Rabbi Binyomin Adler Shabbos Taam HaChaim Vayakhel 5774 Returning To The Level Of Divine Presence Of The Patriarchs On Our Tents Introduction This weeks parashah discusses the actual construction of the Mishkan. The Ramban writes in his introduction to the Book of Shemos that this Book is called Sefer HaGeulah, the Book of Redemption, because of the Exodus from Egypt. Furthermore, the Jewish People received the Torah and then built the Mishkan, which allowed them to return to the level of the Divine Presence that rested on the tents of their forefathers. What is the meaning of returning to the level of the Divine Presence that rested on the tents of the forefathers? The Jewish People had a few merits which would allow them to be redeemed from Egypt One of the most intriguing aspects of the redemption from Egypt and of receiving the Torah was that the Jewish People were not prepared for either of these events. The Arizal writes that had the Jewish People descended to the forty-ninth level of impurity, and had HaShem not delivered the Jewish People at the last moment, they would never have ascended from the depths of impurity. This idea is difficult to understand, as this implies that the Jewish People themselves did not have sufficient merits with which to leave Egypt. Yet, we know that when Moshe asked HaShem in what merit the Jewish People would leave Egypt, HaShem told Moshe that in the merit of receiving the Torah, the Jewish People would leave Egypt. Furthermore, the Medrash (see Bamidbar Rabbah 13:19) states that in the merit of not changing their names, language and clothing, the Jewish People left Egypt. Additionally, the Gemara (Sota 11b) states that in the merit of the righteous women the Jewish People left Egypt. This being the case, how is it possible that the Jewish people almost reached a point of no return and HaShem had to redeem them from Egypt with apparently no merits in their favor? One must view himself as if he himself was redeemed from Egypt In order to understand what it means that the Jewish People had almost reached the point of no return, we have to understand another statement that we recite in the Hagadah Shel Pesach. On Pesach night we recite the words that in every generation one must view himself as if he himself had just exited from Egypt. How can one view himself as if he had left Egypt if he never was exiled to Egypt? While we know that our souls were all present at the receiving of the Torah, and it follows that all our souls were in Egypt, we must also understand this recital in a practical sense. Is it possible for a person to experience having left Egypt when he does not feel like he was there in the first place? Only HaShem can assist a person in overcoming the blandishments of his Evil Inclination The answer to these questions is that it is well known that the Zohar compares the Egyptian exile to the power that the Evil Inclination has over a person. The Sefarim write that the word Mitzrayim, Egypt, is an acrostic for the words meitzar yam, the border of the Sea. In a deeper sense, however, this means that the Jewish People were surrounded by the sea of impurity which is the fiftieth level of contamination. Thus, besides the physical exile that the Jewish People were forced to endure in Egypt, they were also subject to the blandishments of the Evil Inclination. The same is true for us in our lives. While we may not always be cognitive of this, the fact is that the Evil Inclination is a constant presence in our lives, and it seeks to wreak havoc on our spiritual equilibrium. The Gemara (Kiddushin 30a) states that if not for the fact that HaShem aids a person in his struggles against the Evil Inclination, a person would not be able to overcome the enticement of the Evil Inclination alone. Thus, despite the many merits one may have, it is insufficient in his struggles with the Evil Inclination. Only HaShem can allow a person to be victorious over his Evil Inclination. The merits of the Jewish People were insufficient for them to be redeemed from Egypt and the clutches of the Evil Inclination We can now understand why, despite having the merit of certain virtues and the merit of the righteous women, the Jewish People were in need of something that would catapult them out of the clutches of the Evil Inclination. This extra push, so to speak, was the deliverance that HaShem provided for them. This idea also helps us gain a better perspective of what we should be feeling when we contemplate the Egyptian exile and the redemption. We are constantly struggling with the Evil Inclination and it is only HaShems compassion that enables us to overcome this struggle. The Shabbos Connection The Medrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 19:1) states regarding the mitzvah of Parah Adumah that it said (Iyov 14:4) mi yitein tahor mitamei lo echod, who can produce purity from impurity? No one! This is akin to Avraham who came from Terach, Chizkiahu from Achaz, Yoshiyahu from Amon, Mordechai from Shimi, the Jewish People from the gentiles, and the World to Come from this world. The Sfas Emes (Parah 5647) writes that HaShem made it that one attains purity by being tested and forged in the crucible of this world. It was for this reason that the Jewish People had to endure the Egyptian exile and they were submerged in the forty-ninth level of impurity, until they merited being redeemed and becoming pure. This idea is manifest in the Jewish People residing amongst the gentiles, and in the Jewish People sojourning in this world in order to attain their share in the World to Come. Similarly, writes the Sfas Emes, every Shabbos is a commemoration to the exodus from Egypt, and every week we merit being redeemed from the gates of impurity and ascending towards the gates of purity. Based on the words of the Sfas Emes, we can now better understand why building the Mishkan was the culmination of the redemption process. Our Patriarchs lived a life of complete purity, and despite their encounters with foreign ideas and people who were the antithesis of their beliefs, they remained pure at all times. After enduring the Egyptian exile, the Jewish People received the Torah, which is the epitome of purity in this world. To attain that purity HaShem instructed them to build a Mishkan, which would allow them to receive the Divine Presence. Every week, with the arrival of Shabbos, we are returning to that level of Divine Presence upon our tents, as we light candles, eat challah, and bask in the Divine Presence, which are all reminiscent of the level of purity and holiness that our Patriarchs attained. HaShem should allow us to enter the upcoming month of Nissan with great joy and purity, and we should witness the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily, in our days. Shabbos in the Zemiros Koh Ribon Composed by Rabbi Yisroel ben Moshe of Najera, student of the Arizal in the sixteenth century and later rabbi of Gaza , the People that You chose from all the nations. Let us examine this statement for a moment. We know that HaShem separated between holiness and secular, between light and darkness, between the Jewish People and the nations, and between the seventh day and the six days of labor. Yet, the Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah 1:6) states explicitly that HaShem made the world for the Jewish People, so why do we need to declare that HaShem chose us from all the other nations? Perhaps the answer to this question is that while it is true that HaShem created the world for us, it is possible for us to forfeit our exalted position if we sully ourselves with sin. It is for this reason, then, that we declare that despite the possibility of sinning, we are still chosen from all the other nations and HaShem will never abandon us. Shabbos Stories Not The Way You Want It To Happen A poor man once came to the renowned Tzaddik, the Strikover Rebbe, ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 3
who had a reputation for performing the most wondrous and amazing miracles. The mans daughter had already been engaged twice, but when her father had been unable to provide the agreed- upon nadon (dowry), the engagements had been broken. Now she had become engaged once again, and her father desperately wanted this marriage to go through. The Rebbe told him to go home, and buy a lottery ticket - the Ribbono Shel Olam would surely help him. The poor man optimistically returned home, and bought a ticket, but the ticket did not win. Although the father somehow managed to keep the shidduch (engagement) afloat and marry his daughter off, the Strikover Rebbe was so shaken by his failure the he refused to accept any more petitioners for his blessings. A Rebbes power, he argued, is derived from the dictum of Chazal, our Sages (see Taanis 23a) that HaShem fulfills the will of a Tzaddik. Obviously, he was not a Tzaddik! Soon afterwards, Reb Simcha Bunim of Pshischa came to Strikov to visit the Rebbe. He was disturbed that the Rebbe had ceased accepting the hundreds of petitioners who desperately sought his blessings over the apparent failure of one blessing. Strikover Rebbe, said Reb Simcha Bunim, tell me: How does one reconcile that which we are taught, HaShem fulfils the will of a Tzaddik with the passuk in Iyov (Job 9:12), Who can tell Him what to do!? The explanation, however, is as follows: HaShem will fulfill the Tzaddiks will. But even the Tzaddik has no right to dictate how HaShem will do it. Your bracha (blessing) was fulfilled. The marriage went off as planned - just not the way you thought it would happen! The Rebbe saw the wisdom in his words, and resumed accepting Chassidim. Shabbos in Halacha The Scope of Borer IV. Circumstances in which one may take waste from food E.Cases of necessity Some halachic authorities allow for one to remove waste by hand immediately prior to placing the food in ones mouth. Other Poskim, however, disagree. Nonetheless, in cases of necessity, i.e. Feeding small children, one may rely on the lenient opinion. New Stories - Vayakhel 5774 The Man at the Wall Rabbi Meir Schuster introduced me to the beauty of Shabbat in Jerusalem. I never got the chance to thank him. by Yvette Alt Miller Just go to the Western Wall? My friend nodded. It was the early 1990s, I was in college about to take my very first ever trip to Israel. After growing up hearing about Israel, Id finally decided to go see it for myself: all year, Id worked two campus jobs, saved every penny, and was about to spend a whole summer in Jerusalem, traveling around, taking Jewish classes, and studying Hebrew. My plans were hazy; I hadnt even thought about what Id do on Shabbat. My friend cautioned me to be prepared: stores closed before sundown on Friday and public transportation ground to a halt. If I wanted to experience the real Israel, Id have to join in a family celebration and I could, he assured me, just by showing up at the Western Wall Friday at dusk. Free meals just for showing up at a tourist attraction? I was sure it couldnt be right. Besides, I realized, as I approached the Western Wall my first Friday in Israel, it was mobbed; there was no way Id find these men at the Wall with all these people around assuming they were even here. As I made my way through the crowds, I watched my fellow visitors in their Shabbat finery. Suddenly, joining in a Shabbat celebration was something I was longing for. I placed my hand against the stones; after the heat of the day, they felt warm to the touch, almost like a living being. Please help me, I whispered. Let me be a part of this too. When I looked up, I saw them: two men in the plaza in front of the Wall, each surrounded by a crowd. As I edged towards one circle, the man in the middle spotted me. He was tall, a little severe, and wore a black hat. I nearly edged away again, but hed caught my eye. You, he said with the hint of a smile, do you have any place to eat tonight? I shook my head. He gave me a quick look, then, as if deciding something, nodded to one side. Wait here, he instructed, Ill take you to a family soon. I stood chatting with three other girls; they were in college too, also exploring Israel for the summer. Once we were finally acquainted, the man in the hat briskly ordered Follow me! and led us all away. We walked through the streets of Jerusalems Old City, and I was reminded of the fairy tale of the Pied Piper, except here, instead of the children of Hamlin following the Piper out into the countryside, we were a gaggle of mostly American, mostly young tourists being dropped off in groups at various houses and apartment buildings for dinner. My new friends and I were among the last to be dropped off. Im taking you to a great family, very special people, the man said, and led us deep into Mea Shearim, a Jerusalem neighborhood famous for its deeply religious residents. Id been there already my tour book called the neighborhood a must-see, unique for its resemblance to an Eastern European shtetl of old and I was a little apprehensive to visit this foreign environment not as a tourist, but as a guest. The man Id never thought to ask him his name quickly introduced us to a young woman whod come down to meet us. With a quick Good Shabbos, he was off. My new friends and I stared at our Shabbat host. She looked roughly our age, but seemed much more sophisticated, with her stylish suit and perfect hair and makeup. Ill never forget that night. The narrow streets of Mea Shearim were full of families wishing each other a warm Good Shabbos. Our meal was delicious; our hostess was funny and smart. At the end of the evening, she insisted on walking us half-way across the city. She didnt mind the exercise, she explained; thanks to aerobics classes she was in good shape. The other girls and I were shocked: an ultra-Orthodox woman who did aerobics? I wanted to find other families like hers, to spend other Friday evenings immersed in Shabbat. I was hooked. The next Friday, and the next, and the next, I went back to the Western Wall, sometimes with friends, sometimes on my own. Each time, I joined in the throngs around those two men at the Wall. One man was shorter and more outgoing I soon learned his name was Jeffrey Seidel. The other man was tall, more reserved; I only found out later that he was Rabbi Meir Schuster, a distinguished rabbi who among his many other activities founded Heritage House, a guest house in Jerusalems Old City where thousands of young Jews through the years came to stay and explore Judaism. A naturally shy and reserved man, Rabbi Schuster nevertheless forced himself to speak to the many visitors and tourists at the Wall. Day in and out, for over 40 years, Rabbi Schuster was a presence at the Western Wall, offering visitors help in connecting with a Shabbat meal, a class, a place to stay. He was known for his fierce dedication and commitment that stemmed from his deep caring for every Jew. I left Israel at the end of that summer without ever saying thank you to Rabbi Schuster, and I never saw him again. Last month, my husband and I were visiting Jerusalem. We got lost in the tangle of Old City streets and stopped a man to ask directions. I stared at him for a moment. Jeffrey Seidel? I asked, incredulously. It had been 25 years since he and Rabbi Schuster set me up for meals, and now, incredibly, Id run into him again. We caught up a little, and I finally got the chance to say thank you. I fished a picture of my kids out of my purse and showed it to Mr. Seidel. Theyre growing up in a home where Shabbat is central to our weeks, I told him, largely because of those Shabbat meals he arranged. Thank you, I said. It took me 25 years to say it, but thank you. Sadly I never got the chance to personally thank Rabbi Meir Schuster, of blessed memory. He died, after a lengthy illness, on February 17, 2014. This Shabbat I plan on telling my children about him. Ill tell them how for a long time, I didnt know Rabbi Schusters name. For me, he was simply the Man at the Wall. (www.aish.com) Have a great Shabbos Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler. For sponsorships please call 248-506-0363 To subscribe weekly by email, please email ShabbosTaamHachaim@gmail.com View Shabbos: Taam HaChaim and other Divrei Torah on www.doreishtov.wordpress.com
Rabbi Oizer Alport Parsha Potpourri Parshas Vayakhel Vol. 9, Issue 22 " " This weeks issue of Parsha Potpourri has been dedicated l'iluy nishmas Blima bas Shmuel z"l, on the occasion of her recent yahrtzeit. Please have her in mind when reading and discussing this issue, and the Torah that is learned should be a merit for her and her entire family. Each issue of Parsha Potpourri requires a tremendous amount of work, and sponsorships are greatly appreciated. For more information about dedications, which are $50 per issue, please send me an email. In this ninth cycle of Parsha Potpourri, I would like to work to increase readership and circulation in the upcoming year, as there are thousands of Jews who could be enjoying and benefiting from each issue. I would like to ask each of you to please forward Parsha Potpourri to anybody who you think would enjoy it and encourage them to subscribe, and thanks to those of you who have already done so. Additionally, if you are able to print out 5-10 copies of Parsha Potpourri and bring them to your shul to share with others, it would be greatly appreciated. Wishing you all a Good Shabbos, and I hope that you enjoy the Divrei Torah and Points to Ponder! ... (35:1, 20) Parshas Vayakhel begins by relating that Moshe gathered together all of the Jews to instruct them about observing Shabbos and building the Mishkan. Nineteen verses later, after he concluded his instructions, the Torah relates that the Jews left from in front of Moshe. As the Torah doesnt write an unnecessary letter, why was it necessary to emphasize a fact that should have been obvious, as Moshe gathered them together at the beginning of the parsha and they hadnt gone anywhere in the interim? 4 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
Rav Eliyahu Lopian explains that when encountering a person in the street, it is generally impossible to discern from his appearance and actions where he is coming from. The apparently superfluous wording is coming to indicate that in this case, it was clear to any passerby that the Jews had just left the presence of Moshe. In what way was this recognizable? Although they had just spent time learning about Shabbos and the Mishkan from Moshe, this factual knowledge wasnt discernible to the naked eye. Rather, their conduct and interactions with other people were on such a lofty level that it was apparent that they had just been studying Torah. The Gemora in Yoma (86a) teaches that part of the mitzvah to love Hashem is to cause Hashem to be loved and praised through our actions. The Jews who merited learning Torah directly from the mouth of Moshe reached such levels in sensitivity and caring that anybody who saw them would immediately understand from where it originated and would bless Hashem and His Torah for producing such conduct. This lesson is illustrated in a story about the Brisker Rav, who was renowned for his diligence and toil in the study of Torah. When his daughter once returned home with an axe that she found, he realized that this was a golden and rare opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of returning a lost object to its owner (Devorim 22:1-3). The Brisker Rav recognized that it belonged to a man who lived several miles away on the edge of the forest. He took his daughter and the axe and set out on the long, arduous journey. They finally arrived at the owners home and knocked on his door. The Brisker Rav assumed that the owner would express his gratitude for their efforts and exertion in returning his axe to him, but he was taken by surprise by what happened next. When the man answered his door and realized what had transpired, he was so moved by the Ravs actions that he literally bowed and prostrated himself on the ground, exclaiming, Blessed is the Jewish G-d Who has given His people a Torah which causes them to act with such compassion and mercy! The message of Parshas Vayakhel is that we should conduct ourselves in a manner which loudly declares that we study the Torah and are elevated by it. The typical person with whom we interact will not be able to discern this from the number of penetrating insights we deliver into the words of the Ketzos or even the weekly Torah portion, but rather through our acts of kindness and exemplary interpersonal conduct, which will sanctify the name of Hashem and His Holy Torah. ) 35:22 ( The Daas Zkeinim writes that in the merit of the womens joyful and generous contribution of their jewelry to the Mishkan, which stood in sharp contrast to their refusal to donate their jewelry for the building of the golden calf (32:2-3), they merited a personal holiday on Rosh Chodesh, on which they are accustomed not to do work. Why is Rosh Chodesh uniquely suited as a reward for their pious actions? The Shemen HaTov explains that the women in that generation repeatedly excelled in their solid trust in Hashem and failure to give up hope even in the darkest moments. In Egypt, the men succumbed to the back-breaking labor and diabolical decrees of Pharaoh to kill their sons and despaired of the future. Nevertheless, the women continued to hope, skillfully enticing their husbands to help them bring more children into a world of pain and uncertainty. They invoked this merit when they joyfully contributed the mirrors which they had used for this purpose to the construction of the Mishkan (Rashi 38:8). Similarly, when the men miscalculated Moshes return from Mount Sinai and fell prey to the Satans argument that Moshe had died, the women held out hope and refused to take part in the sin of the golden calf. After this tremendous national sin, it would have been easy and natural to give up hope. Yet the Mishkan offered a new prospect for Divine closeness even in this dark post-sin era, and it also represented Hashems forgiveness of the sin of the golden calf (Rashi 38:21). Recognizing this tremendous and unique opportunity to inject new life into the crestfallen and forlorn nation, the women leaped into action to donate to the cause with great joy and enthusiasm. Rosh Chodesh symbolizes the concept that when all appears bleak, one must hang on and trust in a brighter future. Just when the moon disappears and the night sky seems totally dark, the process of rebirth and renewal continues as the moon returns and grows ever larger, reminding us of the lesson that the women always knew. ) 36:7 ( There seems to be an internal inconsistency in our verse with which a number of commentators grapple. The Torah says simultaneously that the communal work for the Mishkan was both sufficient, which would seem to imply that it was exactly enough, and that there remained leftovers. How can these two apparently contradictory statements be resolved? The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh answers that in reality, the Jews enthusiastically donated so much so quickly that the total contributions were actually more than was necessary for the building of the Mishkan. Hashem was afraid that if there were leftovers after the Mishkan was complete, some Jews may be saddened at the thought that their donations hadnt been used. He therefore made a miracle and arranged that everything should be put to use, causing the excessive donations to appear to be just right. The Manchester Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Yehuda Zev Segal, suggests that this lesson applies to all matters of spirituality. Even if a project appears to have yielded no practical results, no pure action performed for Hashems sake ever goes to waste. For example, at the time of the sin of the golden calf, Chur attempted to protest the sinful actions of the people and was killed for his zealotry (Rashi 32:5). The Daas Zkeinim writes (35:30) that Betzalel was chosen as the primary builder of the Mishkan specifically in the merit of the actions of his grandfather Chur, as one of the purposes of the Mishkan was to atone for the sin of the golden calf. Although the society in which we live attempts to convince us that nothing matters but the bottom line, the Torah teaches that Hashem cares about our sincere intentions and efforts to increase His glory, and they will never go to waste. Parsha Points to Ponder (and sources which discuss them): 1) The Torah records (35:10) that Moshe commanded the wise of heart to make everything necessary for the Mishkan. Hashem earlier told Moshe (31:6) that He had placed wisdom into the hearts of those are wise to allow them to do so. From this latter verse the Gemora in Berachos (55a) derives that Hashem only gives wisdom to one who already possesses it. How did these wise-hearted individuals escape the apparent catch-22, and from where did they attain their initial wisdom? (Baal HaTurim 28:3, Nefesh HaChaim 4:5, Sichos Mussar, Atarah LMelech pg. 133) 2) Rashi writes (35:27) that the tribal leaders were punished by the removal of the letter yud from their titles. They decided that after the people had completed their contributions for the building of the Mishkan, they would donate whatever was missing. Why wasnt Moshe similarly punished for his lack of contribution to the Mishkan (see Vayikra Rabba 1:6), and to the contrary, Rashi writes (39:33) that because Moshe hadnt participated in the Mishkan, Hashem miraculously arranged that nobody should be able to erect it except for Moshe in order to give him a part in its construction? (Mishmeres Ariel and Tallei Oros Parshas Vayikra) 3) Rashi writes (35:27) that the tribal leaders were punished by the removal of the letter yud from their titles. Why did they specifically lose the letter yud?? (Kli Yakar, Chiddushei HaRim, Emunas Itecha, Outlooks and Insights Parshas Terumah) Answers to Points to Ponder: 1) The Baal HaTurim answers that the initial wisdom refers to the fear of Hashem, as Dovid HaMelech writes in Tehillim (111:10). This is hinted to by the fact that the phrase has the same numerical value as . Rav Chaim Volozhiner explains that fear of Hashem serves as the storehouse which allows a person to preserve his Torah learning. It is for this reason that Hashem gives wisdom only to those who already possess the fear of Hashem, because without a suitable storehouse, the wisdom will quickly be lost. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz suggests that the Medrash (Tanchuma 2) implies that the initial wisdom which Hashem seeks in a person is respect for and pursuit of knowledge, so that if He imbues him with wisdom, it will be used productively. Rav Pam adds that this explanation is alluded to in Mishlei (4:7), where Shlomo HaMelech writes that the beginning of wisdom is the desire to acquire it. 2) Rav Avrohom, the brother of the Vilna Gaon, explains that the Torah emphasizes (25:3) that the primary prerequisite for contributing to the Mishkan was a motivated heart. However, this was only applicable to a person who felt that he owned items and was inspired to generously donate them. Moshe, on the other hand, had so negated his entire essence to Hashem that he didnt view himself as possessing anything which he could be moved to contribute. The Mishmeres Ariel suggests that on the way out of Egypt, the Jewish people became rich by borrowing the gold and silver of their Egyptian neighbors. The Gemora in Sotah (13a) teaches that Moshe spent that time preoccupied with the mitzvah of retrieving Yosefs bones. As such, he didnt have any precious metals that he could donate to the Mishkan. Alternatively, Rav Berel Soloveitchik answers that Moshe served as the treasurer who accepted all of the donations for the Mishkan. Contributing to the cause required the giving over of the item and the transfer of its ownership from its owner to ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 5
the treasurer. Because Moshe was the treasurer, he had no means to give his possessions to himself and was therefore unable to donate. 3) The Kli Yakar explains that the tribal leaders displayed arrogance in declaring themselves capable of supplying whatever the rest of the nation was unable to donate. As Hashem declares (Tehillim 101:5) that He cannot bear conceit, He specifically removed the letter yud, which is the only letter of His name that appears in their title. Similarly, the Targum Yonason writes (Bamidbar 13:16) that prior to sending the spies, Moshe added the letter yud to Yehoshuas name because he saw his humility. The Chiddushei HaRim posits that the tribal leaders primary error was in separating themselves from the community, agreeing to donate on their own only after everybody else had contributed. Because they removed themselves from the Jewish people, the letter yud, symbolizing (the Jewish nation) was separated from their titles. Rav Zev Leff answers that the tribal leaders misunderstood the purpose of donating to the Mishkan. They erroneously thought that Hashem needed the contributions, and they offered to fill any remaining deficit. In reality, Hashem didnt need any of the items, which were instead an opportunity for the giver to purify himself. When written with the letter yud the title connotes those who carry. Without the yud, the vowels can be arranged so that the word refers to those who are carried. The yud was removed to hint to them that although they thought that they were carrying the Mishkan by making up the shortfall, in reality they were the ones being carried through the merit of the mitzvah. 2014 by Ozer Alport. To subscribe, send comments, or sponsor an issue, email oalport@optonline.net Aish.Com - Rabbi Stephen Baars Brainstorming With Baars Vayakhel: Don't Worry America Have you ever been in a store and thought to yourself, "A few simple changes would make this place so much more pleasant and probably even more profitable?" Recently, I had to compare two hospitals, as the father of the patient. One hospital was world class, Johns Hopkins, while the other, unfortunately, was not. Not even close. The differences between the two really had to do with little things along the way. How the doctors listened and responded, nurses, pillows and simple courtesies. Lots of small differences, which in of themselves could easily be dismissed, but when put all together would either make the whole experience very pleasant or very distasteful. While in the "not close" hospital, I kept thinking to myself, I have to call up the CEO and explain why their hospital is so second rate. However, I knew it would be a waste of time. People find it hard to make those small little changes that make all the difference in the world, even if they want to. Like a building, once the foundations are set there is a real limit to how much a person can grow. This concept explains the longevity of America and I believe explains why it has nothing to worry about. The integrity, nobility and the impressive commitment to the concepts upon which America was founded elevate it above every other country in the world. Others may appear to come close, and even seem to be serious contenders, but they only shine for a moment and eventually fade away. The only country that is in America's league is the modern State of Israel. And to be accurate, it's America that is in the same class as Israel. Countries founded on meaningful principles, true ideals and grounded dreams are in a very small class. Only two in fact. But considering it used to be only one, we have had a very good last quarter epoch. In a very similar way, families, marriages and even a single person can create their own dream and vision. When people make a full commitment to great and meaningful concepts, they themselves become imbued with a fabric of values that makes success almost inevitable. Almost every small decision will be the right one. However, without such a commitment it's impossible to detail how someone should behave so that they can get to the top. In other words, you can't script someone on a daily basis for success, if they don't have the personal commitment. It is for this reason our Sages tell us that the Western Wall to The Holy Temple will never fall. Because it was constructed by the poor people, and their commitment, focus of purpose and self sacrifice was so deep, it imbued the wall with such intense meaning, guaranteeing itself eternity. The Tabernacle, the forerunner to the permanent Temple, was a magnificent construction of many donated items, none of which does the Torah tell us what they were used for previously. Except one... The washstand through which the Priests purified themselves before they engaged in the holy service. The only item in the entire Tabernacle where the Torah tells us what it was made from was this washstand. The Torah explains it was made from the womens' mirrors that they themselves donated. To be honest, I was a little hesitant to discuss such a sensitive subject, and maybe would have just glossed over it if not for the fact that Moses similarly felt these mirrors did not belong in the Home of God. Why not? Because these mirrors were used by the women in Egypt to make themselves attractive to their husbands, who were exhausted from the slavery. Moses felt such items did not belong in the Tabernacle even though they were instrumental in bringing the next generation of Jews. God however disagreed. Moses sought to exclude them and God intervened and tells him, "These are dearer to Me than all the other contributions..." (Rashi, Exodus 38:8). And not only were they used, but they were used to "Purify." Why? Mirrors were considered quite a luxury, reserved only for the wealthy. Before modern China was invented, a mirror was no cheap item. Slaves, by definition, don't spend what little money they have on mirrors. One of the last things a slave has to worry about is what they look like. Think about how important these women viewed their connection to their spouses. For them to own a mirror, imagine how many other "necessities" they had to give up. They didn't do this for vanity. They did it for spirituality. Spirituality doesn't begin with God. It ends with God. To be spiritual, you must first appreciate there is life outside yourself just as real as you. These mirrors represented their real spiritual awareness which despite the bitter, harsh and brutal slavery, was never lost. "To love God, one must first love man. If anyone tells you that he loves God but does not love his fellow man, he is lying." (Divrei Chassidim) These women understood that even though we may be slaves, we are still wives. We are not objects. We, and our husbands, are people. What is crucial to understand is that real spirituality doesn't fade even when the physical realm seems daunting. Real spirituality is not a luxury, sort of like a pastime or hobby of the rich and famous. That is not spirituality, it's phony self indulgence. Understanding The Temple A house is a place where you merely exist, but a home is a place where you find the meaning. It's easy to build a house. It takes real commitment to ultimate values to build a home. The same is true for a country. Given a big enough battleship, it's relatively easy to plant a flag on a small continent. It's nowhere near as easy to imbue its inhabitants with values such as free speech, human rights and dignity, to name but a few. From a satellite in space, both places may seem the same, but here on earth those two countries are worlds apart. From this, you can understand what The Temple was all about. It wasn't just a building. It stood for and embodied the ultimate purpose of life. This was the goal of everyone engaged in its construction. They understood, just like people who are building a home, or the founders of America building a country, that if we dedicate this physical space with absolute commitment to the ultimate purpose and value of life, then it will be. People cannot make homes more meaningful than who they are. The home is a reflection of the people living in it. Homes, countries and The Holy Temple are the places that bring out our best values. America is here because of the people who founded it. Their commitment carries on today, not through their buildings and not even through their writings, but through their citizens. Buildings are an expression of what we believe, and it's what we believe that make us who we are. This chasm of understanding between the Jewish people and America on one side, and the rest of the world on the other, is possibly best epitomized with the tragedy of 9/11. For us, it was a tragedy of the death of so many innocent people. No one in America considered it would end the country because the country is not a building. But that is exactly what the perpetrators thought it to be. They just cannot grasp that America is bigger than its buildings. They don't understand that the buildings represent the people, not the other way around. Other than Israel and America, no other country exists like this, nor do they comprehend. The builders of The Temple had a deep and enduring commitment to meaning and spirituality. It expressed itself in The Temple, but all that they stood for continues in the people, and that doesn't die when the building is no longer here. We, the descendents of those women, embody their commitment. 6 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
It is for this reason, that we Jews know, without a doubt, that such a building, dedicated for such a noble purpose, by such a people, will eventually be rebuilt. Brainstorming Questions To Ponder Question 1: Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? Question 2: Are spiritual people better than others? Question 3: Is being spiritual a choice or are you born that way? This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/tp/b/bwb/86203582.html Like what you read? As a non-profit organization, Aish.com relies on readers like you to enable us to provide meaningful and relevant articles. Join Aish.com and help us continue to give daily inspiration to people like you around the world. Make a secure donation at: https://secure.aish.com/secure/pledge.php or mail a check to Aish.com, 408 South Lake Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Copyright 1995 - 2014 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com
Dr. Avigdor Bonchek Whats Bothering Rashi? Parashas Vayakhel This week's sedra continues with its discussion of the Mishkan. It describes the work done by Bezalel and his co- workers in constructing the Mishkan and the related accouterments. Shemos 35:34 - And he gave the ability to teach , him and Ahaliav, the son of Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Rashi - And Ahaliav: Rashi: [He] was from the tribe of Dan, of the lowliest among the Tribes, one of the sons of the maidservants, yet G-d equates him to Bezalel in the work of the Tabernacle, who was from the greatest of the tribes. This exemplifies what it says (Job 34:19) "He does not recognize the wealthy over the poor." What Is Rashi Saying ? Rashi's message is clear. He says that Torah teaches us a moral lesson i.e. that G-d does not show preference to the privileged over the less privileged. We derive this from the fact that G-d chose Ahaliav, the son of one of Jacob's maidservants, to be on an equal footing with Bezalel, the son of Leah, one of Jacob's wives, in the holy work of constructing the Tabernacle. And we are made aware of this by the phrasing of our verse. But when we compare our verse with a previous one, we have a question. See 31:6 (parashas Ki Sisa). There it says: "I have given with him (Bezalel) Ahaliav the son of Achisamach of the Tribe of Dan, etc." Questioning Rashi: A Question: On the above words Rashi has no comment. Why didn't he make the comment he made on our verse on this earlier verse? This verse also mentions Ahaliav together with Bezalel. Hint: Compare the wording of the two verses. Understanding Rashi An Answer: In verse 31:6 it says "with him (Bezalel.)" The word "with" can be understood to mean "subordinate to" and not necessarily "equal to." While in our verse we have the words "him and Ahaliav etc." Here the two are placed on an equal basis. Thus it is not by chance that Rashi makes his comment here and not earlier; only here does the wording of the verse stress their equality. Lesson It is always wise to assume that Rashi will make an appropriate comment at the earliest opportunity in the Torah. If he does not, then we must strive to understand why. Shabbat Shalom, Avigdor Bonchek "What's Bothering Rashi?" is a product of the Institute for the Study of Rashi and Early Commentaries. All 5 volumes on What's Bothering Rashi? are available in Jewish book stores. This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.co.il Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344 3344
HaRav Eliezer Chrysler Midei Shabbos Vol. 21 No. 22 This issue is sponsored anonymously Parshas Vayakhel - Shabbos and Mishkan (Adapted from the Oznayim la'Torah) "And Moshe gathered the entire congregation of Yisrael and he said to them "These are the things that G-d commanded to do them" (35:1). Moshe gathered the people, to tell them about Shabbos and to instruct them to build the Mishkan. What these two Mitzvos have in common, the Oznayim la'Torah explains, is that they both represent Kedushah - the one sanctity of time, the other, of place. The fact that Shabbos overrides the construction of the Mishkan, as Rashi explains, indicates that the sanctity of time is greater than that of location (see opening article, Ki Sissa). And the reason that they are mentioned specifically here, he says, is due to the fact that both are antidotes to the sin of the Golden Calf. And as for Shabbos, the Gemara says in Shabbos (118) "Whoever keeps Shabbos properly, even if he served idols like the generation of Enosh, will be forgiven', not, he explains, because Shabbos atones for Avodah-Zarah, but because it strengthens one's faith in the One who created Heaven and earth. The Mishkan, on the other hand, besides being in itself the ultimate symbol of the Oneness of Hashem (see Rashi in Korach 16:6), directly atones for the sin of the Golden Calf - as Chazal said 'Let the gold of the Mishkan come and atone for the gold of the Eigel ha'Zahav'. Hence the Medrash, quoted by the author, also says 'Let the gathering of Moshe come and atone for the gathering of Aharon'. One in a Thousand Ibid. Moshe gathered the whole of Yisrael, the Oznayim la'Torah explains, as an act of demonstration to minimize the sin of the Golden Calf. See, he says, how more than six hundred thousand people donated towards the Mishkan, as well as women and children (Ramban), a total of over three million. The donations, he adds, came to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, a sin in which only three thousand people participated (and they were not even fully-fledged members of K'lal Yisrael). This surely is a great defensive shield on behalf of Yisrael, in that such a small percentage of people actually sinned, and that in fact, the sinners, strangers who joined Yisrael at the last moment, who announced "These are your gods, Yisrael" numbered only one in a thousand and were therefore 'Bateil be'Elef' ('nullified in a thousand'). As is well-known, the women did not donate towards the Golden calf. The Oznayim la'Torah, citing Rabeinu Bachye, finds a hint for this in the Pasuk in Koheles (chapter 7), where Shlomoh ha'Melech writes, "And a woman among these I did not find". "These", he explains, refers to the Golden Calf, in connection with which the Eirev Rav announced "These are your gods, Yisrael ". What the Pasuk is therefore hinting is that among those who were guilty of worshiping the Golden Calf, there was not a single woman to be found. The author himself adds that, by the same token, the beginning of the same Pasuk in Koheles, "One man in a thousand did I find" hints that, even among the men, who did sin, it was only one in a thousand who actually sinned, as he just explained. Parshah Pearls (Adapted from the Oznayim la'Torah) Transporting the Basin & its Stand "The Mizbe'ach of the burned-offering its staves and all its accessories, the basin and its stand" (35:16). The Oznayim la'Torah wonders why the Kiyor and its stand are not mentioned in Bamidbar, where the Torah discusses how all the vessels of the Mishkan were carried, and who carried them. None of the commentaries there speak about it. The Ibn Ezra here refers to the question and suggests that, bearing in mind that the basin and its stand did not have staves with which to transport it, perhaps they were transported on the wagons, together with the dismantled sections of the Mishkan. The author queries this explanation however, inasmuch as, in Parshas Noso, where the Torah lists, down to the last detail, everything that the sons of Gershon and Merori carried, it makes no mention of the Kiyor or its basin! To solve the problem, he cites various Medrashim which describe how the well of Miriam, which travelled with Yisrael in the desert (as the Torah writes in Chukas), would stand in the courtyard of the Mishkan whenever Yisrael stopped travelling and began to set up the Mishkan. The Gemara in Yoma (37) also tell us that, in the time of the Beis- Hanikdash, there was a well in the courtyard into which they would lower the basin each night, to prevent the water that it contained from becoming Pasul be'Linah (invalidated by being inside a K'li Shareis overnight- not joined to the ground). For the same reason, it would have been necessary to do the same with the basin in the desert, and the need to do so would have applied even whilst travelling. It is therefore safe to assume that the Kiyor and its stand spent each night inside Miriam's well, and that was also where it travelled. The Wood for the Mishkan (1) "And with whoever there was found cedar-wood for the work of the Mishkan, they brought it" (35:24). There are two theories as to the source of the cedar-wood with which they constructed the Mishkan and some of the Holy Vessels. Some say that they were cut from the trees that Avraham Avinu planted specifically for the Mishkan that his descendants would construct many years later, and which Ya'akov took down to Egypt in preparation for the great event. Whilst according to others, they discovered a forest of cedar-trees in the location of Har Sinai, which they felled for that purpose. ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 7
