such a righteous individual. It is not clear to me that it would even be possible to prepare such a test. It may be that each person who achieves this status will, if he or she is honest with themselves, know it instinctively. It may be that the rest of us will recognize such a person if we open our eyes and look carefully. That matters less for us right now than the message Rema imparts to us in these words.
     It seems to me that Rema would like to tell us that even such righteous people, or especially such righteous people, who walk and blaze a path before God, need to actively put God at the forefront of their thoughts at all times. They are the ones who need to think on God constantly. If they do not do so, if they allow God to "fall back," to remain behind, they run the risk of becoming self-absorbed in themselves and their own personal pursuits. The end result may be that after years of trail-blazing they will turn around and see that God is no longer behind them. God has long since stopped being behind them. What may have started out as a way to serve God and to glorify Him in His world, has shifted over the course of time. Yes, on the surface of things, they still speak the language, they still speak of serving God, of studying Torah, of performing mitzvot, but inside their thoughts are to expand their own influence. Inside, their thoughts are to expand their own business and franchise. Inside, their thoughts are of power, greed, or personal pleasure.
     This is the threat that the Evil Urge poses to the righteous. This is why they must actively allow for God to have a firm presence in their lives even though He has allowed them to take the lead. This is why this is a major principle in the Torah and specifically of the qualities of the righteous that walk before God.
     The Rema’s message is directed at the rest of us too. Perhaps, in these few words, Rema has provided us with the test I have spoken of before. It seems to me that Rema is suggesting that when we look at our religious and spiritual leaders we need to look a little beyond them also to see if God is there. It is incumbent upon us to ask about where their interests lie, to investigate what truly prompts them, to determine what motivates them. And as it is incumbent upon the individual, the leader, to constantly strive to have God at the forefront of his thoughts, so too must we constantly look to see if God is still behind that individual. This is no easy task, and the questions raised are not easily answered, but perhaps just by asking them we will receive some of the information which we seek.
     As a final thought on this matter, it ought to be needless to say, but too many incidents have occurred over the last number of decades where rabbis, spiritual leaders, and community leaders have strayed from a proper course and have caused others to be hurt. It is essential for every person to keep their wits about them and to keep their eyes open. We as a people are not to follow our leaders blind but are to scrutinize them at all times for thus is the age in which we live. And so we have arrived at the following midrashic comment concerning the opening verse of the Book of Rut – “And it was in the days of the judging of the judges” –
Woe to the generation that judged its judges.
Not sufficing with that, though, the Midrash continues:
Woe to the generation whose judges need to be judged.


[1] The concept of humanity partnering with God is developed in various sources: Midrash Tanchuma, Tazria 5; Sefer HaChinukh 2 (Circumcision); Rav Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (1847-1905), Sefat Emet, Vayak’hel 5637; Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook (1865-1935), Orot HaKodesh 2, p. 495 (#14), http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=37070&st=%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%9D&pgnum=189&hilite=39f1cfef-9c1c-4cf1-91bd-43240ab2b5d8.
[2] One may suggest as an example of this that the one who designed to codify the Oral Law was such a righteous individual, or closer to our own day and age, the one who founded the chasidic movement.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Modeh Ani and Aristotle

