Rabbi Binyomin Adler Shabbos Taam HaChaim Terumah 5774 (From the archives) The Month Of Adar And Shabbos Are A State Of Permanency In This Temporal World Introduction We have now entered into the month of Adar and in six weeks we will celebrate the holiday of Purim. It is important to understand the connection between the month that we are in and the parashah that we are currently reading. The Chiddushei HaRim writes that the word Adar is similar to the word adur, which means I will dwell. What is the association between the month of Adar and dwelling? In order to understand the connection between the month of Adar and dwelling, we will examine the Medrash regarding the building of the Mishkan. The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 33:1) states that HaShem wished that the Jewish people build for Him a Mishkan so that He will have a place to dwell amongst them. What does it mean that HaShem dwells amongst the Jewish People? Permanency of Shabbos It is said regarding Shabbos (Shemos 31:16) vishamru vinei Yisroel es haShabbos laasos es haShabbos ledorosam bris olam, the Children of Israel shall observe the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal covenant for their generations. The Zohar states that the word ledorosam can be read lidirosam, to dwell amongst them. How is Shabbos associated with dwelling? In one sense we can suggest that the Gemara (Pesachim 117b) states that Shabbos is kivia vikayma, permanent and existing. Similarly, the Gemara states that Shabbos is kovea, renders permanent, regarding the separating of tithes. Thus, unlike the days of the week which can often be tumultuous and unstable, Shabbos has an aura of permanency and stability. On a deeper level, however, Shabbos is the source of blessing for the weekday, so it follows that when the Jewish People observe the Shabbos properly, the Shabbos sustains the Jewish People. Purim Is A Permanent Holiday Based on this premise that the permanency of Shabbos is based on how we observe Shabbos, we can suggest that this is the meaning of the words of the Chiddushei HaRim who writes that the word Adar is also associated with the concept of dwelling. On the surface, the miracle of Purim, when the Jewish People were saved from a decree of annihilation, was a temporary reprieve. Despite the fact that the Jewish People rebuilt the Bais HaMikdash shortly afterwards, they did not retain the level of holiness and elevated spirituality that they had experienced when they were delivered from the clutches of Haman. Nonetheless, the Medrash (Medrash Mishlei 9) states that although in the future all the festivals will be nullified, the days of Purim will never leave the Jewish People. What is so unique about Purim that even after Moshiach arrives we will commemorate its message? The answer to this question is that the miracle of Purim demonstrated to the Jewish People that despite the temporal state of this world, HaShem still dwells amongst us, and this idea is eternal. The Zohar states that the Jewish People, the Torah and HaShem are all one. Thus, the fact that HaShem delivered the Jewish People from annihilation reflects the idea that we will always be one with HaShem. Similarly, the Pinei Menachem cites the Zohar that states that if there is no holiness below, so to speak, there is no holiness above. Based on the words of the Zohar, we can comprehend the Medrash that states that HaShem desired to dwell amongst the Jewish People, and for this reason He instructed them to erect a Mishkan. By erecting a Mishkan and living in holiness, the Jewish People, in a sense, were allowing HaShem to dwell in holiness. The Shabbos Connection Shabbos is a time when HaShem, so to speak, dwells in our midst. We find that regarding Purim it is said (Esther 9:28) vihayamim haeileh nizkarim vinaasim bichol dor vador, and the days should be remembered and celebrated by every generation. Regarding Shabbos it is said (Shemos 31:16) vishamru vinei Yisroel es haShabbos laasos es haShabbos ledorosam bris olam, the Children of Israel shall observe the Shabbos, to make the Shabbos an eternal covenant for their generations. It is also said regarding Shabbos (Shemos 20:8) zachor es yom haShabbos likadisho, remember the Shabbos day to sanctify it. Thus, we see that regarding both Shabbos and Purim we are instructed to remember the day and celebrate the day. Furthermore, regarding Purim it is said bichol dor vador, by every generation, and the word dor alludes to the idea that Purim has permanence amongst the Jewish People. HaShem should allow us to celebrate the Holy Shabbos and the wondrous day of Purim and we should merit the day when Purim will not cease among the Jews, and its remembrance will not perish from their descendants. 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 - , G-d to Whom belongs honor and greatness. What is the difference between honor and greatness? Normally we say that a person who does something remarkable is honored with an award or accolade, whereas greatness is an ongoing attribute. Regarding HaShem, however, His honor is eternal, similar to His greatness. Perhaps it is for this reason that we combine the two expressions, declaring that HaShems honor is akin to His Greatness, which is forever. Shabbos Stories A Healing Whisper Rav Avraham Trop, ztl, who was the Rosh Yeshiva of Karlin in the United States, used to relate to others about the time he became deathly ill when he was a bachur learning in Radin. His friends ran to the Chofetz Chaim and said, "What are we going to do? Avraham Trop is close to death!" The Chofetz Chaim instructed the bachurim to whisper in Avraham's ear that if he would commit himself to spreading Torah to Jewish children his entire life, he will be cured from his illness. The bachurim hurried to carry out the instructions but when they arrived by Avraham's bedside, he had already lost consciousness. They ran back to the Chofetz Chaim and explained the situation to him. The Chofetz Chaim said that he himself would go to Avraham's bedside. When the Chofetz Chaim reached Avraham's bedside, he requested that everyone leave the room. The bachurim left the room, but they strained their ears behind the door and peered through the keyhole to see what the Chofetz Chaim was doing. They saw and heard the Chofetz Chaim standing next to the wall and calling out the names of Avraham's ancestors, who were known tzaddikim. He said, "Go to the kesei hakavod and announce that your grandson Avraham accepts upon himself to teach Torah all his life to Jewish children." The Chofetz Chaim then left the room. Shortly later, Avraham began showing signs of life, and his condition gradually improved until he was completely cured. (Shaal Avicha Veyegadcha) (www.revach.net) The Vision Of His Youth On a visit to Congregation Toras Chaim of Hewlett, NY, Rabbi Paysach Krohn told a wonderful story. Ponovez Yeshiva in Bnei Brak is one of the most distinguished Yeshivos in the world. A number of years ago, at the beginning of a semester, a young boy from Switzerland who applied there was denied entry. The Rosh Yeshiva (Dean) told him to come back in a few years, his level of study was not advanced enough for the Yeshiva, and he also was a bit too young. The boy said he understood, but he wanted to speak to the Rebbetzin, the widow of the founder and late Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovez, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahanamen, of blessed memory. The Yeshiva administration was a bit surprised: Rav Kahanamen had passed away a number of years prior, and the young man did not claim to know the Rebbetzin. More important, she had no role in the admission process. Nevertheless, the young man was shown the Rebbetzen's apartment. After a few moments, the boy emerged, and the Rebbetzin asked to speak with the Rosh Yeshiva. It took less than a few minutes, for the Rosh Yeshiva to emerge and motion the young student waiting outside of the Rebbetzens apartment. "Welcome to Ponevezer Yeshiva," the Rosh Yeshiva heartily declared. "We have decided to accept you wholeheartedly." The boy smiled while many of the students and others who gathered outside the apartment were baffled. "What could have influenced the decision?" they wondered. The young man solved the mystery for the students who had gathered near the Rebbetzens apartment. "When I was seven years old, one summer my mother and I vacationed at ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 3 a Swiss mountain resort." Coincidentally, the Ponevezer Rav zl was in Switzerland for the summer and checked in to the only kosher hotel in the area - the one we were at! The problem was, the only available room was on the upper floor, and it was hard for the Rav to walk up and down. My mother heard about the problem and immediately offered to switch our room on the first floor, with his. After thanking her profusely, the Rav called my mother and me into his new room. "I want to thank you, Mrs. Schwartz," he said. "I understand that when on vacation it is hard to move rooms, but more so I also want to express appreciation to your son. I'd like to buy him a toy in a gift shop. What would he like?" "I told the Rav that I did not want a toy, I did not want any prize. I did not even want a few coins. All I wanted is to become a student one day in the Ponovez Yeshiva. The Rav smiled