The current Pasuk bears out the first opinion, says the Oznayim la'Torah. Because if they obtained the wood from a forest, which was accessible to all, the expression "with whoever there was found cedar-wood " would have been inappropriate. The Wood for the Mishkan (2) Ibid. Regarding the first of the opinions that we just discussed, the Oznayim la'Torah in Parshas T'rumah (25:5), makes the following comments: 1, When G-d informed Avraham that He would redeem his children on the merit of the Korbanos, Avraham immediately planted cedar-trees for the purpose of building the House in which those Korbanos would be sacrificed - because a prophecy or a promise is fulfilled successfully only if one performs an action to actualize it (See Melachim 1, 13:2). 2. Avraham Avinu made sure that not only the Korbanos, but all the preparations for the Korbanos, were performed for the sake of G-d - like we find by Rebbi Chiya, who planted flax-seeds in preparation to teach Torah to the Jewish children (See Bava Metzi'a, Daf 85b). 3. The cedar-trees that Avraham planted in Be'er -Sheva represented his Midah of Hachnosas Orchim. Consequently, when they built the Mishkan using planks that were constructed from those trees, the Mishkan (which Chazal compare to the creation of the world) represented 'the three Midos on which the world stands': Torah (the Aron), Avodah (the Mizbei'ach) and Gemilus-Chasadim (the Mishkan itself). Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur "And Moshe said 'See Hashem has called by name "Betzalel, the son of Uri, the son of Chur" (36:30). Why, asks the Oznayim la'Torah, does the Torah mention Betzalel's grandfather Chur, when, only a few Pesukim later, it names Betzalel's second in command as Oholi'av ben Achisamach, making no mention of his grandfather? He explains that this is because Betzalel, who was only thirteen at the time, merited the distinction of being in charge of all facets of the Mishkan's construction, on account of his grandfather, who was murdered during the episode of the Golden Calf, as Rashi explains there (32:8). In Ki Sissa, the author explains that the choice of Betzalel to fulfil this mammoth task was to atone for his grandfather's murder, and that Chur's son Uri, could not fulfil it because he was still in mourning over his father's death. The Wise-hearted Men " Betzalel, Oholi'av and every wise-hearted man did all that G-d commanded him" (36:1). In Egypt, says the Oznayim la'Torah, the people were all busy with mortar and bricks. Nobody had learned any other trade or profession. Bearing in mind that the Mishkan was built the year that they left Egypt, where, he asks, did they find experts in all the fields of expertise that were needed to construct both the Mishkan together all its vessels and the Bigdei Kehunah? The answer, he explains, lies in the current Pasuk - "into whom G-d placed wisdom and understanding to know and to do all the holy work". And whom did G-d choose to perform the holy task? That question is answered in the very next Pasuk - "All those whose hearts were uplifted to approach the work to do it". This is in keeping with the saying of Chazal 'Whoever comes to purify himself, receives Divine Assistance'. For sponsorships and adverts call 651 9502 This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. Shema Yisrael Torah Network For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.com Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344
Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Chamishoh Mi Yodei'a 5 Questions And Answers On Parshas Va'yakheil 5774 - Bs"D Please send your answers and comments to: Sholom613@Rogers.Com 1) Ch. 35, v. 4: "Va'yomer Moshe el kol adas bnei Yisroel leimore zeh hadovor asher tzivoh Hashem leimore" - And Moshe said to the complete congregation of the bnei Yisroel thus saying: This is the matter that Hashem has commanded to say - The double "leimore" requires clarification. Rashi explains that second "leimore" as, "This is what Hashem commanded me to tell you." This is the case with every mitzvoh related prophecy, and we don't usually find a double "leimore." Rashi's words obviously require further clarification. 2) Ch. 35, v. 11: "Es haMishkon" - In this verse and the following verses the components of the Mishkon to be created are mentioned. There is a glaring omission, the creation of the "kruvim" on the "kaporres." 3) Ch. 35, v. 22: "Kol n'div lev" - Everyone with a generous heart - The gemara Shkolim notes that when material was donated for the creation of the golden calf the verse says that "kol ho'om" donated, and here by donating for the Mishkon the verse says "kol n'div lev." The gemara says that the bnei Yisroel are holy. When asked to give for the golden calf they gave and when asked to give for the Mishkon they also gave. If the gemara equates the two incidents of donations, why does the verse change its description of who actually donated, by the golden calf with "kol ho'om," while here with "kol n'div lev?" 4) Ch. 36, v. 6: "Va'yiko'lei ho'om mei'hovi" - And the nation stopped bringing - The word "va'yiko'lei" appears in Breishis 8:2 as well, "Va'yikolei ha'geshem min hashomayim." How can these two phrases be linked? 5) Ch. 36, v. 7: "V'hamlochoh hoysoh da'yom l'chol hamlochoh laasose osoh v'hoseir" - And the material was sufficient for all that was to be done to make it and extra - Was it sufficient or extra? Answers: #1 Shaa'rei Simchoh explains the double "leimore" as follows: There is a responsibility on each person to tell others to donate. The second "leimore" flows right into the words of the next verse, "K'chu mei'it'chem." Although he says this as an independent thought, perhaps this is Rashi's intention. The Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh explains the words "zeh hadovor" of our verse. He says that this teaches us that a person should only donate in the manner specified in the next verse, "kol n'div libo," that a person should only donate in the "n'dovoh" manner, and not in the "neder" manner. A "n'dovoh" is a donation of a specific object, i.e. this ingot of silver. If it were to go missing or be destroyed, there is no requirement to replace it, as only that specific object was pledged. A "neder" is a vow to donate a non- specified object, i.e. a cow, an amount of money. Even if a person were to lose all his cows or money he is not absolved from fulfilling his commitment, as it was general, and not connected to a specific item. "Zeh hadovor" teaches us to only donate in the "n'dovoh" manner. Perhaps this insight also explains the double "leimore." "Zev hadovor asher tzivoh Hashem leimore" - This is the matter that Hashem commanded to SAY - "kol N'DIV libo," only pledge as a "n'dovoh." #2 The Tzror Hamor answers that there were some "eirev rav" still alive, and by spelling out the creation of these figures the "eirev rav" would likely have thoughts of them being a sort of deity or a human form representation of a deity, so they were omitted overtly. The mention of the "kaporres," which had the "kruvim" formed out of one piece of gold sufficed. #3 Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin answers that although the donours for the golden calf thought that they were donating for a holy purpose, once they experienced a major fiasco with the golden calf, people were very reluctant to again donate. Who knows what the end result will be, even though the donation is given with a positive intention. This left only the very generous of heart to donate. #4 The gemara Taanis 5b says that drought is caused by people pledging donations and not fulfilling their commitment. This is derived from the verse in Mishlei 25:15, "N'siim v'ruach ayin ish mis'ha'leil b'matas sho'ker," - clouds and a storm wind, but there is not (rain), similar to a person who prides himself with a false donation, i.e. a pledge that is not honoured. The pledge gives a false feeling of a donation about to be given. Similarly, not only is there no rain, but there are clouds and a storm wind, which give rise to an expectation that becomes naught. When is there "va'yiko'lei ha'geshem," there is no rain? It is when "va'yiko'lei ho'om mei'hovi," when the nation does not bring its donation. (Kli Yokor) #5 The medrash says that the bnei Yisroel brought exactly the amount needed, but a blessing went into the materials and there was extra. There was extra, but miraculously, it was all used. It is only because there was extra that there was enough. Otherwise everyone would have felt that without my donation the Mishkon project would be lacking. There had to be extra so this feeling did not exist. A Chasidic approach: There was enough material, "v'hoseir," and this great emotion of donating generously, remained with them always. (Imrei Noam) A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Chasidic Insights Chasidic Insights Parshas Va'yakheil From 5765 Bs"D For sponsorships and advertising opportunities, send e-mail to:Sholom613@Rogers.Com Ch. 35, v. 1: "Va'yakheil Moshe es kol adas bnei Yisroel" - Why was it necessary to assemble all the bnei Yisroel to relate the building of the Mishkon? Through Moshe's prophetic power he saw that in the future the Beis Hamikdosh would be destroyed because of baseless hatred, "sinas chinom." He therefore assembled them to symbolically indicate that their unity was paramount in maintaining the existence of the Sanctuary. (Rabbi Moshe of Pshevorsk in Ohr Pnei Moshe) 8 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
Ch. 35, v. 1: "Va'yakheil Moshe .. ei'leh hadvorim asher tzivoh Hashem laasose osom" - Moshe assembled the people and said that having them come together as a unified body is what Hashem commanded them to do. (Chidushei Hori"m) Ch. 35, v. 1,2: "Va'yakheil Moshe .. ei'leh hadvorim asher tzivoh Hashem laasose osom, ..Uva'yom hashvii yi'h'yeh lochem kodesh Shabbas Shabbosone" - 1) Why was it necessary to assemble all the bnei Yisroel to relate the laws of Shabbos? 2) The verse ends with "laasose osom," to DO them, and immediately follows with the restriction of doing creative work on Shabbos. How is this "laasose"? 3) What is the intention of the word "lochem" in verse 2? 4) Why the double expression "Shabbas Shabbosone"? One can accept upon himself to begin Shabbos a bit earlier than the actual advent of Shabbos. This is called "tosfos Shabbos" and is a Torah level Shabbos. There is an halacha that when a community accepts Shabbos early, i.e. starting Maariv prayers in a congregation, even the individuals who have not done so are also swept along and it is Shabbos for them as well. This is alluded to in these verses. The nation was assembled, indicating that they are to act in unison. "Laasose" alludes to CREATING the Shabbos through our accepting it early. This is "yi'h'yeh LOCHEM kodesh, you are all subject to it being Shabbos early, because the individual is drawn after the communal acceptance of an early Shabbos. Since it is an addition to the basic Shabbos, the double term "Shabbas Shabbosone" is used. (Nirreh li) Ch. 35, v. 1,2: "Laasose osom, .. Kodesh Shabbas Shabbosone" - Don't just sanctify the Shabbos by refraining from work, MAKE Shabbos. Create an atmosphere of sanctity and holiness. (Nirreh li) Ch. 35, v. 3: "Lo s'vaaru aish b'chole moshvoseichem b'yom haShabbos" - Some people sink very low in their weekday pursuits. Their activities are devoid of even a spark of sanctity. When Shabbos comes and work is prohibited, they must change from their spiritually totally extinguished mode to one of lighting a spiritual fire and warmth. This is not the correct way. One must imbue his workweek activities with warmth and sanctity as well, so that when Shabbos comes and he increases sanctity, he is not just beginning to create the fire. (Chasam Sofer) Ch. 36, v. 6: "Va'yiko'lei ho'om meihovi" - And the nation experienced total cleavage of their souls with Hashem, "kalos nefesh," through the strong emotions accompanying their donating. (Rabbi Osher of Stolin in Birkas Osher) A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Oroh V'Simchoh Oroh V'simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh On Parshas Va'yakheil - Bs"D Ch. 35, v. 22: "V'chol ish asher HEINIF T'NUFAS zohov laShem" - Why is the word HEINIF used specifically by the donation of gold and by no other material? The Imrei Shefer answers that the M.R. chapter 51 and the Medrash Tanchumoh chapter 9 say that the donations of gold for the Mishkon are an atonement for the gold given for the making of the golden calf. The word form HANOFOH is used by sacrifices which are an atonement. Therefore, specifically by the gold donations this word is used to indicate that the donations of gold afford atonement similar to a sacrifice. There is a difficulty with this explanation. We find the expression "U'n'choshes haT'NUFOH" in Shmos 38:29. The Meshech Chochmoh explains the reason for the word form HANOFOH used by gold and copper specifically because there is a law that items created for mundane purposes may not be used for building the Mishkon or for its vessels. We only find two materials that were personal items of the donours. They are jewellery and the copper mirrors used for the laver (kior). If an item that was created for a mundane use was changed in form it is considered a new item and may be used for the Mishkon. The golden jewellery was melted and recast. The copper mirrors were soldered together to form the laver. Each of these acts was an ELEVATION from its previous use, hence the use of the word form HANOFOH specifically by gold and copper. Ch. 36, v. 13: "Va'yaas chamishim karsei zohov" - The Meshech Chochmoh points out a difference in the order of words in our verse, which discusses the making of the golden hooks, where the number appears before the items, and verse 18, which discusses the making of the copper hooks, where the item appears before the number, "va'yaas karsei n'choshes chamishim." He adds that we find this same difference in parshas Trumoh by the command to create these items (26:6 and 26:11). He explains that when the number is mentioned earlier, the amount is not fixed, as even more may be created. When the number is mentioned afterwards, the Torah is telling us to make exactly that amount and no more. He does not explain why the order indicates this. Perhaps, although unlikely, this goes under the ruling of "klal ufrat ein bichlal ela mah shebifrat." More likely, this can be understood with the words of the Chizkuni. He says that when an earlier part of a verse contains a thought that is not self understood, then the continuation stands by itself. Thus our verse by saying "va'yaas chamishim" is still not understood. When it continues with "karsei zohov" it stands alone, meaning that there may be as many as you wish to create. In verse 18 where it says "va'yaas karsei n'choshes," a self contained idea, the word "chamishim" that follows limits it to only 50. Thus more than 50 golden hooks may be made, while only 50 copper hooks should be made. Why this should be so can be understood with the words of the Meshech Chochmoh on verse 18. << Ch. 36, v. 18: "Va'yaas karsei n'choshes chamishim L'CHA'BER ES HO'OHEL" - In verse 13 where it discusses the golden connecting hooks for the Mishkon coverings, the words "l'cha'ber es ho'ohel" are not mentioned. The Meshech Chochmoh answers that halacha required that all items used for the Mishkon and its vessels be created specifically for the sanctity of the Mishkon, etc. The dwellings people lived in also had sheets of material used as roof coverings. It is very likely that to connect the sheets of material, inexpensive copper hooks were also used, similar to those required for the upper Mishkon covering. Therefore the Torah stresses, "l'chaber es ho'ohel," to emphasize that the hooks used to join the sections of the Sanctuary covering had to be created specifically for that purpose. For the bottom level, the Mishkon covering, which would be visible, the Torah required that the hooks be made of gold (verse 13). Since people would not use gold to make hooks for the roof coverings of their own homes, it was therefore not necessary to mention "l'cha'ber es ho'ohel" in verse 13.>> It is now well understood that if extra golden hooks were to be made, there would be no fear that they would accidentally be used for one's personal needs, as gold would never be used for hooks that attach sections of roof coverings. However, the Torah was concerned that if extra copper hooks that were sanctified were left in storage, there might be the possibility that they might accidentally be confused with other copper unsanctified hooks, and be used in one's personal tent, hence the restriction to only create 50 of them. Feedback And Submissions Are Appreciated. Sholom613@Rogers.Com
Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Sedrah Selections Sedrah Selections Parshas Va'yakheil 5774 Bs"D Ch. 35, v. 2: "Sheishes yomim tei'o'seh m'lochoh" - Six days work will be done - Being expressed as "will be done," meaning through a medium, teaches us that only during the six working days may work be done through another, but not on Shabbos. Even telling a non-Jew to do work for you on Shabbos is prohibited. (Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh) Ch. 35, v. 2: "Sheishes yomim tei'o'seh m'lochoh" - Six days work will be done - Tosfos in his commentary on the gemara P'sochim asks: How is it permitted for any adult to do "m'lochoh" on any work day? There is a law that on a day that a person offers a sacrifice he is prohibited from doing work, a sort of Yom Tov, and since the daily tomid offering belongs to everyone, no work should be allowed any day of the year. Tosfos answers that we see that the Torah permits work, as the verse says, "V'osafto d'go'necho" (Dvorim 6). I wonder why Tosfos does not cite earlier proofs, such as "Uvkutz'r'chem." Ch. 35, v. 2: "Sheishes yomim tei'o'seh m'lochoh uvayom hashvii yi'h'yeh lochem kodesh" - Six days work will be done and on the seventh day it will be for you holy - Must a person work during the six weekdays? This refers to the fulfillment of mitzvos during the six thousand years ("Elef shonim b'einecho k'yom") of this world. On the seventh day, when the time of olom habo comes the mitzvos will bring the person to great sanctity. (Shal"oh Hakodosh) Ch. 35, v. 2: "Sheishes yomim tei'o'seh m'lochoh uvayom hashvii yi'h'yeh lochem kodesh Shabbas Shabosone laShem" - Six days work will be done and on the seventh day it will be for you holy A day of complete rest for Hashem - "Tei'o'seh," beibg done of itself, refers to the creation of the Mishkon. Although people laboured an angel came from Hashem and helped complete things. One might then think that he may labour on Shabbos for the building of the Mishkon given that an angel is a partner in the work and "shnayim she'ossu p'turim." The verse therefore says that this is still prohibited because if he were to labour on Shabbos no angel would come to help him as it is also a day of restraint from work for Hashem, "Shabbos Shabosone laShem." (Mahari"l Diskin) Ch. 35, v. 2: "Tei'o'seh m'lochoh" - Work will be done - This is expressed in the "nifal" form, it is done, to teach us that even when we work during the six weekdays nothing is accomplished without Hashem's will. (Admor of Ishbitze in Mei Hashilo'ach) ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 9
Ch. 35, v. 2: "Uvayom hashvii lochem kodesh" - And on the seventh day it is holy for you - All week long that which we do for ourselves, "lochem," is not totally kodesh, but on the seventh day, Shabbos Kodesh, even the "lochem" is holy. (Chid"o) Ch. 35, v. 2: "Shabbas Shabosone" - Besides the basic time of Shabbos we should add on "tosfos Shabbos." (Yalkut Shimoni) Ch. 35, v. 3: "Lo s'vaaru aish b'chole moshvoseichem b'yom haShabbos" - Do not ignite a fire in any of your residences on the Shabbos day - The gemara Shabbos derives from these words that we should avoid having fires destroy our homes through our desecration of Shabbos. I live close to a row of stores that are almost totally run by bnei Yisroel. Only one of them was open on Shabbos. Numerous attempts were made to convince the proprietor to close on Shabbos, but alas, to no avail. During the week that this section of gemara was studied world-wide in the daf yomi schedule, his store burned down. The problem is obvious. He did not learn this piece of gemara, and even if he would have I truly doubt it would have made an impact. What we must take from this incidence is that when we read the words of chaza"l that mention matters in which we are weak, we must take them very seriously. The above gemara offers another explanation. Guard Shabbos lest I burn down your synagogues and study halls. An insurance salesman asked me to look through all the Torah Scrolls that his shul possessed for the purpose of evaluating them so that if ch"v there was a fire or some other damage the value of the Torah Scrolls would be documented. I did this for him, giving him a written report. I asked him if the insurance rates rise if there is a greater likelihood of fire, etc. he told me that of course this was so. When asked if people in his shul talked during davening he answered in the affirmative. I told him that since talking during davening is a cause of Hashem's responding by ch"v burning down the shul he should rightfully increase the insurance premiums. The story ends here. Ch. 35, v. 5: "K'chu mei'itchem trumoh laShem" - Take from among you a tithe for Hashem - Originally Hashem would have accepted donations even from the erev rav. Once they sinned with the golden calf and were the source of drawing some bnei Yisroel into the sin Hashem no longer accepted donations from them, only "mei'itchem." (Eitz Hadaas Tov based on the Holy Zohar) Ch. 35, v. 30: "R'u kara Hashem b'shem B'tzal'eil ben Uri ben Chur" - See that Hashem has called by name B'tzal'eil the son of Uri the son of Chur - I have written this insight in an earlier edition on parshas Ki Siso 31:2 where a very similar set of words appears. Since I feel it so powerfully I take the liberty of repeating it. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein in Dibros Moshe asks that we find no calling to B'tzal'eil. He answers that the verse goes on to say that Hashem has filled him with the wisdom of numerous crafts, gold smith, silver smith, stone carving, wood carpenter. These are the "calling." When Hashem gives someone skills, it is Hashem's direct message to the person to make good use of his skills. In the vernacular there is an expression: He has found his CALLING. Likely this is taken from "kara-karasi." This is a profound responsibility. When a person has a skill he may not squander it or let it go to waste. Ch. 36, v. 1: "Chacham lev" - Wise of heart - He who has wisdom but no emotion has no wisdom either. (Rabbi Aharon Hagodol of Karlin) Ch. 36, v. 7: "Da'yom voho'seir" - Sufficient and extra - What did they do with the extra? Medrash Hagodol says that Hashem told Moshe to use it for a tent of study for himself. ("Voho'seir" has the letters of "V'Torah.") The Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh says that miraculously the extra condensed into the basic amounts that were needed and nothing was left over. B'derech drush: The two botei Mikdosh were destroyed, but the Mishkon was "vo'ho'seir," and "left over," it remains intact. (n.l.) Ch. 38, v. 8: "Va'yaas es hakior n'choshes" - And he made the copper lave - The copper was donated by the women. They had so highly polished the copper that it functioned as mirrors. It is most appropriate to use women's donations for the lave. The washing of the Kohanim's hands and feet was a sanctifying prerequisite to their doing their service. This is similar to a benefit one has from his wife. She tends to the children's sanctity, and maintains her husband's sanctity as well. (N'tziv) A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh. Feel Free To Distribute By Copy Or Electronically. Feedback Is Appreciated. To Subscribe, Kindly Send Request To: Sholom613@Rogers.Com This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.co.il Jerusalem, Israel
Rabbi Yissocher Frand RavFrand Parshas Vayakhel A Good Name Is Better Than Good Oil These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 366, The Melacha of Tearing. Good Shabbos! There is an interesting Medrash on the pasuk "See G-d has called by name Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur of the tribe of Yehudah" [Shmos 35:30]. The Medrash references the pasuk in Koheles "A good name is better than good oil" [Koheles 7:1]. The Medrash elaborates that the scent of good oil may precede the oil by a mile or two at most, even if the oil has a very powerful aroma. However, a good name can precede a person even across continents. The Medrash then asks how far a person must remove himself from contact with the prohibition of Shatnez [the forbidden mixture of wool and linen]. The Medrash answers that even if a person is wearing 99 layers of clothing and none of them are Shatnez, he still may not wear a garment containing Shatnez as the one hundredth layer of clothing. What is the connection between distancing oneself from Shatnez and the pasuk that says, "A good name is better than good oil"? Rav Nissan Alpert gives the following interpretation of this Medrash (in his sefer Limudei Nissan): Every time the Torah introduces Betzalel, it uses the following unique expression: "Look, I've called him by this name..." Why does the Torah give Betzalel such an introduction? The Medrash explains that the reason why Betzalel merited to be the master builder of the Mishkan was not because he had master architectural talents or special artistic ability. Betzalel's uniqueness was that he -- for some reason -- merited having a 'good name'. The Medrash then emphasizes how wonderful it is to have a good reputation (shem tov). G-d, in choosing someone to construct his dwelling place on earth (the Mishkan), did not want to be associated with anyone who had anything less than an impeccable reputation. How does one obtain a good reputation? The Medrash answers this question by introducing the matter of Shatnez. The Medrash is teaching that the way a person acquires a good name is not by merely avoiding evil or sin, but by avoiding even the slightest hint of impropriety. It is not sufficient to merely 'play it by the book'. A person must distance himself to the ultimate extent from anything that even smacks of impropriety. Shatnez is a peculiar prohibition, in that the two substances involved (wool and linen) are completely permitted when taken individually. Only a combination of the two is prohibited. The Torah is teaching us that a person merits a good name by staying away from Shatnez. Avoiding Shatnez represents staying away from anything that has even a minute mixture of something improper. Those people in our communities who have achieved a good name are people who are above reproach. They have removed themselves from any taint of scandal or impropriety. Impeccable reputations are not achieved by playing it on the edge or bending the rules. We all know that certain people's handshakes are more reliable than other people's signed contracts. The reason why is because the first group of people stay away from 'forbidden mixtures'. They stay away from the slightest hint of 'non-Kosher' business practices. Ultimately, this is what pays off for them in the long run. When G-d builds a Mishkan, He does not want it built by a person regarding whom people may have suspicions. He wants a Betzalel -- a person above reproach, who possesses a good name, which is superior to good oil. This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion. Tapes, CDs, MP3s or a complete catalogue can be ordered from the Yad Yechiel Institute, PO Box 511, Owings Mills MD 21117-0511. Call (410) 358-0416 or e-mail tapes@yadyechiel.org or visit http://www.yadyechiel.org/ for further information. RavFrand, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi Yissocher Frand and Torah.org.
Aish.Com - Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen The Guiding Light Vayakhel: Fulfilling Our Potential In the midst of its account of the building of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) the Torah states that, "Every man whose heart inspired him came..." (1) The Ramban writes that this refers to those who came to do the work of weaving, sewing and building. Where did these people learn how to perform such skilled crafts? The Ramban answers that they found deep within their nature the ability to do them. These formerly hidden powers came about as a result of their deep desire to fulfill God's will by helping to build the Mishkan. As a result of their burning desire, God gave them the ability to do things that they had never been taught! There is a well-known principle that God grants us a unique set of talents with which they can fulfill their potential in life. Whilst this is certainly true it seems that it can be somewhat misapplied: As we grow up we naturally become aware of our strengths and weaknesses - there is the tendency that we can limit our activities to areas in which our strengths lie and ignore those fields in which we fell less able. For example, a person may feel that he is adept at speaking in front of small groups but that he cannot speak in front of large audiences. Thus, even when there is a necessity for someone to speak in such a setting, he will shy away from the 10 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
responsibility because he has 'pigeon-holed' himself as being unable to speak in front of many people. We learn from the Ramban that this is an erroneous attitude - the people who stepped forward to work in the Mishkan had no awareness that they were able to perform such skilled crafts - however, as a result of their devotion to Hashem they found hitherto untapped talents that could be used to fulfill God's will. So too, in our own lives there may be times when there is a need for a certain task to be performed and we may feel that we are unable to perform it - however, the Mishna in Ethics of the Fathers tells us that, "in a place where there are no men, be a man." The Mishna does not qualify its exhortation by saying that you should only stand up where there is no man in an area where you feel highly capable. Rather, the only criteria that we should examine is whether there is anyone else who can perform the required task as well as we can. And if there is not, then if we dedicate ourselves to doing God's will then surely God will bring out in us hidden talents. There are many examples of people who were inspired to bring out hidden talents and consequently achieved great things; one of the most remarkable is that of the Netziv, Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, one of the leading Torah scholars of the late nineteenth century. When he completed his commentary on the early work known as Sheiltot, he made a celebratory meal, partly because that is the custom when one completes a book, but there was another, more personal reason as well. He related that when he was a boy he was not particularly serious about his Torah studies. His parents made every effort to help him change his attitude but to no avail. One day he overheard them discussing his lack of success in Torah learning - they decided that he had no prospect of becoming a Torah scholar and therefore he should learn to become a cobbler. They hoped that at least he would be a God-fearing Jew who would go about his work with honesty and dedication. When he heard this, it greatly shocked him and he decided to take his Torah studies seriously - this incident has such an impact on him that it led to a complete change in his attitude and he became a Gadol (leading Torah scholar). How did he achieve so much? Because he developed a desire to be great in learning - it was through this desire that he found in his nature hitherto undiscovered ability to learn Torah to a very high level. One may respond to this story by arguing that not everybody can become such a great Torah scholar, however Jewish history shows that we need not necessarily be a leading rabbi to achieve great things - sometimes there are other areas of expertise which are required in order to bring about a fulfillment of God's will. Reb Dovid Dryan provides us with an excellent example of such a case. He was a pious shochet (2) known for his adherence to guarding his speech. However, there is one more thing that makes him stand out - he was directly responsible for the founding and running of the Gateshead Yeshiva and played a significant role in the formation of the Gateshead Kollel and Seminary. To a significant degree, his dedication is responsible for the fact that Gateshead is known as the greatest Torah center in Europe through which thousands of boys and girls have received a high level Torah education. How did Reb Dovid Dryan achieve this? When he came to live in Gateshead he found that there was no Yeshiva there. He said to himself, "how can I live in a place where there is no Yeshiva?!" This may be a question that many of us would ask in a similar situation. However, he did not suffice with just asking the question - he took action; he devoted much time and effort to achieve a seemingly impossible task in the face of considerable opposition. He took on many tasks which were not necessarily within the areas of his expertise, including fundraising and administration. He could have easily felt that he was a shochet and that was where his responsibilities to the community ended. Instead he motivated himself to do what was needed and God granted him the ability to succeed.(3) Despite these inspiring stories one could still argue that he has in the past made an effort in certain fields and not been successful - consequently he feels that he is exempt from taking responsibility in these areas. The Chafetz Chaim addresses this claim; he points out how much effort we invest into our own interests. For example, if a business venture is not going well, a person will not simply give up, rather he will constantly think how he can improve the situation - he will seek advice from other businessmen and eventually he will often succeed. So too, he writes, "If performing God's will was of equal value to a person as are his own personal affairs, he would seek advice and strategies how to build up Torah so that it does not weaken, and surely God will help him find ways to succeed however we do not do so in heavenly matters. When one sees that there is no way to improve the situation he immediately gives up and exempts himself from having to do anything."(4) If we were willing to apply the same effort in Divine Service as in our financial interests then we could surely rise above our accepted limits. There is a remarkable present day example of a person who lives these words of the Chafetz Chaim. Rav Meir Shuster is naturally a shy person who is most at home learning or praying. However, many years ago, he recognized a need - every day dozens of secular Jews would visit the Western Wall and return back to their lives empty of Torah. He saw the necessity to approach these people and offer them accommodation in a hostel that could serve as the base with which to encourage the visitors to go to Yeshiva or Seminary. Consequently, he took it upon himself to go against his nature and walk up to these strangers and engage them in conversation. After doing this for many years, it is impossible to know how many hundreds of lives have been changed by his bold decision to do something against his nature because he felt it was God's will. But it is clear that had he limited himself to his natural areas of strength then the world would have greatly suffered for it. The people who raised up their hearts to fulfill God's will found powers that they could never imagine they possessed. We too have the ability to break beyond our limits and achieve the seemingly impossible. Notes 1. Vayakhel, 35:21. 2. This is the Hebrew term for the person who is qualified in the ritual slaughtering of animals. 3. Heard from Rav Yissochor Frand shlit"a. 4. Chizuk Hadas, Ch. 2, p. 14. This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/tp/i/gl/245745601.html Like what you read? As a non-profit organization, Aish.com relies on readers like you to enable us to provide meaningful and relevant articles. Join Aish.com and help us continue to give daily inspiration to people like you around the world. Make a secure donation at: https://secure.aish.com/secure/pledge.php or mail a check to Aish.com, 408 South Lake Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Copyright 1995 - 2014 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com
Rabbi J. Gewirtz Migdal Ohr Volume 16 Issue 22 Parshas Vayakhel 5774 DEwT ARDA BK LHQYW P A publication dedicated to Harbotzas Torah (W:WL TWMw) .AYBHM OEH ALKYW ...DWE WsEY LA HwAW wYA RMAL HNXMB LWQ WRYBEYW HwM WCYW Moshe commanded and they proclaimed in the camp, saying, Man and woman shall not do more work and the nation stopped from bringing. (Exodus 36:6) The commentaries note that the phrases here do not mesh. People were bringing donations, or performing skilled craftsmanship in their homes in preparation for donation, and it was realized that no more was needed. An announcement went forth that people should not do any more work. The assumption would be that whatever was already done should be brought in. However, the populace ceased bringing donations entirely. In truth, Moshe could have said, Do not bring more, as all the needs of the Mishkan were met. Why then did he phrase it in such an unusual way? Let us imagine someone had prepared a skillfully woven piece of fabric, (which was very tricky as it had to be spun while still on the goat!) She is about to bring it in when the call goes out, Sorry, we dont need any more. She would be crestfallen, feeling that her contribution was meaningless. Moshe wanted every Jew to know that he or she is valuable and precious so he said, By all means, bring in what you have, but dont do more work. In that way, no one would feel unnecessary or superfluous. However, that isnt what happened. For their part, the Jews understood that there was no more need for the items they had prepared so they desisted from bringing them. They understood that Moshe said it as he did only so no one would feel bad, so they stopped bringing more items. These two points teach us a very key lesson about relationships. Moshe recognized the need of each person to feel necessary and wanted. Therefore, even if the Mishkan was complete, discouraging someone from bringing a heartfelt donation might hurt their feelings, which would detract from the Mishkans shleimus, or completeness. There would be a hole in it where that persons heart was in pain. The people, however, were not interested in building the Mishkan for their own glory. They didnt need to bring donations to make themselves feel good. Rather, their sole focus was on making sure the Mishkan had whatever it needed to be fit for HaShems glory. Therefore, when they heard Moshe say that no more work should be done, they read between the lines and knew that the Mishkan didnt need any more. That was enough to make them happy and they ceased bringing donations. Both Moshe and the people were concerned not about themselves, but about the other party. When that is the case, a home for the Divine ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 11
Presence can be made whole, and people need not justify their existence by forcing anything on the other one. And so, the Mishkan was completed. A man came to the Satmar Rav with a tale of woe. His wife was sick, he had children to marry off, he had no job, and he desperately needed money. The Rav was moved and gave him a sizable donation. Some time later, the Rebbes Gabbai found out that the Rebbe had given the fellow a large sum and came running to the Satmar Rav to alert him. That man is a liar, he said. He does not have the problems he told the Rav about. Those were simply lies concocted to swindle money out of kind, sensitive people. The Rav was stunned. You mean his wife is not sick and he doesnt really need the money so desperately? Baruch HaShem! Im so glad that this Jew does not have such terrible problems. Did You Know? When Adar comes in, we increase our joy. The Gemara in Taanis (29a) says that when the month of Av comes in we minimize our joy, but when Adar comes in we increase it. Rashi says its because of the miracles we experienced then, Purim and Pesach. The fact that in Av we only minimize our joy means that we must still have joy. For a person to walk around depressed shows a lack of understanding and appreciation of HaShems kindness. When Adar comes in, some have the custom to hang up a sign in the home that says When Adar comes in we increase our joy. Its so important that we can use a reminder. Interestingly, there are some who have the custom to hang that sign OVER the unfinished portion of wall called the zecher lchurban, which is left unfinished as a sign of mourning for the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. But how could the joy of Adar totally eclipse the somberness of Av? The Bais HaMikdash was destroyed because of our sins. On Purim, we repented and returned to HaShem with love. When one does Teshuva from Ahava, his sins become mitzvos. Therefore, the joy which led to the salvation of Purim transformed the mourning into a holiday, so the sign can cover the zecher lchurban. Thought Of The Week: It is not a lack of love that makes unhappy marriages, but a lack of friendship. Happy Anniversary to my wonderful wife of seventeen years Esther Toby Gewirtz YXT. I would not be the man I am without you. A RDA DK BWUL IYWw ILWK 2014 J. Gewirtz Give it to someone you love. Print, e-mail, and share Migdal Ohr with others. Youll be glad you did. E-mail Subscribe to info@JewishSpeechWriter.com E-mail Subscribe to info@JewishSpeechWriter.com HE ISYN LARsY R TB ABYL NEL LXR TB OYRML HMYLw HAWPR TWKZL UXLDBY W LDNYYRB TB IYYRB HQBRW HAL IB QYZYYA QXCY
Rabbi Nosson Greenberg Khal Machzikei Torah Vayakhail 5774 - Kulah Heads Prevail In this weeks parsha Moshe Rabainu instructs the Yidden in the sanctity of Shabbos. He tells them Lo sevaaru aish bechol moshvosaichem.. - You shall not kindle fire in all your dwelling places.... Lighting a fire, of course, is one of the 39 melachos that are forbidden on Shabbos, which leads Chazal to inquire why Moshe singled out this one melacha but did not mention the 38 others? Rashi presents the two answers of Chazal: He says, Yaish merabosainu omrim havara lelav yatzas, vyaish omrim lechalaik yatzas. There are those among our Rabbis [namely Rebbe Yosi] who tell us that the singling out of this particular melacha teaches us that whereas the other 38 categories of work can be subject to a penalty of death, kindling is an exception and is punishable with malkos - flogging. Another opinion [namely Rebbe Nosson] says that the singling out of this melacha teaches us that in order to be punished for violating Shabbos one does not have to transgress all 39 melachos, rather each individual activity such as kindling is subject to a punishment. The wording of this Rashi caught my eye. Why, when he cites the author of the first opinion, does he refer to him as yaish merabosainu - one of our Rabbis, whereas the cognomen offered to the second author is just yaish" - there are those, without calling them Rabbi? I believe the answer may be as follows. The job of a Rabbi is of course to guide his flock according to the letter of halacha, but as we know halacha does have some wiggle room. One can be machmir - strict; and one can be maikel - lenient. To which approach should a Rabbi subscribe? Rav Yaakov Emden (Vol. II, Teshuva 146) tells us that with communal rulings a Rabbi should seek out any legitimate leniency that is possible to use in that situation and not burden others with unnecessary chumros. Perhaps Rashi, too, is subtly hinting to this mindset with his choice of wording. Rebbe Nosson, by saying lechalaik yatzas, has made the punishment for violating Shabbos much more severe. For prior to his explanation man would have been liable to the death penalty (or a korban) only if he transgressed all 39 melachos, something rarely done. His understanding of the passuk has now brought much severity to the laws of Shabbos. Rashi wants us to know that even though this might be the Torahs wishes over here, that does not mean one should use this as a rule of thumb for ones own decisions in defining halacha. Therefore Rashi omits the word ...rabosainu - ...our teachers.... (have said), for we should not learn from Rebbe Nosson in situations that are not necessary to do so. Rebbe Yosis opinion, however, of lelav yatzas has taken the Torahs mention of the melacha of kindling to down-grade it from a prohibition carrying the death penalty to a mere flogging. This is an unbelievable leniency in the laws of Shabbos. This is a valuable lesson to take away from this particular derasha. Find the leniency if you can. Deracheha darkai noaam - Her (the Torahs) ways are sweet. Rashi wants us to know that this is a teaching moment and therefore adds in rabosainu - our teacher, a lesson for all to learn. Have a great Shabbos, Rabbi Nosson Greenberg Rav, Khal Machzikei Torah, Far Rockaway N.Y. ravgreenbergkmt@gmail.com
Aish.Com - Rabbi Ari Kahn M'oray Ha'Aish Vayakhel: Creativity Parashat Vayakhel finds us in the midst of the construction of the Sanctuary, The Mishkan, and contains precise instructions for the select and elite group of artisans that will create the Mishkan itself, the objects it will house, and the ritual garments. In the midst of these highly detailed descriptions, Moshe gathers the people to give them instruction concerning Shabbat. Although this is not the first discussion of Shabbat, one particular prohibition is singled out in this parasha's treatment that is not found elsewhere. Generally, the Torah does not spell out specific activities that are prohibited on Shabbat; the scriptural treatment of Shabbat is largely generic, aimed at creating the philosophical framework for its observance. The particulars of the Laws of Shabbat, the 39 categories of creative activity that are proscribed on the weekly day of rest, are transmitted mainly through the Oral Tradition. Rabbinic tradition teaches us that the underpinnings for all of the laws regarding creative activity on Shabbat are learned from the context created by Parashat Vayakhel: Because the particulars of the Laws of Shabbat are transmitted in the context of the building of the Mishkan, a line is drawn between the work of the various artisans that would create and furnish the Mishkan, and the activities from which we refrain in observance of the Shabbat. The parallel that this juxtaposition creates goes beyond the basic categories of creative endeavor: It implies a parallel between God's creation of the world and man's ability to give testimony to that creation as well as to produce a microcosm of that creation through the building of the Mishkan. The opening verses of Parashat Vayakhel are true to this general method, as they present the concept of the six day work-week and the seriousness of the prohibition against creative labor on Shabbat. The statement that is 'tacked on' to this somewhat familiar formula seems uncharacteristically detailed, singling out the prohibition against the active use of fire on the Sabbath. This specific prohibition is best understood in terms of the broader underpinnings of Shabbat as a microcosm or imitation of God's creation of the universe. Bereishit recounts the origins of creation, first in the general statement, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth", and then with the specific act of creation: "Let there be light." In much the same fashion, we are commanded in a general sense to observe the Shabbat, and then immediately commanded to desist from using the creative force of fire. In a very real sense, our use of fire, our ability to harness energy, is the primary manifestation that man is created in the image of God. In echoing the dramatic call, "Let there be light," we may even delude ourselves into believing that we, too, are gods. The fact that we do not make creative use of this power on Shabbat allows us to regain our perspective, to readjust our sights, and to reconnect with the Creator. However, the creative activities from which we refrain on Shabbat do more than readjust the playing field in terms of our relationship with God. The laws of Shabbat also serve as great democratizers, allowing us to readjust our social perspective as well. One prohibition in particular, the prohibition to carry or transfer material from one location to another, poignantly illustrates this aspect of Jewish law. 12 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