For approximately the last 400 years, Jewish people have been waking up in the morning with the following words on their lips:
מודה אני לפניך מלך חי וקיים שהחזרת בי נשמתי בחמלה רבה אמונתך.
I am grateful to you, O living and ever-existing king, that you have compassionately restored to me my soul; great is your faithfulness.
This serves as a daily reminder that God is real, a living and sentient being of sorts. In an age of disbelief, such constant reiterations of the theme are in order.
     On a more philosophical note, this remark here, looking ever so simple and innocent could be a rejection of that hero of Middle Age philosophical thought, Aristotle. Here is an excerpt from Edward Grant's (b. 1926) article in the Encyclopedia of Science and Religion about Aristotle (384-322BCE): 
     Aristotle's views about religion and divinity play a role in his overall conception of the cosmos and its workings. In Book Eight of his Physics, he describes what he calls the "Unmoved Mover" or "Prime Mover," which is the ultimate source, or cause, of motion in the universe, but is itself unmoved. For Aristotle this is God, who dwells at the circumference of the universe and causes motion by being loved. The closer to the Unmoved Mover a body is, the more quickly it moves. Although the Unmoved Mover is God, it did not create the world, which Aristotle regarded as uncreated and eternal. As the prime mover, God enjoys the best kind of life, being completely unaware of anything external to itself and, being the most worthy object of thought, thinks only of itself.
     Aristotle's God was clearly not a divinity to be worshipped. Apart from serving as the ultimate source of motion, God, ignorant of the world's existence, could play no meaningful role in Aristotle's natural philosophy. Nevertheless, Aristotle seems to have had a strong sense of the divine, which manifested itself in a sense of wonderment and reverence for the universe.
     Aristotle's sense of God was unacceptable to Christians, Muslims, and Jews. Although Plato's concept of a God who created from pre-existent matter was also unacceptable, it was far more palatable to monotheists than was Aristotle's Unmoved Mover, who did not create the world. Indeed, it could not have created the world because, argued Aristotle, the world is eternal, without beginning or end. Aristotle insisted that the material world could not have come into being from another material entity, say B. For if it did, one would have to ask from whence did B come? Such an argument would lead to the absurdity of an infinite regression, prompting Aristotle to argue that the world has always existed, an interpretation that posed further problems for Muslims and Christians {and Jews – Abe}. Consistent with his assumption of an eternal world, Aristotle regarded creation from nothing as impossible.[1]
     Not all Jewish philosophers of the Middle Ages were enthralled with Aristotle. Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi (1075-1141) is one such Jewish thinker. Rav Yitzchak Julius Guttmann (1880-1950) summarizes some of HaLevi's thinking in the following manner:
Historical facts…disprove a conception of a naturalistic God that recognizes the Deity as nothing more than the "Prime Mover," and prove… the existence of a living God who manifests His will in the world.[2]
     It would seem that whoever wrote the words to the short and simple acknowledgement which is the Modeh Ani (which appeared for the first time in print in the volume, Seder HaYom, 1599) may have wished that we start our day with a simple yet profound philosophical statement, capable of being understood by even the youngest child. What is the philosophy being expressed here?  
     To understand further, we must ask and answer the question, why is God referred to as a king here as opposed to Master of the World, Lord, or some other appellation? Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg (1785-1865; cited in Iyyun Tefillah) explains that the word, king – in Hebrew, מלך, melekh – is related to the Hebrew word for lead – מוליך, moleekh. God by this word is being referred to as a leader, and more precisely as the one who actively leads the world.
     "Master of the World," "Lord," and other appellations do not communicate His active role in the management of the world to the same degree as does "king," and for this reason, this word was selected. Once we grasp this concept of God, we can address the first sign which we encounter in the course of our day which is indicative of God's involvement in the world – his restoration of our soul to us to live yet another day.
     This then is the philosophy with which we start our morning. We believe that God is not only the prime mover, the one who started all things and put the world into motion, but the one who continually is involved with the events that transpire here; He is a מלך חי וקיים.  




[2] Cited in Ben-Sasson, Y. Hagut Yehudit BeMivchan HaDorot: Cheiker veIyyun. Jerusalem: Misrad HaChinukh, 1994, p. 28.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Mishnayot and the Soul