and said that he would accept me whenever I felt I was ready. Immediately, the Rav took out a pen and paper and wrote the note that I handed to the Rebbetzin today. Frankly, I never even read it. All I know is that the vision of my youth was fulfilled today." (www.Torah.org) Shabbos in Halacha The Scope of Borer IV. Circumstances in which one may take waste from food B. When both items will be used in one meal If one desires for immediate use one item in a mixture and a second item for later in the same meal, one would be allowed to remove the item desired later and leave behind the one that he needs immediately. This would not be deemed a separation of waste from food, because what one desires for later in the same meal cannot be deemed waste. However, if one will not use the unwanted item until a subsequent meal, then that item is deemed to be waste in the context of this meal, and may not be removed. An example of this ruling would be if one has soup that contains rice, he would be allowed to remove the rice if he will eat the rice during the meal. Similarly, in a carrot-pineapple mixture, one would be allowed to remove bits of pineapple to save them for dessert. New Stories - Terumah 5774 The Chasam Sofer ztl Rav Moshe Sofer - the Chasam Sofer - was born in 1766 to Rav Shmuel and Gittel Sofer of Frankfurt Am Mein. Rav Shmuel was an outstanding talmid chacham who traced his yichus back to the Yalkut Shimoni. At the age of three, he turned to his melamed in puzzlement and asked, Why does the verse repeat itself in the expression afar min haadama? The melamed tried to hurry on to the next verse, but the young Moshe would not be put off and demanded an answer straight away. Astounded by the childs grasp, the melamed told Rav Shmuel what had happened. When Rav Shmuel repeated the incident to Rav Nasan Adler, one of the greatest gedolim of the generation, he insisted that Rav Shmuel teach the boy himself. Rav Shmuel understood that he was grooming a future leader of klal Yisroel and invested all his energies into the boys chinuch, both of the intellect and of the character. Judging by the following anecdote, his efforts obviously had an impact on the child. When Rav Moshe was just five years old, he discovered that there is a difference of opinion concerning which berachah should be recited over sugar. Then and there he resolved never to suck sugar again. This was a remarkable resolution when one takes into consideration the fact that candies were virtually non-existent in those days. At seven years of age Moshe completed Maseches Beitza and said chidushim at the siyum. With Rav Nosson Adler An incident occurred when Rav Moshe was ten years old that changed the entire course of his life. Rav Moshe was delivering a drashsa in Rav Nosson Adlers beis medrash in the presence of Frankfurts most notable talmidei chachamim, when he refuted one of the insights of his grandfather, the Maharshach. Rav Moshes father became upset and publicly slapped his son in the face. Rav Nosson called Rav Shmuel aside and said: I command that Moshe leaves your home. I will care of him and teach him myself. Under Rav Nossons tutelage Rav Moshes knowledge of Torah and kabbala rocketed, and he imbibed his teachers saintly ways. In later years it was said that Rav Moshe never forgot a single chidush of his, and that he could do three things simultaneously - speak with someone, prepare his shiurim, and prepare answers to halachic problems. He studied in a small room near the main beis medrash near where Rav Nosson answered shaalos, and in this way he witnessed Rav Nossons encounters with gedolei Yisroel and had shimush. In The Eye Of A Storm Rav Moshe studied in the yeshivah of Rav Tavil Shayer in Magentsa until the age of sixteen, at which point his parents called him back to Frankfurt. He returned to the German city in 1782. Meanwhile, dissension had arisen in Frankfurt. There were those who resented Rav Nasan Adlers leanings towards kabbala, and he was forced to leave and accept a position in the Moravian city of Boskovitz. As he left, accompanied by a huge throng, Rav Moshe plaintively cried out, I wish to serve my teacher and rabbi in Boskovitz! Suddenly, he realized that hed forgotten to add the words bli neder to his pronouncement, and he quickly asked Rav Nosson if this constituted a neder. Rav Nosson nodded affirmatively. Without a moments hesitation, Rav Moshe tried to leap into Rav Nasans wagon, but there was no room for him. Desperate, he raced after the wagon for a few miles until he caught up with it at a crossroads. Impressed by his talmids mesirus nefesh, Rav Adler made a place for him in the wagon and took him along to Boskowitz. After three years Rav Nasan was forced to return to Frankfurt because of an informer, but Rav Moshe stayed on, opened a yeshiva, and married the daughter of the rav of Prosnitz who had recently passed away. Rav Moshe also learned with Rav Pinchos Halevi Horowitz, the Baal Haflooh, whom he also considered his Rebbe Muvhak. Rav Pinchos was sent to Frankfurt by his Rebbe, the maggid of Mezeritch. For seven years Rav Moshe was supported by his brother-in-law, Rav Hirsch, and he devoted himself totally to Torah until Rav Hirsch lost all of his money. When Rav Moshe saw that his wife was forced to sell her head-covering to buy wine for kiddush he reluctantly accepted an offer to serve as rav in the Moravian city of Dresnitz. Soon afterward, his brother-in-laws finances improved and he quipped to Rav Moshe: It appears that my financial downfall came min hasShomayim just to force you to accept a rabbinical position. After five years in Dresnitz, Rav Moshe moved to Mattersdorf, where the community undertook to feed and supoort the bachurim of his yeshivah. Next Stop: Mattersdorf The Chasam Sofers next stop was Mattersdorf, one of the seven most prominent Jewish kehillos in Hungary, where he served as rav of the kehilla. His yeshiva there expanded to hundreds of students and produced many gedolei hador. But after four years of his yeshivas exponential growth rate, even Mattersdorf was unable to support Rav Moshes talmidim. Rav Moshe did not see this as a problem, since there were many large and wealthy Jewish communities in Europe that were vying with each other for the privilege of having the Chasam Sofer as their rav. Neustadt, one of those communities, agreed to accept the Chasam Sofers strictest conditions regarding support for his yeshiva. But a week before the Chasam Sofers departure from Mattersdorf to Neustadt, on the 18th of Adar, 5562 (1801), a huge fire broke out in Mattersdorfs Jewish quarter, and all of Rav Moshes plans had to be changed. The fire did not claim any lives, but all of the communitys properties and assets went up in flames. As the fire leaped from one house to the next, the residents noticed that only one house still remained intact - the Chasam Sofers. In his house were stored large sums of money that people had entrusted to him in his position as rav of the community, as well as all of his precious manuscripts, which were later to form the Chasam Sofers chiddushim and responsa literature. The people realized that it was vital to secure sufficient water to combat the fire and protect the Chasam Sofers house at all cost. However, the only local well of water in the area was a few minutes walk distant from the Chasam Sofers house, and time was of the essence. While everyone stood around wondering what to do, a new student in the Chasam Sofers yeshiva walked over to the old and rusty well in the Chasam Sofers backyard, which had been dormant for years, and he threw a bucket into it. A huge jet of water burst forth, providing enough water to douse the fire. Immediately after the fire was put out, the well returned to its previous defunct state. Seeing the destruction all around him, the Chasam Sofer canceled his plans to move to Neustadt, and remained in Mattersdorf to help renovate and restore his beloved city of Mattersdorf. After finding lodgings for the homeless, the Chasam Sofer organized a rescue campaign, sending letters to all of the Jewish communities in Europe. Soon money, clothing, food, seforim and religious articles streamed into the city and were promptly distributed to the needy and the homeless. At this time the Chasam Sofer forgot about his own needs. There were times when he couldnt even afford paper to write his chiddushim. Instead, he recorded them on the empty pages at the beginnings and the ends of the seforim in his possession. The Chasam Sofers grandson, Rav Shlomo Sofer, rav of Bergsas, recalls that during this entire period, his grandfather never slept in a bed out of sympathy with the suffering of the rest of the Jews of Mattersdorf. Throughout his life, Rav Moshes attitude was one of complete dedication to the Jewish people. A money-forging press was once discovered near Pressburg and the police arrested a number of communal leaders, stipulating that they would be freed only if the local rav swore to their innocence. But the local rav was terrified to make an oath even on what he knew to be the truth, and so he went to ask Rav Moshe what he should do. Drawing himself up to his full height, the Chasam Sofer shouted, Jews have been thrown into jail for weeks on end, and families have been left with no source of livelihood, and youre worrying about your olam haba? Believe me, my dear