In a sense, these two activities - harnessing the power of fire and transporting objects from place to place - seem almost diametric opposites. The former stands at the forefront of human achievement, transforming both the object to which it is applied and our lives in general; the latter simply transports but does not transform. Moving an object does not alter it in any way, and hardly seems creative. In fact, Rabbenu Tam, one of the great sages of the Middle Ages, categorized carrying/transferring as a "weak creative activity." When I studied these laws with the late Rabbi Josef Soloveitchik, he remarked that they reminded him of the history of Europe's trade unions. When the trade unions began organizing close to a century ago, artisans' guilds strongly opposed the inclusion of those involved in transport - carriage and wagon-train drivers, mule-team leaders, as well as railroad workers and, much later, truckers. The skilled, "creative" professionals, many of whom practiced trades that had been handed down for generations, were not inclined to consider the "non-creative" movers as equally deserving of representation and protection. Rabbi Soloveitchik compared this approach to Rabbenu Tam's description of the halachic category of carrying objects on Shabbat as "weak creative activity" that is nonetheless prohibited on Shabbat. And herein lies the great democratizing effect of the laws of Shabbat: The activities that stand at the apex of creative activity - using fire to cook or forge, writing or erasing written words, planting or harvesting, dyeing, spinning or sewing - are equal, in the eyes of Shabbat observance, to the "weakest" creative activity, in which an object is moved from one place to another. In creating the Mishkan, the skilled artisans were involved in the creation of the holy objects and the Sanctuary - and the movers and construction laborers were equally involved. Their contribution was valued, their task no less holy. Similarly, in the eyes of Jewish law, production, transport and delivery are all links in the chain of commerce, and are therefore equally proscribed on Shabbat. The day of rest applies equally to every laborer and every type of creative labor. Just as every Jew had a part in the Mishkan, so every Jew has a part in the holiness of Shabbat. For a more in-depth analysis see: http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2014/02/audio-and-essays- parashat-vayakhel.html This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/tp/i/moha/245745251.html Like what you read? As a non-profit organization, Aish.com relies on readers like you to enable us to provide meaningful and relevant articles. Join Aish.com and help us continue to give daily inspiration to people like you around the world. Make a secure donation at: https://secure.aish.com/secure/pledge.php or mail a check to Aish.com, 408 South Lake Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Copyright 1995 - 2014 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com
Rabbi Avraham Kahn Torah Attitude Parshas Vayakhel: Beware Of Calculated Love February 18, 2014 Note: The continuation of last weeks Torah Attitude concerning depression will be emailed, G-d willing, in three weeks. Summary The Torah presents a full list of the various materials that were needed to build the Tabernacle. When the Torah enumerates all these materials we can learn a significant lesson from the order in which the materials are presented. The stones in the Breastplate were used to receive messages directly from G-d. The stones in the Breastplate had a greater value than all the gold, silver and precious materials used to construct the Tabernacle, so why are the stones mentioned last? The leaders of the twelve tribes waited until the end of the building of the Tabernacle before bringing their contributions. G-d got angry with the leaders because they waited until the end. In Shema we are instructed to serve G-d out of love with all our heart. Calculations and rationalizations reveal a flaw in the love. The sophisticated and intelligent upper class made many calculations in Spain and Portugal during the Spanish Inquisition and became Anusim. By making calculations instead of rushing to serve G-d immediately, the Jewish leaders missed an opportunity to demonstrate their pure love for G- d. There was an aspect of laziness in the leaders calculations that revealed a flaw in their love for G-d. Materials To Build The Tabernacle The Tabernacle was the temporary Temple that G-d instructed the Jewish people to erect wherever they camped during the forty years sojourn in the wilderness. In the beginning of this weeks Parasha, the Torah presents a full list of the various materials that were needed to build this Tabernacle: Gold, silver, and copper. Turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool and linen. Goat hair; red-dyed ram skins, tachash skins, and acadia wood. Oil for illumination, spices for the anointment oil and the aromatic incense. Shoham stones and stones for the settings, for the Ephod and the Breastplate (Shemos 35:5-7). The Order Of Words The Torah was dictated by G-d and written by Moses. It is the greatest prophetic work of all time. Each word and each letter have profound meanings on many different levels of understanding. When the Torah enumerates all these materials we must analyze every detail. By doing so we can learn a significant lesson even from the order in which the materials are presented. Messages From G-d The order of the materials seems to start from the most precious and then gradually decline in value. Gold is the first one mentioned. It is well known that gold is very valuable. After gold comes silver, then copper, etc. Each item is less expensive than the one before. However, the precious stones for the Ephod and the Breastplate were the most valuable of all the materials. The Talmud (Kidushin 31a) indicates that some of the stones were worth 600,000 to 800,000 golden coins, so it is strange that they are mentioned last. Beside their material value, they had great spiritual value. For the stones in the Breastplate were used to receive messages directly from G-d. The Torah describes how Aaron, and later Kohanim Gedolim (High Priests), wore the Breastplate on their hearts (Shemos 28:28-30). The names and letters of the Patriarchs and the twelve tribes of Israel were engraved in the stones. Rashi quotes from the Talmud (Yoma 73b) that the Kohein Gadol was consulted on questions of national importance. And G-d responded by making the correct letters on the stone of the Breastplate pop up in sequence. Stones Mentioned Last Obviously, this direct communication with G-d through the stones in the Breastplate had a greater value than all the gold, silver and precious materials used to construct the Tabernacle. So why are the stones mentioned last? If they were more valuable than everything else, should they not have been mentioned first? In order to answer this question, says the Ohr Hachaim (Shemos 25:7), we must understand how the precious stones were donated. The Leaders Waited The Torah tells us that the precious stones were donated by the leaders of the twelve tribes (Shemos 35:17). Rashi explains that they waited until the end of the building of the Tabernacle before bringing their contributions. They reasoned that they would hold back to give the rest of the Jewish people an opportunity to give what they could to contribute, and then they would donate whatever was missing. Total Miscalculation This was a major mistake. The leaders totally miscalculated. The Jewish people were so enthusiastic to participate in the building of the Tabernacle that there was an excess of contributions (see Shemos 36:7). G-d got angry with the leaders because they had waited until the end. Says the Ohr Hachaim, this is why the stones are mentioned at the end of the list. For although they were the most expensive items, in G-ds eyes they lost their special value. What Was Wrong? However, we need to clarify what was wrong with the reasoning of the leaders. Any charitable organization would be more than happy to get such a pledge. Just imagine someone promising to donate whatever is missing at the end of a charity campaign! So why were the contributions of the leaders not appreciated to their full value? Calculations And Rationalizations If we look at the first paragraph of Shema, it can help us to answer this. In Shema we are instructed to serve G-d out of love. To serve out of love means serving G-d, as it says, with all our heart and utilize every opportunity that presents itself. For true love is simple and pure and is expressed with a readiness to act without any calculations and questions. When a person makes calculations and rationalizations, it reveals a flaw in the love. This person has other concerns, conscious or unconscious, that affect his actions. As King Solomon writes (Koheles 7:29): G-d made man simple, but they sought to make many calculations. Anusim The Jewish population of Spain and Portugal had a very difficult test during the Spanish Inquisition. Rav Dessler relates that the sophisticated and intelligent upper class made many calculations. They figured that it was proper to save themselves and their possessions by becoming Anusim. They pretended to convert to Christianity on the outside, while trying to maintain connected to Judaism on the inside. Their calculations came in the form of excuses, rationalizations and cover-ups. On the other hand, the simple, unsophisticated Jews made no calculations and served G- d out of love, even if it cost them their lives. Leaders Were Left Behind Rav Chaim Shmulevitz teaches that by making calculations instead of rushing to serve G-d immediately, the Jewish leaders missed an opportunity to demonstrate their pure love for G-d. Everyone else ran to contribute in excess. The Ohr Hachaim explains that when it says the ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 13
entire assembly of Israel left Moses presence (Shemos 35:20), this means that they left immediately to give whatever they could. Only the leaders were left behind to make their calculations. They should have contributed immediately like everyone else. If anything was missing at the end, they could always have added additional contributions at that time. Laziness In Flawed Love The leaders thought they had good intentions. They did not realize that their calculations revealed a flaw in their love for G-d. Rashi explains that there was an aspect of laziness in their calculations. Only when we serve G-d without making any calculations, we can be sure that our love is pure, and not tainted with other motives or concerns. These words were based on notes of Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto. Shalom. Michael Deverett P.S. If you have any questions or enjoyed reading this e-mail, we would appreciate hearing from you. If you know of others who may be interested in receiving e-mails similar to this please let us know at michael@deverettlaw.com. For previous issues please see http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/kahn/archives/archives.htm.
Rabbi Yosef Kalatzky Beyond Pshat Vayakhel LZeicher nishmas avi mori Reb Moshe Ben Yosef Kalatsky zl u lzeicher nishmas emee morasi Shaindel Bas Reb Chaim Tzvi zl LZeicher nishmas ishtee Yehudis Chanah Kalatsky Bas Reb Kehas Zl 1. Silence can be Deadly The Torah tells us that at the time the Golden Calf was being worshipped, Moshe was in heaven receiving the Torah. Gd said to him, You must go down because your people who you have taken out from Egypt have become corrupt. The Midrash tells us that when Gd said to Moshe to go down because your people have become corrupt He was referring to the rabble that Moshe had taken out of Egypt without consulting with Gd. The Midrash states regarding the rabble, They became corrupt and they corrupted others (the Jewish people). Meaning, it was the rabble and not the Jewish people who instigated the Golden Calf. To indicate this, the verse states after the Golden Calf was cast, They said, This is your god, O Israel, which brought your out of Egypt. Chazal explain that if it were the Jewish people themselves who wanted to worship the Golden Calf, the verse would have stated, This is our god. The fact that it states, This is your god indicates that it was the rabble who were the ones who instigated the idolatry and not the Jewish people. As a result of the sin of the Golden Calf, Gd wanted to destroy the Jewish people. However, because Moshe supplicated Gd on their behalf, the decree was annulled. When Moshe descended the mountain, he smashed the first set of Tablets. He said, Whoever is for Hashem, join me! The entire tribe of Levy, although they were the smallest tribe in number, they joined Moshe to purge the Jewish people from those who worshiped the Golden Calf. There were those who were killed by the sword, while others died as a result of drinking the pulverized gold of the Golden Calf mixed with water, similar to the ritual of the suspected adulteress. If the suspected adulteress was in fact guilty, she would die as a result of drinking the water administered by the Kohen. So too those who drank from the water with the pulverized gold of the Calf, died if they had been involved in idolatry. There were others who died from plague. It is interesting to note that relatively few Jews were actually involved in the worship of the Golden Calf. If such a small segment of the Jewish people engaged in the Golden Calf, why should the entire people be held culpable to the point that Gd wanted to destroy them? Sforno explains that although very few of the Jewish people were actually involved in idolatry, the basis for their culpability was that they remained silent and allowed the sin of the Golden Calf to take place in their midst. Witnessing the desecration of Gds Name in this most extreme manner and not intervening to prevent it from taking place, it was the basis for their liability. They thus deserved to be destroyed. If they internalized and appreciated Gds Being and that He had performed revealed miracles on their behalf, and had taken them out of Egypt, and revealed Himself at Sinai, it is unconscionable that they remained silent. The Gemara tells us that Chur, the son of Miriam, one of the leaders of the Jewish people, attempted to prevent them from doing idolatry and was killed. After witnessing the death of Chur at the hands of the rabble, how could the Jewish people remain silent? Thus, the Attribute of Justice was evoked against the Jewish people due to their passivity and inaction. The correction of the failure of the Jewish people, regarding their silence during the worship of the Golden Calf, was that they remained passive and silent when the Levites killed those who were involved with idolatry. The Jewish people stood back and allowed their midst to be purged without interfering. If in fact they condoned what had taken place, why did they not interfere with the Levites? It is a confirmation of their remorse through their silence. It was thus considered a correction. This silence in conjunction with Moshes supplication allowed them to be worthy of Gds Attribute of Mercy. The Torah tells us that Zimri, the prince of the tribe of Shimon committed a public desecration of Gds Name when he cohabited with the Midianite princess Cosbi. Pinchas in an act of zealotry killed Zimri together with Cosbi, thus bringing about a public sanctification of Gds Name. Had it not been for Pinchass act of zealotry, Gd would have destroyed the entire Jewish people. Why should Zimris misbehavior evoke the Attribute of Justice against the entire Jewish people? Sforno explains that because they remained silent and did not take action to prevent this desecration, they were culpable. Witnessing this level of desecration of Gds Name was considered an unconscionable level of disgrace to Gd. If they were pained by the event, how could have they remained silent? The correction for their failure of silence was that they did not react to Pinchass act of zealotry after killing Zimri. Their inaction and passivity after the sanctification of Gds Name was an indication that they approved of what Pinchas had done. They thus corrected their initial silence. This is similar to the incident of the Golden Calf. The Torah tells us that although the Manna was not meant to be found on Shabbos, Dasan and Aviram went out into the field and planted Manna, so that they could gather it on Shabbos, thus refuting Moshes claim that there would be no Manna on the Shabbos. As a result of their behavior, the Jewish people were held culpable. As the Torah states, Gd said to Moshe, How long will the people sin against Me? Why are the Jewish people held culpable for the behavior of these two evil individuals? Had the Jewish people established a spiritual standard that must be maintained at all cost, without tolerating any degree of breach, Dasan and Aviram would not have considered behaving as they had done. They would have understood the immediate consequence of their behavior from the Jewish people. There were several instances in which Dasan and Aviram should have been reprimanded and punished but they were not. Their transgression with the manna was a direct result of the ongoing passivity of the Jewish people. There nonintervention when people transgressed, created an atmosphere of tolerance, thus allowing Dasan and Aviram to usurp Moshes authority. Therefore, the Jewish people were held culpable. The Gemara in Tractate Shvuos tells is that there is a principle, If one has the ability to prevent his fellow from sinning, but chooses to remain passive, he is held culpable for the sin that was transgressed. To intercede to prevent one from sinning, one does not need to be a zealot. One needs to only appreciate the gravity of the wrong that is being perpetrated. It is something that is a detriment to the transgressor and the Jewish people as a whole. Just as one has an obligation to rescue his fellow when he is drowning, so too does one have the obligation to try to dissuade him from leaving the proper path. 2. Seeing G-d Through His Own Lens The Torah states, Moshe assembled the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and said to them, These are the things that Hashem commanded to do. The Midrash states, Gd said to Moshe, Gather large assemblies of Jews and lecture before them in a public setting the laws of Shabbos, so that future generations may learn from you to gather large assemblies of Jews each Shabbos in the study halls to learn what is forbidden and what is permitted. You shall do this so that My Great Name shall be extolled among My children. The purpose of assembling and lecturing to large assemblies of Jews is not merely for the sake of the study of Torah, but rather to ultimately bring glory to Gds Name through His childrens praises. One would think that gathering large assemblies of people in the synagogue to pray and sing His praises would be considered extolling His Name. As Ramban explains in his commentary in the Portion of Bo, that a synagogue is a location of assembly in which the Jewish people gather to acknowledge Gd and sing His praises. However, the Midrash is teaching us that the true praise of Gd can only come about through the study of His laws, understanding what is forbidden and what is permitted. Why is this so? The Mishna in Ethics of our Fathers states, Ein am haaretz chasid An unlearned person cannot be scrupulously pious. Rabbeinu Yonah explains in his commentary, It is inferred from what is stated in the Mishna that although one can only become a chasid if he is learned; however, one can become devoutly righteous (tzaddik) even if he is unlearned. One can only be a tzaddik if he does everything correctly, in conformance with what the Torah prescribes. If so, how can the person who is ignorant of Torah, be a tzaddik when he is not aware of what the Torah dictates? One can be a tzaddik regardless of his lack of Torah knowledge if he is instructed by another how to conduct his life as a proper Jew in every situation. However, in order for one to become a chasid (scrupulously pious), which is one who goes beyond his base obligation, he must internalize the value of the service of Gd, which can only come about through the study of Torah. To go beyond ones obligation one must be 14 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
inspired and motivated. Thus, the unlearned person, who does not have the Torah to inspire, motivate, and achieve a higher level, cannot be a chasid. Chazal tell us that a chasid is one who does kindness with his Maker (he brings pleasure to Gd). Due to ones inspiration one continuously comes upon new horizons of understanding regarding the service of Gd because of his grasp of Torah. Thus, in order for the Jewish people to be able to extol Gd, they must be gathered together to be taught the Torah of what is forbidden and what is permitted. The degree to which one will extol Gd is based on ones Torah knowledge. The Gemara in Tractate Taanis tells us that if one sees an astute young Torah sage in a state of anger due to witnessing a transgression of Torah law, one should see him in a positive light. His anger stems from the Torah that burns within him as it states in the verse "The words of Torah are like fire." Rashi explains that intense Torah study gives one a broadness of heart. The Torah sage perceives the benefit of doing a mitzvah and the detriment that comes about when one transgresses. It is not limited to knowing what is right or the wrong, but rather appreciating the ramifications and consequences of what is right and wrong. It is only through Torah study that one can sense and appreciate one's own spiritual failings. Gd therefore instructed Moshe to gather large assemblies of the Jewish people to teach them the laws of the Torah because it is only through the study of Torah that one can internalize Gd and thus extol His Name. 3. Acts vs. Essence The Torah refers to those who participated in the building of the Mishkan with three classifications: nidiv leiv (generous heart), yidvenu leibo (one who gave due to the generosity of heart). and nisaoh leibo (one who is inspired by his heart). Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains that there is a difference between nidiv leiv- generous heart which is a noun and asher yidvenu leibo- to give due to the generosity of his heart, which is a verb. Nidiv leiv describes the essence of the person. One who is classified as nidiv leiv is innately one with a generous heart, consequently he acts generously. On the other hand, the one who is classified as yidvenu leibo is the one who does acts of generosity because he chooses to do so only when the opportunity presents itself. This is not the essence of the person. Chofetz Chaim explains that there is a difference between one who does acts of kindness (chesed) and one who is truly kind (baal chesed). The one who does acts of kindness will only do so when the occasion presents itself. However the one who is a baal chesed will actively pursue opportunities to express his kindness. It is thus a reflection of his essence and being. There is also a difference between one who studies Torah and one who is a ben Torah. The one who studies Torah is one who chooses to invest his time in the study of Torah when his interest motivates him to do so. In contrast, the ben Torah is one whose essence is Torah and thus his primary existence revolves around the Torah. He is inextricably connected to the Torah. It is not something that he does, but rather, it is something that he is. Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh continues that the one who is classified as yidvenu leibo is the one who will give only up to a certain point. He will not give to the degree that it will infringe on his own personal needs. In contrast, the one who is nidiv leiv gives without consideration for his own needs or taking into account his own limitations. It is the equivalent of one who is classified by the Torah as nisaoh leibo inspired heart. It is due to the cause that the individual is inspired and is totally consumed to bring about the objective, thereby ignoring his own needs. At that moment, the only thing of importance for him is the cause and his own being becomes irrelevant The Gemara in Tractate Chagigah tells us that Gd values the paces (ascent) of all the Jewish people when they visit the Temple Mount during the three festivals of the year. The Gemara cites a verse from the Song of Songs, where King Solomon states, How beautiful are your steps (paces), the daughter of the benefactor (bas nidiv). The Jewish people are referred to as the daughter of nidiv because they are the descendants of Avraham who gave of his heart to heaven (nidiv leiv). Avraham gave of himself without limitation. There was nothing that was too difficult for Avraham to assume regarding the service of Gd. Chazal tell us that we learn the principle of, Love disrupts (supersedes) protocol from the behavior of Avraham, our Patriarch regarding the Akeidah. When one is truly subsumed by love for something, at the moment that he wants to address an issue relating to what he loves, nothing else exists when he is addressing that objective. Although Avraham was advanced in years (137 years old) and world-renowned and one of the most wealthy individuals of his time, he hitched his own donkey to go to the Akeidah (binding of Yitzchak). Although Avraham could have had one of his servants to do this menial and burdensome task, Avraham chose to do it himself because he understood that he was going to achieve the ultimate test to fulfill the Will of Gd. At that moment, everything else was negated to that cause. On the third day of his circumcision (which is the most difficult day of recovery), Avraham sat at the entrance of his tent in a state of distress because he had no guests to host and with whom to engage. Gd had caused it to be the hottest day since the beginning of creation in order to give him a respite to recover. However, he was pained by the fact that he could not interact with pagans through his hospitality to bring them to a state of truth, monotheism. When Gd presented him with three wayfarers Avraham immediately ran towards them, despite his infirm condition. The Midrash tells us that as he ran towards his guests droplets of blood dripped from his wound upon the ground. Despite the pain and harm that he was bringing upon himself, it did not deter him from going out to offer the three wayfarers his hospitality with zeal. Because his essence was dedicated to Gd and was negated to that purpose, he did not feel or sense anything that was happening to him on a personal level. His essence was nidiv leiv. The Torah states regarding the building of the Holy Ark, which was the vessel that contained the Torah, You shall cover it with pure gold, from within and from without you shall cover it. The Gemara in Tractate Yomah explains that by specifying that the Ark must be covered with gold on the inside as well as on the outside, the Torah is teaching us that, A Torah Sage whose inside is not the same as his outside is not a Torah Sage. Meaning, in order for one to be classified as a Torah Sage, his inner purity of commitment should be fully consistent with his outer demeanor and persona. A Torah Sage is not merely a repository of information, but rather, he must be genuine and sincere in his service of Gd in every aspect of his life. The Torah that he possesses is fully internalized. The Torah Sage, regarding Torah, is similar to the nidiv leiv because his values and behavior is a reflection of his essence. 4. Wisdom to the Wise The Torah states regarding the building of the Mishkan, Gd said to Moshe, I will fill him with the Spirit of Gd with wisdom The Midrash states, Gd filled Bezalel with wisdom because he already possessed wisdom. This is to teach us that Gd gives wisdom only to those who already possess wisdom. Reb Chaim of Volozhin writes in his work Nefesh HaChaim, If one is not born with wisdom and Gd only gives wisdom to those who already possess it, how does one initially acquire wisdom? King David writes in Psalms, The beginning of wisdom is the fear of heaven If one has the fear of heaven, he will have the ability to appreciate and esteem Gds Wisdom. He is therefore deserving of that endowment. The Midrash continues, A matronly woman asked Reb Yosi Bar Chalafta , What is the meaning of the verse (Daniel): Gd gives wisdom to those who are wise? It should have stated: Gd gives wisdom to those who are fools. Why would Gd need to give wisdom to someone who already possesses it? Reb Yosi Bar Chalafta asked her, If two individuals approached you for a loan one of them being wealthy and the other poor, to whom would you lend the money? The matronly woman answered, To the wealthy one. Reb Yosi Ben Chalafta asked, Why? She replied, If the wealthy man were to somehow lose the money that I lent him, he would be able to repay me because he is wealthy. However, if the poor man were to lose my money, he would have no means to repay the loan. Reb Yosi Ben Chalafta said, Your ears should hear what your mouth is saying. If Gd endowed the fools with wisdom they would sit in unclean locations and bathhouses. They would desecrate the wisdom that Gd had given them. However, if Gd endows the wise person with wisdom, he will sit in the study hall and in the synagogue and engage in Torah dialogue. He would not only preserve the pristine quality of the wisdom that Gd gave him, he would actually develop and advance it by interfacing with the elders The Gemara in Tractate Yomah states, The storage location for ones Torah is ones fear of heaven. As it is stated in the verse, The fear of Gd is its storage location. If one does not have sufficient fear of Gd , then he will not merit the Divine Assistance that is necessary to retain it. Reb Chaim of Volozhin in his work Nefesh HaChaim explains the Gemara with an allegory. If one wished to give a large amount of wheat as a gift to his son and he did not have a location to store it, the father will withhold the gift because the wheat will be scattered and trampled upon and ultimately be destroyed. However, if the son would have a storage location to protect and store the wheat, the father would gladly give him a large amount of wheat to his son. Similarly, it is the one who fears Gd who will ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 15
have the ability to esteem and revere the Torah sufficiently and thus preserving its holiness. This individual will be endowed by Gd with the ability to acquire Torah. Regardless of how intelligent one may be if he does not possess a sufficient level of fear of heaven, Gd will not give him the Divine Assistance needed to come upon the truth of Torah. Gd will not endow the foolish with wisdom because He understands that it will be abused and desecrated. Rambam writes in the Laws of Torah Study, One can only teach Torah to one who is a proper student. If one teaches Torah to such a student, who does not have the necessary qualities to process the Torah, Chazal tell us it is similar to throwing a stone at Marculos. The Gemara in Tractate Avodah Zorah explains that the pagan ritual of worshiping Marculos entailed placing a horizontal stone upon a vertical stone and then throwing stones at the structure. One would think that by stoning this idol, one is actually disgracing it; however, because it is its method of worship, it is considered bona fide idol worship. Thus, one would be subject to the death penalty. One may think that regardless of ones innate characteristics or beliefs it would be beneficial to teach this individual Torah; however Chazal teach us differently. It is equated to the worship of Marculos, which indicates that ones intention is unrelated to what is the reality of the situation. Although one may think otherwise, it is a desecration of the holy Torah. It is only the one who has sufficient fear of heaven will be able to appreciate and thus have the sensitivity in maintaining an processing the Torah. This individual is considered to be a qualified repository for the acquisition and storage of Gds wisdom. 5. The Jewish Perspective of the Performance of Mitzvos The Torah tells in the Portion of Vayakhel that Bezalel son of Uri, son of Chur was appointed to be the one to oversee the building of the Mishkan. The Midrash tells us that when Moshe was in heaven receiving the second set of Tablets he was instructed and taught by Gd all the aspects relating to the building of the Mishkan. Gd informed Moshe that he would not be the one to oversee its building, but rather it would be Bezalel. Moshe had initially believed that he would be the one to be responsible for its building because he was the most qualified to infuse the necessary intent into all of its components. Nevertheless, Gd informed Moshe that Bezalel would be the one. The Midrash continues to tell us that when Moshe returned to the Jewish people and told them that they were to commence building the Mishkan, they had asked him, Who will be the one to oversee its building? He responded, Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Chur. They were taken aback because Bezalel was the nephew of Moshe. The Jewish people said, Moshe, you are the king over the people. Your brother Aaron has been chosen to be the High Priest. His sons are the priests and his assistants. Your family carries the most important vessels of the Mishkan. Now you appoint Bezalel, who is the grandson of your sister Miriam to be the one to oversee the building of the Mishkan. It seems that you are taking all of the positions of honor for yourself. (Moshe was accused of nepotism). Moshe responded, This is what Gd has commanded me. Meaning, Moshe was not the one who chose Bezalel to be the overseer, but rather it was Gd Himself Who had chosen him. Upon hearing this, the Jewish people were satisfied and no longer had a question regarding Bezalels appointment. Why were they placated so easily when initially they had suspected Moshe of nepotism? The Torah tells us that the process of the purification of the Red Heifer is the ultimate statute. It is something that is a contradiction within itself. The sprinkling of the ashes of the Red Heifer purifies the one who is contaminated and contaminates the one who is pure. It is something of an enigma. King Solomon, who was the wisest man to ever live said that this particular law of the Red Heifer was far from my grasp. He understood all the Statues of the Torah with the exception of the Red Heifer. The Torah states regarding this mitzvah, This is the Statute (Chukas) of the Torah, which Hashem has commanded, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel, and they shall take to you a completely red cow Rashi cites Chazal who explain that the nations of the world and satan will come to ridicule the Jewish people for following a law that is a self-contradictory edict. A Statute (Chok) is a law that cannot be comprehended on a rational basis. Examples of this category of law is the Red Heifer and dietary laws, etc. On the other hand, an Ordinance (Mishpat) is a law which one can understand on a rational basis, thus appreciating its necessity and importance. Examples of this are the laws forbidding stealing and murder. Gd said to the Jewish people regarding the Red Heifer, This is the Statute of the Torah. You are not permitted to reflect upon it in order to try to understand it. It is beyond the human capacity to comprehend its wisdom. As a result of Gd identifying the Red Heifer as the ultimate Statute the Jewish people accepted it without question. They were no longer susceptible to the ridicule of the nations of the world or satan because they understood that it is a commandment that must be followed solely because it is the Will of Gd. It is within their capacity to understand it. When one believes that he is capable of understanding something and coming upon a certain truth, he will delve and analyze it, attempting to fathom its meaning. However, when the Jewish people understood that the law of the Red Heifer is beyond the human intellect, they did not question its veracity. They understood that it can only be comprehended by the Divine Mind. This approach and perspective is the essence of the Jews understanding of Torah concepts. The human mind is limited; however, the wisdom of the Torah is unlimited because it is Gds Wisdom. When Moshe told the Jewish people that it was Gds dictate that Bezalel be the one to oversee the building of the Mishkan, they were satisfied. They had initially believed that the appointment was Moshes, thus allowing them to pose the question. However, once they were informed that it was Gds choice, which emanates from His Divinity, there is no basis for question. At Sinai, the Jewish people were given thirteen methodologies through which the Written Law can be deciphered and understood. One is able to cull the Oral interpretation through these methodologies. Gd has made it clear what is within the capacity of the human intellect and what is beyond its limitation. We find that whenever the Torah mentions Statues and Ordinances the Statute is always mentioned first. One would think that Gd would present the more rational and logical laws before presenting the esoteric and unfathomable dictates. Nevertheless, Statues precede Ordinances in order to communicate that in essence, all laws, including the Ordinances are in fact Statues. The Ordinances are laws that one is able to relate to their value, although it is not the basis for Gds dictate. Gd never revealed the innate value of the Ordinances regarding the spirituality of the Jew. Just as one observes dietary laws, which cannot be understood within a rational context, identically when one observes Ordinances such as giving charity, the basis for its value cannot be come upon. The basis for one observing the Ordinances is purely to do the Will of Gd and not for the sake of ones benefit. Thus, the Jew refrains from stealing not because the action is inappropriate because it does not adhere to the norms of societal behavior, but rather because it is the dictate of Gd as stated in the Torah. Rabbi Shlomo Katz HaMaayan Parshas Vayakhel - Shabbat, Torah & Tabernacle The overwhelming majority of our parashah describes the construction of the mishkan, but the parashah opens with the mitzvah of Shabbat. Rashi zl writes that this teaches us that building the mishkan does not supersede Shabbat observance. Why not? Also, why does the commandment to observe Shabbat have to precede the construction of the mishkan? R Avraham Yitzchak Kilav shlita (judge on the Yerushalayim rabbinical court) explains: The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni states, From the beginning of the Torah to its end, there is only one parashah which begins with, Vayakhel / he gathered an assembly. [It is used here because] Hashem said, Gather large assemblies and teach them the laws of Shabbat so that future generations will learn to gather assemblies in the batei medrash on Shabbat to teach them halachot, so that My Name will be praised among My children. [Until here from the midrash] R Kilav writes: Shabbat is the day of rest from physical labor, from the type of activity which belongs to the six days of action. Thus, another midrash refers to the Jewish People as the pair or match for Shabbat. All week long, we are not much different than the other nations; they work and we work. What highlights the uniqueness of the Jewish People is Shabbat. That is why we are enjoined to learn Torah in large gatherings on Shabbat, for the Torah is the life force of the Jewish People [the source of our uniqueness]. In order to merit a mishkan, in order to merit G-ds resting His Shechinah among us, we must study Torah. Now we can understand why the mishkan may not be built on Shabbat and why the commandment to observe Shabbat has to precede the construction of the mishkan. Building the mishkan is a physical act, which has no place on the spiritual day. Indeed, only the act of sanctification which occurs on Shabbat makes that physical construction possible. (Aveni Bareket) Moshe assembled the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and said to them: These are the things that Hashem commanded to do them: On six days work shall be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you, a day of complete rest for Hashem; whoever does work on it shall be put to death. You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwelings on the Sabbath day. (From our parashah 35:1-2) 16 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
R Yosef Eliyahu Henkin zl (1891-1973) asks: Considering what follows, should not the Torah have said, These are the things that Hashem commanded not to do them? Also, why does the Torah use a phrase On six days work shall be done which implies that one is obligated to work? He explains: Shabbat represents two competing concepts that man is charged with balancing: bitachon / recognition that everything that happens is in G-ds control, and hishtadlut / mans obligation to help himself. In the Aseret Hadibrot in Parashat Yitro (20:11) we read that Shabbat commemorates Creation. This alludes to mans obligation of hishtadlut, for we read at the end of the Creation section (Bereishit 2:3), G-d blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He abstained from all His work, which G-d had created to do. This verse teaches that the first Shabbat was the end of G-ds overt involvement with the world. From that point on, man would appear to be in charge. And, this verse conveys G-ds blessing that man will succeed when he uses G-ds creation to do for himself. However, man can be led astray if he thinks that he alone is in control. Man must temper his hishtadlut with bitachon. Therefore, the Aseret Hadibrot in Parashat Vaetchanan (5:15) remind us that Shabbat also commemorates the Exodus. We were helpless slaves in Egypt, and only because G-d redeemed us did we become free. (This, explains R Henkin, is why Shabbat is not one of the universal Noachide laws. Creation was an event that affected all of mankind, not only the Jews. However, without the Exodus, the message of Shabbat would be incomplete and even misleading.) In this light, we can understand our verses. The Torah uses a phrase On six days work shall be done that implies that one is obligated to work because man is obligated to engage in some form of hishtadlut. These are the things that Hashem commanded to do them, for if man relied on miracles alone, he would not even perform mitzvot. Instead, he would believe mistakenly that G-ds Will will be done whether he (man) lifts a finger or not. Chazal teach that just as Shabbat is a sign of our covenant with Hashem, so are tefilin. [This is why we do not wear tefilin on Shabbat.] R Henkin observes: The tefilin on the arm alludes to hishtadlut, for the arm is the instrument of action. The tefilin on the head alludes to bitachon, for the head is the seat of the mind, where trust in G-d develops. (Perushei Ivra, Part II, Maamar No. 1) The nesiim brought the shoham stones and the stones for the settings for the ephod and the breastplate; the spice and the oil, for illumination and for the anointment oil and the incense spices. (35:27-28) While the simple translation of nesiim is leaders, the word also can be translated as clouds. Specifically, the Aramaic translation Targum Yonatan writes: Clouds of the heavens went to Gan Eden and brought from there olive oil for illumination. R Zvi Pesach Frank zl (1872-1960; Rabbi of Yerushalayim) writes: There is a famous question: If the Chashmonaim found enough oil to burn for one day and it burned for eight days, then the miracle was only for seven days. If so, why is Chanukah eight days long? R Chaim Brisker Soloveitchik zl is quoted as answering that, necessarily, only a fraction of the oil burned each day. Thus, a miracle occurred on each of the eight days when enough oil for only one-eighth of a day burned for a whole day. Had all of the oil burned on the first day and the jug been replenished miraculously, the oil burned on the remaining days would not have been olive oil; it would have been miracle oil. R Frank continues: R Shlomo Yosef Zevin [zl] (1888-1978; founder of the Encyclopedia Talmudit) observed that the Targum Yonatan on our verse seems to disprove R Chaim Briskers argument, since it records that the oil for the menorah was brought miraculously. However, R Frank concludes, R Zevins question is not a strong one. On the verse (Bereishit 8:11), The dove came back to [Noach] in the evening--and behold! It had plucked an olive leaf with its bill! the Midrash Rabbah comments that the gates of Gan Eden were opened for the dove and it brought the olive branch from there. This indicates, writes R Frank, that there are natural olive trees in Gan Eden. And, it follows, olive oil brought miraculously by the clouds from Gan Eden could be kosher for the menorah even though, as R Chaim Brisker says, oil that appears miraculously in a jug is not kosher for the menorah. (Har Zvi Hachadash Al HaTorah) But the work [i.e., the donations] was enough for all the work, to do it -- and there was extra. (36:7) R Yoel Teitelbaum zl (1887-1979; the Satmar Rebbe) asks: Was it enough or was there extra? Furthermore, if there was extra, why did Hashem inspire Bnei Yisrael to bring too much rather than just enough? Generally, our Sages say, Hashem does not perform wonders for no purpose! He answers: The midrash relates that Moshe asked Hashem, What should we do with the leftovers? Hashem answered, Make a home for the commandments. The commentary Yefeh Toar writes that this refers to building a yeshiva. Why was it necessary to build a yeshiva in conjunction with the building of the mishkan? The Satmar Rebbe explains that the mishkan is a place where the Shechinah can rest upon a person. However, this requires preparation, and that preparation is Torah study. Only if there was a yeshiva next to the mishkan could the mishkan fulfill its purpose. Thus, the Satmar Rebbe concludes, the donations were enough only because there was enough left over to build a yeshiva also. (Divrei Yoel) Memories of Yerushalayim R' Ben-Zion Yadler z"l (1871-1962; Maggid / preacher of Yerushalayim), writes in his memoir, B'tuv Yerushalayim, about R Shmuel Salant zl (1816-1909), who served as rabbi of Yerushalayim for 70 years. Despite his genius and his dedication to Torah study, he was extremely involved with people, so much so that even after he was appointed Rabbi of Yerushalayim, the people called him, Reb Shmuelke, and not, The Rabbi. His great patience can barely be described. Once, he gave a strong rebuke to a merchant who behaved in an inappropriate way, and he prohibited people from purchasing from the man until he repented. The merchant responded forcefully and with shouts, saying that he would break the rabbis windows if the decree was not reversed. R Shmuel answered patiently, Do you think I will stand by quietly? I will immediately send for a glazier and have new windows installed. I remember [R Yadler continues] that my mother, my teacher, sold flour for Pesach, and there was one merchant who owed her 20 Napoleons [a type of currency] and refused to pay. The man was a powerful person and even the bet din could not extract the debt from him. After hearing my mothers arguments, R Shmuel turned to the man forcefully, Why do you refuse to pay the 30 Napoleons that you owe her for flour? I owe her only 20! the man shouted. Why are you saying 30? In this way, R Shmuel, in his wisdom, extracted a confession. Immediately, R Shmuel said, I give you until this time tomorrow to pay. The next day, the man did not come at the appointed time, so R Shmuel sent him a message: Know that I have never started something and not completed it. If you do not bring the money, I will send my assistant to announce that all of your merchandise is not kosher and that you may not be counted in a minyan. When the baker heard the rabbis words, he immediately appeared with the money. This was R Shmuels way: There was a time to draw people close with love and patience, and there was a time for forcefulness intended to instill fear and to strengthen the Torah and mitzvah observance. The editors hope these brief 'snippets' will engender further study and discussion of Torah topics ('lehagdil Torah u'leha'adirah'), and your letters are appreciated. Web archives at Torah.org start with 5758 (1997) and may be retrieved from the Hamaayan page. Hamaayan needs your support! Please consider sponsoring Hamaayan in honor of a happy occasion or in memory of a loved one. The low cost of sponsorship is $36. Donations to HaMaayan are tax-deductible.