     In modern times, there is a custom prevalent throughout the Ashkenazi world, and to a great extent is practiced in the Sepharadi world as well, to recite chapters of Mishnah in the home of a mourner or in the home of one marking a yahrzeit. How did this practice start and when? What is special or unique about Mishnayot that has caused them to be used in this way?
     A broader and more general question to be asked is why must one study anything when in the home of a mourner visiting with him or when one is marking the anniversary of the death of a loved one? Is this just another manifestation of the desire to mark every milestone in one's life with Torah
     The text of the Tanakh (II Divrei HaYamim 32:33) uses an interesting and unusual expression to describe the action taken by the citizens of Yehudah and Yerushalayim upon the death of their king, Chizkiyah. Following his burial they did like this:
וְכָבוֹד עָשׂוּ לוֹ בְמוֹתוֹ
The question that must be resolved is what is meant by this singular phrase?
     The Aramaic targum treats this phrase literally:
וִיקַר עֲבָדוּ לֵיהּ בְּמוֹתֵיהּ
It would seem that the translation provided by The Living Nach reflects the targum faithfully:
…he was honored by all the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The 1985 translation of the Jewish Publication Society offers a similar understanding. Thus it could be said that the verse, in peshat, is letting us know that Chizkiyah was accorded much honor at his funeral by those in attendance.
     Aside from the targum, the tannaim likewise discussed the meaning of this passage. Amongst other comments (the full range of interpretations offered by the tannaim will not be discussed here), the Talmud (Bava Kamma 16b) makes this remark:
וכבוד עשו לו במותו מלמד שהושיבו ישיבה על קברו
…the verse teaches that they arranged for a sit down on his grave.
This word, yeshivah, in this connotation – a group sit-down for the purposes of studying the Torah – was new in the days of the Talmud. Even later on, after several hundred years, it was still in need of clarification. And so, Rashi makes the comment:
תלמידים לעסוק שם בתורה
["Yeshivah" refers to the sitting of] students in order to study the Torah there.
The people gathered together students in order to study the Torah there, on his grave.
     Tosafot expand on this idea and clarify why this particular form of honor was chosen:
לפי שהרבה תורה בישראל
Because he (i.e., Chizkiyah) increased Torah in Yisrael.
Because Chizkiyah spent time and made efforts to spread the knowledge of Torah amongst the citizens of his land (as Tosafot continue to prove with a citation from massekhet Sanhedrin), upon his death he was honored by his followers and successors demonstrating their willingness to continue in the path he had started, and so they made gatherings in which to teach Torah. The very idea that those that survive the deceased are continuing to tread the way he began is the greatest honor that could be bestowed upon him.

     As a side issue, being that reference was already made to the comments of Tosafot, it should be noted that Rashi makes no comments regarding the phrase translated above as "on his grave." Is it honorable to have these gatherings on top of the actual grave? How did Rashi understand this? We do not know from here. In any event, Tosafot do raise this question and provide an answer:
ולא על קברו ממש אלא ברחוק ארבע אמות דליכא לועג לרש
And not actually on top of his grave, but rather at a distance of four cubits, where there is no "mocking the downtrodden."
It is simple for Tosafot that the gathering was not directly on top of the grave, even though they understand that some may have interpreted it that way.

     In any event, this talmudic passage and its attendant commentaries serve as a source for engaging in Torah study to honor the passing of an individual. However, from this source we learn that this is not something done for just any individual, but for a king. And not just for any king, but for one who caused Torah to be spread on a national level, as the Gemara in Sanhedrin (94b) teaches us (in a passage cited by Tosafot above):
בדקו מדן ועד באר שבע ולא מצאו עם הארץ מגבת ועד אנטיפרס ולא מצאו תינוק ותינוקת איש ואשה שלא היו בקיאין בהלכות טומאה וטהרה
…They checked from Dan to Beer Sheva and did not find an ignoramus; from Gevat to Antiparos and they could not find a boy or girl, man or woman, that were not fully versed in all the laws of ritual impurity and purity.       
Are there sources that would teach us to conduct ourselves in this manner for any individual that died?