friend, that in Hashems eyes, freeing a Jew from a dungeon is more important than your eternal reward. On another occasion Rav Moshe called a talmid into his study on Erev Yom Kippur and said, I 4 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc want you to agree to my suggestion. There is an orphan girl who has reached marriageable age. No one is making any effort to help her, and I want you to marry her. The talmid agreed. Rav Moshes face lit up with joy, and he announced, With this merit I will enter the day of judgement! Rav Shimon Sofer writes that his father said three things about himself: From the day I gained intelligence, I never had an alien thought in my prayers; I never felt a sense of pride, whether publicly teaching or whether making chidushim, except once in my first derasha in Dresnitz, and that was to show that I could learn and so that they should hold me in awe and obey my words; and I ran my house and the community with regal dignity, purely leshem Shamayim. Fighting The Reform Movement Once Mattersdorf was rejuvenated, the Chasam Sofer, sought another position and soon an offer came from Pressburg, whose rav, the esteemed Rav Meshulam Igra, had passed away. Over the years, Pressburgs leaders had reviewed numerous candidates for the rav of their city, but no actual appointments had been made. Yet when the Chasam Sofers name was mentioned, all of the citys leaders approved the proposal despite his stipualtion demanding full support of his yeshiva. However, his appointment was opposed by a small group of Pressburg maskilim who feared the Chasam Sofers firm insistence that every halacha and minhag be scrupulously observed. An anonymous letter was sent to Rav Moshe saying among other things: If the rabbi shames no man or woman and brings no stringencies from the place from where he comes, the honorable rabbi will live in peace and will never lack a livelihood. But if not, then the rabbi will be attacked and he will live in disgrace. In later years Rav Moshe wrote, My enemies set an ambush for my soul until at night I said, Would that it were day, and at morning I said, Would that it were night. Nevertheless, I never left the beis hamidrash and I never missed even one shiur and I did not cease to make fences for the law. Had Hashem not helped me, I would have been sent to prison for life. In one of his famouse responsa Rav Moshe writes that he is so harried that he does not even have time to swallow his own saliva! Rav Of Pressburg The Chasam Sofer was officially appointed Rav of Pressburg in Tishrei 5567 (1806), and he occupied that position for thirty three years. He rapidly became regarded as the rav of the entire Diaspora, to whom questions from all over the world were addressed. Meanwhile, his yeshiva continued to expand, spreading Torah to thousands of talmidim. Siyata DShmaya was very apparent in Rav Moshes halachic opinions. On one occasion he was asked a question involving an agunah whom many prominent rabbonim had allowed to remarry. According to strict halacha, said Rav Moshe, I cannot argue with them. But my heart tells me that her husband is still alive. The woman accepted Rav Moshes opinion and, sure enough, her husband returned not long after. His son, Rav Shimon Sofer of Cracow once asked Rav Moshe how he managed to answer halachic questions with hardly more than a quick review of the related issues. It is true, replied Rav Moshe, that halachic decisions normally require deep analysis. But in every generation Hashem designates a person who holds the keys to all hidden things, and this person is endowed with special siyata diShmaya. With great efforts I have prepared myself to be ready to solve halacha problems and I have, baruch Hashem, freed myself from all personal bias. Therefore it is not possible that I will err in a ruling. At the most I will err in my choice of proofs. Similarly, Rav Nasan Adler once stated, I know that Rav Moshe Sofer is constantly cleaving to Hashem. For this reason he has been endowed with such great siyata diShmaya to rule according to halacha. Baron Rosthchild was a great admirer of the Chasam Sofer. He tried to institute the position of Chief Rabbi in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and he intended Rav Moshe to be the one to fill this position. But with his far- sightedness, Rav Moshe rejected the idea. When a person does a public action in our times, he explained, he must be sure that no mishap will arise from it. As I long as I filled the position [of Chief Rabbi] I could hope for this, but who knows what would happen to the person who came after me? After the petira of his first wife, Rav Moshe married the daughter of Rav Akiva Eiger. She bore the previously childless Chasam Sofer seven daughters and three sons: Rav Avrohom Shmuel Binyomin, the Ksav Sofer; Rav Shimon Sofer, the Rav of Cracow; and Rav Yosef Yuzpa Sofer. In Pressburg, his main efforts focused on enriching and expanding his yeshiva. His students eventually went on to lead prominent communities in Europe. It may be said that the majority of the gedolei haTorah and rabbanim who led European Jewry in that generation and the ensuing one emerged from the Chasam Sofers yeshiva. While the Chasam Sofer maintained rigid acceptance standards and discipline in his yeshiva, he was nonetheless like a father to his students, attending to all of their needs with genuine love. It is said that not one of his talmidim left the path of Torah. Once Rav Moshe spotted a group of talmidim going outside with unclean clothes and unpolished shoes. A person who is particular about his appearance and not about his soul, he told them, is like a garbage bin covered with roses. But a person who is worried about his soul and not about his appearance is like a vase of roses covered in garbage. Anyone seeing the garbage is disgusted and turns away. Once, he firmly rejected a youth who had applied to be accepted to his yeshiva. When Rav Moseh was asked the reason for this, he replied: I looked out the window and saw the bachur step on some palm branches lying in the courtyard which I had used for my sukkah thus showing disrespect for something used for a mitzvah. Even a persons trivial actions spoke volumes to Rav Moshe. Rav Moshe taught his talmidim to learn gemara according to its plain meaning and was violently opposed to a method of pilpul know as chilukim which tended to obscure the true intent of Chazal and forced talmidim to concentrate on a few scattered sugyas rather than learning the whole tractate. Maskilim The Chasam Sofer waged a valiant and mighty battle against the maskilim of his time, using every means available to counter them. If their judgement was put into our hands, he wrote, my opinion would be to drive them from our midst. Our daughters would not be given to their sons, nor our sons to their daughters, lest they be drawn after them. Their communities would be like the communities of Zadok and Baisus, they for themselves, and us for ourselves. Rav Moshes famous war cry was: Chadash [new philosophical ideas] is forbidden by the Torah! On one occasion the Chasam Sofer warned a wealthy couple to perform their wedding ceremony under the open sky, as per Jewish tradition, and not inside a shul, in accordance with Reform custom. When the bridegroom refused, Rav Moshe announced, I doubt that the children of this couple will remain Jews! Years later his warning came about when the couple converted. It is true that my father could foretell the future, explained the Kesav Sofer, the Chasam Sofers son, but in this case he was guided by his wisdom. My father knew that it is not the external sprinkling of holy water that converts a Jew into a gentile, but his internal desire to deny his Jewish identity. Whether this desire is great or small makes no difference. The point is his desire to imitate the gentile. Despite his fierceness in this war, Rav Moshe tearfully begged Hashem to pity His nation, and to cause the errant to repent their sins and return to a Torah way of life. He was joined in this battle by his father-in-law, Rav Akiva Eiger, as well as by Rav Mordechai Banet of Nikolsberg, Rav Yosef Shaul Natanson of Lemberg, Rav Betzalel Ranceborg of Prague and other gedolim of the time. The Chasam Sofer continued waging this battle until his final day. Although the maskilim tried to undermine the yeshiva and to bring about the Chasam Sofers downfall, their efforts failed. Love Of Eretz Yisroel The Chasam Sofer was imbued with a deep love of Eretz Hakodesh, and was one of the staunchest supporters of the yishuv. Regarding those Jews who regarded the emancipation of Jews in Europe as a lessening of our urgent need to return to Zion, he would repeat the following parable: A prince was once driven far away from his fathers palace, but as the years rolled on he never lost the hope that his father would one day call him back. But one day a royal wagon arrived and a team of architects and workers jumped out and began building the prince a beautiful mansion in his remote village. Woe is me! cried the prince. It seems that my father intends me to stay here for ever! So too, emancipation in Europe would perhaps make the Jews exile easier, but it was no replacement for their ancestral home in Eretz Yisroel. Due to the love he instilled in his students for Eretz Hakodesh, many of them settled there. As president of