Rabbi Dov Kramer Taking A Closer Look When listing the vessels that G-d commanded us to make for the Mishkan, the Shulchan (table, upon which the showbread was kept) is mentioned along with all of its vessels (Shmos 35:13). The outer altar and all of its vessels, are also mentioned (35:16). However, for the Menorah (35:14), rather than all of its vessels, it is just its vessels that are mentioned. The most obvious reason for this difference is that some of the Menorahs vessels (its lamps) are explicitly mentioned in the same verse, so all of its vessels no longer need to be referenced. (The same is true after the Mishkan was finished, see 39:36-39.) However, earlier (30:27), the Menorahs lamps are not mentioned separately, yet only its vessels are to be anointed, not all of its vessels. [All of the Shulchans vessels must be anointed (30:27), as well as all of the vessels of the outer altar (30:28).] To confuse things even more, when listing the vessels that Betzalel and his helpers are to make for the Mishkan (31:8-9), included are all of the vessels of the Menorah and all of the vessels of the outer altar, but not all of the vessels of the Shulchan. Why is the word all sometimes used and sometimes left off? Meshech Chuchma addresses most of these issues. When discussing which parts of the Menorah were made from the talent of pure gold (25:39; his discussion is on 25:31), his concluding thought is that whenever its lamps are mentioned separately, and therefore not included with its other vessels in the word vessels, the term all of its vessels is not used. Regarding anointing (30:27), he points out (see also Netziv) that many of ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 17
the vessels of the Menorah (such as its cups, knobs and flowers) are built into the Menorah (see 25:31), so need not be anointed separately (as anointing the Menorah covers them). Therefore, in the instructions for anointing it only says all its vessels for the Shulchan (and the outer altar). For the Menorah, on the other hand, it only says its vessels since not all of its vessels need to be individually anointed. As far as why, when Betzalel is chosen to lead the project (31:8-9), the word all is used for the Menorah (and the outer altar) but not for the Shulchan, Meshech Chuchma (30:27 and 35:10) suggests that overall there were more vessels for the Menorah than there were for the Shulchan. Therefore, unless some of the vessels of the Menorah are being excluded (such as when its lamps are mentioned separately or regarding the anointing), thereby making its vessels less abundant, the word all is used regarding the Menorahs vessels but not for the Shulchan's. Since all the vessels of the Shulchan were anointed, and therefore more of its vessels were anointed then those of the Menorah, the word all is used for the Shulchan but not for the Menorah. Meshech Chuchma doesn't discuss why the word all is always used for the outer altars vessels. Were there also more vessels for this altar than for the Shulchan, and more than those of the Menorah that needed to be anointed, but less (or the same amount) as the total number of the Menorahs vessels? Does the inclusion of the word all only depend on a contrast with whatever else is mentioned in the same verse, so only the number of the vessels of the Menorah and the Shulchan affect whether the word all is used, with the relative amount of vessels of the outer altar irrelevant since they are mentioned in a different verse? The Menorah and its vessels were all made out of pure gold (25:36-39). All of the vessels of the outer altar were made out of copper (27:3). What about the vessels of the Shulchan? The Torah lists four kinds of vessels for the Shulchan -- its forms (in which the showbread was kept to maintain its shape), its bowls (to hold frankincense), its support tubes (which formed shelving for the multiple layers of bread) and its dividers/covers -- all of which were made out of pure gold (25:29 and 37:16). The vessels necessary to bake the bread are not mentioned (although Meshech Chuchma includes them in the numerous vessels of the Shulchan), and were not made out of gold. Rather, like all the other vessels of the Mishkan where it isn't specified otherwise (see Netziv on 27:19), they were made out of copper. (This is implied in 37:16, where it is only the vessels that are "on" the Shulchan that are made of pure gold; its other vessels are not.) It is therefore possible that the word all is left out of the commandment to make them (31:8) in order to indicate that not all of the Shulchans vessels are to be made out of the same material, even though all of the vessels of the Menorah and all of the vessels of the outer altar are. To sum up, the starting point is that the word all is always used, unless there is a reason not to. Since not all of the Menorahs vessels need to be anointed separately, the word all is omitted in 30:27. Since there are more vessels for the Menorah (including those that didnt need to be anointed), or since not all of the vessels of the Shulchan were made out of gold, the word all is omitted in 31:8. And since the Menorahs lamps are mentioned separately from its other vessels (35:14), the word all is not used there. However, this still leaves us with the question of why its lamps were mentioned separately, and not implicitly included by just saying and all its vessels (as is done elsewhere). There is a discussion in the Talmud (Menachos 88b) whether the lamps of the Menorah were made from the talent of pure gold (25:39). Meshech Chuchma (25:31) suggests that the reason its lamps are mentioned explicitly (and therefore not included in its vessels), and are specifically mentioned after the other vessels are referenced, is to teach us that just as those other vessels do not come from the talent of gold, neither do the lamps. [Although this contradicts Meshech Chuchmas subsequent contention that the Menorahs cups, knobs and flowers are considered separate vessels, and would therefore be included with the other vessels despite coming from the talent of gold, Netziv (30:27) says that the lamps do not need to be anointed separately even if they did not come from the talent of gold. This not only explains why not all of the Menorahs vessels were anointed, but can also theoretically be the difference between there being more vessels of the Shulchan being anointed than those of the Menorah.] However, even if this can explain why the Menorahs lamps are mentioned separately according to the opinion that the lamps were not part of the body of the Menorah, it would not explain why they are mentioned separately according to the opinion that the lamps were also from the talent of gold, and thereby built in to the Menorah. When explaining this dispute, the Talmud attributes the difference of opinion to how the words all of these vessels (25:39) are to be understood. Do these words teach us that the lamps were part of the talent of pure gold, or that even the lips of the lamps, which become blackened from the burning wicks, must nevertheless be made of pure gold? According to the opinion that the lamps did not come from the talent of gold, this verse teaches us that every part of the Menorah, even the lips of the lamps, must be made of pure gold, and the verse that mentions its lamps separately teaches us that they are not made from the talent of gold. On the other hand, according to the opinion that the lamps do come from the talent of gold this is learned from this verse (25:39). However, where would we learn that the lips of the lamps must also be made of pure gold from? Perhaps this is why, according to this opinion, the lamps were mentioned separately (in 35:14), teaching us that every part of the lamps, even their lips, must be made of the same material as the Menorah and the rest of its vessels.
Rabbi Moshe Krieger Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet Parshas Vayakhel First Approach In this week's sidra (35:27), the Torah relates various ways in which the members of Klal Yisroel contributed to the Mishkan's construction. The passuk records that after the nation had finished contributing, the nesi'im (tribal princes/leaders) donated the precious stones inset upon both the eifod and the choshen (two separate garments of the kohen gadol). Rashi quotes a midrash which explains that the nesi'im had been acting with good intentions and had only delayed their contributions in order to determine what would be lacking in the Mishkan's necessary materials. In fact, it appears that they had ultimately planned to donate whatever was left and thereby ensure that the Mishkan receive all the materials which it needed. Further on, the midrash writes that in order to admonish the nesi'im for the improper conduct which they displayed through the postponement of their donations, the word nesi'im in our passuk is written without the letter yud (which, grammatically, should have appeared between the letters sin and aleph). Rashi explains that the Torah was attempting to criticize the laziness which the nesi'im showed by delaying their contributions. Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, zt'l, raises a glaring issue with this approach. The beginning of the midrash, which Rashi himself quotes a mere line earlier, states that the nesi'im acted with good intent. The nesi'im had hoped to ensure that all of the needs of the Mishkan's construction would be met. Where does Rashi detect even a hint of laziness? How can one suggest that Hashem would fault the nesi'im for such actions? Rav Chaim resolves the issue by explaining that according to Rashi's interpretation of the midrash, the nesi'im had merely believed themselves to be acting sincerely and according to a laudable plan in reality, however, their objectivity had been affected by an underlying blemish of character. Unbeknownst to their conscious minds, laziness had clouded their ability to honestly evaluate their choices. Due to their skewed sense of judgment, the nesi'im reached the incorrect conclusion that Hashem wished for them to delay their donations (see commentators for a discussion of the plan's various weaknesses). Thus, it was ultimately laziness that spurred the postponement of the contributions and it is this flaw, Rav Chaim writes, that the Torah censures with the missing letter yud. Rav Chaim cites Rav Yisroel Salanter, zt'l, who cautions that when making any decision, one must remain extremely vigilant of any subconscious motivations which may result in an erroneous conclusion. As a suggestion to assist in this endeavor, it would be wise for one to do more than simply attempt privately to purge himself from the countless human biases with which he is plagued. Perhaps, for example, one should try to discuss his important decisions with someone uninvolved in his situation. In fact, one should consider discussing the matter with a Rav who will deliver an unbiased opinion on the subject and provide a great measure of Torah wisdom, both of which can be effective in unmasking the underlying motivations affecting one's better judgment. The Alter Mi'Novardek, zt'l, related that there were times when he suspected that going into his Yeshiva on a particular morning would have taken too much time away from his other obligations to the institution. Unsure whether his thoughts were truly motivated by a desire to ensure the smooth running of the Yeshiva or instead by laziness, he would force himself to walk all the way to the building. Only there, having rid himself of the lazy pull to remain home, would he debate whether to remain and spend time in the yeshiva, or leave and focus on his other responsibilities. 18 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
Let us contemplate this story for a moment. The Alter Mi'Novardek so seriously considered the possibility that he was being affected by bias, that he went so far as to physically remove any trace of impure motivation. How much more so should we exercise such caution in all of our decisions and constantly probe our thoughts for any improper intentions. May we all be zoche to the insight and strength necessary to sufficiently probe the recesses of our heart and mind. And may we all merit to act only upon unbiased, valid decisions. Second Approach Based on several commentators who appear to interpret the midrash in a manner differing from Rashi's understanding, Rav Chaim presents another approach. To review, the midrash states that the word nesi'im is written in the passuk without the letter yud in order to criticize the nesi'im for postponing their donations. Leaving aside Rashi's interpretation (see first approach), Rav Chaim can pose the difficulty in a simple manner. The midrash appears to contradict itself. A line earlier, the midrash claimed that the delay of the nesi'im stemmed from a righteous desire to enable better determination of what would ultimately be lacking amongst the Mishkan's materials and thereby ensure the acquirement of every single material necessary for its construction. How can the midrash claim that the nesi'im were censured with a missing letter and simultaneously affirm that the nesi'im had acted in order to guarantee the acquisition of all necessary materials? Rav Chaim explains that the nesi'im had indeed acted based upon proper logic. However, though no underlying motives skewed their thinking and the admonishment of the removed letter yud was not due to an underlying character flaw, they were lacking a measure of love for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. One can come up with all manner of truly logical theories and calculations but how can one allow such thought processes to prevent him from contributing immediately to such a holy cause and thereby displaying his unbridled love for Hashem? How does it look when the entire Klal Yisroel is happily rushing to donate to the Mishkan and one is standing on the sidelines, citing various logical theories to delay his own contributions? The nesi'im should have displayed their unbridled love for Hakadosh Baruch Hu by contributing immediately to the Mishkan without wasting time with fancy computations.* Do we utilize every opportunity to show Hashem that we love Him? G-d wants to know where our loyalty lies. When, for example, we're driving in our car in a rush to get somewhere and suddenly see a Hachnosas Sefer Torah making its way through the street, do we grumble about the traffic or do we instead park the car, jump out, and show honor to the Ribono Shel Olam and His Torah by joining the dancing for at least five minutes? If we, chas v'chalila, hear somebody speak derogatorily about a gadol batorah, do we bite our lip silently or do we muster the courage to stand up and make it clear that we won't tolerate insults to those representatives of Hakadosh Baruch Hu? If a chumash falls on the floor, chalila, do we quickly finish what we were doing before picking it up or do we drop whatever we're dealing with, dash to pick it up, and plant a kiss on its cover. The following incredible tale is based on the account recorded in Rabbi Yechiel Spero's short-story collection. Years ago, there was a simple, unlearned Jew who emigrated from Russia to Eretz Yisroel. Although he possessed less than beginner skills for Torah learning, he consistently made time for a daily shiur during which, while not appearing to comprehend the discussion, he would sit quietly and take notes. As time went on, the man's wife grew ill and he began spending much of his day with her. Yet, even as he forfeited an increasing number of his usual activities in order to have more time available for his sick wife, he was adamant that the daily shiur of which he barely understood a single word be the last to go. The explanation he provided is inspiring, if not mind- blowing. The man related that in Russia, he had been forcibly drafted into the army. During the daily roll call, he explained, the soldiers were tested on the names of the great generals of the Russian military. If a soldier showed that he had not committed all the names to memory, he would be severely punished. I promised Hashem, retold the Russian man. I made a deal with Him during one of those roll calls. I told Hakadosh Baruch Hu, 'G-d, if You get me out of Russia and bring me to Eretz Yisroel, I will memorize the names of Your generals!' I don't understand the shiur too well, the man admitted. But every time I hear the name of another general in Hashem's army, I write it down in my notebook. Rabi Akiva... Rava... Abaye... Rashi... The Vilna Gaon I memorize all of their names. This is why the shiur is so precious to me I must continue until I have recorded the name of every general in G-d's army. Indeed, not everyone can learn and not everyone can attest to perfect performance of the mitzvos but we can all show Hashem where our innermost loyalties lie. Like a soldier memorizing the names of his generals, we can show Hakadosh Baruch Hu that we align ourselves with His forces and glorify the heroes of His army. We can show G-d that we love Him. May we all be zoche to truly overflow with love for Hashem. And may we all succeed in displaying our love any time we are granted the opportunity to affirm our loyalty. * We must never and certainly not without the careful approval of a great Rav or posek make the entirely illogical mistake of determining displays of purported love of G-d to be more important than adhering to His own laws. Yet, in this particular instance, Hashem expected the nesi'im to realize that showing unchecked love for Him overrode the benefits gained from a delay and authorized by their status as major talmidei chachamim to decide to disregard their well-intentioned theories and instead carry out their contributions immediately. Rabbi Eli Mansour Weekly Perasha Insights Parashat VaYakhel: Avoiding Fire on Shabbat Parashat Vayakhel begins with Moshe assembling Beneh Yisrael and conveying to them the command to observe Shabbat, singling out in particular the prohibition against lighting fires on Shabbat: Do not kindle a fire in any of your residences on the day of Shabbat. Many commentators raised the question of why this specific prohibition was singled out from among all the many prohibitions that apply on Shabbat. Why did Moshe make particular mention of the prohibition against kindling a fire? One of the answers that have been suggested is that Moshe actually refers here to the fire of anger. He warns us in this Pasuk of the need to avoid anger on Shabbat. Medically, it has been shown that anger poses grave danger to the human body, and can cause high blood pressure, ulcers and other serious maladies. Spiritually, our Hachamim teach that nothing is more harmful and destructive for the soul than anger. And on Shabbat, we are especially prone to becoming angry. During the week, the family members are busy with their personal schedules and do not have much time to sit with each other, whereas on Shabbat, everyone is together in close quarters for an extended period of time. This offers a beautiful opportunity for bonding and meaningful interaction, but also allows for fighting and arguments. This is true in communal life, as well. The biggest crowd in the synagogue the whole week is, of course, on Shabbat. This is a beautiful opportunity for harmonious congregational prayer and study, but can also create tension and stress which could precipitate fighting. Shabbat thus offers us the opportunity for spiritual greatness, but also poses the risk of spiritual destruction by putting people close together and making them prone to anger. An even greater threat, though, arises in the hours before Shabbat, on Friday afternoon. Especially in the winter months, when Shabbat begins early Friday afternoon, these hours are a very tense and pressured time. Theres a lot to get done, and people are anxious. And, while I have not conducted a scientific survey on the subject, I would venture to guess that the majority of household problems happen to take place on Friday. It seems like its always Friday when the shirt is missing a button or the oven breaks. If we took a survey of community plumbers, I imagine we would hear of a disproportionately large number of leaks, bursts and boiler breakdowns specifically on Fridays. This is the Satan trying to interfere with the beauty and spiritual benefits of Shabbat. He finds ways to get people nervous and agitated which in turn causes them to become angry and shout at one another, so that the family sits down at the table upset, aggravated, and not at all interested in sharing a beautiful Shabbat experience together. Do not kindle a flame in any of your residences on the day of Shabbat. We are instructed to do everything we can to avoid this pitfall and make Shabbat the day of peace and serenity that it is supposed to be. One recommendation is to have everything for Shabbat prepared early on Friday afternoon, well in advance of the onset of Shabbat, to avoid the last minute pressures that can cause a raging fire of strife and tension. The story is told of a couple that was childless for many years, until they finally had a son. Unfortunately, however, the child developed a severe heart condition, and they brought him to the best doctor available, in Vilna. After examining the child, the doctor informed the parents there was nothing he could do. On their way home, somebody advised them to ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 19
stop off in Radin and receive a blessing from the Hafetz Haim. The great Sage instructed that every week they should have everything for Shabbat prepared and ready at midday on Friday, and they committed to following this instruction. When they brought their child back to the doctor in Vilna, he told them that the child must have received a new heart, because it was fully healed. If the President of the United States tells us hes joining us for dinner, we would ensure to have everything perfectly prepared in time. On Friday night, Hashem Himself comes to our homes. It would terribly disrespectful not to have everything ready. Understandably, this could be very difficult during the winter when Shabbat starts very early. But throughout the rest of the year, at very least, we have no excuse for a last-minute rush on Friday afternoon. Friday should not be the time for long leisurely trips and recreational activities. Ereb Shabbat is the time for preparing for our special Guest, and the earlier we prepare, the calmer we would be so we can avoid the destructive fire that, when kindled, can take away all the spiritual treasures that Shabbat offers us. Aish.Com - Rabbi Kalman Packouz Shabbat Shalom Vayakhel 5774 GOOD MORNING! The world faces many challenges. What are we to do? My teacher, Rabbi Noah Weinberg, wrote the following article, "World Repairs," which I hope will clarify and give food for thought: Poverty. Terrorism. Depression. Our world is in desperate need of repair. Divisiveness and violence must urgently be replaced by kindness and compassion. We need to find ways to make a positive difference in the world -- to turn the pain into positive change, and to lead humanity back on the road to peace. This is not just a global problem. It is highly personal as well. If someone spills ink on the floor, and asks you to clean it up, you might say, "Hey, you made the mess -- you clean it up." But when it comes to world problems, nobody will say: "I didn't cause the problem, so why should I do anything about it?" Everyone agrees we should try to help. If you knew how to cure cancer, you'd cancel your vacation. We're all responsible. The Hebrew word "tzedakah" is commonly translated as "charity" or "tithe." But this is misleading. "Charity" implies that your heart motivates you to go beyond the call of duty. "Tzedakah," however, literally means "righteousness" -- doing the right thing. A "tzaddik," likewise, is a righteous person, someone who fulfills all his obligations, whether in the mood or not. The verse says: "Tzedek, tzedek you shall pursue" -- "justice, justice you shall pursue" (Deut. 16:20). There's a basic human responsibility to reach out to others. Giving of your time and your money is a statement that "I will do whatever I can to help." That's the Jewish concept of Tikun Olam - - repairing the world. Aside from helping those in need, we have many other financial obligations -- family, savings, even basic living expenses. So how much are we expected to help? Should we drop everything and run off to Africa to stop the famine? The Torah recommends giving 10 percent. (Hence the popular expression "tithe," meaning one-tenth.) The legal source is Deut. 14:22, and the Bible is filled with examples: Abraham gave Malki-Tzedek one-tenth of all his possessions (Genesis 14:20); Jacob vowed to give one-tenth of all his future acquisitions to the Almighty (Genesis 29:22); there are mandated tithes to support the Levites (Numbers 18:21, 24) and the poor (Deut. 26:12). Ten percent is the minimum obligation to help. For those who want to do more, the Torah allows you to give 20 percent. But above that amount is unrealistic. If you give too much, you'll come to neglect other aspects of your life. Of course, don't just impulsively give your money away. The Almighty provides everyone with income, but it comes conditionally: Ten percent is a trust fund that you're personally responsible to disperse. God is expecting you to spend His money wisely. If you were running a humanitarian foundation, you'd make a thorough study of the best use of your money. It's the same with tzedakah. When you choose one project over another, you have to calculate why it is more effective than the other. Consider it the "Your-Name-Here Save the World Foundation." Put this money aside in a separate account. That way it will be available when the need arises. And it is a constant reminder of your obligation to help. There are so many possible projects: the poor, the sick, the uneducated, drug abuse, domestic violence, the homeless. Which one should you pick? Tzedakah begins at home. If your parents are hungry, that comes before giving to a homeless shelter. From there it is concentric circles outward: your community, then your country. (For Jews, Jerusalem and Israel are considered as one's own community, since every Jew has a share in the homeland.) Once you've defined "who" to give to, what's the best method to do so? Maimonides lists eight levels of tzedakah in order of priority (Laws of Gifts to the Poor 10:7). Many people think the highest level is to give money anonymously. Actually, there's an even higher level: helping a person to become self- sufficient. This includes giving him a job, or a loan to start a business. This is the source of the Jewish concept of a free loan fund, called a Gemach. If you help someone start a business, he can feed himself and 10 other people besides. As the old saying goes: Rather than give him fish to eat, teach him to be a fisherman. This represents a higher level of Tikun Olam, because now the fisherman can go out and help others. You've really fixed something. There's actually one higher level of tzedakah: being sensitive to someone before he's in trouble. As the Sages explain: It takes one person to support something before it falls, but after it falls, even five people may not be able to lift it (see Rashi, Leviticus 25:35). Tzedakah is not only helping people financially, it's also making them feel good. If a hungry person asks for food, and you give it to him with a resentful grunt, you've lost the mitzvah. Sometimes giving an attentive ear or a warm smile is more important than money. You can also protect someone's self-esteem by giving even before he asks. The bottom line is that every person has unique needs. It is our obligation to help each one accordingly. What if you offer someone a job and he's too lazy to work? Then you don't have to give him anything. The Talmud (Baba Metzia 32b) says: If he doesn't care about himself, then you're not required to care about him, either. (to be continued next week) Torah Portion Of The Week: Vayakhel Moshe relays the Almighty's commands to refrain from building the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) on the Shabbat, to contribute items needed to build the Mishkan, to construct the components of the Mishkan and the appurtenances of the Cohanim. The craftsmen are selected, the work begins. The craftsmen report that there are too many donations, and for the first and probably the only time in fundraising history, the Jewish people are told to refrain from bringing additional contributions! Dvar Torah based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin Moses commanded the Jewish people regarding the materials for the Tabernacle: "Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring an offering of the Almighty" (Exodus 35:5). What lesson do we learn from the command being directed to those who have a "willing heart"? Rabbi Simcha Zissel of Kelm explains that those who brought the offerings for the Tabernacle should bring their hearts with their offering. It is not sufficient just to give a monetary donation. The Almighty wants our hearts, that is our thoughts and our emotions. When you just give money to a charity or worthy institution, you help the cause for which you are giving. However, when you give with your heart, you are changing and elevating yourself as a person. Each donation makes you into a more giving person. Whenever you give, reflect before you give and then give with a full heart! Quote of the Week It is never too soon to be kind, for we never know how soon it will be too late Happy 36th Anniversary Kalman & Shoshana Love, Dad and Mom Packouz With Deep Appreciation to Sam Pearson III This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/tp/ss/ssw/245742351.html Like what you read? As a non-profit organization, Aish.com relies on readers like you to enable us to provide meaningful and relevant articles. Join Aish.com and help us continue to give daily inspiration to people like you around the world. Make a secure donation at: https://secure.aish.com/secure/pledge.php or mail a check to Aish.com, 408 South Lake Drive, Lakewood, NJ 08701 Copyright 1995 - 2014 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com
Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff Weekly Chizuk Vayakhel - Don't Delay And the Leaders brought the shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen. (35:27) You will notice that the word Nesi'im in Hebrew is missing a yud. It should have been written or as it is in the rest of Chumash. Rashi takes note of this and quotes a Midrash: 20 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
R. Nosson said: Why did the Leaders see fit to contribute to the dedication of the altar first [as soon as the mishkan was erected (Bemidbar 7:1-2) they immediately contributed the first korbonos to be sacrificed on the altar] whereas for the building of the mishkon they were not the first to contribute? This happened because the Leaders thought as follows: "Let the public-at-large contribute whatever they will contribute, and whatever will be lacking we will supply." In the end, the public supplied all that was needed, as it is said: "And the work was sufficient," (Shemos 36:7). The Leaders said, "What is left for us to do?" So "they brought the shoham-stones, etc." It is for this reason that at the altar dedication they contributed first. And since, at the beginning they were somewhat lax, a letter was omitted from their name and it is written (without a yud) (Bemidbar Rabba 12:16. The Chofetz Chaim (on the Torah) notes that besides the obvious absence of the yud in this parsha there is another distinguishing difference. Here, during the donations to the Mishkan, all the Nesi'im are grouped together as having brought the shoham stones. However, in Parshas Naso, in relating the dedication of the Mizbeach, the Torah does not clump them all together, but lists each Nasi individually, in spite of the fact that their korbonos were all exactly the same. In Parshas Naso, the Torah made a point to teach us how much Hakadosh Baruch cherishes a person's acting with quickness and jointly with the community at large and not bragging and flaunting his actions. In bringing the korbonos, the Nesi'im showed absolutely no envy or competition among them. In our parsha, the Nesi'im were lax in joining the nation in donating to the building of the Mishkan. Therefore they lost a letter in their name. In Naso, however, they brought their offering out of unreserved generosity. Therefore the Torah went out of its way to honor them by devoting an entire parsha to them. Not only was no letter detracted from their name, but each Nasi received a distinctive description of his offering. The Alter of Novahrdok, R. Yosef Yozel Horowitz zt"l, used to say that not a week or a day went by that he did not entirely review his approach in education and Avodas Hashem to see if he had not wandered astray of his mark. He also said that if someone were to come and criticize him logically and systematically and tell him that he was still far removed from the truth, he would not hesitate a moment to accept it and thank him for illuminating him. (Hameoros Hagedolim 118) So too must we be open to constant growth and redirection. As Rav Yissacher Frand once put it - life isn't stagnant. Rather it's like a space ship that has to have constant in-flight adjustments to keep it on track and to keep it from falling. Rav Yosef Yozel Horwitz, the Alter from Novhardok is perhaps the personification of the quality of "purpose." He took upon himself the job of establishing yeshivos all over Europe, and maintained this goal throughout his life. The sefer Ham'oros Hagedolim (section 136) tells of his remarkable determination: During World War One, the Alter regularly traveled between the yeshivos in Russia in order to encourage the students and raise their spirits. During the war it was considered dangerous to travel on the roads, and people felt that the railways were the only secure form of transportation. As a result, the trains were overburdened with passengers. People were packed into the compartments like sardines, and overflowed out onto the steps. Some even climbed onto the roofs of the cars. Rav Yosef Yozel once had to make an urgent trip from Hummel to an outlying yeshiva. He had been told that the students' spirits were flagging, and wanted to help raise morale. When the elderly Rav arrived at the train station, he saw there was no hope of boarding the train in a normal fashion. Firmly resolved to go on the journey, and left with no alternative, he unhesitatingly climbed through the window like a vigorous young man! Some soldiers who were present expressed their astonishment at his action: "Look at that old man!" Yet such enthusiasm was typical of the Alter. The gedolei Torah of the time were awestruck at his behavior. Old and sick, Rav Hurwitz was suddenly transformed into a youngster. During those days of uncertainty and upheaval, he traveled to distant locations without a second thought, and after each journey he literally fell into his bed from exhaustion. These trips were constant. He hadn't recuperated from one pressing mission before receiving a telegram about another one that was just as urgent. He would then promptly set off again for three days straight of travel. He once spent Rosh Hashana in Kiev, Shabbos Teshuvah in Charkov, and Yom Kippur in Hummel. He didn't worry about his family, and wasn't even concerned for his very life. In his view, he was merely a faithful servant of his Creator with a job to perform: to ensure that Torah would not be forgotten by the Jewish people. The trips were also full of hardship. Often left with no other choice, he would travel coach class. The cars were so packed that whoever was sitting couldn't get up, and whoever was standing couldn't sit down - like the plague of darkness in Egypt. It was a great miracle just to remain in the car and not be pushed out the window. Once he went to Berditchov to encourage the students in the yeshiva there. When he arrived, the city was under siege. Shells were flying everywhere, and the enemy forces were invading and preparing to unleash a pogrom on the hapless Jewish residents. The shocked inhabitants asked the venerable sage why he had risked his life to come at so dangerous a time. Upon hearing his reply they wonderingly inquired, "Is now the time to worry about the morale of the yeshivah students!?" He unhesitatingly answered, "I am fighting Hashem's battles. The Torah is dying out and being forgotten. This is an emergency, and drastic measures are called for. If I don't help strengthen the yeshivos and ensure that their doors remain open, what will become of the Torah?!" Gut Shabbos! Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff 4 Panim Meirot, Jerusalem 94423 Israel Tel: 732-858-1257 Rabbi Parkoff is author of "Chizuk!" and "Trust Me!" (Feldheim Publishers), and "Mission Possible!" (Israel Book Shop Lakewood). If you would like to correspond with Rabbi Parkoff, or change your subscription, please contact: rabbi.e.parkoff@gmail.com Shema Yisrael Torah Network info@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.co.il Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344
Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand Likutei Peshatim kvehu Volume 28 Number 21 February 22, 2014 s"ga, wt rst c"f y"h vfux :hnuhv ;s A Sense Of Unity And Moshe gathered the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael and said to them: These are the things that God commanded, to do them. Shemos 35:1 The word "kvehu" is in the causative khgpv form, because he does not gather people by hand, but rather, they are gathered by his speaking to them. And it is rendered by Targum Onkelos, and he caused to gather, in the khgpv. - Rashi Rashi emphasizes that Moshes gathering of the people could not have been done directly by Moshe, and that it had to happen on its own. What is the lesson of this nuance? Sefer Olilos Ephraim cites the Akeida, who mentions that the prohibition mentioned here regarding lighting a fire on Shabbos is actually a hint of warning against allowing the fire of strife and discord which can rage among people. The Torah is coming to warn the people to guard themselves specifically on Shabbos, when they are idle from work, and not to fight among each other on this holy day. Here, Moshe instructed the people to use the opportunity of having the Shabbos and to gather and develop a sense of unity. Now this goal of gathering together was not something that Moshe himself was able to do, but it was something which Moshe had to encourage and thereby guide the people to appreciate and aim to achieve. Moshe spoke and instructed the people, but it was up to them to follow his encouragement and develop mutual respect and love for each other. Rashi explains that Moshe did this on the morrow of Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur itself the nation experienced a mood of peace and tranquility among themselves and with each other. The next day, there was a danger that they might revert back to their old ways of falling prey to strife and petty arguments. This is why Moshe took the opportunity to draw from the spirit of Yom Kippur and to have the people extend this sense of togetherness further. The Value Of A Life Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be for you a holy day, a Sabbath of solemn rest to God; whoever does any work therein shall be put to death. Shemos 35:2 The Mishnah (Makkos 7a) states that any Sanhedrin which would actually apply the death penalty once in seventy years was disgraced with the title of a destroyer court. This is strange in that if the Torah legislates the death penalty, and commands the court to apply it, why, then, is a court to be faulted if it carries out this particular sentence? The Chazon Ish notes that a fundamental principle throughout the Torah is that the very knowledge of the severity of a sin is in and of itself supposed to be an indication of the seriousness of the crime and of our responsibility to distance ourselves from it. The m ore the Torah punishes for a certain violation, the more we are to understand the degree of disgust and revulsion we are to have for the act. Accordingly, a law can be designed solely for the philosophical value of illustrating a moral issue, and not to be applied in a practical sense. This is accomplished both by our learning the lesson symbolized by the extreme punishment, and also by the need for the court to carefully scrutinize the details in every case brought ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 21
before them. In this way, the goal is fulfilled even without the laws ever being applied. A clear outcome of this process is the emphasis which the Torah places upon the value of human life. This is the message which the Torah conveys by demanding such an exacting and meticulous review on the part of a Jewish court made up of twenty-three members or seventy-one before a person could be put to death. Wave Therapy All who set aside a portion of silver or brass brought it as a portion for God. Shemos 35:24 Earlier, in Verse 22, in reference to the gold, the Torah describes the contributions of the ones who donated a wave offering of gold to God. In our verse, however, in reference to the silver and the brass, the Torah tells us that those who donated silver or brass brought it as a divine offering. We should try to understand the difference between vpUbT - a wave offering of gold, and a simple vnUrT - a designated offering of silver or brass. Imrei Shefer explains. Our sages teach us (Shemos Rabba 51:6) that the gold of the Mishkan was brought as a symbolic atonement for the gold used improperly for the formation of the Golden Calf. The silver and brass, however, were simply used as part of the Mishkan with no specific designation in reference to the sin of the Golden Calf. Now, whenever an offering is brought to atone for a sin, we find a process of waving which is always done. The appropriate parts of the offering are waved up and down to cancel deleterious dew, and these parts are then waved to and fro to neutralize harmful winds. Accordingly, whenever an offering serves as an atonement, it is appropriate to find waving to assist in the correction of the sin and to avoid any threat of punishment. Therefore, in our situation, the gold, which is brought to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, was to be waved as it was donated. However, the silver and the brass, which were not brought for this purpose, were simply donated directly. Maintaining Motivation Every man and woman whose heart moved them to bring for any of the work that God had commanded to make, through the hand of Moshe, Bnei Yisrael brought a free-willed offering to God. Shemos 35:29 The verse seems to be redundant, as it reports how the men and women brought their contributions, and it concludes by stating that the Jews offered their gifts. We must analyze the verse to understand properly exactly what the Torah is saying. Chida explains that often, a person is inspired to perform an act of kindness or to do some other mitzvah. Yet, after the initial moment of decision, the person may reconsider his willingness to contribute, and he can either procrastinate in implementing his idea, or he may even completely reverse his earlier preparedness to do the mitzvah. Now, even if the person does complete his plan, he may do so halfheartedly, and the mitzvah will be damaged, as if he is doing it without the necessary motivation. The Jewish people originally responded to the call to contribute the materials for the Mishkan with great enthusiasm. Literally tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Jews lined up to offer their supplies to build the sanctuary for Hashems presence. Yet, we could imagine that there might have been among them a handful or more who later wondered why they were so quick to pledge their assistance. As they stood in line to give their items, perhaps they felt remorse for having opened their mouths to promise any contribution at all, and they only gave these items because they were too embarrassed to simply walk away. Nevertheless, this verse comes to testify that this was not the case at all. Each person came forth and offered his or her contribution with a genuine and heartfelt sincerity. The initial gesture was maintained and preserved from beginning to end. The final presentation was therefore indeed worthy of being referred to as an offering to God. Halachic Corner We learn in Mishlei (10:8): Someone who is wise of heart will seize mitzvos, but one of foolish lips will become weary. This can be explained with a parable. In the ledger of a small retail business, an entry may represent either a profit or a loss of just a few dollars. But for a large wholesaler, recording small profits or gains might be a waste of time and energy. The entries in a wholesalers ledgers represent hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of dollars either lost or gained. Any knowledgeable businessman who studied such figures would understand their significance. The owner of a huge corporation, however, uses a different standard. In his ledger, each notation represents net gains or losses in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of dollars. Nothing less has much significance to him. The same is true of Hashems ledger - our holy Torah. Each entry - any of the 613 mitzvos - represents something of priceless value, something that no amount of money can buy. A wise person understands this, so he seizes every opportunity to perform a mitzvah. A foolish person, however, does not fathom the greatness of Torah and the inestimable value of its mitzvos. He approaches mitzvos with laziness and allows countless opportunities to pass him by. Questions for Thought and Study 1. Why is the work that is done during the week described as work shall be done - "vftkn vGgT"? Why use this unusual passive tense? See Maharal Diskin 35:2 2. What is the difference between those who were "ICk ItGb" - his heart motivated him - and "IjUr vcsb" - his spirit motivated him - in Pasuk 35:21? See Ramban 3. It was a special skill to weave the goats hair while it is still on the goats backs. How did this skill improve the quality of the wool? See Sforno 35:26 4. What was Hashem telling Bnei Yisrael when He told Moshe "Utr" - see - when He appointed Betzalel to build the Mishkan? See Daas Zekaynim 35:30 5. Why does the Torah need to point out that the craftsmen told Moshe that Bnei Yisrael were bringing too many items to the Mishkan and no more was needed? See Ramban 36:3 Answers: 1. The Mishkan was built miraculously with ohftkn (angels - heavenly messengers) helping Bnei Yisrael. That is how the work was done. Bnei Yisrael might have thought that since the building was done by more than one person (each person with his angel), it would be permitted on Shabbos. Moshe was teaching them that this was not the case, as the ohftkn kept Shabbos as well. 2. The people who were "Ick ItGb" came to the Mishkan to give of themselves to work. "IjUr vcsb" represents those who were inspired to give donations but not to work. 3. Each time hair is shorn from a goat, the wool loses its luster. By spinning it on the back of the animal the wool did not lose its luster. 4. Hashem was showing that the building of the Mishkan was a vrPF - an atonement - for the sin of the Golden Calf. This was indicated by the fact that Betzalel, the grandson of rUj, who spoke against the Golden Calf, was now to be the chief architect of the Mishkan. 5. This was to indicate the trustworthiness of the craftsmen, that even with a surplus, nothing was used for anything other than the construction of the Mishkan. Likutei Peshatim is endowed by Les & Ethel Sutker in loving memory of Max and Mary Sutker and Louis and Lillian Klein, d"r. May their memory be for a blessing. Prepared by the faculty, Kollel, and student body of Hebrew Theological College under the direction of Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand, Editor To sponsor Likutei Peshatim for a future Shabbos, call Naomi Samber, managing editor, 847-982-2500, Fax 847-982-2507, email samber@htc.edu Details listed in the Sponsorship Section are the responsibility of the sponsors and not of Hebrew Theological College Please do not read Likutei Peshatim during the Torah reading or during the repetition of the Shmoneh Esrei Likutei Peshatim Has Torah Content - Please Treat It Respectfully