     There is indeed another source that needs to be analyzed.
     There is a sugya in Yevamot which mentions a certain concept in passing. Let us explore that sugya and that concept. At the bottom of 121b a certain narrative, whose particulars are of no relevance for us here, is related. One detail from that narrative is cited below:
שמעה דביתהו ואתאי לקמיה דאביי שהיתא תלתא ריגלי
…. His wife heard and came before Abaye. He waited three riglei
The question which we must raise for our subject is, what are riglei? (It will not matter for us why Abaye waited, or any other element of the narrative.)
     As it turns out, Rashi offers two interpretations for this term.
שהיו תלמידי חכמים נקבצים לשמוע דרשה הלכות פסח בפסח...
Scholars would gather to hear the lecture of the laws of Pesach on Pesach
In his first suggestion, Rashi ties the Aramaic term riglei to the Hebrew regel and suggests that Abaye waited until three pilgrimage Festivals passed. (Again, it is not my intention in the current review to explore this first explanation and I am only mentioning it in passing, as our primary focus here will be on Rashi's second interpretation.)
     In his second interpretation, Rashi says as follows:
ובתשובת הגאונים מצאתי כל הנך ריגלי דאמוראי היינו יום שמת בו אדם גדול קובעים אותו לכבודו ומדי שנה בשנה כשמגיע אותו יום מתקבצים תלמידי חכמים מכל סביביו ובאים על קברו עם שאר העם להושיב ישיבה שם
I found in the responsa literature of the Geonim that all of these amoraic riglei refer to this: a day upon which a great individual passed away is fixed in his honor, and each year when that day arrives the scholars gather from all around and come to his gravesite with other people in order to set up a "yeshivah" there.
Rashi cites the responsa literature of the Geonic Sages in which is explained this unfamiliar talmudic term. And how do the Geonim understand this term? As describing a custom, a practice, with which they were familiar, although not necessarily on a personal level, i.e., it may or may not have been practiced in their own day.   
     In any event, what was the practice? When a great individual would pass away, the anniversary of his death would be marked as an occasion upon which the local scholars would gather together at his gravesite in order to teach the people Torah as a way of honoring the deceased.
     But why was the study of Torah at the gravesite of an individual deemed an honor to that person? Another question that needs to be asked is what does it mean to be a "great individual"? Is it someone who is wealthy or someone who is very learned? Is it someone who held a title or great position in his life? Someone who carried a lot of influence? We find an answer to this question in the reported words of Rav Yosef Ibn Megas (1077-1141):
...דהא דאמרינן שהושיבו ישיבה על קברו הני מילי בחכם שהייתה לו ישיבה בחייו ומתכוונים עכשיו בני ישיבתו לכבדו ולישב לפניו כדרך שהיו יושבין לפניו בחייו ולומר שמועות מפיו... 
…what we have said that they arranged to sit down at his grave [in order to study Torah], speaks in such a case of [where the deceased was himself] a sage who had [students] sitting around him during his lifetime, and those very same students intend now to honor him and sit before him as they would do during his lifetime and recite teachings heard from his mouth…
From this comment (appearing in Eyn Yaakov, Chiddushei Geonim, Bava Kamma 16b) we can finally understand the custom as it was most likely practiced long ago. When a great man of Torah, one who had taught Torah during his lifetime and had been involved in the spread of Torah, passed away, his students would come and sit at his gravesite and continue to study and teach the Torah that he had himself taught thereby giving him honor.
     This can now be understood in a similar vein to the comments of the Gemara in regards to Chizkiyah. Just as Chizkiyah, who had spread Torah during his lifetime, was honored in death by people sitting at his gravesite studying Torah, so too would any great man of Torah learning be honored by having students sit and study his Torah at his gravesite.

     Two questions now arise:
  1. How did it come to pass that a custom which had originally developed, as we have seen, to honor the great spreaders of Torah and of Torah knowledge, is today practiced on behalf of any person, whether he was a great scholar or not?
  2. How was the move made from studying specifically the Torah of the deceased to the study of Mishnayot?