Kollel Shomrei Hachomos of Rav Meir Baal Haness, the Chasam Sofer labored tirelessly for the sake of the yishuv in Eretz Yisroel urging the community to contribute generously. His offspring inherited the position. During World War I, more than 75 years after the petira of the Chasam Sofer, when famine raged throughout Eretz Yisroel, Hungarys Jews were still among its staunchest supporters, rallying to the aid of their brethren there. His Petira On Succos of 5600 (1839), the Chasam Sofer became ill. He asked for his bed to be moved to the Succah, and there he lay, unable to move. On the night of Hoshana Rabbah, the pain-wracked tzadik overcame his suffering and began to study Torah with amazing hasmada. Towards morning, he ran to shul and davened with the congregation. But in the middle of the davening, his illness overcame him, and he was forced to return home. On Simchas Torah, he held a minyan in his home and was called to the Torah as Chassan Torah. Then in his tranquil voice, he said some remarkable chiddushim, astounding the doctors present with his superhuman stamina. On the 25th of Tishrei, his situation took a drastic turn for the worse. Surrounded by his students, he cried out Shema Yisroel, and returned his pure soul to Maker. Klal Yisroel was bereft, for it had lost one of its great Torah leaders, but his profound influence and teachings in his many sefrom (Shailos and ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 5 Teshuvos, Chiddushim on Shas, and Sifrei Chasam Sofer on Torah) will guide and inspire us forever. Yehi zichro boruch. (www.matzav.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 Yitzchok Adlerstein Beeros Individuals and Collectives(1) You shall erect the mishkan according to its requirements, as you will have been shown on the mountain. Beer Mayim Chaim: The Ibn Ezra notes that the you of this pasuk is singular, but still believes that it was a larger group that was the real recipient of the message. Many people were needed for the difficult job of taking all the pieces and constructing the finished structure. He argues that Moshe (singular) was commanded to manufacture all the different kelim of the mishkan, but delegated the actual work to others (plural). Similarly, he was commanded here to assemble the mishkan seemingly individually but assigned the work to others. The Ohr HaChaim takes exception to this approach, preferring that of Chazal, that Moshe indeed erected the mishkan single-handedly when the people together were unable to assemble it. I see a theme at work here that can explain some of the anomalies in the work orders for the mishkan. Why is it that the Torah sometimes uses the plural, and at other times the singular? When we consider the roles of individuals and the collective, we find a way to explain the different usages. We start with a Mishnah in Avos.(2) Moshe was meritorious, and influenced the many to be meritorious. This is difficult to understand. Whatever it was that Moshe merited, the words imply that only he achieved that merit. If so, whatever merit he enabled the public to gain must be something very different and in that case, unrelated to what he merited himself! The two phrases in the Mishnah would therefore appear to be unrelated! HKBHs calculus, however, works differently. Consider a person who joins with others to form a minyan for davening. He merits the mitzvah of his own davening. Additionally, however, he merits the mitzvah of everyone elses davening, because without him, there would not be a minyan! In this way, he enjoys his own merit, as well as that of all his associates. The building of the mishkan is analogous to forming a minyan, with the important difference that the magic number in mishkan-building is 600,000. With fewer people than this, HKBH does not visit His Shechinah upon a place. Thus, the donations of no less than 600,000 Jews were necessary for the construction of the mishkan. The different materials that went into its composition afforded an opportunity for the collaboration of the entire nation. Each Jew who donated a bit of gold, silver, or colored thread joined in the merit of everyone else, since without his contribution, there could be no mishkan. Some substances, like the precious stones, could not be brought piecemeal, and the individual donors would seem to enjoy an exclusive in regard to that merit. Upon reflection, however, we realize that this is not the case. Without every bit of thread for the coverings of the mishkan, the avnei miluim would serve no purpose. Therefore, the donor of any substance at all shared in the mitzvah of bringing even the precious stones. It is not a coincidence that the Torah calls for the collection of thirteen materials for the construction of the mishkan. Thirteen in gematria equals echad, one. The full list of donation opportunities allowed all the Bnei Yisrael to come together as one, allowing each and every person to share in the merit of building the mishkan. Now, this achdus could easily be destroyed by the wish of some people that they be allowed to donate the holiest items. For this reason, the Torah emphasizes, And I will dwell among them,(3) meaning each and every one of them. Because their donations are all crucial, they can be seen as all sharing in every part of the mishkan, no matter what they actually donated. Returning to the question with which we began, it is possible that the Torah sometimes uses you in the singular for a different reason than we discussed above. That you may not refer to Moshe at all, but to the Bnei Yisrael as a collective. While the instructions at the beginning of the parshah are all given in the plural ( vayikchu li terumah, vasu li mikdosh, vasu aron), the Torah later switches to the singular form. Once the Bnei Yisrael begin the process of collecting and building, they become united as a single, crucial entity necessary to bring the Shechinah. This argument for employing the singular only applies to the general construction of the mishkan, which requires, so to speak, six hundred thousand equal shareholders. The singular used in this regard conveys the idea of the achdus, the commonality of purpose, of all the contributors. The argument does not apply in other areas. It does not apply to the kelim of the mishkan, where the actions of Bezalel and other individual craftsmen were critical. Any use of the singular form of you can refer to the individuals who made the crucial contribution of material or ingenuity. It certainly does not apply to the actual assembly of the mishkan at the time of its inauguration. When the Torah instructs Moshe to erect it, it can be assumed to apply to Moshe alone, not as a directive to him to summon together whatever help he needed from the people to get the job done. Moshes role could be unique, without making the mishkan less suitable for the Shechinah. 1. Based on Beer Mayim Chaim, Shemos 26:30 2. Avos 5:21 3. Shemos 25:8 Rabbi Oizer Alport Parsha Potpourri Parshas Terumah Vol. 9, Issue 19
, , , I will be giving a shiur for women on the subject of mazal this Leil Shabbos at 8:40 in a private home in Flatbush near East 18th and Avenue N. If you live in the area and are interested in attending, please email me for the exact location. This weeks issue of Parsha Potpourri has been dedicated as a merit for David ben Sara and Devorah bas Yareach to have Shalom, Bracha, Ahavas Yisroel, and Yiras Shomayim. Please have them in mind when reading and discussing this issue, and the Torah that is learned should be a merit for them and their entire families. 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. While I have been teaching and giving shiurim for many years, I am hoping to do so even more in the upcoming year. 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Wishing you all a Gutten Chodesh and a Good Shabbos, and I hope that you enjoy the Divrei Torah and Points to Ponder! ) 25:8 ( In Shir HaShirim (3:11), Shlomo HaMelech refers to an event which occurred on the day of his wedding and on the day of his hearts rejoicing. The Mishnah in Taanis (4:8) homiletically interprets the wedding day as referring to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which represents the marriage between Hashem and the Jewish people, and the day of the hearts happiness as a reference to the building of the Beis HaMikdash. Rav Shach explains the comparison by questioning how Shlomo could refer to the day of his hearts gladness separately from his wedding day, implying that he didnt rejoice at his own wedding. He answers that although Shlomo was certainly happy when he married, his joy was limited to the extent that he knew his bride and recognized her positive qualities. Many people get engaged after dating for a few short weeks or months and get married following an engagement of not much longer. This may be a sufficient period of time to determine that one has found his life partner. However, this stage, due to its brevity and the unnatural relationship that exists, isnt conducive to fully appreciating the greatness of ones fianc or forming a deep relationship based on mutual trust and understanding. It is only through years of living together, raising a family, and jointly confronting lifes challenges that a person comes to a real awareness of the wonderful decision he made in choosing his spouse. While it is unlikely that any single