Rabbi Naftali Reich Legacy Parshas Vayakhel - Investing For The Long Term The master craftsman who implemented the Torah's blueprint for the building of the mishkan was an individual named Betzalel. The Torah tells us that Betzalel was uniquely endowed with a "spirit of wisdom" that equipped him for this loftiest of tasks. Mystical sources tell us that the mishkan, the tabernacle, was a spiritual microcosm of the entire world. Betzalel was knowledgeable in all areas of esoteric wisdom. He knew the letters and permutations with which Hashem fashioned heaven and earth; he knew how to harness this spiritual energy in the construction of the mishkan, Hashem's heavenly abode in its earthly form. Our sages tell us that Betzalel was a young boy at the time of the mishkan's construction--no older than 13. How could such a youngster have a level of wisdom that towered way above all the greats of his generation? The Torah alludes to the spiritual greatness of Betzalel in the pasuk that enumerates his lineage. "Behold I have called upon Betzaelel, the son of Uri, the son of Chur from the tribe of Judah," it says. Here is precisely where Betzalel's greatness lay--in his being a grandson of Chur. Who was Chur and what was the source of his greatness that he merited such an extraordinary grandchild? We find scant information about Chur's life in the Torah. However, we do find Chur at the tragic scene of the Golden Calf, where the Jewish people embraced the worship of the golden image. Chur was appalled at their behavior and stood up to admonish them. The frenzied mob was carried away by a wave of hedonistic behavior and anarchy. They silenced Chur by brutally killing him. 22 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
When we consider these tragic events, we can't help but ask ourselves why Chur chose to admonish and oppose the people who were bent on defying reason? Surely he saw it was futile, that they were determined to carry out their degenerate plans. Why endanger your life, Chur, where is your common sense? Wait a bit until the people's senses return and then they will be more receptive to your sobering message. The commentaries explain that Chur was motivated by something nobler than practical common sense. He saw the Jewish people hovering at the edge of an abyss. Just one day before, the nation was the connecting bolt between heaven and earth; now that divine bond had been ruptured. The people were plunging wildly downward. His grief over this downfall was so great that he was willing to sacrifice his life even if his action could not prevent catastrophe. Whenever we act for the sake of Heaven, our self-sacrifice calls down Divine reciprocity. Although we may not see this cause and effect immediately, the reward for such mesiras nefesh will be great. Chur was willing to give up his life to secure the Divine connection between heaven and earth; his grandchild was therefore given transcendent wisdom far beyond his age and capacity to absorb. He merited the Divine mission of repairing that sublime connection between heaven and earth through the medium of the mishkan. Oftentimes I look at students in the yeshiva who hail from families that are so distant from our Torah heritage. These students persevered against all odds and miraculously found their way back to their spiritual source. From where did they draw the courage and inspiration? Very likely there was a grandmother in their family tree who cried copious tears for her children's spiritual safety when lighting the Shabbos candles. They were off to the 'Goldene Medina' and she prayed that they would not succumb to the temptations that abounded there. The answer to those heartfelt prayers may not have come in her own lifetime. But when we see evidence of it in her grandchild and perhaps much further down the line, in a great-great grandchild, we can be sure of what its source is--the pure prayer of a devout, beseeching heart. Let's invest our heart and soul into our spiritual undertakings and do our best to ensure that we will reap the dividends of our good deeds for many years to come. Wishing you an inspiring Shabbos, Rabbi Naftali Reich Text Copyright 2014 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org. Rabbi Reich is on the faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education Center.
Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Rabbi's Message Beyond the Polls One of the most crucial and fascinating aspects of the Mishkan was the center pole which went from one end of the Mishkan structure to the other. The Talmud (Shabbos 98b) tells us that it required a miracle for this center pole to work. What exactly was the miracle? Rashi explains: This pole is what held the Northern, Southern, and Western upright beams together. The craftsmen would bore a hole into the center of each beam, and then this center pole was inserted through the beams. When the pole finished going through the Northern beams, it bent miraculously, and continued through the Western beams, bent again, and then went through the Southern beams. This is something that an ordinary craftsman can not do. Although this pole was hidden within the beams and was not noticed by most people, it played a most important function in holding the Mishkan together. The qualities of this pole- bending, adaptable, and hidden- are considered a significant miracle of the building of the Mishkan. What is the lesson and symbolism of this intriguing miracle? The commentaries explain that this pole symbolizes the quiet leaders of the Jewish people. They operate and impact the community by influencing in a hidden way. Yet their greatness is that they are able to put their own biases and politics aside, bending and adapting themselves for a higher good. They do not live life in the limelight and therefore do not preface every move with the question, What will people say? Instead they proceed quietly and effectively to hold the community together. I once witnessed how an old man was trying to cross a busy street, but couldnt because the turning cars werent giving him the right of way. He was too old and scared to walk into the intersection until the cars would stop, and the cars would not stop because he had not set his foot into the intersection. I watched things unfold from across the street where I was stopped in my car at a red light, wishing that somehow I could do something for the man. Suddenly a young boy sized up the situation and placed himself into the crosswalk. The turning cars stopped for him. The old man crossed, and with a cheery wave the young boy continued on his way. The act of kindness that was to this young mans credit was small and innocuous. But it is the kind of advocacy and kindness that sustains the very fabric of society as we know it. Sometimes an act of kindness may be a bit more challenging as it involves giving a person a heads up that things are headed in a bad way. Gentle advice might be given that if things remain unattended serious ramifications may result. Often such kindness and advice is not taken courteously. In fact sometimes the response, from otherwise seemingly sensible people, is downright abusive. A quiet and hidden leader will do well to remember the lesson of the Brisker Rov. The Brisker Rov was a quiet leader living in Israel in the 1900s. He did not hold a public leadership or political position, but he was recognized as a teacher and as a revered personality. On a particular occasion the municipality made a decision that was perceived by many as a severe compromise to public safety. The Brisker Rov was asked to intercede. The Rabbi approached the municipality appointee who had made the provocative and compromising decision. Although the Rabbis objections were greeted with screaming and curses, he surprisingly maintained his composure and repeated his objections in a level voice until eventually the man calmed down and actually reversed the decision. People who observed the exchange later asked the Rabbi how he managed to maintain his composure in the face of such abusive cursing. The Rabbi looked up surprised, Cursing?! I guess I didnt really hear what he was saying during that part of the conversation. I guess I was just too focused on the task that was before me. This is the role of the middle pole of the Mishkan. It may be quiet and hidden. Yet it is so focused and so influential. For many years people only recognized the few noticeable and well known leaders. Little attention was paid to the many who are so quiet, so focused, and so influential. The Torah teaches that an equal and sometimes greater appreciation goes to those who are represented by the hidden pole. Modern wisdom is catching up to the Torah perspective. In the words of John Kotter, Beyond the yellow brick road of naivete and the muggers lane of cynicism, there is a narrow path, poorly lighted, hard to find, and even harder to stay on once found. People who have the skill and the perseverance to take that path serve us in countless ways. We need more of these people. Many more. With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos! Rabbi Mordechai Rhine is the Rav of Southeast Hebrew Congregation- Knesset Yehoshua in Silver Spring, MD. He is also the Director of TEACH613, which promotes Torah and mitzvah education through classes and virtual media. Rabbi Rhine has received semicha from Rabbi Berel Wein, and Rabbi Shmuel Meir Katz, and holds a Masters in Educational Leadership from Bellevue University. Rabbi Rhine's "Take Ten for Talmud" ten minute audio program based on Daf Hayomi is available by free e-mail subscription. His book, "The Magic of Shabbos," and the Perek Shirah Collection CD Series are available in Judaica stores, and through www.teach613.org. He can be contacted at RMRhine@teach613.org 2014, Rabbi Mordechai Rhine and TEACH613TM
Rabbi Elyakim Rosenblatt Yeshiva Kesser Torah A Commentary Published by Yeshiva Kesser Torah of Queens Vayakhel - The Awesome Power Of Toiling In Torah "Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur of the tribe of Yehuda made all that Hashem had commanded Moshe.." (Shmos 38:22)" The Midrash Rabbah(Bereshis 1:14) comments that the above posuk does not state that Betzalel made the Mishkan in the manner that Moshe had commanded him; rather, the posuk states, "Betzalel made the Mishkan in the manner that Hashem commanded Moshe." This teaches us that even things that Betzalel did not hear from Moshe, his opinion turned out to be in accord with what was actually said to Moshe by Hashem on Har Sinai. This Midrash seems to be saying that when Moshe descended from Har Sinai and taught Betzalel the laws of building the Mishkan, he apparently omitted some of these laws in his teachings. Betzalel, attentively listening to his Rebbe, Moshe, expound upon the laws detailing how the Mishkan should be built, had difficulty understanding Moshe's teachings as enunciated. He perceived that Moshe must have omitted some of these laws. Betzalel's comprehension turned out to be exactly as Hashem had taught Moshe. The posuk, therefore does not state that Betzalel did all that Moshe had commanded him, for, in reality, he did beyond that. He made the Mishkan as Hashem Himself had commanded Moshe. Let us envision this scenario. Moshe Rabbeinu descends from Har Sinai after being taught by Hashem himself the laws pertaining to the construction of the Mishkan. Betzalel, the faithful disciple of Moshe Rabbeinu, entrusted with the holy task of building the Mishkan the sanctuary of Hashem, stands in awe, listening attentively and intently to every single word uttered by his revered Rebbe. Betzalel has questions on his Rebbe's teachings, and concludes that his Rebbe, Moshe, must surely have omitted some information from his teachings. This is mystifying. How could Betzalel possibly come to such an incredible conclusion that Moshe Rabbeinu, the great Rebbe of Klal Yisroel, omitted something from his teachings? Surely this awesome setting whereby Moshe Rabbeinu teaches Betzalel in the name of Hashem what he had just heard at ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 23
maamad har Sinai from Hashem Himself, should produce within Betzalels psyche an inner drive and impetus to want to readily accept wholeheartedly whatever Moshe Rabbeinu was saying. For example, if we study a difficult Rambam which seems to contradict a Gemorah, how much toil and effort do we exert to try to reconcile the Rambam with the Gemorah? Why do we do this? For we know that the holy Rambam certainly knew the Gemorah, and nevertheless, paskened something which seems to contradict the Gemorah. This confidence in the Rambams correctness gives us the impetus and drive to accept his words and to toil and reconcile them with the words of the Gemorah. If this is true with the Rambam, then surely it is true in the case of the great Rebbe of Klal Yisroel, Moshe Rabbeinu, who taught Betzalel in the name of Hashem the laws of the Mishkan, what he had just heard from Hashem Himself. Shouldn't Betzalel have within him the certitude and inner drive to readily accept every word emanating from Moshe Rabbeinu's holy mouth. Surely what Moshe Rabbeinu had taught was the halacha, and what he did not teach was not the halacha. How, in all logic, could Betzalel possibly conclude that his revered Rebbe omitted some information from his teachings? Furthermore, we find that, not only did Betzalel deduce that Moshe Rabbeinu omitted something from his teachings, but he detected something even more incredible. Rashi(1), in Parshas Pekudei, on our very Posuk, understands our Midrash to be saying that Betzalel concluded the exact opposite of what Moshe Rabbeinu had taught him. Moshe taught Betzalel to first make the vessels of the Mishkan and then build the Mishkan itself, while Betzalel understood that the Mishkan should be built before the vessels. This is mystifying. Surely Betzalel must have had a strong urge and inner desire to readily accept every holy word uttered by Moshe Rabbeinu in the name of Hashem as halacha psuka - the absolute truth. How could Betzalel possibly conclude that the truth was the opposite of what Moshe Rabbeinu had taught him? Perhaps the only manner in which we may fathom Betzalel's perception, detecting what Moshe omitted, and even concluding the truth to be the opposite of what Moshe had taught, is to assume that Betzalel was zoche to a special Ruach HaKodesh and syata diShmaya. This enabled him to perceive matters even beyond the teachings of his Rebbe, attaining knowledge directly from the Creator Himself. This, in truth, might be implied in our Rashi which states that Moshe remarked to Betzalel, "Betzel kel hayisa - in the shadow of G-D have you been." If this is true, however, than there is absolutely nothing that we can learn from this Shmuess to apply to ourselves, since we are not anywhere near the level of Betzalel, and we do not have Ruach HaKodesh. However, the Yefe Toar (a commentary on the Midrash Rabbah), has a rather novel approach to our Midrash, from which much can be learned and applied directly to our very own lives. He proves that the true meaning of our Midrash is that Betzalel achieved his incredible abilities not through Ruach HaKodesh, but rather through a natural process of reasoning, with iyun and yegiyah, toiling and exerting efforts in order to comprehend the depth of his Rebbe's teachings. Perhaps this interpretation too, may be implied in Moshe's words "Betzel kel hayisa" - exerting yourself and toiling in the study of Torah has elevated you and given you the insight and perception to be in total accord with the commandment of the Creator, as if you were actually there together with me, Moshe, in the shadow of G-D, both of us being taught by Hashem Himself. Thus, according to the Yefeh Toar, we see the awesome power that exists within ameylus baTorah - toiling in Torah. Betzalel, stood in awe, listening to the greatest Rebbe Klal Yisroel ever had, who taught him in the name of Hashem the laws of the construction of the Mishkan. These laws Moshe Rabainu had just heard from Hashem at Maamad Har Sinai; therefore he, Betzalel, should surely have the impetus and inner certitude within him to readily accept every word exactly as it was being taught. Surely within this setting there existed within Betzalel a great psychological barrier to thinking even one iota beyond his Rebbe's teachings. Nevertheless, through toiling to grasp and comprehend the truth of his Rebbe's teachings, he saw that difficulties and questions still remained. These questions brought about different and opposite conclusions, which, indeed, were the ultimate truth. Betzalel toiling in the holy words of his Rebbe's teachings, had the incredible power to pierce through this great psychological barrier and to elevate Himself beyond his Rebbe's teachings. Thus he was in total accord with what Hashem had commanded Moshe at maamad har Sinai. This was not through the medium of Ruach HaKodesh, but through the natural processes of reasoning, with Iyun and yegiah baTorah, toiling and exerting efforts to comprehend the depths of his Rebbe's teachings. May we realize the tremendous opportunities that are available to us through toiling and exerting all our efforts in comprehending the holy words of Hashem's Torah. Literally, the Heavens are open to us. We are able to rise above and beyond the teachings of our revered Rebbeim. We can attain the ultimate knowledge of maamad har Sinai itself. May we be zoche to dedicate and devote ourselves to the study of Hashem's holy Torah. May we delve into its secrets and its beauties. May we be zocheh to attain the highest and holiest of all levels - maamad har Sinai itself. Amen. 1. Rashi's source is the Gemorah Brachos 55a. These weekly Parsha sheets are based on Shmuessin delivered at Yeshiva Kesser Torah by HaRav ElyakimG. Rosenblatt, Shlita, Rosh HaYeshiva. This Shmuess is adapted from a Shmuess of Maran HaGaon HaRav Henach Leibowitz, ZTL. Yeshiva Kesser Torah, 72-11 Vleigh Place, Flushing, NY 11367. (718) 793-2890. YeshivaKesserTorah@gmail.com. For other Shiurimby Harav Rosenblatt Shlita, login to YeshivaKesserTorah.org For telephone shiurimcall Kol Halashon at 718- 395-2440. press 1 1 30 for Shiruimand 1 4 32 for Chassidic Gems
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Covenant & Conversation Vayakhel - Team-Building 22 February, 2014 / 22 Adar Rishon, 5774 How do you remotivate a demoralized people? How do you put the pieces of a broken nation back together again? That was the challenge faced by Moses in this weeks parsha. The key word here is vayakhel, Moses gathered. Kehillah means community. A kehillah or kahal is a group of people assembled for a given purpose. That purpose can be positive or negative, constructive or destructive. The same word that appears at the beginning of this weeks parsha as the beginning of the solution, appeared in last weeks parsha as the start of the problem: When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered [vayikahel] around Aaron and said, Make us a god to lead us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we dont know what has happened to him. The difference between the two kinds of kehillah is that one results in order, the other in chaos. Coming down the mountain to see the golden calf, we read that Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. The verb , like the similar , means loose, unbridled, unrestrained. There is an assembly that is disciplined, task-oriented and purposeful. And there is an assembly that is a mob. It has a will of its own. People in crowds lose their sense of self-restraint. They get carried along in a wave of emotion. Normal deliberative thought-processes become bypassed by the more primitive feelings or the group. There is, as neuroscientists put it, an amygdala hijack. Passions run wild. There have been famous studies of this: Charles Mackays Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (1841), Gustave Le Bons The Crowd: a study of the popular mind (1895), and Wilfred Trotters Instincts of the Herd in Peace and War (1914). One of the most haunting works on the subject is Jewish Nobel prize-winner Elias Canettis Crowds and Power (1960, English translation 1962). Vayakhel is Moses response(1) to the wild abandon of the crowd that gathered around Aaron and made the golden calf. He does something fascinating. He does not oppose the people, as he did initially when he saw the golden calf. Instead, he uses the same motivation that drove them in the first place. They wanted to create something that would be a sign that God was among them: not on the heights of a mountain but in the midst of the camp. He appeals to the same sense of generosity that made them offer up their gold ornaments. The difference is that they are now acting in accordance with Gods command, not their own spontaneous feelings. He asks the Israelites to make voluntary contributions to the construction of the Tabernacle, the Sanctuary, the Mikdash. They do so with such generosity that Moses has to order them to stop. If you want to bond human beings so that they act for the common good, get them to build something together. Get them to undertake a task that they can only achieve together, that none can do alone. The power of this principle was demonstrated in a famous social-scientific research exercise carried out in 1954 by Muzafer Sherif and others from the University of Oklahoma, known as the Robbers' Cave experiment. Sherif wanted to understand the dynamics of group conflict and prejudice. To do so, he and his fellow researchers selected a group of 22 white, eleven-year-old boys, none of whom had met one another before. They were taken to a remote summer camp in Robbers Cave State Park, Oklahoma. They were randomly allocated into two groups. Initially neither group knew of the existence of the other. They were staying in cabins far apart. The first week was dedicated to team-building. The boys hiked and swam together. Each group chose a name for itself they became The Eagles and the Rattlers. They stencilled the names on their shirts and flags. Then, for four days they were introduced to one another through a series of competitions. There were trophies, medals and prizes for the winners, and nothing for the losers. Almost immediately there was tension between them: name-calling, teasing, and derogatory songs. It got worse. Each 24 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
burned the others flag and raided their cabins. They objected to eating together with the others in the same dining hall. Stage 3 was called the integration phase. Meetings were arranged. The two groups watched films together. They lit Fourth-of-July firecrackers together. The hope was that these face-to-face encounters would lessen tensions and lead to reconciliation. They didnt. Several broke up with the children throwing food at one another. In stage 4, the researchers arranged situations in which a problem arose that threatened both groups simultaneously. The first was a blockage in the supply of drinking water to the camp. The two groups identified the problem separately and gathered at the point where the blockage had occurred. They worked together to remove it, and celebrated together when they succeeded. In another, both groups voted to watch some films. The researchers explained that the films would cost money to hire, and there was not enough in camp funds to do so. Both groups agreed to contribute an equal share to the cost. In a third, the coach on which they were travelling stalled, and the boys had to work together to push it. By the time the trials were over, the boys had stopped having negative images of the other side. On the final bus ride home, the members of one team used their prize money to buy drinks for everyone. Similar outcomes have emerged from other studies. The conclusion is revolutionary. You can turn even hostile factions into a single cohesive group so long as they are faced with a shared challenge that all can achieve together but none can do alone. Rabbi Norman Lamm, former President of Yeshiva University, once remarked that he knew of only one joke in the Mishnah, the statement that Scholars increase peace in the world (Berakhot 64a). Rabbis are known for their disagreements. How then can they be said to increase peace in the world? I suggest that the passage is not a joke but a precisely calibrated truth. To understand it we must read the continuation: Scholars increase peace in the world as it is said, All your children shall be learned of the Lord and great will be the peace of your children (Isaiah 54: 13). Read not your children but your builders. When scholars become builders they create peace. If you seek to create a community out of strongly individualistic people, you have to turn them into builders. That is what Moses did in Vayakhel. Team-building, even after a disaster like the golden calf, is neither a mystery nor a miracle. It is done by setting the group a task, one that speaks to their passions and one no subsection of the group can achieve alone. It must be constructive. Every member of the group must be able to make a unique contribution and then feel that it has been valued. Each must be able to say, with pride: I helped make this. That is what Moses understood and did. He knew that if you want to build a team, create a team that builds. 1. I mean this only figuratively. The building of the Tabernacle was, of course, Gods command, not Moses. The fact that it is set out as Divine command before the story of the Golden Calf (in parshat Terumah) is intended to illustrate the principle that God creates the cure before the disease (Megillah 13b). About Rabbi Sacks: Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks is a global religious leader, philosopher, the author of more than 25 books, and moral voice for our time. Until 1st September 2013 he served as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, having held the position for 22 years. Copyright 2013 The Office of Rabbi Sacks, All rights reserved. The Office of Rabbi Sacks is supported by The Covenant & Conversation Trust The Office of Rabbi Sacks PO Box 72007 London, NW6 6RW United Kingdom
Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum Peninim on the Torah Parshas Vayakhel Moshe assembled the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael This is the word that Hashem has commanded. (35:1,4) Our parsha receives its name from the Hakhel, assembly of the people, so that they could receive their instructions concerning the building of the Mishkan. This gathering together of all the people was an essential prerequisite for the construction of the Mishkan. Why is this? To understand the significance of this gathering, it is important that we understand the power of "one." In order to do so, we should examine how breaking a large singular item into many parts reduces its potency. Horav Mordechai Miller, zl, cites a powerful analogy from the Yalkut Shimoni on Sefer Tehillim. A king was angered by his son. In a moment of rage, the king declared that he would throw a large boulder which was in front of him - at his son. A few moments later, the king realized what he had said. What could he do? If he were to throw the boulder at his son, it would kill him. If he did not keep his word, his inaction would impugn the integrity of his word. The king was literally between a "boulder" and a hard place. Then an idea dawned on him. He smashed the boulder into little pebbles and pelted his son with them - one by one. Thus, the king kept his word, but his son was not harmed. Likewise, Hashem does not inflict us with the full force of the punishment and strict justice which we deserve. He waits, meting out retribution in small doses, so that He does not destroy us. Perhaps the next time we feel that we are getting it from "all sides" or "one after another," we should realize that we are being struck by the "pebbles." The alternative would be devastating. From the above analogy, we may derive a general principle: Breaking a large item into many parts has the effect of reducing its potency. Splintering a huge boulder into thousands of pebbles dramatically compromises its potential power. Likewise, the impact of Hashem's justice is minimized when it is fractured into many pieces. The flipside is the power of a united entity whose degree of strength is incomparable with the sum of its many parts. They may both contain the same weight, but only the one which is cohesive, united, not fractured, is truly strong. To become close to Hashem; to establish an attachment to Him, one must develop a similarity to Him. Otherwise, it is impossible for a human being to cleave to Him. Ma Hu af atah, "What He does, so should you." The obligation to emulate Him is incumbent upon us. As G-d is One - so, too, must we be one. With this principle in mind, Rav Miller explains why an assembly of people was a vital prerequisite for constructing the Mishkan. The Mishkan was a place where the Shechinah, Divine Presence, could repose. The word, Shechinah, is related to the word, shachen, neighbor, which clearly indicates the nature of the Mishkan. It was a place where the immediacy of Hashem was readily apparent. It was the venue in which the intimacy between Hashem and Klal Yisrael was achieved. Closeness with Hashem, however, can only mean being similar to Him. This can only be effected by total solidarity within the Jewish People. As He is one, so, too, is the demand for unity among Jews - without compromise. It is a demand for the ultimate harmony which once existed, as every Jew was connected to one another as part of the conglomerate of all men within the body of Adam HaRishon, Primordial Man. Whereas we are physically separated, our souls are inextricably bound together. In his Michtav Mei'Eliyahu, Horav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, zl, writes that, prior to Adam's sin, all souls were centralized within him. The entire mankind was concentrated in one man. Had Adam and Chavah not sinned, they alone would have achieved the purpose of Creation. Everything could have been accomplished by Adam and Chavah in only one day, through one act of free choice. Sadly, after the sin, the world was shattered into multiple shards. Instead of six days, it would now take six millennia and millions of people to fulfill the mission that could have been completed in one day. When all is concentrated together in one concerted effort, the power is awesome. Rav Dessler takes this idea further, citing Horav Moshe Cordovero, zl, who explains why Yom Kippur is not mechaper, does not atone, for sins committed between man and his fellowman. On Yom Kippur we penetrate to the pure origins of each person's soul. If antagonism exists between two people, these people are separate, creating a rift with the Source. In order to facilitate the reception of the Divinely bestowed Heavenly Light, it is crucial that complete unity between people be established. We see from the above that the unanimity connected with the Mishkan must be manifest in the manner of its construction. If there were to be a lack of harmony associated with the construction of the Mishkan, it would be considered a work of diversity and difference. Therefore, the Shechinah could not repose in this edifice, because it would lack the necessary closeness with One G-d. Unity in all areas was the prerequisite needed to achieve closeness with One G-d. The Hakhel experience was needed to catalyze strengths that otherwise would have been impossible to achieve. Everyone's work melded closely together, as if only one person had built the Mishkan. In closing, Rav Miller observes that an application of this idea is particularly relevant to those who are members of Torah institutions and organizations. If a multitude of people coalesce, all sharing similar goals and objectives, this group will be able to attain overwhelming results. By soldering diverse wills and strengths into a commonly accepted identity, all devoted to Hashem, the united entity can have an awesome affect. K'ish echad b'lev echad, "As one man, with one heart." Each individual discovers hidden strengths and abilities, which he would never otherwise have deemed possible. ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 25
On six days, work may be done, but the seventh day shall be holy for you whoever does work on it shall be put to death. (35:2) In the previous parshah (Ki Sisa), the Torah addressed the mitzvah of Shabbos observance, detailing the punishment for its desecration. Why does the Torah reiterate it yet again in this parshah (Vayakhel)? Furthermore, if the primary point is to prevent us from working on the seventh day, why does the Torah preface it by saying, "Six days you shall work"? Why not get to the point? Horav Tzvi Pesach Frank, zl, quotes his brother-in-law, Horav Aryeh Levine, zl, who heard the following explanation from a well-known gaon, Torah scholar. At the beginning of Meseches Pesachim, Tosfos explains why the Torah is more stringent with regard to the prohibition of chametz on Pesach than with other prohibitions which are assur b'hanaah, forbidden to have pleasure from them. Chametz must be destroyed prior to Pesach. One may not keep chametz in his possession. This is unlike other issurim, prohibitions, in which the object of the issur does not have to be destroyed. Tosfos explains that other prohibitions are perpetually forbidden. Chametz, however, is permitted throughout the rest of the year. Its prohibition is in effect for only the eight/seven days of Pesach. Man is used to refraining from other prohibitions. Thus, the Torah prefaces the prohibition of Shabbos with the fact that we are accustomed to working six days a week. This might cause us to forget that Shabbos is different. The Torah adds the reasons for this stringency. In order to keep us aware of the prohibitions of Shabbos; and explain why the Torah repeats the prohibition. The commentators wonder why the Torah precedes the commandment concerning the Mishkan's construction with the mitzvah of Shabbos. Indeed, in Parashios Terumah, Tetzaveh and Ki Sisa, the instructions regarding the Mishkan precede that of Shabbos. Veritably, why does the Torah repeat the prohibition against work on Shabbos? In his Devash L'Fi, the Chida offers an insightful explanation which goes to the very core of sinful behavior and grants us a perspective for understanding the mindset of the sinner. The Talmud Shabbos 118b states, "One who observes Shabbos according to halachah (properly) - even if he had worshipped idols as was done during the generation of Enosh - Hashem will forgive his past sins." This is the power associated with shemiras Shabbos. The Bais Yosef explains why Shabbos has such an immense power to catalyze atonement for the sin of idol worship, which is ostensibly an unpardonable infraction. Shabbos is equal to all of the mitzvos in that its observance demonstrates one's belief in Hashem as the Creator of the world and its Supreme Guide. A Shabbos-observant Jew demonstrates that he believes Hashem to be the G-d of Creation, as well as the G-d of History. He believes that Hashem is the Divine Author of the Torah. If so, how could he worship an idol, which is inconsistent with his belief? Obviously, he does not really believe in the idol or in what he is doing. It might be peer pressure, acting under the influence of a depraved environment, but he is not acting with malice or with a rejection of the Divine. Therefore, there is room for forgiveness. He has not completely severed his ties to Hashem. The Chida suggests that this is why Parashas Ki Sisa precedes the sin of the Golden Calf. We are being taught that, even if one were to sin with the eigel ha'zahav, Golden Calf, through the medium of Shabbos he may seek atonement for his sin. Indeed, this was the sin of the generation of Enosh. They thought that, since G-d created the constellations that were so powerful, they, too, should be revered and accorded a certain degree of divinity. They did not mean to deny Hashem as G-d, but only to add honor to His close adjutants. This was the error of their misguided belief. Such erroneous belief can achieve atonement through shemiras Shabbos. K'motzei Shalal Rav cites the Tzitz Eliezer, where its author, Horav Eliezer Yehudah Valdenberg, zl, employs this logic to explain a question raised by the Mechilta in Parashas Ki Sisa, and also discussed in the Talmud Yoma 85a. The Taanaim ask: From where do we derive the halachah that pikuach nefesh, saving a life, is docheh, supersedes, the prohibition of Shabbos. Various responses are given. Ostensibly, this is not a question that is applicable specifically to Shabbos. Indeed, every mitzvah in the Torah - barring the three capitol sins of idol worship, murder and adultery - is vitiated by pikuach nefesh. Why would we require a specific pasuk for Shabbos, more so than any other mitzvah in the Torah? Rav Valdenberg explains that one who desecrates Shabbos is tantamount to one who worships an idol. Therefore, had we not had a special medium for deriving that pikuach nefesh is docheh Shabbos, we might conjecture that, indeed, it does not. Shabbos is like idol worship, which is not overridden by the requirement to save a life. Just like one must give up his life rather than worship an idol, so, too, should he die rather than desecrate Shabbos. This is why we need a special proof to circumvent this notion. Incidentally, we derive two important lessons herein. First, the value of Jewish life takes precedence over all the mitzvos. Shabbos is equal to all the mitzvos, and we move it aside when human life is in danger. There is nothing as important as the life of a Jew. Second, we see that sin has its degrees. There are sinners who sin because they are influenced by others - not because they believe in what they are doing. They do not choose maliciously to rebel against Hashem. They are weak! Sadly, there are those who have strayed far beyond this degree and those who maliciously or foolishly believe that what they are doing is correct and proper. We can only pray that one day they will realize the error of their false beliefs and acknowledge the truth. As noted, the power of Shabbos is incredible. It is unlike any other mitzvah. Shabbos is much more than the negation from work, it is a holy experience. It is an opportunity to spend a day immersed in the Divine. Horav Matisyahu Solomon, Shlita, posits that the observance of Shabbos has a special healing power, through which one cleanses his psyche from any impious, revisionist thoughts. Questions which often undermine one's conviction and ultimate commitment are ameliorated through sincere Shabbos observance. People often err in defining Judaism as the religion of "no," thus engendering a sense of negativity regarding Jewish belief and observance. It cannot be further from the truth. One only has to experience the beauty of a Shabbos, sense the calm and feel the spiritual emotion generated by the day of rest. Regrettably, when Shabbos is painted as a day of negativity, when one may not do "this and that," the beauty is somehow lost. The Brisker Rav, zl, took every mitzvah very seriously. Torah was his life. Shabbos, however, generated within him a sense of fear like no other. The mere thought that he might in some way skirt the transgression of Shabbos terrified him more than anything else. At the beginning of World War II, the Brisker Rav had to travel from Moscow to Odessa, the departing point for ships traveling to Eretz Yisrael. It was a two- day trip, with the next train scheduled to depart on Wednesday. This would hopefully allow him to arrive in enough time before Shabbos. The Russian train system was not known for its punctuality, and this terrified the Rav. What if the train was late and arrived on Shabbos? They would be compelled to disembark on Shabbos, thereby desecrating the holy day. The Rav deliberated about what he should do. It was a matter of life and death if he were to remain in war-torn Europe. On the other hand, Shabbos was something he could not ignore. In the end, with much trepidation, the Brisker Rav together with the Mirrer Rosh Yeshivah, Horav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel, zl, set out together on the train. The train had traveled only a few hours, when the Rav looked at his watch and noted that they were already quite behind schedule. If the train continued at this pace, they would arrive on Shabbos. The mere thought of such a possibility caused the Rav great anxiety. He tensed up and could think about nothing else. Those who had traveled with him on that train remarked later on that mere words could not describe the dread that enveloped him concerning the possibility of chillul Shabbos. The train continued to fall farther and farther behind schedule. It soon became apparent that there was no way it would reach Odessa before Shabbos. Suddenly, the train began to pick up steam and gained momentum, roaring down the tracks at a speed unheard of in Russia. The train pulled into the station a full half-hour before Shabbos. The Mirrer Rosh Yeshivah commented that the Brisker Rav had catalyzed a miracle of kefitzas ha'derech, shortening the road. His unabiding love for Shabbos, his overwhelming fear and anguish concerning the possibility of being mechallel, desecrating, Shabbos, interceded with Heaven to cause this miracle to occur. As they disembarked the train, those accompanying him suggested they take a taxi to the village of their destination. The Brisker Rav demurred, saying, "One miracle is enough." They had no choice but walk forty-five minutes in the accompaniment of a gentile who carried their luggage. That Motzoei Shabbos they boarded the ship which took them to Eretz Yisrael. And the ability to instruct he installed in his heart, he and Ahaliav ben Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan. (35:34) Rashi notes that Ahaliav ben Achisamach was min ha'yerudin she'b'shevatim, one of the lowliest of the tribes, "Yet Hashem equates him to Betzalel regarding the works of the Mishkan, and Betzalel was from Shevet Yehudah, which was from the greatest of tribes." The lesson to be derived is quite simple: when it comes to building the Bais Hamikdash, all Jews are equal. Yichus, lineage, regardless of its illustrious origins, does not play a role in granting a person a position of distinction. Horav Gamliel Rabinowitz, Shlita, explains that all of the various masks that exist in the world, masks that often conceal one's true essence, even the mask associated with yichus d'kedushah, holy and illustrious linage, 26 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