     The earliest mention of the practice of studying Mishnayot in the home of a mourner, or on behalf of a deceased, can be found in the relatively late Kitzur Shulchan Arukh (1864) of Rav Shlomo Ganzfried (1804-1886) (I would be pleased if someone knows of an earlier source, if he or she would be willing to share it with me). In his chapter on comforting the mourner (207:5), he describes how it is proper to mourn the deceased in the location where he passed away. And then he says:
וּמַה טּוֹב לִלְמֹד שָׁם מִשְׁנָיוֹת לְתִקּוּן הַנְּשָׁמָה (מִשְׁנָה אוֹתִיּוֹת "נְשָׁמָה").
And how good is it to study Mishnayot there for the benefit (lit., the repair) of the soul…
The fact that this source is as late as it is suggests that the practice of learning on behalf of the average person who had passed away and to learn particularly Mishnayot is of recent origin and is not directly related to the custom noted by the Geonim.
     Another source likewise demonstrates the uncertainty of the origin of this practice. Ner Le'Eliyahu (cited in Pnei Barukh 39, note 25) comments:
נראה שמתוך כך נקבע המנהג בישראל שבני וקרובי הנפטר מתקבצים בליל או ביום הזכרון (היארצייט) ללמוד ביחד לעילוי הנשמה
It would seem that it is a result of this (the sugyot in the Gemara cited earlier in this article – A. W.) that the custom was established for children and [other] relatives of the deceased to gather together on the eve or on the day of the anniversary of death to learn together for the uplift of the [deceased’s] soul.  
Given that the author uses the expression, "it would seem," indicates that he is not at all sure concerning the historicity of his theory – it sounds good, but it may or not be the historical reality, and that leaves the author without a definite origin for this practice. It should be noted that Ner Le'Eliyahu does not mention specifically the study of Mishnayot.
     But regardless of the origins of the practice, it has spread and is now seen to be common custom. Yehudah David Eisenstein (1854-1956) notes the following in his Otzar Dinim u'Minhagim ("Yahrzeit," 1917):
ונוהגין עתה ללמוד פרק משניות לעלוי נשמת המת ... ובכלל חושבים את למוד המשניות לתיקון גדול.
And the custom now is to study a chapter of Mishnayot for the uplift of the soul of the deceased … and in general, the study of Mishnayot is perceived to be of great benefit.
That learning Mishnayot is considered of great benefit – a great tikkun – is confirmed by Arokh[1] HaShulchan (Yoreh Deah 376:13).
     While this custom may have become common in the early part of the 20th century, it took a while longer for it to become universal. In the same work, Eisenstein notes:
אך הספרדים נוהגין ללמוד בספר הזוהר...
But the Sepharadim are accustomed to studying the Book of the Zohar
Today, it is common to study Mishnayot in the homes of Sepharadim as in the homes of Ashkenazim.