event will ever bring the same joy that one felt at his wedding, Shlomo is hinting that the lasting period of deep inner happiness resulting from a genuine bond lies in the future. Similarly, at Mount Sinai the Jewish people demonstrated great faith in their Groom (Hashem) by unanimously declaring (24:7) we will do and we will listen. They committed themselves to doing His will without even knowing what it is and were rewarded by being selected as His chosen people for all time. Nevertheless, there was a certain lacking in the closeness of the bond, as the bride hadnt yet recognized the greatness of the Groom. It was only after the wedding, when Moshe taught them the mitzvos and they began performing them, that a deeper relationship began to develop. The pinnacle of that closeness came when the bride built a magnificent dwelling place where she could come to draw near to her Groom. This allowed for a full recognition of her tremendous fortune in being selected as Hashems bride. As the Ramban writes in his introduction to Sefer Shemos, the Mishkan was the spiritual culmination of the Exodus from Egypt. The relationship which began centuries earlier with Avrohom and continued through the Exodus and the marriage at Mount Sinai was finally consummated with the event which brought true rejoicing to our hearts. ) 25:18 ( Hashem commanded Moshe to make two Cherubim on top of the Holy Ark in the Mishkan, one on each end. Rashi explains that they had the faces of small children. However, this imagery is difficult to reconcile with an earlier comment made by Rashi. In Parshas Bereishis, after the sin of eating from the forbidden fruit, Hashem exiled Adam and Chava from the Garden of Eden. In order to ensure that they wouldnt attempt reentry, the Torah relates (Bereishis 3:24) that Hashem placed Cherubim wielding fiery swords at the gate. Rashi explains that these Cherubim were angels of destruction. If so, how could Rashi simultaneously maintain that the Cherubim mentioned in our parsha had the appearance of infants, the paragons of innocence and purity? The following amusing story will help us appreciate the answer to our question. One year on the first day of classes, an elementary Hebrew 6 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc school teacher wanted to assess the background and skills of the children in her new class. She began by asking, Who knows the translation of Baruch Atah Hashem? Every hand went up, and the student upon whom she called correctly answered, Blessed are You, Hashem. The teacher then asked, Who knows the translation of Shema Yisroel? Most of the hands went up again, and she called on a student who properly responded, Hear, O Israel. Satisfied and impressed with their knowledge, the teacher asked one more question. Who knows the translation of Amen? This time, she was met with bewildered expressions. Only one hand went up. The teacher called on the student, who proudly declared, I know that one. Its easy! The translation of Amen is Cong! After getting over her initial confusion, the teacher couldnt help but chuckle to herself when she realized the students innocent mistake. The word Cong is short for Congregation and is often printed in the Siddur next to the word Amen to indicate that at this point the congregation should respond Amen, which led the student to erroneously assume that this was the translation of the word. In light of this entertaining anecdote about the innocence of children, we can appreciate the answer given to our original question by Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein. Rav Epstein suggests that the resolution of the apparent contradiction about the appearance of the Cherubim lies in the fact that our parsha is discussing the Cherubim in the Mishkan, where they were placed on top of the Aron. By attaching them to the Ark and the Torah scroll and Tablets contained therein, they remained wholesome cherubs resembling innocent babies, as was demonstrated by the story involving the nave schoolchild. However, the moment that we separate our children from the Torah, they immediately become sword-wielding forces of devastation, as any parent can testify all too well. Although the lesson is taught in a light-hearted manner, the underlying message about priorities in educating our children is one that we can all learn from. ) 25:18 ( Although the Torah specifies that the utensils used in the Mishkan are to be made from gold, the Mechilta rules that this isnt an absolute requirement. Although this is the preferable way for them to be made, they may still be used if they are made from a different metal, with one exception. With respect to the Cherubim which rest on top of the Aron, the obligation to make them from gold is absolute. Should they be formed from any other material for any reason, they are invalid for use in the Mishkan. Why is the law regarding the Cherubim different than that regarding all of the other vessels? Rav Meir Shapiro explains that the Cherubim symbolize Jewish children, as Rashi writes that they had the faces of young children. Their placement on top of the Ark represents their Torah education and upbringing. Should there be a time in the future when money is scarce and gold cannot be obtained due to financial constraints, Hashem is willing to overlook His honor with respect to the construction of the utensils used to serve Him. However, when it comes to teaching our children, who represent the future of the Jewish people, there can be no possible excuse for sacrificing the quality of their education and second-best is completely unacceptable. Parsha Points to Ponder (and sources which discuss them): 1) Hashem commanded Moshe to collect donations for the Mishkan from every individual whose heart desired to contribute (25:1-2). Were women also permitted to give donations toward the building of the Mishkan? (Meshech Chochmah, Mishmeres Ariel) 2) Rashi writes (25:5) that the tachash was a beautiful, multi-colored animal which Hashem created at the time of the construction of the Mishkan and which then became extinct. How can this be reconciled with the verse in Koheles (1:9) which teaches that there is nothing new beneath the sun which the Gemora in Sanhedrin (110a) understands to mean that Hashem doesnt make new creations after the original six days of Creation? (Ayeles HaShachar) 3) The Gemora in Shavuos (15b) rules that the Temple may only be built (25:8) during the day. Is this merely a requirement regarding the preferable way to build it, or does it actually invalidate any portion which is built at night? (Yerushalmi Yoma 1:1, Tosefos Sukkah 41a, Minchas Chinuch 95:5, Mikdash Dovid 1:1, Kehillas Yaakov Shavuos 10, Maadanei Asher 5769) 4) The Aron was covered with gold on the inside and on the outside (25:11). Were the other vessels in the Mishkan similarly covered with gold on both sides, or only on the outside? (Paneiach Raza, Tosefos Chagigah 26b, Rabbeinu Bechaye 25:39, Abarbanel, Bechor Shor, Shiras Dovid 25:24) Answers to Points to Ponder: 1) The Meshech Chochmah writes that Hashem commanded Moshe (25:2) to collect donations from each man to teach that women were unable to contribute to the Mishkan because the Gemora in Bava Kamma (119a) rules that a gabbai tzedakah may not accept a large contribution from a married woman, due to a fear that she may be giving without her husbands knowledge and contrary to his wishes. The Mishmeres Ariel questions this claim, as the Torah explicitly states (35:22) that the women contributed bracelets, rings, and other jewelry to the Mishkan. He answers that this was allowed because the very same verse records that they brought them together with their husbands so that the collectors would know that the donations were being given with their husbands permission (as the Seforno explains on that verse). Alternatively, the verse mentions that the women specifically contributed jewelry, which belonged exclusively to them and which they could donate even without their husbands. 2) Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman initially explains that the tachash was created during Creation, just that its location and existence was unknown to mankind until it was needed for the Mishkan, at which time it either entered the Jewish camp on its own or was successfully trapped by them. However, in light of the Medrash Tanchuma (9) which implies that the tachash was only created at this time, Rav Shteinman suggests that Hashem stipulated at the time of Creation that the tachash would be created at this time, just as He did regarding the splitting of the Red Sea, which does not violate the principle in Koheles. 3) The Minchas Chinuch maintains that the requirement to build the Temple during the day is only the ideal way of performing the mitzvah, but if it is built at night, it is still acceptable. However, the Yerushalmi implies that if the Temple is built at night it is invalid. Tosefos questions how the Gemora can say that the third Temple might be built at night and answers that the requirement to build it during the day only applies when it is being built by humans, but the third Temple will descend from Heaven already built by Hashem, which is permissible even at night. The Mikdash Dovid points out that according to the Yerushalmi, such a Temple should still be invalid. The Steipler answers that building the Temple at night is not inherently invalid. Rather, night is not viewed as a time for building, and any building done at that time is not considered as being done by humans. Because the third Temple will descend from Heaven and need not be built by man, it is therefore valid even if it descends at night. 