only reach up to the actual point of kedushah. The source of holiness, the point from which holiness emanates, nullifies and reveals that which is under the masks. There only one entity exists: Hashem; and, before Hashem, we are all equal. Thus, when one came close to the makom haMikdash, the place of kedushah, the Bais Hamikdash, the individual must achieve total self-abnegation, as if he is absolutely nothing. In the presence of the Almighty, masks have no place. The masks are for us - simple people who often act clueless with regard to the emes, truth, of our existence. In other words, when we confront the reality of Hashem, we must "get real" and put an end to the sham that often, by our choice, controls our lives. Rav Rabinowitz cites from the Siddur Rav Yaakov Emdin, in the Seder Erev Pesach, who quotes from the Sefer Shevet Yehudah, testimony from a Roman officer who witnessed Yerushalayim in its beauty, when the Bais Hamikdash stood and the avodah, service, was an ongoing reality. In describing the service of the slaughter of the Korban Pesach, he says, "By decree of the Jewish people, when they would go out to prepare this service, no man would come close, or push forward (each person in his place), regardless of the individual's stature, even if (it meant that) Shlomo Hamelech or David Hamelech was relegated to stand in the back of the line. I asked the Kohanim, Priests, "Is this appropriate? (That those who descended from distinguished lineage or who were prominent personages should have to wait behind those whose pedigree was not of their exalted caliber?)." They replied, "There is no grandeur before Hashem. At this point of the service, when we all stand before the Almighty, all Jews are equal." Rav Gamliel underscores this thought. While it is true that distinction is made in deference to a person's age and scholarship, this is only for the purpose of external kavod, honor. After all is said and done, however, we must realize that when it comes to Hashem we are all equal - regardless of the individual's pedigree and self-generated honorariums. Jewish literature is replete with the notion that all Jews-- regardless of pedigree, financial status, scholarship and acumen-- are equal before Hashem. Regrettably, this idea has a tendency to slip our mind. While it is, of course, understandable, it does not have to be so glaringly obvious. Adults are used to it; children, however, have greater difficulty in processing the irreverence. Many of us have paid our dues and raised children of whom we are very proud. This does not, however, grant us license to blast in in everyone's face - especially those who have recently become Torah-observant, and whose children have not bought into the package. They, too, would like to brag about something, but, sadly, it is too late for their children. I recently was reviewing Gemorah with my grandson over the phone. I was sitting in the corner of the shul prior to a shiur. A young man who is a wonderful ben Torah, having studied for years after becoming frum, said to me, "I guess my children will never know what it means to learn with their zayde." I replied, "Neither did I, nor did most of my generation. Hitler, yemach shemo, saw to that." I am not sure if this ameliorated his problem, but it was a rejoinder that conveyed a simple message: we are all equal; we all have our issues with which to contend. In relating to the child who was less fortunate than his peers, Horav Aryeh Levine, zl, made his special mark. The Tzaddik of Yerushalayim was known for his empathy to all Jews, of all backgrounds and religious beliefs. It was in his role as Menahel of Yeshivas Eitz Chaim that his care for the young child who was less fortunate was manifest. There was an old established custom at the school that whenever a student reached bar- mitzvah age, his classmates would all share in purchasing a sefer for him. Each boy gave his portion, after which the sefer was given to Rav Aryeh for his personal words of inscription in it, and then given to the bar- mitzvah boy. Without Rav Aryeh's good wishes, the gift was hollow and empty. One boy was poorer than the others. His parents lived in abject poverty. As such, there was no way that they could contribute to the gifts that the students gave one another. Sadly, children do not understand what parents go through - especially when it is someone else's parents. Therefore, when this boy's bar-mitzvah approached, no one in the class wanted to contribute for his bar-mitzvah sefer. They felt that he deserved to receive exactly what he had given: nothing. Rav Aryeh asked the rebbe of the class why no one had brought him a sefer to inscribe for this boy. The rebbe had no alternative but to tell him the truth: no one wanted to give him anything. Rav Aryeh asked the rebbe, "Please go to my house and ask my wife to give you the Chumashim that are on top of the bookcase." The rebbe quickly went to Rav Aryeh's house and brought the sefarim. Rav Aryeh took one look and emitted a small groan, "I did not mean these Chumashim. I meant the new ones which were given to my son as a present. He never used them, and now that he is grown up and out of the house, he will never really need them. Please bring those. I do not want to give this child a used set of Chumashim." The rebbe returned, and Rav Aryeh wrote a beautiful inscription. "Who knows," he said, "what kind of anguish the boy would have experienced if he saw his classmates coming empty handed to his bar-mitzvah. He would have been devastated! This is murder. Is it his fault that his parents are poor and, as a result, he cannot share in buying presents for the other boys? If there is any way to save a child from disaster, we must do everything that we can!" He concluded his dedication in the name of all of the students in the class. Va'ani Tefillah l'ahavah es Hashem Elokeichem u'lavdo b'chol levavchem u'b'chol nafshichem. To love Hashem, your G-d, and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul. Horav Isser Zalmen Meltzer, zl, published his fourth volume of Even HaEzel during World War II. He lived in Eretz Yisrael, but, nonetheless, he acutely felt the pain and anguish suffered by his European brothers and sisters. In his preface, he attempts to offer divrei tanchumin, words of consolation, concerning the sea of Jewish blood that was spilled in Europe. Among the many observations, he writes: "The chevlei Moshiach, birth pangs of Moshiach, are incredibly painful. (This is a reference to the Holocaust, which is viewed as one of the strong pains that accompany the advent of Moshiach tzidkeinu.) Our sages foreshadowed these terrible pains as we near the End of Days. It reached the point where they exclaimed, Yeisi v'lo achminei, "May he (Moshiach) come, may I not see him" (Sanhedrin 98b). (He would rather witness this than endure the suffering that will accompany it.) However, if we accept these periods of extreme adversity with love (understanding that it is our Heavenly Father Who is meting out this judgment for a purpose), then they are much more endurable. Indeed, this is what is meant by the words, "to love Hashem with all your heart and all your soul." Regarding the command of b'chol nafshecha (written in the singular, since it is addressing the individual), our sages teach, "Even if He takes your soul/life," one must continue his love for Hashem - surely this applies when it is b'chol nafshechem (written in the plural, addressing the collective community). We must accept His decree with love. Those who feel this sense of love are among the holiest of souls, who have great pleasure in having had the merit to give up their moral lives to sanctify Hashem's Name. To encapsulate what Rav Isser Zalmen writes: The Jew who has unabiding love for Hashem understands that, at times, this love means giving up his life for the Almighty. This does not cause him distress; rather, it is a source of great pleasure to merit the worthiness of performing such a service for Hashem. Dedicated l'zechar nishmas R' Moshe Yehuda Leib ben R' Asher Alter Chaim z"l t.n.tz.v.h. Peninim on the Torah is in its 20th year of publication. The first fifteen years have been published in book form. The Fifteenth volume is available at your local book seller or directly from Rabbi Scheinbaum. He can be contacted at 216-321-5838 ext. 165 or by fax at 216-321-0588 Discounts are available for bulk orders or Chinuch/Kiruv organizations. This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il http://www.shemayisrael.co.il Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344
Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair Ohr Somayach Torah Weekly Overview Moshe Rabbeinu exhorts Bnei Yisrael to keep Shabbat, and requests donations for the materials for making the Mishkan. He collects gold, silver, precious stones, skins and yarn, as well as incense and olive oil for themenorah and for anointing. The princes of each tribe bring the precious stones for the Kohen Gadol's breastplate and ephod. G-d appoints Bezalel and Oholiav as the master craftsmen. Bnei Yisrael contribute so much that Moshe begins to refuse donations. Special curtains with two different covers were designed for the Mishkan's roof and door. Gold-covered boards in silver bases were connected, forming the Mishkan's walls. Bezalel made the Holy Ark (which contained the Tablets) from wood covered with gold. On the Ark's cover were two figures facing each other. The menorah and the table with the showbreads were also of gold. Two altars were made:a small incense altar of wood overlaid with gold, and a larger altar for sacrifices made of wood covered with copper. Insights A "Betzalel Production" It always amazes me how many people it takes to make a movie. The end credits of a major production read like the telephone directory of a small town with hundreds of people all involved in bringing us a couple of hours of fantasy. And yet at the beginning of the film there is always one name by itself. "A Francis Ford Copolla Film" or "A "Martin Scorsese Film" or "A Steven Spielberg Production." In spite of the myriad of workers on a ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 27
film, the film is still called after its director, for it is his vision that makes the film. Everything in this world is a marriage of form and matter. Take a spoon for example. The matter of the spoon is the metal. Its form is its shape. The form of something always reveals its purpose. The form of a spoon is that it has a handle at one end to grasp it and a receptacle at the other to contain soup, sugar and the like. The form of something always reveals its purpose, and the purpose of something ultimately reveals its spiritual dimension. Even a spoon has a spiritual side! Everything in this world reveals a marriage of the physical and the spiritual, of matter and shape, of potential and purpose. Just as the lowest physical object unifies these two entities, so too do the highest of physical existences. The Mishkan, the Tabernacle, was one of the most spiritual physical objects that existed. It was the house in which the Shechina, the Divine Presence, would dwell. The Mishkan was constructed by many people. Moshe called upon every G-d-fearing man and woman to assist by spinning and weaving tapestries and constructing the components of the walls of the Mishkan with their own hands. The special skill of the women was spinning goat hair for the tapestries. The hair was both fine and stiff which made it difficult to work with. G-d gave all those who worked on the Mishkan a measure of special know-how. This supernal wisdom was not limited only to humans. Even the animals that transported the beams of the Mishkan knew which route to take and did not require guidance. The two people in charge of building the Mishkan were Betzalel and Oholiav. G-d gave them a special degree of insight to help them fulfill their task of fashioning the vessels of the Mishkan and to form even the most delicate of patterns, all of which were necessary for the vessels to perform their allotted spiritual functions. However, in the Torah the only one who seems to receive credit for the building of the Mishkan is Betzalel. The verses in the Torah repeat over and over "and he made it." The reason is that Betzalel not only exerted himself in the physical construction of the Mishkan, but he labored more than anyone else to understand the spiritual depths in each of the mystical vessels of the Mishkan. Because of this effort G-d rewarded him with the highest level of spiritual insight into the Mishkan and its implements. Betzalel endowed the vessels of the Mishkan with lofty and holy thoughts. He was the spiritual maker of all that it contained and thus the Torah attributes the construction to Betzalel alone. It was a "Betzalel Production." 1995-2014 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. Articles may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue or school newsletters. Hardcopy or electronic. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission in advance at ohr@ohr.edu and credit for the source as Ohr Somayach Institutions www.ohr.edu
Rabbi Ben Zion Sobel Torah MiTzion Vayakhel The erection of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the desert was an event of such major importance that the entire episode is repeated in detail in this week's parshios together with an accounting of the distribution of the contributions of the Israelites towards its construction. One of the utensils of the Mishkan was the ki'or, the washing basin, from which the kohanim were required to wash their hands before performing any service there. The Torah says (Shemos 38:8), "And he made the basin of bronze, and its pedestal of bronze, from the mirrors of the women assembling, who assembled at the door of the Tent of Meeting." Rashi brings an explanation from the Midrash (Tanchuma, Pikudei 9, with some variations) why the bronze for this utensil was taken specifically from the women's mirrors: The women of Israel possessed mirrors of copper into which they used to look when they adorned themselves. Even these they did not hesitate to bring as a contribution towards the Tabernacle. Now Moses was about to reject them since they were made to pander to their vanity, but the Holy One, Blessed Be He, said to him, "Accept them; these are dearer to Me than all the other contributions, because through them the women reared those huge hosts in Egypt." For when their husbands were tired through the crushing labor they used to bring them food and drink and induced them to eat. Then they would take the mirrors, and each gazed at herself in her mirror together with her husband, saying endearingly to him, "See, I am handsomer than you." Thus they awakened their husbands' affection and subsequently became the mothers of many children, as it is said, (Shir Hashirim 8:5) "I awakened your love under the apple tree." This is what it refers to when it states, Mar'os Hatzov'os, "the mirrors of the women who reared the hosts" [this is a slightly different interpretation from the one in the actual text of the passage itself: "the mirrors of the women assembling"]. And it was for this reason that the washing basin was made of them because it served the purpose of promoting peace between man and wife by giving of its waters to be drunk by a woman whose husband had shown himself jealous of her and who nevertheless had not associated with another (Bemidbar 5) thus affording her an opportunity to prove her innocence (Sotah 15b). It seems a bit difficult to comprehend that the crushing labor caused all of the Jewish men to be too exhausted every night to be with their wives and have children. Slaves bore children all through the generations, no matter how hard they worked all day. I think that there is a much deeper meaning here. We find another interesting story in the Talmud (Sotah 12a), brought in Rashi (Shemos 2:1). Amram (father of Moshe) was the leader of the generation. Once Par'o the wicked decreed, "All newborn sons shall be cast into the River" (Shemos 1:22), he said, "Our toil (to have and raise children) is in vain." Therefore, he arose and divorced his wife. Then all of the husbands arose and divorced their wives. His daughter (Miriam) said to him, "Father, your decree is worse than Par'o's. For Par'o's decree is only upon males, while yours is on males and females; Par'o's decree is only (to destroy them) in this world, while yours is in this world and the world-to-come; Par'o's decree may or may not be heeded, but yours surely will be since you are a tzaddik whose decrees are upheld." He then arose and returned his wife. Then all of the other husbands arose and returned their wives. We see here that Amram, the leader of the Children of Israel, and all of his followers, felt that the situation was hopeless and there was no sense in bringing children into a world of misery to grow up in a holocaust. But little Miriam was able to see past the darkness, and focused on the light at the other end of the tunnel. She concentrated on the Redemption, which would be coming after the Bondage and didn't want to prevent all of the unborn Jewish children from partaking in it. I think that perhaps the above Midrash deals with the same debate. The problem was not that the men in Israel were physically exhausted, but rather that they were emotionally drained. They had given up hope and could see no purpose in bringing new children into the world to share in their misery. So they refused to be with their wives. But the women were more optimistic and were already preparing musical instruments to play when they would be redeemed from Slavery (Pirkei D'Rabi Eliezer 41, brought in Rashi, Shemos 15:20). They, therefore, cajoled their husbands to be together with them and bring forth children who would share in their Liberation and receive Hashem's Torah on the Mountain of Sinai. What is striking in both of these stories of Chazal is the fact that it was specifically women who did not lose hope and looked past the darkness of the present to the light of the future. Why was this so? The Sages taught us (Niddah, 45b), "Women possess an extra measure of Understanding than men do." It is, perhaps, this "extra measure of Understanding" which helped the women of Egypt realize that the situation they found themselves in was far from hopeless. They saw the underlying truth and were not fooled by outward appearances. They saw a future for their People, the slaves, and wanted their children to be a part of it. And they were rewarded with a special part in the Mishkan. No kohen, not even the Kohen Gadol (the Chief Priest) could perform any service in the mishkan without first washing his hands from the ki'or which was made from the mirrors of the women of Egypt. (Although Rashi stresses the fact that the ki'or was used to make peace between man and his wife, the Midrash Tanchuma, which is Rashi's source, stresses that the kohanim had to purify themselves first in its waters.) Many men can testify that their wives possess a special "inner understanding" which was a source of encouragement for them when they were very depressed due a situation they viewed as hopeless. Their wives were the ones who came to the rescue and gave them the strength to go on until salvation finally came. But one has to be smart enough to let his wife help him. I know a young man who proudly introduces his wife as his mashgiach" (spiritual supervisor). "She sees to it that I get up in time to pray with a minyan," he often says, "and that I go to learn and teach Torah on time and, in general, behave like a real Jew should." But I know another fellow who always complains about his wife and often makes comments like, "Who does she think she is, my mashgiach or something?" We all know that, "You can lead a horse to the water but you can't make him drink." Hashem provides people with blessings but it's their free choice to decide if they want to benefit from them or not. 28 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
Let's try to appreciate all of Hashem's gifts and thank Him for them always. And let's not forget to thank our wives, themselves, for all of their help and encouragement, especially at times when we needed it most, in order to continue in our efforts to succeed. May Hashem bless them always and fulfill all of their hearts' desires for good, Amen. Shema Yisrael Torah Network info@shemayisrael.com http://www.shemayisrael.com Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344
Rabbi Doniel Staum Stam Torah Parshas Vayakhel 5774 - Forget Me Not Shortly before our wedding in February 2002 (Adar 5762), I was speaking with Rabbi Dovid Katzenstein shlita, the (then) Menahel (Dean) of my yeshiva, Yeshiva Shaarei Torah in Monsey, at his home. We were discussing different aspects of marriage and he was offering some valuable advice. The last idea that he mentioned was perhaps the most important advice about marriage that I have ever heard. He related that several years earlier he was involved with a couple who were having some serious familial issues. The situation was deteriorating rapidly and they were in desperate need of guidance. They were hoping Rabbi Katzenstein could help them salvage their marriage. Rabbi Katzenstein met with each spouse individually to ensure that they would be able to express their feelings uninhibitedly. One of the points the wife raised was that she was very hurt that her husband never bought her any presents. When Rabbi Katzenstein recounted her complaint to the husband, he was quick to deny the allegation. How can she say I never buy her anything? I always buy her a birthday present, a Chanukah present, and an anniversary present!? Rabbi Katzenstein explained that he was missing the point. Of course it is nice (and necessary) to buy a gift for your wife on all of those occasions. However, those are not the gifts she is referring to. She is complaining about the lack of spontaneity; gifts out of the clear blue. If your wife likes red jelly beans, then on a Tuesday afternoon in November bring home a bag of red jelly beans for her. If she likes vanilla milkshakes, surprise her with a milkshake on a hot afternoon in July. Its not the present that really counts. Its the message that it sends; I was thinking about you today. Your wife wants to know that you think about her even when shes not with you. You have to go the extra mile to demonstrate your desire to invest in the marriage in order to show her that she is paramount in your mind. When Moshe addressed Klal Yisroel to relate G-ds precise instructions about the construct of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and to appeal from them all of the necessary materials for the construction, they were unexpectedly forthcoming. The materials were quickly donated with great exuberance and philanthropy. Every man whose heart inspired him came; and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of G-d for the work of the tent of Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred vestments.(1) The response was so positive that Moshe was compelled to stop the campaign. Moshe commanded that they proclaim throughout the camp, saying, Man and woman shall not do more work toward the gift of the sanctuary! the work had been enough and there was extra.(2) Their remarkable response demonstrated a genuine desire to rectify the spiritual damage they had wrought in committing the egregious sin of the golden calf. However, there was one elite group who did not respond with the alacrity and zeal of the rest of the nation. The verse notes that, The leaders () brought the Shoham stones and the stones for the setting for the Ephod and the Breastplate.(3) Rashi cites R Nassan(4) who notes the word - nesiim leaders, is spelled without the two letter yuds that it normally has. The deficiency in the spelling of their title alludes to the deficiency in their donations to the Mishkan campaign. They assumed that the general contributions would be insufficient for the construction. Therefore, they magnanimously offered to shoulder the burden of providing everything that would not be donated by the masses. However, when the campaign was over there was virtually nothing left for the leaders to donate, except for the stones for the Ephod and Breastplate. Although the intent of the leaders was noble, their initial passiveness was viewed as an inappropriate display of languidness. The commentators question the Torahs criticalness of the leaders response. In a sense, it seems like the end vilifies the means. Had the people indeed been indolent in their response as was expected and the leaders would have donated everything that was still needed, one would imagine that the leaders would have been lauded for their generosity. Should they then be criticized because they did not fathom the nations eager response and therefore had almost nothing left to give? The situation seems analogous to a wealthy close friend who promises a newly married couple that - as a wedding gift - he would give them everything they didnt receive from anyone else. Thus, instead of receiving another mixer, set of salad bowls, or a silver mezuzah case, the couple knows that they can count on that friend to get all the things they really want. Although that gift may lack surprise and novelty, it will surely be welcomed by the young couple. Why then was the offer of the leaders viewed with such contempt? The truth is that in order to understand the Torahs criticalness toward their donation we must reexamine the analogy. What if it wasnt a friend who was making this offer to a young couple but it was a groom making such an offer to his new bride? Just prior to the wedding he explains to her that he did not buy her a new piece of jewelry to give her on their wedding day because he knows that she will be receiving a great deal of jewelry as presents. However, he assures her that after all the wedding gifts have been opened, he would buy her whatever jewelry she wanted.(5) One can imagine the contemptuous disdain that the bride would feel toward her groom. Although the groom may have meant well, he fails to realize that its not merely the beauty or value of the gift that matters. There is incredible sentimental value that a gift given on ones wedding day possesses. The gift forever symbolizes the joy and love they feel for each other on that day and, therefore, the loss of such a gift is simply irreplaceable. On their lofty spiritual level, the Princes were remiss in this regard. Had they felt the proper level of devotion and excitement to construct the House of G-d, they would have jumped to contribute without reserve. The House of G-d does not require physical material as much as it requires passion and the desire to be close to G-d and to perform His Service. The emotional excitement (or lack thereof) was more important than the amount of materials contributed. Rabbi Paysach Krohn, noted lecturer and author, relates a personal story which taught him an important lesson: In the shul where he davens (prays) there was an older unmarried fellow with whom he maintained a convivial relationship. In fact, each Friday Night when they would meet in shul Rabbi Krohn would invite the man to join his family for the Shabbos seudah (meal).But each week the man politely declined. One Friday night Rabbi Krohn decided to be insistent. In a jocular manner he told the man that he simply had to come. I know that each week you have a reason why you cant come, but this week we are not accepting any more excuses! The man asked Rabbi Krohn if he wanted to hear his real response. Realizing that he was about to be rebuked, Rabbi Krohn replied that he was prepared to hear what the man had to say. The man looked up and continued, What nerve do you have to invite me to your home on Friday night? Dont you think I make plans for Shabbos? Throughout the lonely week I try to figure out where I can squeeze myself in for a meal in the most unobtrusive manner. Then I come to shul and, after davening, as everyone is going home to eat their meals you invite me. Why dont you think about me in the middle of the week? If you called me up on Wednesday night I would gladly oblige. But being invited just prior to the meal sends a message that you think I am an unfortunate soul with nowhere to go! Although he was the subject of the rebuke, Rabbi Krohn relates this story so that others can learn from his mistake. In fact, after hearing the story, I realized that the message of the story was personally applicable. Each week shortly before Shabbos my wife and I make it a point to call our parents and my Bubby in order to wish them a good Shabbos. The truth is that we are in contact with our parents throughout the week. Therefore, the Erev Shabbos phone call is generally terse. We only call to wish them a good Shabbos. When my Bubby was still living alone in her Manhattan apartment throughout the week, we would often only see her or speak to her on weekends. I realized that the brief two minute phone call Erev Shabbos was insufficient. At that time, many of my Bubbys grandchildren and great-grandchildren would also call her to wish her a Good Shabbos. It was also a hectic time when she was making her final preparations for Shabbos. Although she undoubtedly valued our phone calls, that was not the time when she could use it most. I realized that a phone call in the middle of the week would mean so much more to her. I tried to make it a point to call her once a week during a mid- week morning or evening. If one of my children was in the vicinity and I gave them the phone to say a quick hello to Bubby Kohn it is that much more meaningful. Although our conversations were usually quick, (we may discuss the weather, what new milestones my children have reached, and how she was feeling) I knew that the message the phone call sent her ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 29
was far more valuable. It conveyed to her that we were thinking about her. As she sat alone in her apartment with the news blaring in the background as her only company, she was reminded that she has children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren who were thinking about her.(6) I once heard the following classic thought: Men think women love flowers even though they die. The truth is that women love flowers because they die! Building and fostering relationships is an ongoing process that requires long-term repeated investment. The leaders brought the Shoham stones Every man whose heart inspired him came 1. 35:21 2. 36:6-7 3. 35:27 4. Bamidbar Rabbah 12:16 5. [Note: It is NOT advisable to try this at home!] 6. Currently, my Bubby lives at Fountainview Assisted Living in Monsey. Now that she is local, I try to visit her each week. May Hashem grant her many more healthy years. Parsha Growth Spurts Parshas Vayakhel 5774 Every wise-hearted among you shall come and make everything that Hashem has commanded. (Shemos 35:10) Otzaros Hatorah notes that whenever one is inspired to perform a mitzvah, he shouldnt spend too much time planning the mitzvah. Rather, he should seek to perform the mitzvah as quickly as possible. The more time one allows to pass the more of an opportunity the yetzer hara has to deter him from actualizing his good intentions. The pasuk alludes to this: Every wise-hearted among you one whose heart is wise enough to pine to perform Avodas Hashem, shall come and make everything he should immediately come forward to fulfill his spiritual desire. Our yetzer hara urges us to become swept away in making grandiose plans of everything we will accomplish Torah we will learn, tedakah we will give, and mitzvos we will perform. But it is a far greater challenge to actually begin the process towards fulfilling our goals and aspirations. It is for this reason that Chazal state zerizin makdimin lmitzvos one must be passionate in fulfilling mitzvos with alacrity and excitement, so as not to give the yetzer hara ample time to impede his efforts. The Chofetz Chaim noted that in the story of Megillas Rus, Boaz demonstrated tremendous zerizus. On the day the opportunity arose he immediately married Rus. The next day he died. The entire Davidic dynasty, including Moshiach, descended from Boaz and Rus. If Boaz would have tarried at all, the entire course of history would have been different. Mishlei (26:13) states: The lazy one says there is a jackal on the way, a lion between the streets. Rav Chaim Katz ztl explained that one can always find excuses for indolence. There are always proverbial lions and jackals blocking the roads of accomplishment. But one who is a zariz will figure out a way to bypass those impediments. He will traverse the rooftops, or dig a hole underneath the ground. If he wants to accomplish badly enough, he will figure out the optimal manner to get it done. That is the hallmark of one who possesses a wise-heart. But the seventh day will be holy for you, a day of complete rest for Hashem. (Shemos 35:2) On one occasion the Chofetz Chaim arrived in the city of Petersburg, and was greeted by throngs of people. One of the greeters was a wealthy man who gave the Chofetz Chaim a sizeable check for the Radin Yeshiva. The Chofetz Chaim shook the mans hand and began to cry. Oiy! To shake a warm hand that gives such tzedakah, and yet is mechallel Shabbos. He held the wealthy mans hand and continued crying until he too began to cry. Rebbe the wealthy man sobbed I promise you that I will begin to keep shabbos. But I beg you; iIts almost Shabbos and I cant suddenly stop everything. Allow me to run my business this last Shabbos, and I swear that I will observe Shabbos from then on. The Chofetz Chaim emotionally replied, I wish I could allow you that leeway. But Shabbos doesnt belong to me. The Torah states that its Shabbos for Hashem, and therefore, I have no right to allow you to desecrate even one moment of Shabbos. With great subjugation, the wealthy man accepted upon himself to observe Shabbos, even that week. He made the courtyard: on the south side, the lace-hangings of the courtyard (Shemos 38:9) Rabbinu Bchayei explains that studying the lengthy details regarding the construction of the Mishkan and its vessels, including their measurements and dimensions, is a great mitzvah, whose reward reaches to the heavens. The study of the laws and procedures involving the korbanos too, are exceedingly precious to Hashem. The gemara (Menachos 110a) states that when one learns about a korbon, its as if he offered that korbon upon the Mizbeiach. Dovid Hamelech stated (Tehillim 48:13-14): Walk around Tzion and encircle her, count her towers. Mark well her ramparts, raise up her palaces, that you may recount it to succeeding generations. When the pasuk speaks of circling Tzion, it is an allusion to engaging in the study of the revealed and hidden understandings of the pesukim describing the place where the shechina resided. When we learn these passages we are circling Tzion, and transmitting it to subsequent generations. No matter how long and bitter the exile is, and has been, we have never forgotten the towers, ramparts, and palaces of Tzion, which we know will soon be rebuilt. Rabbis Musings (& Amusings) Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Vayakhel 21 Adar 5774/February 21, 2014 Im not really sure if its grandparental-amnesia or revenge. Did my mother forget whats it like to have five young children, or is she now insidiously exacting revenge against me? Last week, my parents were gracious enough to watch three of our children over night so we could attend a wedding in Lakewood. When our children returned home the next morning, they each had a little whistle, a present from Bubby. Our children delighted in blowing their whistles endlessly... until their parents became exasperated, and started bellowing warnings. As if there isnt enough noise when they dont have whistles! The Torah relates that one of the special vestments of the Kohain Gadol was the Meil. One of the unique features of the Meil was that it had little golden bells and pomegranates affixed to its hem. As the Kohain Gadol walked the bells would ring, alerting everyone that the eminent Kohain Gadol was approaching. I was recently thinking that there is an important message symbolized by those bells. When I have the opportunity, I enjoy watching Chassidic rebbes (e.g. Skver, Nikolsburg) surrounded by their throngs of Chassidim at a tish, or lighting menorah on Chanukah, or reciting hoshanos on Chol Hamoed Succos. I always come home inspired by the great level of concentration and fervor that the Rebbe has, whilst his Chassidim watch his every move in reverent silence. I then return home, with illusions (or rather delusions) of my own children watching me like the Chassidim, while I perform the mitzvah like the Kohain Gadol in the Sanctuary. For example, I prepare to light the Menorah, anticipating that my children will see my shining countenance and holiness exuding from my face. As I begin to recite the blessings I can virtually hear the angels singing from behind me Stop pushing me! Mommmmmmmy! I had it first! The angels have indeed quickly returned me to reality. Any Jewish mother has had a similar experience. She has just heard a moving lecture about the power of tefillah, especially at the propitious moment when she lights the Shabbos candles on Friday eve. On this particular Friday, she is inspired and emotional as she lights the candles and begins to pray. In her mind, all of her ancestors are swaying with her and she hears Baruch Levine singing harmony as she recites the timeless prayer for her children to be scholars and illuminators of the world. And in the middle of the spiritual euphoria (if she is lucky enough to get so far) she feels a tug on her leg. Mommy, can I have apple juice? Mommy, its not fair The Kohain Gadol had to perform the avodah with bells ringing every time he so much as moved. Every individual is the Kohain Gadol (or female counterpart) in his home. He/she is responsible to initiate and direct the Avodas Hashem in their family. But they should not be deluded into thinking that their children will be perfect angels, standing like soldiers at attention, with smiles on their shining faces, as their father recites Kiddush on Friday night or mother scrambles to say a few words of davening in the morning. This doesnt mean that we should not train our children to be respectful and responsible in performing mitzvos, but we need to be realistic as well. We have to learn to perform our Service, despite the bells ringing all around us. It also helps to remember that those bells are made of solid gold, representing our future and our greatest hopes. Still-in-all, grandparents dont need to add to the noise of the bells. Theres plenty of noise already. Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos, R Dani and Chani Staum 720 Union Road New Hempstead, NY 10977 (845) 362-2425 30 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
Rabbi Berel Wein On Becoming Left-Handed While walking on a darkened street here in Jerusalem near my home last week while having an animated conversation with my wife over the frustration of the worlds treatment of Israel, the Jews and Judaism, I neglected to look where I was going and tripped over a curb and fell heavily on my arm. Eventually I was diagnosed as having a crack or chip in one of the bones of the elbow. Originally, I was placed in a cast which I found to be most cumbersome and uncomfortable. I therefore decided to go for a second opinion. The new doctor removed the cast and placed my arm in a sling. This is a much more comfortable and bearable condition though my right arm remains pretty much unusable. I have had to become much more dependent on my left arm, something which I am not accustomed to and not extremely adept at. This magnificent piece of prose is possible not because I can type on my computer with my left-hand but rather because I have a voice dictation program which allows me to type, so to speak, in a hands-free fashion. But there are many other things that I simply cannot do with my left hand. I am therefore humbled by having to rely on others to do such mundane acts as buttoning my shirt and coat, tying my shoelaces and other daily tasks, the description of which I will leave to your imagination. The fact that I cannot by myself wrap my tefillin around my arm alone and am required to have a number of kind and generous souls to help me in this holy task is most sobering to me. I have always prided myself on being an independent person and I have deluded myself to believe that I am self-sufficient in every way. The Lord has shown me that that was a thought of hubris and unwarranted belief in one's self. In a book on physics that I once read, the learned professor stated that eighty-five percent of molecules suspended in space at random will flow to the right. What he found most interesting about this phenomenon is that it approximated the ratio of right-handed to left-handed people in the world. There is no doubt of the fact that God's world favors the right-handed. Just ask any left-handed person how he or she feels when seated in the middle of a dining table surrounded by all right-handed guests. In certain sports there is a premium paid to left-handed athletes. This seems to be true in baseball and perhaps also in tennis. But for most of the activities of the human race the right-handed person is preferred and the world and its gadgets are constructed to accommodate this majority. Since I am temporarily left-handed I am at a complete disadvantage because my left hand is not my dominant hand and thus I am in reality a right-handed left- handed person. None of the gadgets in my house are built for such a creature and therefore my helplessness has sorely bruised my otherwise healthy ego. I have gained a new insight as to why we right-handed people lay our tefillin on our left hand our weaker hand. Why the Torah wanted us to place tefillin on the weaker hand instead of the stronger hand is most perplexing. After all tefillin is meant to remind us of the holiness of our service to God, of our loyalty to Torah and of the eternal concept of reward and punishment that exists in God's universe. As such, should it not be that our dominant hand our strong hand, the one that we can accomplish so much with should have the tefillin wrapped around it? But that is as I have ruefully learned the necessity for the employment of one's weaker hand in the service of God and in life is in itself a very necessary lesson. By using our weaker hand as the base for our tefillin we therefore signify to ourselves and to our Creator that even our stronger hand is in reality weak and fragile. The Torah constantly strives to remind us of our true condition of how fragile we are and how dependent we are on God's goodness and constant support. Our weaker hand also reminds us of the necessity of family, society, community and the presence and help of good and compassionate people. I do not recommend injuring one's elbow in order to learn these lessons. Nevertheless there is something to be learned from all experiences in life and therefore the words of the rabbis that all that Heaven decrees is for the good applies even to the happenings of clumsy rabbis. Shabbat shalom, Berel Wein U.S. Office 386 Route 59 Monsey, NY 10952 845-368-1425 | 800-499-WEIN (9346) Fax: 845-368-1528 Questions? info@jewishdestiny.com Israel Office P.O. Box 23671 Jerusalem, Israel 91236 052-833-9560 Fax: 02-586-8536 Questions? scubac@netvision.net.il RabbiWein.com 2009 The Destiny Foundation