     Now to return to the two questions raised earlier – why is such study conducted on behalf of anyone when in ancient days it was done only for the great ones of the community? Why Mishnayot as opposed to some other study? I believe the secret lies in the comment cited earlier from the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh:
וּמַה טּוֹב לִלְמֹד שָׁם מִשְׁנָיוֹת לְתִקּוּן הַנְּשָׁמָה (מִשְׁנָה אוֹתִיּוֹת "נְשָׁמָה").
And how good is it to study Mishnayot there for the benefit (lit., the repair) of the soul…
When this was presented earlier in the article, I did not translate it fully, as one can see right here. At the end of the comment is a parenthetical note which says as follows: The Hebrew word neshamah (soul) is an anagram of the Hebrew word mishnah, meaning both words have the same letters. It seems that Rav Ganzfried is saying that the assumption that the study of the Mishnah is so beneficial for the soul derives (or perhaps is symbolized) by the fact that the two words share the exact same letters and that one is a permutation of the other.
     Where did Rav Ganzfried get this idea from? It comes from a study of the kabbalistic literature. Rav Chayyim Vital (1543-1620) writes as follows in his Pri Eitz Chayyim (Sha'ar Hanhagat HaLimmud 1):
כוונת קריאת המשנה, דע, כי המשנה הוא מטטרון ביצירה - ותכוון להעלות היצירה בבריאה. והעניין, כי על ידי קריאתך במשנה, תכוין שמן אותיות משנה, יהי נשמה.
It is important to realize that whatever Rav Vital is saying here about the study of Mishnayot applies to the study of Mishnayot in general and not just to the specific study at certain points in time or in certain places. Another important point to keep in mind from this source is that the benefit accrued from the study of the Mishnah impacts the one studying and not some other individual that one is studying on behalf of. Therefore while Rav Vital is not the source of the beneficial aspects of studying Mishnayot on behalf of someone else's soul, he is the first to raise (in print) the idea that both Neshamah and Mishnah have the same letters. And this is what he says:
…And the matter is that via your reading of the Mishnah you should bear in mind that out of the letters of "Mishnah" there should be "neshamah."
Note that I have not translated the first part of the cited text. In all honesty, I dare not translate kabbalistic ideas with which I am not familiar.
While Rav Vital is not specific about what one should be thinking while studying the Mishnah (aside from, obviously, the content of the Mishnah under study), Rav Chayyim Yosef David Azulai (Chid"a, 1724-1806) provides more detail in his work, Moreh Ba'etzba (2:41):
משנה אותיות נשמה.
-    וכשקורא סדר זרעים יכוון לתקן אשר פגם במאכלות אסורות ובברכות לבטלה וכיוצא.
-    וכשקורא סדר מועד יכוון לתקן אשר חטא בחילול שבת ויום טוב.
-    וכשקורא סדר נשים יכוון לתקן מה שפגם בעריות ושבועות ונדרים.
-    וכשקורא סדר נזיקין יכוון לתקן מה שחטא לה' במה שהזיק לחברו, כי ההזק עצמו בעי לשלומי.
-    וכשקורא סדר קדשים יכוון לתקן נשמתו הקדושה אשר הוציאה לחולין, ואשר לא נזהר בשחיטה ובדיקה, ולחיוב כרת, ולתפלות בלי כונה.
-    וכשקורא סדר טהרות יכוון לתקן מה שפגם בנדה וקרי ונטילת ידים:
"Mishnah" [contains the same] letters as "neshamah."
-         When one reads the order of Zeraim (seeds), he should bear in mind to repair that which he damaged by eating forbidden foods, reciting blessings without cause, and the like.
-         When one reads the order of Moed (appointed times), he should bear in mind to repair his having sinned through the desecration of Shabbat and Festivals.
-         When one reads the order of Nashim (women), he should bear in mind to repair what he damaged through illicit sexual relations, oaths, and vows.
-         When one reads the order of Nezikin (damages) he should bear in mind to repair his having sinned to God by damaging his fellow, because for the damage itself he needs to pay.
-         When one reads the order of Kadashim (holy items) he should have in mind to repair his holy soul, which he made mundane, and for not being careful with proper slaughtering and examination, and for [committing acts whose] penalty is excision, and for praying without the proper intent.
-         And when one reads the order of Taharot (ritually pure items) he should have in mind to repair that which he damaged through [improper contact with] a menstruant woman, a seminal discharge, and [not properly] washing the hands.
Thus we can see how the simple idea that Mishnayot aid one's soul was amplified and expanded upon through the various generations of kabbalistic works. Further, the idea was shifted over time so that now, not only is it perceived that the study of Mishnayot is beneficial to one’s own soul, but one can also benefit another’s soul by thinking of him and dedicating the study to him. This latter idea was given further expression through the development of the practice that when studying in the home of the deceased or in his or her memory, to read chapters beginning with the letters of the person's name. This practice is mentioned in the recent literature.

     So, again, why has this practice developed? I offer a theory.
     For reason unknown to me, another separate but parallel custom has developed amongst many people in various communities to gather people into their home (or at the cemetery) to mark the yahrzeit of some beloved who had passed away. That such is indeed the practice can even be seen from this question asked of Rav Yosef Chayyim (1835-1909; Torah LiShmah 493):
שאלה אותם שנוהגים להביא על קבר אביהם ביום הפטירה בכל שנה ושנה עשרה בני אדם ללמוד שם תהלים למנוחת הנפטר אם יש ממש במנהג זה או דילמא שילמדו בבית הכנסת למנוחתו עדיף טפי.
Question: Those that have the custom to bring ten men to their father's grave on the day he died in order to study Tehillim there – is there something to this custom or perhaps it is better for them to learn in the synagogue for his benefit?
It would seem that once the custom for people to gather together on the yahrzeit had spread beyond the small circles of scholars and their students to the broader community, it was no longer a matter of course that they would have Torah left behind by the deceased to study in his honor. Perhaps, the deceased was not such a great scholar and perhaps he was no scholar at all. Due to this, so as not to cause any embarrassment to any family, the study that took place on such occasions was standardized. And why was Mishnayot specifically chosen for this standardized form of study? Because of the commonality of letters shared by the words Mishnah and neshamah, a link developed by the kabbalists.


        



[1] Arokh and not Arukh; see Yeshayah 21:5.