4) From the fact that the Torah only mentions the concept of being covered on the inside and on the outside in conjunction with the Aron, the Paneiach Raza deduces that the other vessels did not share this design, but were covered by gold only on the outside. The Shiras Dovid infers that this is also the opinion of Rabbeinu Bechaye. However, the Bechor Shor and Abarbanel explicitly write that the Shulchan was covered by gold both on the outside and on the inside, and this also seems to be the position of Tosefos. 2014 by Ozer Alport. 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Dr. Avigdor Bonchek Whats Bothering Rashi? Parashas Terumah This week's sedra is the first of five sedros which describe the building and materials of the Tabernacle the Mishkan. Below is a very difficult Rashi comment. Shemos 25:16 - And you put in the ark the testimony which I shall give you. Rashi: the testimony: Rashi: The Torah, which is the testimony between Me and you which I have commanded you the commandments which are written in it. What Is Rashi Saying? Rashi is saying that the "testimony" which was placed in the ark was the Torah. Questioning Rashi That is quite surprising, since the usual understanding is that "testimony"' here means the Tablets that Moses received at Sinai. In fact, Rashi himself says that "testimony" means the Tablets. See Rashi in parashas Pikudie, chapter 40:20. There he says this refers to the Tablets! The difficulty has stumped all the commentaries on Rashi. Attempting To Understand Rashi Some answers have been suggested. There is a Midrash in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai that "testimony" refers to the Torah. He cites the verse in Deuteronomy 4:45 were "eidos" ("testimony" refers to the Torah. The Tablets have also been called the Torah in the Talmud (Shabbos 87a). So Rashi's idea has some support, but it is strange that in one place he says "eidos" means "Tablets" and in another he says it refers to "Torah". One explanation for that is that our verse says: " the testimony which I shall give you" in future tense. So Hashem is telling Moses that he will give him a testimony to put in the ark. And in fact in Deuteronomy (31:26) it says to take the sefer Torah and put it on the side of the ark. And Rashi says one opinion is to put it inside the ark. So in the future the Torah will be in the ark. But verse in verse 40:20 says Moses put the testimony in the ark. That must be the Tablets because that was all he had at that time. So there is no contradiction between the two Rashi-comments. Perhaps this explains the puzzling Rashi. 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
":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 7 HaRav Eliezer Chrysler Midei Shabbos Vol. 21 No. 19 This issue is sponsored by " " whose Yohrzeit is " & " whose Yohrzeit is ' Parshas Terumah: Some Thoughts on the Menorah The Mishkan and the Creation "And you shall make a Menorah of pure gold, beaten it shall be made " (25:31). Citing the Medrash Tanchuma, which compares the construction of the Mishkan with the creation of the world, the Oznayim la'Torah explains how the order of the major vessels, as Betzalel constructed them and as they appear in the Torah, follows the order of the creation. First, the Torah discusses the Aron - corresponding to the Torah, which preceded the world. Then comes the Shulchan, with the Lechem ha'Panim, which symbolizes sustaining the world - corresponding to the creation of the vegetation and the fruit-bearing trees, which were created on the third day; and that is followed by the Menorah, which illuminated the Mishkan - corresponding to the creation of the sun and moon, which were created on the fourth day. Moshe's Problem (Ibid.) "Commenting on the words "The Menorah shall be made", Rashi explains that Moshe had difficulty with the instructions that he had received at Sinai, so the Menorah constructed itself (so to speak). It wasn't just the fact that the Menorah, together with all its accesories had to be made out of one piece of gold that stymied Moshe, the Oznayim la'Torah explains. It was also the fact that, other than that the overall measurement was one Kikar, he had not been given any specifications - regarding its height, its width, its base, branches or any of the ornaments that were to enhance it. 'Meshukodim' "Three goblets with pictures" (25:33). This is how Rashi translates the word "meshukodim". According to other commentaries (the Rashbam, the Ib'n Ezra and the Rambam) "meshukodim" means with almonds carved into them. Bear in mind that 'shekeidim' are almonds. The Wrong Order? "Their knobs and branches shall be (carved) from it (the lump of gold)" 25:36. Surely, asks the Oznayim la'Torah, the Torah ought to have first mentioned the branches - an intrinsic part of the Menorah, before mentioning the knobs, which are merely ornaments! Moreover, one might add, why mention the knobs, over and above the goblets and the flowers (that also adorned the Menorah)? The author therefore reminds us that the three knobs on the stem of the Menorah served as the base to the three sets of branches, and that would have to be shaped before the branches. The Lamps and the Lights " you (Moshe) shall make its seven lamps, and he (Aharon) shall kindle its lamps so as to shine towards its face" (25:37). The Oznayim la'Torah remarks how the Torah switches here, from the second person to the third; and he explains that although Moshe was commanded to oversee the construction of the Mishkan and all its accessories, it was Aharon who kindled the Menorah. Rashi explains that the face of the Menorah is the middle stem with the lamp on top. And when the Torah writes "to kindle its lamps so as to shine towards its face", it means that the three wicks on either side of the middle one, should fact the middle one. The Oznayim la'Torah, citing the Ra'm, poses the well-known question, as to why the Torah refers to "the seven lamps", since it was only six lamps that turned inwards to face the middle one? On the basis of this Kashya, the author concurs with the Ha'mek Davar, who disagrees with Rashi. He explains that the 'front of the Menorah' refers literally, to the side of the Menorah where the Kohen stood when kindling it - on the east of the Menorah closer to the entrance of the Mishkan, facing the west. What the Torah therefore means is that all seven lamps had to face the east, irrespective of whether the Menorah was placed from north to south or from east to west. In fact, the author points out, this conforms with the Gemara in Menachos (27) which states that whenever the Torah uses the word "P'nei" it refers to the east. It is also logical to learn like this, because now that the lights faced eastwards, away from the Kodesh Kodshim, it removed the possibility that people might say 'le'Oro Hu tzorich" (that G-d needs its light). Because seeing as the lights faced the entrance of the Heichal, it was clear that the ones to benefit from its light were the Kohanim who entered the Heichal from the Azarah. Parshah Pearls (Adapted from the Oznayim la'Torah) A Change of Destiny "And G-d spoke to Moshe saying Speak to the B'nei Yisrael and they shall take for Me a gift " (25:1 & 2). This Parshah, says the Oznayim la'Torah, was said to Moshe when he ascended Har Sinai the first time. It was said to him appropriately, after hearing from G-d "When My angel will go before you and bring you to the land " (in Mishpatim 23:23). What G-d was telling him was that it would no longer be necessary to ascend Har Sinai to communicate with Him, because after entering Eretz Yisrael, they would 'build Him a Mikdash in which He would dwell' and they would communicate there (See Pesukim 8 & 9). This was the original plan, and, had Yisrael not worshipped the Golden Calf, Moshe Rabeinu would have returned to the camp, the two Luchos in hand, they would have entered Eretz Yisrael and taken it over - with Moshe Rabeinu at their head, without drawing a sword from its scabbard. They would then have built the Beis-Hamikdash, which would have stood forever. And, it would appear, that this would have been the era of Mashi'ach. This is what could have happened - what would have happened, had Yisrael not worshipped the Golden Calf. But they did worship the Golden Calf, and everything changed. Moshe passed on the initial message, not in Tamuz, as was originally intended, but in Tishri (a day after Yom Kipur), three months later. By then, Yisrael's fate had been sealed; they would all die in the desert, after wandering there for forty years, and as a result (albeit an indirect one) Moshe would ultimately be denied entry into Eretz Yisrael too. Consequently, they would build, not a Mikdash (yet), but a Mishkan, which would accompany them on their travels until they entered the Land and settled down in it many, many years later. And consequently, even the Mikdash that they would build would not stand permanently. When One Gives to Hashem " and they shall take for Me a gift" (Ibid.) The question that everybody asks is that, what the Torah