Rabbi Berel Wein Weekly Parsha Vayakhel One of the main questions that all of the commentators to this week's parsha raise is why the Torah again discusses the prohibitions of the Sabbath. The Torah has done so a number of times in the previous parshiyot of Shemot so one might question this seemingly unwarranted repetition. One of the ideas presented in their comments I feel to be especially relevant to our world. We do not find that at the time of creation the Torah sanctified any given place or location on the face of the earth. The entire idea of the uniqueness of the Land of Israel does not appear in the Torah until the time of our father Abraham. And there it appears as a promise of a homeland to Abraham's descendants without any mention of holiness or sanctification. Holiness only appears regarding a place and location in the story of our father Jacob and his heavenly dream at Beit El. However, already in the first section of the Bible, in the story of creation itself, we read that the Lord sanctified time. "Therefore did the Lord bless the seventh day and sanctify it. Time is the holiest of all factors in human life. It is the one thing that since creation has been blessed, sanctified and made very special. It is no wonder therefore that the holiness of the Sabbath is emphasized over and over again in the Torah. In human behavior and thought time is not as important as wealth or location or the accomplishment of any human ends. The Torah comes to warn us not to succumb to such a viewpoint or behavior pattern. The holy Tabernacle according to most commentators was ordered and built after Israel sinned in the desert by worshiping a golden calf. These commentators saw this Tabernacle as an accommodation, so to speak, of Heaven to the human condition. People somehow require a tangible place of worship, a holiness of space and locality, something solid that can represent to them the invisible and eternal. So the Tabernacle in a sense came to replace the necessity for a golden calf created by human beings. The Lord, gave Israel detailed instructions how this Tabernacle and its artifacts should be constructed and designed. Even though holiness of space, location and of actual structure is necessary for human service of God, it must be done solely under God's conditions. There can be many designs to build a golden calf. To build a Tabernacle to God there can only be one ordained and holy design and plan. Even when building a Tabernacle according to God's plan, the Jewish people were instructed and inspired to remember that holiness of time is always greater than holiness of place and of structure. The Sabbath, which has accompanied us from the time of creation, takes precedence over all else except for human life itself. The Tabernacle and its succeeding Temples were all temporary and subject to the events of time. Even the holy Land of Israel disappeared from Jewish history for millennia. But the Sabbath never stopped accompanying the Jews wherever they lived and whatever their circumstances were. And this is why this lesson is drummed into us over and over again in the narrative of the Torah. How pertinent this lesson is in our time and in our environment. Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein U.S. Office 386 Route 59 Monsey, NY 10952 845-368-1425 | 800-499-WEIN (9346) Fax: 845-368-1528 Questions? info@jewishdestiny.com Israel Office P.O. Box 23671 Jerusalem, Israel 91236 052-833-9560 Fax: 02-586-8536 Questions? scubac@netvision.net.il RabbiWein.com 2009 The Destiny Foundation
Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb-OU Person in the Parsha Vayakhel: Culture, Counter-culture, and Creativity February 18, 2014 It was quite a few years ago that I spent almost every Sunday afternoon in one of the great museums of the city in which my family then lived. I no longer remember what first stimulated my interest in art, and specifically in the type of art known as Impressionism. But I know that I relished those Sunday afternoons, as did my youngest daughter, then no more than six or seven years old. The museum we frequented possessed the most extensive collection in the world of the paintings of the French artist, Henri Matisse. My daughter became so familiar and so fond of the works of Matisse, particularly his colorful cutouts, or paper cut collages, that when we once ventured into a new museum, she saw some Matisse works at a distance and gained the admiration of everyone in the crowded gallery by shouting excitedly, Matisse, Matisse. I glowed with pride as the others present exclaimed, What a precocious child! It was on that occasion that I first encountered a most fascinating gentleman. Ill call him Ernesto. Ernesto was a tall hulk of a man, who, I later learned, was a brilliant Talmud student before the war, but who had given up the all religious observance, and indeed almost all connection with the Jewish people. He had totally lost his faith as a result of his horrible experiences during the Holocaust. With my black velvet yarmulke I was readily identifiable as an Orthodox Jew, so I was easy prey for Ernesto. Jews know nothing about art, he bellowed. Matisse! How can you glorify Matisse? His art is only decorative. All Jewish art is nothing but decoration. I must confess that I had no clue as to what he was talking about. We soon sat down together at a nearby bench and he began to share his story with me. Over the subsequent years I came to know him better and discovered that he had many bones to pick with Judaism and was in a ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 31
perpetual rage against God. But that morning he confined his remarks to his disappointment with what he saw as the absence of fine art in the Jewish culture. Frankly, I had never given much thought to the subject of the place of art in Judaism. The best I could do was to refer to the person of Bezalel, mentioned in this weeks Torah portion, Vayakhel (Exodus 35:1-38:20). I quoted these verses to him: See, the Lord has singled out by name Bezalel, son of Uri son of HurHe has endowed him with a divine spirit of skill, ability, and knowledge in every kind of craft and has inspired him to make designs for work in gold, silver and copper. Surely, I argued. The figure of Bezalel, so prominent at the very beginning of our history, is evidence that art has a central place in our tradition. Not only was he unimpressed, but he responded with a rant that seemed as if it would go on forever. Bezalel was no more than a Matisse, he insisted. For him, Matisse was the epitome of a bankrupt artist, one who could produce colorful designs but who had no message for the culture at large. He contrasted Matisse with Picasso, who had lot to say, in his art, about the political world in which he lived. He concluded his tirade by shouting: Besides pretty decorations for the Tabernacle, what did Bezalel have to teach us? What did he have to say to the human race?! For the many years since that first encounter with Ernesto, who by the way, passed away sixty years to the day after his release from Auschwitz in 1945, I have struggled with that challenging question: What can we learn from Bezalel? I have since concluded that Bezalel had a lot to teach us all, especially about the creative process. He was able to do what so many others who are blessed with great creative talents have not been able to do. Most creative geniuses throughout history, and I say this fully expecting some of you to object with examples to the contrary, have either been misfits in society, or have, in one way or another, rebelled against society. Creativity often sees itself as in opposition to conformity. The place of the artist is rarely in the contemporary culture; rather it is in the counter- culture. The creative artist, whatever his medium, typically sees himself as the creator of a new culture, one which will replace the current culture and render it obsolete. Bezalels genius lay in his ability to channel his substantial artistic gifts to the cause of the culture that was being constructed around him. He was not rebellious and certainly not withdrawn. He participated in a national project as part of the nation, and not as one whose role was to find fault. He was able to combine creativity with conformity, and that is no mean feat. One lesson that he taught all subsequent artists is that they need not limit their role to critical observation of society. Quite the contrary, they can cooperatively partner with society and bring their skills to bear in the service of what is going on around them. This is the deeper meaning of the passage in the Talmud which reads: Bezalel knew how to combine the mystical primeval letters from which heaven and earth were created (Berakhot 55a). Bezalels art was an art that combined letters, joining them together harmoniously. His was not the art that tears asunder the constituent elements of the world which surrounds him. His was the art that blends those elements into a beautiful whole. Bezalels lesson is not just a lesson for artists. It is a lesson for all gifted and talented human beings. Somehow, the best and the brightest among us are the ones who are most cynical and most critical of the societies in which we live. We see this today in the harsh criticism that is directed at Israel precisely from the world of the academe, and sadly, especially from the Jewish intelligentsia. There is something pernicious about great intelligence that makes one unduly and unfairly critical of the world within in which one resides. Bezalel, on the other hand, was able to demonstrate that one can be highly gifted, indeed sublimely gifted, and use those gifts in a positive and constructive fashion, cooperating with others who are far less gifted, and participating in a joint venture with the rest of society. This is a lesson in leadership which all who are blessed with special talents must learn. Special talents do not entitle one to separate oneself from the common cause. Quite the contrary: They equip one to participate in the common cause, and in the process elevate and inspire the rest of society. Rabbi Pinchas Winston Perceptions Parshas Vayakhel - The Achdus of the Jewish People Moshe gathered the congregation of I srael and told them, This what God has commanded you to do. (Shemos 35:1) There is power in numbers. There is extra power in synergy. There is even greater power in achdus-unity. Just see the difference between a family in which there is shalom bayishousehold peaceand one in which it is sorely lacking. More than likely members of the family in the latter situation will require some kind of therapy just to be normal, and will probably have their own shalom bayis issues when trying to build a family of their own. For the Jewish people, however, it goes beyond even achdus. For there is a Kabbalistic concept called Knesses Yisroelthe Assembly of Israeland it refers to the Jewish people in their ideal state of existence: Rebi Chanina ben Papa said: Anyone who takes pleasure from this world without making a blessing steals from The Holy One, Blessed is He and Knesses Yisroel . . . (Brochos 35b) Rebi Chizkiah began by saying, It is written, Like a rose among the thorns (Shir HaShirim 2:1), the rose referring to Knesses Yisroel . . . (Zohar, First Introduction) Therefore, when Moshe Rabbeinu gathered together the Jewish people in this weeks parshah, he wasnt just unifying them. He was elevating them to the level of Knesses Yisroel. The question is, why was it specifically necessary here, when teaching them the laws Shabbos and about the Mishkan? There are a few ways to describe what Tikun Maaseh Bereishis, literally, Rectification of the Work of Creation, fixed up. However, Kabbalistically it is described as going from the state of Reshus HaRabim to the state of With respect to the laws of Shabbos the terms are familiar ones. One of the prohibitions on Shabbos, learned from the work done to build the Mishkan, is carrying in a public domain. If one wants to carry in an area that has the Torah status of being a public domain he must make an eiruv to transform the public domain into a private one by halachically unifying all of its elements into a single area. In terms of Creation this meant something similar, but more profound. As mentioned in the past, Creation as described in the Torah was not the beginning of the story, but the middle of it. As the Zohar explains, our world emerged from a pre-Creation state of existence called tohu, or chaos, which was the result of another stage of existence called Sheviras HaKeilim, or the Breaking of the Vessels. The difference between the pre-Creation state of existence and the one after Tikun Maaseh Bereishis, was that prior to rectification the world existed as a Reshus HaRabim, that is, there was no relationship or connection between the pre-Creation sefiros, the spiritual DNA of Creation, so-to-speak. It was every sefirah for itself, and therefore, quite chaotic. Tikun Maaseh Bereishis, therefore, rebuilt the sefiros with the missing relationships and interdependencies. As a result, the 10 sefiros were modified into a single structure called that Kabbalah calls a Reshus HaYachid, resulting in unity and sederorder. This is essentially the difference between a public and private domain. A public domain is chaotic, being every man for himself, whereas a private domain, being private, includes people who are connected to one another in some way, usually sharing common concerns. A private domain brings order to the chaos of the public domain. Thats what God did too when making Creation. He ordered Creation and unified all aspects of it so that everything would be interdependent and work towards a common goal. For the sake of free will, however, and to give mankind a chance to complete the tikun of Maaseh Bereishis, God also left it possible for people to undo what had been previously rectified, and bring chaos back to Creation. Shabbos, of course, represents the tikun. The six working days of the week are, by their very nature, chaotic, often pulling people in different directions at once. Shabbos extracts a person from all of that, focusing the person on the singular task of rectifying himself and the world around him or her, while at the same time enhancing his or her relationship with God. The Mishkan worked exactly the same way. Everything about it was geared towards unifying the Jewish people, and the Jewish people with God, as it says: Yaakov wanted to rectify [the Malchus with the yichud of] bRaza dYechuda below and established the 24 letters, which are Boruch Shem kevod Malchuso lolam va-ed. He did not complete it with 25 letters since the Mishkan had yet to be rectified. Once the Mishkan was built and completed, the first word that went out from it, once it was complete, had 25 letters, to show that [the Malchus was] complete [with 25 on a level] like [that of Zehr Anpin] Above, as it says, God spoke to him from the Appointed Tent, saying (Vayikra 1:1), which has 25 letters. (Zohar, Terumah 139b) Kabbalah aside, the gist of the message is that the Mishkan, like Shabbos, was a vehicle for Divine unity in the ultimate sense, the Kabbalistic version of a Reshus HaYachid. Thats why it could not be built on Shabbos: Why break Shabbos to complete that which Shabbos already completely accomplishes? 32 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl Bais Hamussar Vayakhel This week's Dvar Torah is sponsored L'refuas Fraida Bracha bas Miriam B'soch Sh'ar Cholei Yisroel While the parshiyos of Terumah and Tetzaveh recount Hashem's commandment to build the Mishkan, the parshiyos of Vayakhel and Pekudei recount the actual construction of the Mishkan. Regarding each aspect of the Mishkan the Torah writes simply, "And he made. . ." Yet, when describing the construction of the Aron, the Torah writes, "And Betzalel made the Aron." Rashi explains that because Betzalel expended great effort in building the Aron, it was "called by his name." Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash) cites another few places that we find this idea. Shimon and Levi are described as, "Dinah's brothers" (Bereishis 34, 25) because they put their lives on the line to save her from the clutches of Shechem. Miriam is referred to as, "the sister of Moshe" (Shemos 15, 20) because she was moser nefesh for him when he was placed in the Nile. The very last prophecy recorded in Tanach, "Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant" (Malachi 3, 22) refers to the Torah as belonging to Moshe because he was moser nefesh on behalf of the Torah. We might add that while the Torah is specifically referred to as belonging to Moshe, Chazal tell us that the Torah becomes the personal acquisition of anyone who expends effort and toils in its study. "Said Rava, 'initially the Torah is ascribed to Hashem, and eventually it is ascribed to him'" (Avodah Zara 19a). Rashi explains that, "him" refers to the student who toiled in the study of Torah. This acquisition is not external, says Rav Wolbe, for the Torah changes the very essence of he who toils in its precepts. We can learn, daven and perform numerous mitzvos without them having a profound effect upon us. If we want the Torah and mitzvos to be truly ours, to change our essence and create a real connection to Hashem, then we must expend effort in their performance. This might translate into an extra five minutes of learning after one has decided that he is ready to close the Gemara, or making an added effort to concentrate during Shema or the first bracha in Shemoneh Esrei. In the area of chesed it might mean helping someone at the expense of a personal pleasure or making a difficult phone call that might help someone with a shidduch. The opportunities are endless, and many can be found in one's very own home! People are wont to say, "You get what you pay for." Similarly the spiritual reward in this world is directly proportionate to the effort expended in the performance of Hashem's will! Maaseh Rav A Talmid learning in Yeshivas Be'er Yaakov who came from "Yekeh" (German) background recalls as follows: "When I once merited eating at the Mashgiach's home for a Seudah on Shabbos, the Mashgiach tried to make him feel at home, and sang all the "Yekesheh" Niggunim that he knew even though these were not the Mashgiach's customary Niggunim which he sang at home each Shabbos". Please share with us your personal experiences with the Mashgiach Rabbi Wolbe z"l, Thank you. Rabbi Benjamin Yudin TorahWeb It's Not How Much You Give, But How At the beginning of Parshas Vayakhel Hashem enjoins the Jewish nation to observe the Shabbos. It is interesting to note how Anshei Knesses Hagedolah (Men of the Great Assembly) and our Mesorah unbroken tradition, teaches that we read the verse (Shemos 35:2), "sheishes yomim tai-a-se melacha - six days work is to be done", and not six days "ta-aseh melacha - you shall do work." The latter form is clearly the active form with man being the one charged to do and accomplish. The former however is the passive reflexive form, with the emphasis being on the result, i.e. the work will be done. The tai-a-se usage reminds man that his involvement and energy is crucial, but ultimately it is not he who is effecting and producing but rather a higher source is, namely Hashem. With this understanding and orientation, it is much easier to accept and comply with the mitzvah of Shabbos. If man is ta-a-se - the producer, then the Divine edict to desist on the Shabbos from work is a major demand and imposition. It is asking much of man who is productive all week long to forgo some of his productivity in emulation of and submission to G-d. If however, man recognizes that all his successes are due to the help and assistance of Hashem and that Hashem, as we understand from tai-a-se (see Devarim 8:18 with Targum Unkelos), provides us with the intuition, ideas and notions to invest in a particular endeavor, then we can be confident that just as He provides all week long, so too will He provide for the Shabbos. What emerges is an incredible display of sensitivity that Hashem affords man. There is a basic human condition called na-amah d'kisufah, literally bread of embarrassment (Ramchal, Daas Tevunos 1:18). If one is constantly receiving without working or earning his keep, in short time most individuals will experience a sense of shame, worthlessness and depression. Thus, it is a kindness of Hashem that He allows us to participate in our earning a living, letting us feel that we are major players in earning our keep in this world. I believe this idea might well be included in the introductory bracha to every Shmoneh Esrei, "gomail chasadim tovim" which literally means He performs and bestows good kindnesses. Why describe the kindness as "tovim - good"? Isn't kindness by nature good? The answer is based upon the above idea. That He sustains us is a kindness, and that He extends dignity to us at the same time is the fulfillment of tovim. The 611th mitzvah is to emulate Hashem - "V'halachta b'drachav" (Devarim 28:9). The Talmud (Mishna Demai 4:7) uses the term gomlin as one of reciprocity, as in a situation that we are concerned regarding two ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 33
individuals that each will perform a service for the next one, thereby each benefiting themselves. Ideally, this is the way we are to be gomel chesed to someone. Rather than perform an act of kindness in a fashion that the recipient feels put upon and feels indebted for the service, as they now "owe you one", ideally, one is to perform the kindness in a way that the one performing it communicates that he is actually receiving by giving and thanks the recipient for the opportunity to give. Through tai-a-se Hashem allows us to feel good while receiving, and we must strive in our personal and communal chassadim to do the same. Copyright 2014 by The TorahWeb Foundation. All rights reserved.
Aish.Com - Rabbi Ken Spiro Jewish History Crash Course Crash Course in Jewish History Part 18 - David: The King by Rabbi Ken Spiro King David is one of the most important figures in Jewish history. Born in 907 BCE, he reigns as king of Israel for 40 years, dying at age 70 in 837 BCE. There is so much that can be said about him. Some people like to focus on the warrior aspect -- the chivalrous warrior fighting for HaShem -- but when his persona and accomplishments are considered as a whole, it is his spiritual greatness that shines most of all. David is a real man -- with real human faults -- whose first and foremost drive is to have a relationship with HaShem. We get the glimpse of the beauty of his soul when we read the Tehillim, most of which he wrote. Who doesn't know: The L-rd is my shepherd I shall not want ... (Tehillim 23) The L-rd is my light and my salvation, whom should I fear ... (Tehillim 27) I lift my eyes to the mountains -- from where will my help come? My help comes from the L-rd, Maker of heaven and earth ... (Tehillim 121) Even when we consider his military conquest, we see that the driving force behind them was his attachment to HaShem. The Conquest Of Jerusalem We know historically that the story of Israel during this entire period of time -- from the Exodus onward -- is the story of a tiny nation sandwiched between the two great ancient civilizations, Egypt and Mesopotamia (which was ruled at various times by the Assyrians, Babylonians or Persians). When David takes the throne, Egypt and Assyria are both on a significant decline. They're not in any position to expand, which leaves a vacuum in the middle where Israel is located, and Israel is allowed to expand unmolested by these other great empires. Thus David is able to subdue, at long last, the Philistine threat and to conquer the remaining Canaanite city-state -- Jerusalem -- that the Israelites have thus far not been able to conquer. (For background, see Part 14: Yehoshua and the Conquest of the Promised Land.) For the 450 years since the Jewish people first entered the Land of Israel until the time of King David, Jerusalem has remained unconquerable. It is a city-state inhabited by Canaanite tribe called Jebusites (the Arab village of Silwan is located there now). It is heavily fortified, yet despite its seemingly impregnable appearance, Jerusalem has one weakness -- its only source of water is a spring outside the city walls. The spring is accessed from inside the city by a long shaft carved into rock. The Book of Shmuel and the Book of Chronicles (Divrei HaYamim) describe how David's general, Yoav, climbs up a tzinor (literally "pipe") enters the city and conquers it. Some archaeologists speculate that this might refer to "Warren Shaft" -- a vertical tunnel running up from Gichon Spring -- which is a tourist attraction in "David's City," outside the walls of today's Jerusalem. Why Jerusalem? The first thing that David does after he occupies the city is make it his capital. And here we have to pause and ask: Why Jerusalem? Certainly there were more suitable sites for the capital of Israel. Jerusalem does not adjoin any important body of water nor is it located on any trade route. All the capital cities in the world are built near oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, or at least near a major trade route. (There are major trade routes crisscrossing Israel at this time. There is the Kings Highway, which is one of the major trade routes in the ancient Middle East, running from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea to Damascus. And there is also the Via Maris, "Way of the Sea," which runs from Egypt along the Mediterranean coast then through Israel and on to Syria.) The capital of Israel should have been on the Mediterranean Sea. Ideally a place like Jaffa (next to today's Tel Aviv) would have made the most sense. So why Jerusalem? The reason why Jerusalem has to do with a very unique aspect of the Jewish people, and why the children of Israel became a nation in the first place. Normally, nations become nations by living in a piece of real estate for a long period of time, developing a common language and a common culture. Take the French for example. They didn't all wake up one day and decide they liked white wine, cheese and croissants. A group of people over a period of time moved into a common piece of real estate (which later became known as France), and shared a common language. After a shared period of national experience, they coalesced into an identity known as the French. More or less, this scenario works for every nation. The Jews became a nation shortly after escaping slavery in Egypt. They were not yet in the land of Israel, they were camping out in no man's land, in the desert, at the foot of Mount Sinai. The Jews became a nation there, when they made a covenant with HaShem, promising "we will do and we will hear." The nationhood of Israel is defined, first and foremost, by its communal relationship with HaShem. And it turns out that there is no better place to relate to HaShem than Jerusalem. HaShem's Place As soon as David makes Jerusalem his capital, he buys a small hill on the northern boundary of the city from its owner Aravnah, the Jebusite. The purchase is recorded in the Torah in two places (2 Shmuel 24:24 and 1 Divrei HaYamim 21:25). This hill is Mount Moriah. This is where Avraham went up to offer Yitzchak as a sacrifice and later remarked as the Torah records: "The L-rd will see," as it is said to this day, "On the L-rd's mountain, He will be seen." (Bereishis 22:14) This is where Yaakov dreamt of a ladder going to heaven, and said: "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of HaShem, and this is the gate of heaven." (Bereishis 28:17) No wonder this is a spot that every major conqueror in all of human history has wanted to own. (Jerusalem has been conquered or destroyed 36 times in 3,000 years.) Today on this spot stands an Islamic structure known as the Dome of the Rock. Under this golden dome is a rock which is metaphysically known as the even shsiah, literally, "drinking stone." Drinking water and spirituality are synonymous, and the Torah is known as mayim chayim, "water of life." According to Judaism, the world is spiritually nourished from this spot, this stone. This is the place where HaShem's presence can be felt more intensively than in any other place on the planet earth. Therefore, this is the logical place to build a permanent resting spot for the most holy object that the Jewish people have -- the Mishkan and the Ark of the Covenant. The Site Of The Temple King David wastes no time bringing the Ark to Jerusalem. And it is an occasion of great communal happiness. In ecstasy David dances wildly at this celebration. For this he is condemned by his wife Michal, the daughter of Shaul, who had stuck with him through thick and thin and who even saved his life when King Shaul wanted to kill him. But now Michal attacks David, ridiculing his behavior (2 Shmuel 6:16-23): "How glorious was the king of Israel today, who was exposed today in the eyes of the maidservants of his servants, as one of the boors would be exposed!" David -- who had thought nothing of his own honor in his gladness that he had made a special connection with HaShem, -- responds in astonishment: "Before the L-rd I will make merry. And I shall behave even more humbly than this, and I shall be lowly in my eyes; and of the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them shall I will be held in honor." The story concludes with the punishment visited on Michal for her harsh condemnation of the man chosen by HaShem to be Israel's king: 34 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
And Michal the daughter of Shaul had no child to the day of her death. Although David brings up the Ark of the Covenant to Mount Moriah, he is not allowed by HaShem to build the Temple. A number of reasons are given. One is that the Temple is a house of HaShem and a house of peace and David has a lot of blood on his hands from subduing the enemies of Israel. However, he is promised that his son will build it. Now David has a number of sons by several wives, some of whom give him serious trouble. One, Amnon, assaults his sister, Tamar. Another, Avshalom plots against David and tries to have him deposed. But there is one special boy, Shlomo, born from David's relationship with the beautiful Bas-Sheva. David And Bas-Sheva The story of David's relationship with Bas-Sheva is one of the most misread stories in the Torah, and we have to be careful in reading it as a soap opera. In summary, however, this is what happens. Restless one night, David is pacing the roof of his palace from where he has a view of the homes and gardens in the city below. And there he spies a beautiful woman bathing. She is the wife of one of his generals, Uriah, the Hittite, who is away at war. David sends for Bas-Sheva and spends the night with her. When she becomes pregnant, he commands that Uriah be placed on the front lines, where he dies in battle. David then marries Bas-Sheva. At this point, the prophet Nasan pays a call on the king. (See 2 Shmuel 12.) He says that he has come to inform the king of a great injustice in the land. A rich man with many sheep, stole the one beloved sheep of a poor man, and had it slaughtered for a feast. Furious at what he hears, King David, declares, "As HaShem lives, the one who has done this deserves death." Responds the prophet, "You are that man!" David is humbled. "I have sinned before HaShem," he says. This is an enormously complex story and there is much more here than meets the eye. Technically, Bas-Sheva was not a married woman since David's troops always gave their wives conditional divorces, lest a soldier be missing in action leaving his wife unable to remarry. However, the Torah states clearly that David acted improperly, and the Sages explain that while David did not commit adultery in the literal sense, he was clearly morally wrong. As noted in earlier installments, the Torah takes a hyper-critical position of Jewish leaders. It never whitewashes anyone's past, and in that it stands alone among the records of ancient peoples which usually describe kings as descendants of gods without faults. David's greatness shines in the humility of his admission and the repentance that follows. This is part of the reason that the ultimate redeemer of the Jewish people and the world will descend from David's line -- he will be "Moshiach ben David." Shortly thereafter, Bas-Sheva gives birth, but the child becomes deathly ill as the prophet Nasan had predicted. David goes into a period of prayer and fasting, but the child dies nevertheless. David realizes that this happened in atonement for his actions. He also knows that HaShem has forgiven him. Before long Bas-Sheva is pregnant again. And this time, she bears a healthy child -- who is named Shlomo, and who will be the golden child, gifted with unusual wisdom. Author Biography: Rabbi Ken Spiro is originally from New Rochelle,NY. He graduated from Vasser College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has Rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in History from The Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five children where he works as a senior lecturer and researcher on Aish HaTorah outreach programs. This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/literacy/jewishhistory/Crash_Course_in_Jewish_History_Part_19_- _King_Shlomo.asp Copyright 2001 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com
Aish.Com - Rabbi Noach Weinberg ZTL 48 Ways to Wisdom Way #18 The Use of Physical Pleasure Did you ever begin a stimulating physical activity and then discover somehow you can't extricate yourself? Have you ever bought a large ice- cream cone, devoured it, and by the end found yourself feeling sick? You didn't really want any more, but you finished it anyway. "B'miut ta'anug" literally means "minimize physical pleasure." Human beings are pleasure-seekers. Pleasure is energy. The more pleasure we have, the more power we have for living. But while physical pleasure is an essential part of enjoying life, we must learn to harness it. Eating ice cream is great - but you don't want to pass the point of diminishing returns! Gourmet Living: "Identify & Intensify" Your Pleasures When a wine connoisseur takes a glass of wine, he'll sniff it first, then put a little into his mouth, swish it around, and if it passes his approval, swallow it. The "drink" itself is just one aspect of the enjoyment. Realize how many opportunities there are during the day for you to take pleasure: seeing the sunrise, a breath of fresh air, a splash of cold water, a cool refreshing breeze. Or it may be relaxing in a hot sauna, drinking a glass of champagne, and then polishing off a steak and French fries. The first time you try something new, you focused intently on what pleasure you're having. You know just what part of the mouth tingles as you chew the food, and how it lifts your spirits. All of this contributes to the experience and enhances the enjoyment. But what's happened since then? Sometimes we outgrow our need for a particular pleasure; other times we simply get used to it. To help get you back on track again, focus on what pleasure you should be deriving -and why you're not. The 48 Ways says: Be a gourmet about life. You'll be more particular about what you get involved with, how you get involved, who you get involved with, and why you get involved. Articulate exactly what it is you enjoy about these various pleasures. Ask yourself: What makes this taste good, look good, smell good, feel good? For example: Ice cream - cold, sweet, soft. Friends - security, connectedness, sense of being understood. Torah - clarity, wisdom, transcendence. Apply your mind to each pleasure you partake of. Whenever you enjoy yourself, take the time to acknowledge that pleasure. Swish it around in your mind like a good wine, and prolong its taste. This extra sensitivity will give you a deeper appreciation of what would otherwise be just raw sensation. And this will motivate and energize you. Is Physical Pleasure Evil? Growing up in Western society, we may have heard the idea that "physical pleasure is evil." This may stem from the Catholic view, where celibacy (for example) is lauded, and bodily pleasure, such as intimacy, even within the context of marriage, is considered a concession to man's weaker and baser instincts. Therefore the most "holy Catholics" - priests and nuns - are celibate. The Western world, on the other hand, takes the diametrically opposite position and views life as solely the hedonistic pursuit of physical pleasure without any restraints. People often engross themselves in stimulating physical activities as an escape from dealing with more cerebral issues. Judaism follows neither extreme. We take the middle road. Judaism teaches that HaShem made a physical world not to frustrate us, but for us to enjoy. Spirituality is not achieved by meditating alone on a mountaintop (though that can be nice, too!), or by learning in an out-of-the-way monastery. HaShem created this world for our pleasure. Our Sages teach, for example, that the elderly should sit in the sun. No matter how much an old person appreciates wisdom and learning, he also has to treat his body well. Even when his physical strength has dwindled, he can still derive delight from the warmth of the sun. The Talmud say that if a person has the opportunity to taste a new fruit and refuses to do so, he will have to account for that in the World-to- Come. What is so special about fruits? HaShem could have created bland oatmeal with all the vitamins and minerals necessary for our survival. But fruits are the dessert the Almighty made for us. It's a labor of love. If you refuse to taste it, that shows a lack of appreciation. Fruits help us to focus on the reality that the Almighty created the world for our pleasure. A Means, Not An End There's no question that physical pleasure "is a pleasure!" However, physical pleasure is not the ultimate experience either. It's only the appetizer of life. Imagine inviting someone over to your house for a fancy, four-course dinner. After serving them the melon, they thank you for a wonderful dinner. ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 35
"What are you talking about?" you'd say. "We're just getting started. The best is yet to come!" That's Judaism's view of physical pleasure. It's just the appetizer of existence. The Don't make the mistake of getting lost in the appetizer. If you make melon the staple of your meal, it will never provide you all the nutrients you need to be healthy and satisfied. Similarly, if you make physical pleasure the staple of your pleasure diet, you will never be totally fulfilled. Pleasure is a part of life, yet, on the other hand, you can't eat steak all day long. There has to be some kind of balance between enjoying yourself, and over-indulging. When used wisely, physical pleasure should be a stepping stone to higher pleasures. When we have learned to enjoy beautiful things, when our bodies feel relaxed, we are more ready to tackle societal problems - violence, unemployment, warfare. Dealing with those problems requires immense emotional strength. Use physical pleasure to generate that strength. Monitor yourself: "What is this pleasure really doing for me? Am I using it to dull reality, or will it energize me to go on and accomplish?" When I have a cup of coffee, I feel good. Now what will I do with that burst of energy? Car & Driver Judaism teaches that a body is to the soul as a car is to the driver. You have to maintain your car mechanically, and fuel it with quality gasoline. If you abuse your car, it won't take you where you want to go! And to keep it looking good, you may want to take it the car wash and vacuum the interior, too. But of course the car is not more important than the driver himself! We all recognize that someone who neglects his family and instead spends endless hours waxing and coddling his car has lost some sense of priority! So too, with our body and soul. Sometimes you should indulge your body, so your soul can accomplish more. After you've completed a difficult project, for example, you might reward yourself with a meal at a fancy restaurant. Just be careful not to misuse pleasure by avoiding confronting troubles or responsibilities. The name of the game is self-discipline, not oppression. Whenever you try to rein in physical pleasures, a little voice inside us yells, "How terrible! It'll ruin our life! We'll be so bored!" The key: A controlled amount, and using it for the right reasons at the right times. Otherwise, though we may get a "high," in the end we just cheapen ourselves and the whole experience. Connect The Physical To The Spiritual Pleasure is based both on the physical experience, and the "meaning" behind the experience as well. The more meaning you add to the physical experience, the greater pleasure you'll have. The Torah instructs us to recite a blessing of thanks to HaShem, before partaking of any food or drink, or even when encountering phenomenon like thunder or a rainbow. Saying a blessing gives us time to pause and reflect, to remember that everything is a grand gift of pleasure. This can transform potato chips from a "lust" into a "pleasure." Jewish spirituality comes through grappling with the mundane world in a way that uplifts and elevates. That's why yeshivas are always located in the center of town, amidst the bustle of commercial activity. Jews don't retreat from life, we elevate it. On Friday night, we raise the cup of wine and use it -- not to get drunk -- but to make Kiddush and sanctify the Sabbath day. Spirituality, says Judaism, is to be found in the kitchen, the office, and yes, even in the bedroom. The 48 Ways says there is one sure-fire way to know whether you are attaining raw physical pleasure, or a deeper spiritual pleasure. Use this handy chart to decide: Physical Pleasure is: ** transitory ** leaves you depressed ** an end unto itself ** unsatisfying Spiritual Pleasure is: ** permanent ** energizing ** a means, not an end ** awakening Minimize In Order To Maximize Usually, people eat until they can't touch another bite. But the Shulchan Aruch, the Code of Jewish Law, instructs us to eat only two-thirds of our capacity. From both a physical and metaphysical standpoint, we're a lot healthier when we stop before the meter reads "full." It's better for your digestion, your waistline, and your self-esteem. To avoid abuse, decide beforehand: How much of this pleasure will I be taking? When we don't set a firm limit in advance, we often end up crossing the line and regretting it. We may get lost in how we feel during the activity; at the expense of how we feel after - which is even more important. So set yourself in advance a precise limit. Then stick to it. Before you enjoy a pleasure, ask yourself: What is it I expect to get out of it? During the activity, ask yourself: Am I getting the intended pleasure? If not, don't indulge. Make a conscious decision. Don't get lost in a bag of potato chips. All of this applies not just to what we eat, but to any form of physical sensation, such as going to a movie or a baseball game. You have to know when enough is enough, and not waste any more precious time on it. After awhile, this approach to physical pleasure becomes second nature, and you'll be proud of your power over the physical world. How To Make The Transition The best way to overcome bad habits is to be happy and engrossed in life. When people lack direction in life, they are much more likely to develop a poor self-image, and look for ways of "stroking" themselves. On the other hand, if you have something you want to accomplish, you'll find it quite easy to mow down your bad habits. When your energy and vitality are functioning at full power, your "will-power" will, too. Make a game plan. Strategize a growth schedule according to what you expect to accomplish, and then shoot for a bit more. A good way to break a bad habit is to hire a friendly "nudnik." Ask a friend to point out every time you take more than one piece of cake, or nibble in-between meals - or revert to whatever bad habit you want to change. You can even set up a penalty system. Tell the nudnik: "If you catch me biting my nails, then I'll pay you $50." At $50 a bite, you'll probably break your habit long before you break your bank account! Why Is "Physical Pleasure" An Ingredient In Wisdom? To waste anything in life is foolish; to waste pleasure is absurd. The body is to the soul like a car is to the driver. Keep the body feeling good so the soul can tackle what life is about. Appreciate that this world is a "pleasure world." Take the time to get the true, lasting pleasures. To pay for a pleasure and not enjoy it is illogical. "Knowing what you are living for" is an enormous pleasure to strive for. Be careful - all material indulgence can be used as an escape. Over-indulgence drains self-respect. Don't "need" the pleasure. Take it when you can and enjoy it, but don't need it. Otherwise, you're enslaved. To get the most out of your pleasures, be full of vitality and purpose. Be happy with life. It's not easy to really have pleasure. You have to learn how. Savor your pleasures like a gourmet to appreciate them properly. Pleasure makes us feel it's good to be alive. Translate all your pleasures into energy for living. We need to break habits to have real pleasure. The body says you'll have a nervous breakdown. Don't worry. Be tough. Author Biography: Rabbi Noach Weinberg was the dean and founder of Aish HaTorah International. Over the last 40 years, his visionary educational programs have brought hundreds of thousands of Jews closer to their heritage. Copyright 2003 Aish.com - "The 48 Ways to Wisdom" is culled from the Talmud (Pirkei Avos 6:6), which states that "the crown of Torah is acquired by 48 Ways." Each of these is a special tool to help us sharpen our personal skills and get the most out of life.