ought to have said is not "and they shall take for Me (ve'yikchu Li) a gift", but 'they shall give to Me (ve'yitnu li) a gift'? A popular answer is that we never really give G-d anything. All we can really do is repay a little of the kindness that He does with us, 'every day, at all times and every hour'. The Oznayim la'Torah explains that this is particularly true of T'rumos and Ma'asros (bearing in mind that the Torah refers to the current gift as 'T'rumah'), about which the Navi in Mal'achi (3) writes "Bring all the Ma'asros to the store-house (in the Beis-Hamikdash), and let it be sustenance. Test Me with this, if you will, says Hashem See if I do not open the skylights of the Heaven, and shower you with endless blessings" (3:10). Whenever one gives T'rumos and Ma'asros, one receives B'rachos in exchange. Facing Each Other, Facing the Kapores "And the K'ruvim (the Cherubs) facing each other, towards the Kapores (the lid of the Aron) shall the faces of the K'ruvim be" (25:20). The Rashbam explains that looking towards each other was synonymous with looking towards the middle of the lid of the Aron, which housed the Luchos. The Oznayim la'Torah elaborates. Chazal explain that when the Torah writes in Parshas Yisro that Yisrael encamped ("vayichan", in the singular) opposite Har Sinai, it is teaching us that this was the only occasion when Yisrael encamped of one accord 'like one man, with one heart'. Yisrael is a nation that comprises strong-willed individuals, and the sole force that unites them is the Torah. That is why the Torah writes (in Ki Savo, in connection with Kabolas ha'Torah) "Today you became a nation". And the author cites Rabeinu Sa'adya who also writes that our claim to nationhood is through the Torah, and only through the Torah. Without the Torah, we are not only scattered among the nations, as Haman told Achashverosh, we are scattered (disunited) among ourselves. And that is the lesson of the K'ruvim - It is only when we look towards the Torah that we are really looking towards one another and merge into one united nation. Torah & Avodah "And into the Aron you shall place the Testimony (the two Luchos)" 25:16. The Oznayim la'Torah explains that, on the one hand, the Beis- ha'Hamikdash was the epicenter of Avodah (both regarding the Avodas ha'Korbanos, and the Avodah she'ba'Lev (Tefilah), as Shlomoh ha'Melech stated in his prayer following the completion of the Beis-Hamikdash ("And You will listen to the prayers of Your servant and of Your people, when they will Daven to you to this place"). Whilst on the other, the holiest area in the Beis-ha'Mikdash and therefore the most important, was the Kodesh Kodshim, which housed the Aron and the Torah. The major activity may have taken place in the Azarah (the courtyard), but the decisions (concerning the wellbeing of Yisrael) took place in the Kodesh Kodshim. This indicates that the Avodah can only achieve its purpose when the Torah is in the Kodesh Kodshim. The one day in the year, when the status of the Avodah is placed on a par with that of Torah, is on Yom Kipur. On Yom Kipur, the Kohen Gadol enters the Kodesh Kodshim (the location of Torah) and performs the Avodah there. Then he goes into the Azarah (the location of Avodah) and reads the Torah there. On Yom Kipur, Torah and Avodah merge into one. 8 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc The K'ruvim on the Paroches And the Mishkan you shall make, ten curtains K'ruvim, the work of a craftsman (ma'aseh choshev) you shall make them" (26:1). Commenting on the words "ma'aseh choshev", Rashi explains that pictures were woven into them, one on either side of the curtain - a lion on one surface and an eagle on the other. The Oznayim la'Torah, quoting the Ra'm, explains that Rashi is merely giving an example to illustrate the meaning of "ma'aseh choshev", but that it was not necessarily a lion and an eagle that were woven into the curtains. And this indeed, is what Rashi himself comments in Shabbos. On the other hand, it may well be that the Medrash (which Rashi is presumably quoting) should be taken literally, and that the pictures are meant to depict the holy creatures that support G-d's Kisei ha'Kavod. These represent the Throne of Glory [man, king of the world], lion [king of the beasts], eagle [king of the birds] and ox [king of the animals]. Man was depicted on the faces of the K'ruvim, the lion and the eagle, and on the facades of the curtains, whereas the ox was omitted, so as not to be reminiscent of the sin of the Golden Calf. 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Rabbi Yissocher Frand RavFrand Parshas Terumah These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: CD #846 A Pasul Sefer Torah - Where Should It Be Kept?Good Shabbos! When Something Is Free It Does Not Last: Easy Come, Easy Go Parshas Teruma discusses the various contributions of money and materials by the Jews towards the construction of the Mishkan and its utensils. The Chayei Adam has a section [Rule 68] entitled "Conditions which one must be careful about in connection with each and every mitzvah". The Chayei Adam enumerates a whole set of general laws and parameters relating to how a person should go about performing mitzvos. For example, he lists there the concept of "zerizin makdimin l'mitzvos" [the diligent perform mitzvos at the first available opportunity]. In Paragraph 16 of Rule 68, the Chayei Adam writes that a person should not perform mitzvos that come to him "for free", but he should rather pay for the performance of the mitzva at its full "value" (schar shalem), as it is written (when David HaMelech was purchasing the site of the future Beis HaMikdash from Aravna the Yevusi): "No. I will purchase from you (the field) at a price and I will not offer burnt offerings to Hashem, my G-d, for nothing..." [Samuel II 24:24]. The Chayaei Adam extrapolates from this pasuk the following rule: If one has an opportunity to obtain a mitzvah "free" or to do the mitzva by paying for it, he should always choose the latter option. In practice, this would mean that if someone is offered a Lulav and Esrog at no charge before Succos or if he is offered free Shmura Matza before Pessach -- according to the Chayei Adam -- the person should refuse the offer and should rather pay for his own Lulav and Esrog and his own Shmura Matza! The Chayei Adam quotes a Zohar which is very strict regarding this concept of doing mitzvos "for free". The Zohar speaks a lot about "klipos" (shells or peels) which are impure elements in the metaphysical world that attach themselves to holy and pure things. The Zohar says that when a person performs a mitzva without "paying for it", that mitzvah has a "klipa" upon it. Somehow, the mitzva performance is im proper or at least incomplete. The "klipa" diminishes the sheen and the luster that a mitzva potentially has. As an analogy that may be helpful in understanding the Zohar's comment about "peels" (klipahs) that exist on mitzvos one performs without any monetary expenditure on his part, consider the little piece of plastic that usually covers the screen when you purchase a cellphone. The little piece of plastic over the screen can distort the screen's image. The plastic is removable and is meant to be peeled off before one begins using the phone, otherwise the screen will not be clear. The Munkatcher Rebbe, in his commentary on Maseches Brochos (Maggid Ta'Aluma), says the following thought: There is a widespread custom in many Jewish communities that after someone gets an Aliyah on Shabbos or Yom Tov, he receives a "Mi SheBerach" blessing from the person who calls up the individuals receiving Aliyahs. Traditionally, the person receiving the "Mi SheBerach" donates something to the synagogue or some other charitable cause in exchange for having received the Aliyah. Who came up with that idea? The Munkatcher Rebbe writes that this is exactly the Chayei Adam's idea. A person has just performed a mitzva by being called up to the Torah and receiving an Aliyah. We do not want him to have obtained a mitzva for "free". He receives a Mi SheBerach so that he should have the opportunity to pay for his Aliyah and pay for the mitzva he has just performed, thereby removing its "klipah". What is the logic behind this concept? The logic can be summed up in four words: "Easy come; Easy go." This trite comment is actually a very profound statement: That which a person obtains easily does not penetrate. It is not fully appreciated and does not become part of the person. On the other hand, if a person must pay for a mitzva or trouble himself to accomplish a mitzvah, he will have a totally different relationship with that mitzva. Man y Jews personally bake their own matzahs before Pessach. People travel from Baltimore to New York to go to the Matzah bakeries to personally take part in the baking of the matzahs that they will eat at their Seder in fulfillment of the Biblical mitzvah of eating Matzah the first night of Pessach. They do this so that the mitzva does not come to them for "free". Not only do they want to pay the $16 a pound for the matzah, they want the mitzvah to include their personal labor and sweat in the baking process. Anything in this world that has value does not come easily. If a person wants to acquire something that will become a part of him and have an effect on him, he must sacrifice for it be it