.
36 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
The following columns on last weeks parsha were received after publication 1. Chicago Kollel Parsha Encounters page 36 2. Chicago Kollel Halacha Encounters page 36 3. Rabbi Yaacov Haber TorahLab page 37 4. Rabbi Sender Haber Out of the Loop page 37 5. Rabbi Mordecai Kamenetzky Parsha Parables page 38 6. Rabbi Moshe Krieger Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet page 38 7. Rabbi Label Lam Dvar Torah page 39
Community Kollel Parsha Encounters Parshas Ki Sissa - Feeling Your Brothers Pain By Rabbi Ezra Adler A Project Of Chicago Community Kollel This years Parsha Encounters is dedicated in honor of Mr.& Mrs. Nachy Shabat by their family upon their receiving the inaugural Rebbetzin Zucker Torah vChesed Award In this weeks parshah, Hashem responds to the cheit haeigel by telling Moshe to leave Him so that he can destroy Bnei Yisroel. Moshe responds, If so, erase me from Your Book that You wrote. What motivation prompted that particular response? How did Moshes declaration help Bnei Yisroel? The Ramban explains that Moshe wasnt merely saying, If You, Hashem, will destroy the Jews, dont write my name in Your Torah. Rather, he was asking that if Hashem destroys the Jews, then his name shouldnt be written in the Book of Life. In other words, Moshe was saying, I prefer death if the Bnei Yisroel are destroyed!!!! Moshes mesiras nefesh for his people was so great that he was willing to advocate for them in this manner. However, how did his declaration actually benefit Bnei Yisroel? In Sifsei Chaim, R Chaim Friedlander quotes Rav Dessler, who explains that Moshe wasnt just will-ing to forfeit his life, he was explaining that should Hashem destroy the Jews and keep him alive, his life wouldnt be considered a life at all. He simply could not envision his life in their ab- sence since he felt their pain so deeply! Moshes ability to feel the pain of the Jews - his middah of nosei bol - was apparent even at the age of 20 when he was still in Mitzrayim. The Torah de-scribes how Moshe went out and saw the burden of the Jews. The Medrash explains that he saw how hard they were working and said to Hashem: Me yetein mosi aleichem - I would rather die for you! This same middah now prompts Moshe to explain to Hashem that if He kills the Jews it will be like killing him. R Friedlander takes the idea one step further and explains that the Jews created a chillul Hashem through cheit haeigel. By truly experi-encing the pain of the Jews as his own pain, Moshe created a kiddush Hashem, which served to defuse their chillul Hashem and save them. We can learn an amazing lesson from this expla-nation. Just as Moshe was able to save the Jews by being nosei beol chavero, we have the ability to ameliorate the suffering of our family and friends. How many of our neighbors are experi-encing challenges such as unemployment or diffi- culties in chinuch habonim and shidduchim? Do we really feel their pain as Moshe did his peo-ples, or do we just mouth platitudes while in- wardly sighing with relief that weve been spared the nisayon in question? Imagine if we truly felt their pain! Our response would be much more heartfelt and helpful. Perhaps we could then suc-ceed in following Moshes example and create our own kiddush Hashem, one that will serve as the catalyst for the ultimate kiddush Hashem, the bringing of Moshiach. Rabbi Adler, a rebbi at Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi, learn with the Zichron Aharon mechanchim chabura at the kollel.
Chicago Community Kollel Halacha Encounters Davening By Heart By Rabbi Henoch Plotnik The Gemara in Ms Gittin (60b) derives from the pasuk in this weeks sedrah, Ksav lcha es hadevarim haeileh (literally write these words), that words of the written Torah may not be re-cited by heart. Hashem was directing Moshe Rabbeinu that the written word may only be recited from the text and that the oral Torah may not be written down at all. If the Gemara is to be understood at face value, we would be severely limited in performing many mitzvos in the manner in which we are accustomed, such as reciting Shema with-out a siddur, Vayechulu during Kiddush, and even quot-ing pesukim when delivering derashos. School assignments such as memorizing Shiras Devorah or Akeidas Yitzchak would seem to be in direct contradiction to an explicit Ge-mara. Is this really so? Upon delving into the Rishonim and latter day poskim we find a vast array of opinions as to the nature of this halachah and its practical application. According to the Ritva, by not reading inside we poten-tially lose the ability to recognize the chaseiros and yesi-ros (hidden, missing, and extra letters and words) which contain fundamentals of the Torah and are the source of many halachos. Oral Torah was meant to be transmitted precisely that way (orally) to ensure the accuracy of its transmission. Once it is written, details might be recorded in error, forever changing the true tradition. The Sefer Yereiim understands this halachah to be an enactment of the rabbanan, for if we would begin reciting written por- tions of Torah by heart, eventually they would not be com-mitted to a reliable text, and ignorant people would doubt their veracity. Tosafos in Ms Temurah (14b) questions how we have become accustomed to saying passages of daven-ing by heart such as Shema and Vayosha(preceding Az Yashir) and suggests that the issur is only in effect when being motzie another person in an obligation. Tosafos pre-viously comments that reciting psukei dzimra by heart does not pose a problem because the prohibition is only directed at pesukim from Chumash, not from Tehillim and the like. (The Shita Mikubetzes explains that this is so since the Neviim and Kesuvim were not yet in existence when the Torah mandated this prohibition. Others explain the distinction based on the Ritva cited above, darshening that the chaseiros and yesiros will only impact halachah which is exclusively derived from the Chumash.) Another Ritva in Ms Yuma cites a Yerushalmi that main-tains that pesukim which are incorporated into songs or praises are not included in the issur. Indeed, the absence of the darshening of cheseiros under such circumstances falls in line with the other citation of the Ritva. The Bais Yosef (O.C. 49) defends the common practice of Birchas Kohanim and Parshas Hatamid being said by heart as a matter of eis laasos (the same heter instituted to systematically write down the oral Torah). It is sim-ply too cumbersome to bring along a printed text every time we duchen. Finally, the Tur rules that any pasuk which is very in-grained in peoples minds (shagur bfiv) is permissi-ble as well (brought in Shulchan Aruch, O.C. [#49] as halachah lmaaseh). However, the Mishnah Berurah, in the name of the Magen Avraham advises, based on the varying opinions mentioned above, that one should only rely on this opinion for the examples specifically men-tioned in Shulchan Aruch, namely Shema, Birchas Ko-hanim and Parshas Hatamid (even though the Shulchan Aruch himself writes and anything like these). The Mishnah Berurah also relies on the opinions that permit saying Tehillim by heart since nobody else is being yotzei with the recital (in accordance with the Tosafos in Ms Temurah) and there is a general heter of derech tefillah to invoke Hashems mercy. This may be included in the leniency of the Yerushalmi of giving praise baal peh as quoted above. The Chasam Sofer (Y. D. #191) bolsters this opinion with the assumption that when the Leviim sang shirah in the Beis Hamikdash and Jews recited Hallel when bringing korban Pesach, it is doubtful that they brought printed texts (see NOTE). Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ztl raised the issue of saying Vayechulu at Kiddush by heart and explained that as long as one is only being motzie his Shabbos guests and family, doing so does not fall under the category of being motzie others (which Tosafos did forbid). The issur only ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 37
includes a rabim, a large gath-ering (based on his understanding of the shitah of the Gra that has its root in Taanis 28a). Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita reported that the Chazon Ish was not particular to use a siddur for Kiddush (Dirshu edition of Mishnah Berurah, #49:4, quoting sefer Shabbos LYis-rael). There is another reason to be lenient with Kiddush in as much as one doesnt really have to say Vayechulu or Vshamru to be yotzei (heard from Rav Shmuel Fuerst shlita). Memorizing pesukim by reciting them aloud cer-tainly falls under any number of lenient opinions men-tioned above and can be assigned by teachers to solid-ify the students expertise in Torah shebichsav. NOTE: This leniency would serve as a heter to give a drashah without having to refer to a stack of quoted sources. Rabbi Plotnik, an alumnus of the kollel, is a rebbi at Yeshivas Meor HaTorah and rav of Bais Tefilla.
Rabbi Yaacov Haber TorahLab From Darkness To Great Light Today is Purim Kattan. Its not the real Purim, because Purim must fall on the last month of the year, yet it still a day of celebration and happiness. From a seasonal and holiday perspective, Nissan, the month of Pesach, is the first of all months, and Adar is the last of all months. Nissan is the new Aviv or spring; Adar is the opposite end of the spectrum and can sometimes deliver the darkest of winter. (Just look outside.) Lets take a deeper look. Nissan was the month of G-d revealed. He miraculously took us out of Egypt; He split the sea; He dropped food from Heaven - G-ds presence was clear. The Talmud tells us that even a plain maidservant had greater prophecy than the Prophet Yechezkel. There was light. By contrast, in Adar G-d was the month of G-d hidden. Ester was named after the hiddenness of that time. The Talmud teaches us the the time represents, And I will certainly hide My face at that time. It was a time of persecution, Haman and even assimilation. This is G-ds design. At every beginning G-d gives us light. That is G-ds gift to us. But then that light begins to diminish. The light of G-d goes into hiding and is no longer revealed; the revealed G-d no longer a given. As the months pass from Nissan it gets darker. We must find that light within us. As the months get darker and darker we must indeed search deeper and deeper. During Adar, the end of the cycle, G-d is the most hidden. It is at that time, during Adar, that we must delve into the deepest part of our souls and find our absolute best. We, not G-d, must generate the light. At the end of the calendar year we read, - For the Jews there was light, happiness and joy. This light was our light. The light of Nissan is G-ds gift to us; the light of Adar is our gift to G-d. May G-d bless us with a new light, an Ohr Chadash, when He will once again reveal His full light, on the Zion and Jerusalem. Rav Kook of blessed memory wrote: - ; , ; , ; , , . The truly righteous do not complain about darkness; they add light. They dont complain about evil; they add justice. They dont complain about heresy; they add faith. They dont complain about ignorance; they add wisdom. (A synopsis of a small part of the Keynote address at the Shappels 36th anniversary Dinner in Jerusalem.) Rabbi Sender Haber Out of the Loop Choosing The People Moshe was up on Har Sinai receiving the Torah when Hashem told him, You need to leave now. Your Jewish people have made themselves a Golden Calf. They have made a wrong turn and are heading in the wrong direction. They are dancing around the calf and worshipping it, saying this is your god who took you out of Egypt. It was clear that the forty days on Har Sinai would not end successfully. Moshe would not receive the Torah. Hashem gave Moshe some advice. These people are stubborn. He said, Let me destroy the Jewish people. Keep the Luchos and start a new nation. I will make you great. Now Moshe had a choice: He could forsake the Jewish people and take the Luchos or he could stay with the Jewish people and, necessarily, break the Luchos. (Perhaps, he also had the option to retire). The logical course of action was to forget about the Jewish people. The Jewish people had been complaining since Moshe first lobbied Pharaoh to let them go. The Jewish people deserved to be destroyed. Moshe deserved better. Still, Moshe chose the Jews. He descended Har Sinai to join them and he shattered the luchos before their eyes. Over time, he helped them change their ways and finally grow to the point where they were ready to truly accept the second Luchos. Moshe could have taken Hashems advice. He could have chosen the easy and logical way. He could have kept the Luchos and built a nation with his own family. Instead, he risked everything and stuck with the Jewish people. What was Moshe thinking when he voluntarily left G-ds presence and descended the Mountain? What motivated Moshe? If we could ask Moshe this question, we would expect the answer to be profound: My heart is with my people, I couldnt see things any other way, I was blinded by my love, or perhaps they needed me, how could I forsake them? According to the Gemara, Moshe Rabeinus thoughts were quite different: Moshes first motivation was logical. Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov had devoted their lives to G-d. G-d promised each of them that He would care for their children. If those promises were not a strong enough to keep a nation alive there was no way that Moshe be able to successfully build a nation. Moshes second motivation was shame: How will it look? People will say that I abandoned the nation I was leading to start a nation of my own It is difficult to believe that Moshe Rabeinu made such a selfless decision based on such selfish motives. He was afraid that his new nation wouldnt work and he was afraid that it would look bad. Didnt Bnai Yisroel themselves factor in? Werent they part of the equation? About one hundred years ago in Russia there was a young yeshiva bochur who was a bit of a troublemaker. One morning he wanted to have a bit of fun so he tucked a goat in the Aron Kodesh of the bais midrash before davening. It was a day with krias haTorah so when the Aron was opened in the middle of davening the goat popped out and started prancing all over the bais midrash. It didnt require much investigation to identify the perpetrator. In short order the case was taken up by the faculty. The overwhelming opinion was to expel the young man but such a move would have drastic implications. Finally, the menahel of the yeshiva, who was the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe met with the boy. The principal asked him some questions and then asked him if there is any reason he should not be expelled from the yeshiva. The boy responded very cleverly, If you expel me from the Yeshiva, he said, You are not only expelling me. You are also expelling my children and my childrens children and their children for all generations. The menahel was impressed with the boys answer and allowed him to stay in yeshiva, on the condition that he stay away from all goats. Moshe Rabeinu realized that it was not important to judge the Jewish people who stood at the bottom of the mountain. He needed to think about the descendents of their forefathers. They had strong roots and they would grow into a strong nation. At the moment it might be logical to abandon them, salvage the Luchos and start his own nation, but as a leader he knew that their past and their future were too powerful to be abandoned based on a momentary lapse. By looking at the pragmatic realities of existing as a nation, Moshe did more than just stick with his people, he recognized them for who they were and acknowledged that no momentary situation could justify abandoning them forever. 38 ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc
Hashem offered Moshe the logical choice, but Moshe read between the lines. He recognized our past and helped us realize our future.
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky Parsha Parables Parshas Ki Sisa 5774 - Spare Us Please Dedicated in memory of Isaac Volkmar Yitzchak ben Natan, a"h upon his shloshim Moshe Rabeinu was understandably upset. Of course, the Almighty's decision to wipe out Klall Yisrael after the sin of the Golden Calf was in infallible and undoubtedly incontestable, however Moshe still did his best to dissuade Him from acting upon the threat. In fact, the Talmud in Tractate Berachos tells us that Moshe took a cue from the Almighty, when He said, "And now desist from me and let My anger flare up and I shall annihilate them, and I shall make from you a Great nation" (Exodus 32:10). But Moshe was not flattered or deterred he continues to plead on their behalf with all sorts of arguments some of them explicated in the ensuing verses, others alluded to through scripture and elucidated through the Talmud. One of the more powerful arguments he presents was the fact the Children of Israel were overloaded with gold and silver, the spoils of Egypt. Moshe compares his folk to a father who indulged his son with assorted accouterments, amusements and pleasures and then placed in a tenuous position to sin. "What will stop him from getting high and speeding with his neon-colored Lamborghini at 90 miles an hour, while cavorting with all sorts of miscreants?" In one of the more powerful objections Moshe offers, one that is seemingly an direct counter-diction to G-d's offer "I shall make from you a Great nation," Moshe says, "And now, if You would but forgive their sin and if not erase me, please, from Your book that You have written." It's quite a powerful challenge to G-d, one that is seemingly embodies "chutzpah". After all one does not threaten the Almighty. Yet Moshe demands, and Hashem "backs down" (kv'yachol) in corporeal terms. What is strange is the insertion of politeness in what seems to be a vociferous exchange. In the midst of requesting that self-obliteration should go hand-in-hand with the fulfillment of Hashem's threat against the B'nai Yisrael, Moshe inserts the word, "Please". "Forgive their sin and if not erase me, please, from Your book." Of course, Moshe was polite and well mannered, but the nicety of the word "please" in the midst of such a vociferous challenge seems incongruous. Can the expression "erase please" be alluding to something more? The Story A well dressed gentleman, in a perfectly tailored suit and Brioni tie, entered the bank. He walked up to a teller, put his hand inside his jacket and handed her a note. Smilingly, she handed him bags of money from her drawer. He took them and turned to leave. As he was exiting the bank money bags in hand, the teller ran after him. She was holding a stack of bills and was shouting, "Sir, I do believe that you forgot these!" When the robber left the manager was livid, "Are you out of your mind? Why did you give him that extra stack of bills?" "Look at this," she said handing him the neatly written note: "I am sorry for interrupting you in the middle of your work, but with all due respect, I humbly request that you please hand me over any money that is with your physical reach. Thank you again, and have a wonderful day. P.S. By the way, I have a 45 caliber weapon on my person. " The teller shrugged in despair, "How could I not have given him the stack that I had forgotten to give him earlier? He asked so nicely!" The Message My dear friend, Dr. Mordechai Bluth, whose critical analysis of both my grammar and ideas always evokes a smile (and sometimes a retraction), shared an idea that he had heard many years ago from an old Sephardic rabbi. Look back at the episode which initiated the Israelites' original acquisition of the immense amounts of gold and silver which ultimately caused the catastrophe of the Golden Calf. Reflecting to his commitment to Abraham, that his descendants will indeed go into exile, but will leave their captors with great wealth, Hashem beseeched Moshe to ensure the fulfillment of the promise. He implores Moshe to "Please, speak into the ears of the people, and have each man request from his (Egyptian) neighbor and each woman from hers, silver vessels and golden vessels" (Exodus 11:2). The Talmud discusses the anomalous use of the preface, "Please ask," language that seems to conflict the normal directive of a ruler, let alone the Almighty. Perhaps, that G-dly supplication, "Please" evoked a response that affected the collection of wealth to a superfluous degree -- one that ultimately ended in the blasphemous profligacy of a Golden Calf. Perhaps it was that extra entreat, a most powerful Heavenly "Please" that triggered the cycle of disaster. Thus, explained the elderly rav, Moshe says to Hashem, Forgive them for their indulgence because of excessive wealth, if not, "Erase, 'Please'" from the great Book! It's nice to be polite, but sometimes insistence can lead to disaster as well! Good Shabbos 2014 Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
Rabbi Moshe Krieger Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet Parshas Ki Sisa In this week's sidra, upon completing its instructions regarding the Mishkan's set up and preparation, the Torah launches into a talk regarding the holiness and severity of Shabbos observance. Troubled by the seemingly random juxtaposition of these two discussions, Rashi explains the pessukim as instructive of the fact that although Klal Yisroel were required to busy themselves with the arrangement of the Mishkan, they were not to allow such work to override Shabbos observance. However, through an attentive reading of the pessukim, one encounters a difficulty with Rashi's approach. As can be observed, the Torah does not simply interject with a brief warning regarding the holiness of Shabbos. In fact, although a few short words would have equally served the purpose, the Torah uses six pessukim to make its point. Could the Torah not have chosen the sidra containing the general commandment of Shabbos observance as its venue for this more lengthy discussion? Our parsha does not appear to be a logical place for this form of elaboration. In his sefer, Peh Kadosh, Rav Itzele Mi'Volozhin, zt'l, attempts to explain Rashi's viewpoint with the use of a relevant and well-known concept. The purpose of the Mishkan's preparation was to provide the shechina with a place to dwell among Klal Yisroel and, consequently, to enable the Jewish people to draw closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Furthermore, Rav Itzele adds, considering that the strengthening of Klal Yisroel's relationship with G-d can be asserted as the absolutely most noble cause which one can progress, it can be presumed that the Mishkan's readying and construction retained an importance of monumental proportions. Moving on to his direct answer, he suggests that the Torah wished, through its lengthy treatment of Shabbos' holiness, not merely to command that Shabbos observance override the Mishkan's set up, but to address, with the extra pessukim, why the halacha was so. The Torah wished to justify how it can even be proposed that the Mishkan's preparation bow to the strictures of Shabbos. Rav Itzele contends that the pessukim successfully emphasize how Shabbos is itself a medium for the very same goals as those of the Mishkan strengthening one's connection with Hakadosh Baruch Hu and that there would therefore be no reason to transgress the laws of Shabbos during the preparation of the Mishkan. Rav Itzele provides an example to lend validity to his claim that the pessukim emphasize Shabbos' quality as a day propitious for drawing closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. In one of the pessukim, Hakadosh Baruch Hu refers to himself as Mikadishchem your 'Consecrator' [The One Who makes you (B'nei Yisroel) holy (on Shabbos day)]. On Shabbos, Hashem actively draws us closer to Him by granting us a higher level of kedusha. Additionally, we can add that the pessukim include the word vayinafash and He [G-d] was refreshed, from which the gemara (Beitzah 16a) derives that one is granted an extra soul on Shabbos in order to deepen his relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. ":\D "np trcdk trcd ihc 39
Yet, to begin elaborating on the concept of Shabbos' ability to facilitate one's growth in kedusha, it is integral to remember that although Hashem does grant us greater kedusha on Shabbos, He requires us to exert our every effort in the pursuit of that holiness. In Chapter 26, the Mesillas Yesharim writes that all kedusha is obtained only through hishtadlus active effort. Indeed, directly applying this idea, the Zohar (242) writes that every person is granted the extra soul of Shabbos (see above) only in accordance with the degree of his efforts to utilize Shabbos to grow in his relationship with Hashem. Perhaps it would prove pertinent to provide several examples of the various efforts one can make in order to be granted the full measure of sanctity which Shabbos can provide. On a basic note, one should attempt a greater contemplation, on Shabbos, about his avodas Hashem and relationship with G-d. A person's main focus on Shabbos should be on Hakadosh Baruch Hu. With respect to this point, while it would probably not be wise, for instance, to prohibit mundane talk at the Shabbos table, one could at least limit such discussion on the holy day and try to instead speak of Torah and mitzvos. Perhaps one could likewise attempt to invest a little more concentration in his tefillos on Shabbos and, similarly, try to inject a little more feeling into the zemiros he sings by his table. The Zohar calls Shabbos Yoma D'nishmasa The Day of the Soul. Shabbos Kodesh is supposed to be a day when we set aside our worldly concerns and focus on our service of the Ribono Shel Olam. The Vilna Gaon, zt'l, in his sefer, Aderes Eliyahu (Bereishis 2:9), states that our properly enjoyable and lavish Shabbos meals possess the same level of sanctity as the consumption of the korbanos in the Beis Hamikdash. In light of this, it would ideally be proper to attempt an increase in our purity of intention while consuming the food to try to eat, throughout the se'uda, not simply for mundane enjoyment but in order to fulfill the obligation to have a special meal in honor of the unique holiness of Shabbos Kodesh. However, in our generation, one can certainly not be expected to consume all of his food with only the most perfect of intentions. But perhaps one could try, at least before beginning his Shabbos seudos, to contemplate on the fact that he is about to fulfill the mitzvah of partaking in the holy Shabbos meal. The Mesillas Yesharim (C. 26) assures us that if a person genuinely tries to increase his level of holiness and certainly, we might add, if a person tries to increase his level of holiness on Shabbos, a day specifically auspicious for the attainment of spiritual growth Hashem is guaranteed to assist in the endeavor and draw the person closer and closer to Him. Shabbos Kodesh possesses tremendous power. Throughout the years, there were many people who approached the Steipler, Rav Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky, zt'l, and related that they were becoming increasingly bothered by belief-related questions. Many of these people, knowing that even the most strictly logical refute could not succeed in squelching their almost obsessive naggings, would ask the Steipler for advice. Generally, the Steipler would advise them to strengthen their adherence to all the complicated and intricate laws of Shabbos. He would explain that Shabbos observance has the ability to purify one's thoughts and enable true closeness to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, facilitating the total disappearance of any such thoughts. May we truly try our utmost to sanctify ourselves with the holiness of Shabbos Kodesh and thereby be zoche to deepen our relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Rabbi Label Lam Dvar Torah Ki Sisa 5774 - Let Us Not Break Those Too! The Children of I srael shall keep the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal covenant for their generations. (Shemos 31:16) And the tablets were G-d's work, and the inscription was G-d's inscription, engraved on the tablets. (Shemos 32:16) .... "were G-ds work": This is to be interpreted according to its apparent meaning, that He personally made them. Rashi Why is it that in the middle of the narrative of the events about Moshes reaction to the Golden Calf, we suddenly privy, almost parenthetically, to an appraisal and provenance of the Sacred Tablets? Why here and now? Ron called me in the height of his frustration. I had a good rapport with him and he felt I would be able to understand his side also. It seemed to him like it was the worst thing that had ever happened. His wife, over time, had become Shomer Shabbos, and he was living with a vi rtual Rebbetzin. Short of checking his Mezuzos he was looking for a solution to his dilemma. So he called me and I heard about what had happened most recently to set him off. Its not enough that all the light switches are covered and taped and the TV remote is disappeared, but Friday in the middle of the night, he hears a shriek. He told that he came running downstairs expecting to find a dead body. What had happened? Their college age daughter was home with a friend and to explore deeper in the fridge they turned the bulb back on and left it that way. When Mom came down to get a drink, she was alarmed to see the light turn on and was now unable to close it lest she turn the light off. Her surprised reaction produced that shriek. Is that normal!? he complained. Of course I empathized and all that good stuff before trying to put his wifes reaction into some meaningful context that he too could appreciate. Ron, how much is the Mona Lisa worth? B illions if not priceless, right!? Now imagine that this rare painting is being hosted in your house for a short period of time. How would you react if while you were sitting in your living room admiring its beauty your daughter would approach that delicate work of art and, not knowing its true value, suddenly reach to touch it with hands made greasy from fried chicken. What would your immediate reaction be? Shriek! Right!? (He agreed!) Now Shabbos is even more precious and priceless than the Mona Lisa. It was blessed by G-d from the very beginning of creation. It comes to our house once a week, by invite, and we host it for slightly more than 24 hours. We are commanded to keep it and so we have successfully for many thousands of years. I explained to him, Your wife has come to appreciate this over the years and even if you dont yet, it is important to her that you respect her value of this priceless entity. Now the Tablets too were probably the most valuable object ever in human history. If I would draw a painting of a woman half smiling it might not be worth the paper it is scribbled on. If Van Gogh or De Vinci did the same it would be priceless. What if the greatest artist, G-d Himself, created it and signed it? The Torah authenticates here, that thats what Moshe broke in order to sober the people intoxicated with the Golden Calf. That would be worthy of a shriek. Measure the loss. We can never estimate the extent of that tragedy. The consolation is that inscribed on those Holy Stones were words and ideals that live with us today like knowing Hashem and keeping Shabbos holy. Let us not break those too! To Support Project Genesis- Torah.org DvarTorah, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org. Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning Revolution! Torah.org: The Judaism Site brings this and a host of other classes to you every week. Visit http://torah.org or email learn@torah.org to get your own free copy of this mailing. Need to change or stop your subscription? Please visit our subscription center, http://torah.org/subscribe/ -- see the links on that page. Permission is granted to redistribute, but please give proper attribution and copyright to the author and Torah.org. Both the author and Torah.org reserve certain rights. Email copyrights@torah.org for full information. Torah.org: The Judaism Site Project Genesis, Inc. 122 Slade Avenue, Suite 250 Baltimore, MD 21208 http://www.torah.org/ learn@torah.org (410) 602-1350 FAX: (410) 510-1053
Vol 24 # 45 PLEASANT RIDGE NEWSLETTER s xc sga, A Kehilas Prozdor Publication (c) 1990-2014 Rabbi Leibie Sternberg (Monsey/Spring Valley Zmanim) kvehu :,arp http://www.prozdor.com Candles Mincha DafYomi Shiur Shachris a ezx Friday 5:20 5:30 9:26 Shabbos 1:45/5:20 4:45 9:00 9:26 Sunday 5:30 5:50 8:00 9:25 This issue is dedicated: kz ktuna rc ctz irvt crv hrun hct bgk Dedications ($18) and appreciations may be sent to: Kehilas Prozdor, 8 GreenHill Lane, Spring Valley, N.Y. 10977 (845) 354-7240 As this contains Divrei Torah and partial Pesukim, it should be treated with proper respect, both during and after use ohhj cegh rc ovrct bzku hukv ejmh rc krgp bzku
IMPORTANCE OF .... The Gemara (Bava Basra 172a) states that if there are two men in one city with the same name and fathers name (e.g. iugna ic ;xuh) they are not permitted to make a claim against the other based on a rya (document), since it wouldnt be clear who owes whom. If they wish to do business, the Gemara says uakah, which means they must add a third generation (e.g. a grandfathers name) to identify them, such as cegh ic iugna ic ;xuh. If even the grandfathers name is the same for both, they should add a inhx (sign) such as .ud tuva cegh ic iugna ic ;xuh (who is short) or ick (who is fair-complexioned) etc.. If even this does not sufficiently distinguish them, they should write ivfv or ktrah. One might suggest that for this reason, the Torah describes the architect of the Mishkan as: vsuvh vynk ruj ic hrut ic ktkmc, since there may have been more than one hrut ic ktkmc among the Bnei Yisroel and perhaps they both had a grandfather named ruj. However, even if this were so, why would the extended lineage be mentioned again in kvehu where Moshe presents Betzalel to the Bnei Yisroel ? It might have been necessary when Hashem told Moshe whom to choose, in ta, hf, to distinguish him from other Betzalels. However, Moshe had now identified him and didnt need the extra description. The knrf ard notes that Rashi comments in kvehu how Chur was the son of Miriam (and therefore the nephew of Moshe). As such, Bnei Yisroel could have suspected that Moshe only heard hrut ic ktkmc from Hashem and that he unilaterally chose his nephew from the list of possible Betzalels. Therefore, the Posuk tells us explicitly that Moshe announced: ufu ic ktkmc oac s tre utr that Hashem told him specifically whom to choose, and that Hashem used Chur and the tribe of Yehudah to describe him. QUESTION OF THE WEEK: In a Pikuach Nefesh situation where money is needed, what is preferable: one active aveirah (steal) or several passive aveiros (not paying a worker transgress an vag and a utk) ? ANSWER TO LAST WEEK: (If a houses Mezuzah fell off on Shabbos, what should one do ?) One can either make his house Hefker, which obviously makes him Potur from Mezuzah, or he can claim xbut, since he cannot do anything about it. The Gemara (Pesachim 70b) relates that a Tanna moved away from Yerushalayim, to become Potur from a Korban Chagigah on Pesach (which fell on Shabbos) rather than rely on the fact that the Gedolei HaDor did not instruct Bnei Yisroel to bring it. This implies that a Petur is preferable to the excuse of xbut, if possible. One should therefore choose Hefker. DIN'S CORNER: When faced with a choice of being cren a secular J ew, raised without Torah, versus a J ew from an observant home who has strayed, one should concentrate efforts where the chances of success are better, but lean towards rescuing the straying J ew if his/her parents are still living, as it would fulfill an additional sxj to them. Teshuvos VHanhagos 3:480) DID YOU KNOW THAT .... The Gemara (Pesachim 26a) states that jhru vtrnu kue - [enjoying] sound, appearance and aroma [in the Beis HaMikdash] do not violate vkhgn, the prohibition against deriving benefit from anything Hekdesh. As such, it was permitted to gaze at the Kiyor and benefit from the reflection of its mirrored walls. The Tur notes that this ability served a specific function. Since the Kohen who processed a Korban was required to do so vnak for the precise sake of the person offering it, when that person was a woman, the Kohen was able to see her briefly in the reflection of the mirrored Kiyor, and thereby know for whom the Korban was being offered. The Minchas Yitzchok (2:84) asks, if by not looking at her directly, the Kohen sought to avoid ruvrv - the risk of unseemly thoughts, wouldnt that same risk exist in looking at the mirrors reflection ? Furthermore, does not the Shulchan Aruch (jut 75:5) clearly state that where a man may not say Shema in the presence of vurg, he may also not say it where the vurg is visible through a glass ? The Minchas Elazar (3:25) states that in the midst of doing the Avodah in the Beis HaMikdash, the Kohen would not be susceptible to ruvrv. If so, why couldnt he look at her directly ? The Minchas Elazar suggests that a direct look was discouraged because of ihgv ,htrn to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Another possible rationale could be as follows: Chazal established an obligation to avoid ruvrv from such Pesukim as: ofhbhg hrjtu uru,, tku and gr rcs kfn ,rnabu. If generally, a direct look runs the risk of ruvrv, would we also apply the same rule to a Tzadik whose elevated moral character is sure to resist it ? Clearly, those Pesukim apply to everyone. However, their application might be limited to a direct look, where Chazal said dukp tk it applies to everyone. Where however, the look is only a reflection from a mirror, Chazal would not have been so rigid, and where circumstances suggest that the risk of ruvrv is severely diminished, the restriction would have been somewhat lifted. Such would be the case with a Tzadik, and also for a Kohen in the middle of the Avodah. A Lesson Can Be Learned From: When R Shimon Sofer was a young boy, he asked his father the Chasam Sofer an Apikores-like question. A Maskil asked me this question and I couldnt think of an answer to give him, he explained apologetically. The Chasam Sofer said nothing until a few days later, when he called in his son and showed him how the question was easily answered. The boy asked him: You obviously knew this when I originally asked you the question a few days ago. Why did you wait until now to explain it? The Chasam Sofer replied: I wanted to teach you that in matters of vbunt, one need not feel rushed or pressured to immediately resolve any questions or doubts. If you cant think of an answer today you will surely think of one tomorrow or the next day. Always rest assured that an answer exists. In the meantime, let nothing jeopardize your vbunt. P.S. Sholosh Seudos sponsored by the Sternberg family.