monetarily or be it with toil and effort -- so that it does not fall into the category of "easy come; easy go." Rabbi Yisroel Reissman once related an incident involving the Kotzker Rebbe. When Rav Menachem Mendel was looking for a location to establish his branch of the C hassidic movement (before he became the "Kotzker Rebbe") he went from place to place looking for an appropriate venue. Whenever he came to a town and was greeted enthusiastically by the local residents who told him that it would be an honor to have him and his Chassidim move to their town, he rejected the location and concluded "this is not the place for us." Finally, when he came to Kotzk the townspeople told him, "Get out of here. We do not want you. We do not want your Chassidim. We do not want any part of this." He turned to his Chassidim and said, "Kotzk is the place for us!" Why? It is not because he was a contrarian. Rather, he in effect was saying was that he wanted to create a following of people that had deep convictions about their beliefs. He did not want wishy-washy people who came along for an easy-ride and a good time. When he saw people who were so committed to their convictions that they wanted to run him out of town, he recognized that the inhabitant s of Kotzk were passionate people. These were the type of people he was interested in to form the core of followers for his branch of Chassidism. In the same vein, the Kotzker explains that when Avraham Avinu wanted to find a match for his son Yitzchak, he told his servant Eliezer "Go to my home town. Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites that I am dwelling in their midst." The Kotzker explained Avraham's rationale: When I talked about monotheism to the people of my home town, they threw me into a pit of fire! Those people are committed to their belief system. They are passionate people. The local people, Avraham said, were his followers but their commitment was based on the free meals that he and Sara were offering in his tent. What is left of the "souls they made in Charan"? For them, religion was easy come, easy go! This is not the type of person Avraham was interested in for a future daughter-in-law. He was interested in the typ e of people who could give someone a run for their money passionate and committed individuals! Introducing The Concept of "Striving For The Next Level of Sanctity" I recently listened to a tape of a lecture given in 1956 by Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchk, zt"l, which is most appropriate to Parshas Terumah and the building of the Sanctuary. The Pesikta D'Rav Kahanah says that at the time the Jews were told "And they shall make for Me a Sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst" [Shmos 25:8], Moshe questioned the Almighty: "All the Heavens cannot encompass Your Presence and now You say 'Let them make a Sanctuary for me'? What good will a little hut do to hold Your infinite Divine Presence?" The Almighty responded, "Moshe, it is not as you are thinking. There will be 20 boards in the north and 20 boards in the south and 8 boards in the west and I will descend and contract my Divine Presence before your eyes below." Rav Soloveitchik asks "Why was there a need for this 'tzimtzum' [contraction]? Why did the Almighty need to contract His Presence? Was not the question of Moshe Rabbeinu a valid one? The whole world i s G- d's Sanctuary!" To answer this question, Rav Soloveitchik quoted the Mishna at the beginning of Tractate Kelim, enumerating the 10 levels of holiness in the world: The Land of Israel is more holy than all other lands; within the Land of Israel, cities surrounded by walls have higher sanctity than other places; Jerusalem is more holy than other cities with walls. Within Jerusalem itself there are varying degrees of sanctity: Cheil; Ezras Nashim; Ezras Yisrael; Ezras Kohanim. Finally, there is the Sanctuary itself and within the Sanctuary there is the Holy of Holies which is at the top of this pyramid of increasing levels of sanctity in the world. The reason for this extensive hierarchy is so that regardless of where a person is in this world, whatever level he is at there is always a level above that! If there was one level of sanctity throughout the entire world, a person could claim "I am it! I have reached the apex. I do not need to go any farther." Given the hierarchy spelled out in the Mishna, this problem is removed. A person can think "I live in a holy place. I reside in the Land of Israel." No. There is still Jerusalem which is holier. "I am living in Jerusalem I am at the center of holiness in the world." No. There is still the Temple Mount. ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 9 One could go to the Temple Mount and think, "Aha! This is it!" No. There are different gradations. Even if someone is a Kohen who could go into the Bais HaMikdash itself and place the Lechem HaPonim [Show Bread] on the Shulchon [Table] in the Sanctuary, he still needs to be aware that there is yet another level of sanctity beyond the Kodesh HaKodoshim [Holy of Holies]! Even the Kohen Gadol [High Priest] who entered the Kodesh HaKodoshim on Yom Kippur was aware that the attic on top of the Kodesh HaKodoshim had additional sanctity and even the Kohen Gadol was not allowed to go there. The lesson is that one is never "At 'it'". One is never finished in the process of spiritual growth. One has never 'arrived'. If one has the attitude that he has 'arrived,' he will never grow. The reason the Almighty contracted his Divine Presence to 'limit himself' to the confines of the Bais HaMikdash was to introduce to mankind the concept that there are places that are holier than the next. Sure, G-d's Presence fills the world. But people would not strive if they felt that G-d's Presence was equally present in all places. When they know that "there is another level above where you are currently holding" then there is what to live for and what to grow for. The Almighty descended and made a place in this world holier than the next, so that we know there is always a next level for which to strive. 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. To Support Project Genesis- Torah.org Transcribed by David Twersky Seattle, WA; Technical Assistance by Dovid Hoffman, Baltimore, MD RavFrand, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi Yissocher Frand and 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. 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Aish.Com - Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen The Guiding Light Trumah - Making the Effort Shemos, 25:31: "You shall make a Menorah of pure gold, hammered out shall the Menorah be made" Rashi, 25:31: sv. Shall the Menorah be made: By itself; because Moses found it difficult [to make it], God told him, 'throw the gold into the fire and it will be made by itself." Rash brings the Midrash Tanchuma to explain the Torah's language that the Menorah "shall be made", as opposed to; "you shall make" the Menorah. The Midrash tells us further that Moshe could not visualize how the Menorah should appear, so God showed him a Menorah of fire. Even then, after exerting great effort to make it, Moshe was still unable to do so. Therefore, God instructed him to throw the gold into the fire and the complete Menorah emerged. The Sfat Emet asks that if the Menorah was destined to be made by itself, what then was the purpose of showing Moshe the image of the Menorah - even then he was unable to make it! He answers that this teaches us a fundamental principle in Torah thought: Even though man has free will to make decisions as to follow God's will or not, he does not have the actual ability to carry out the instructions unless God enables him to do so. For example, someone may decide to give charity, but any number of obstacles may prevent him from actually doing so. On an even more basic level, most mitzvot requires physical actions of some kind, and man can only perform these actions if God enables him to. What then does God require of man? Only that he make the effort to perform the mitzvot. Even if he is unable to complete them then he has done what is required of him. But, the Sfat Emet says, if he does make the effort with all his strength, then he will receive the siyata dishmaya (Heavenly assistance) to actually complete the mitzvah. This is what happened with Moses and the Menorah - God didn't expect him to actually complete its construction, but He showed Moses an image of the Menorah so that he would make an effort to build it. As a reward for his efforts, God completed the task. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz writes about a number of characters in the Torah who exemplified a belief in the idea that if a person makes the effort to perform God's will then he will receive incredible Divine assistance to achieve superhuman results. One example of this is the story of Batya the daughter Pharaoh saving the young Moses from the river. One of the less discussed questions about this story is why Batya even tried putting her hand out to draw Moshe out, when it was physically impossible to reach him. The answer is that she recognized the need to make the effort even though there was no logical way that that effort would be fulfilled. Yet, because she made the effort, God performed a miracle by lengthening her arm that enabled her to succeed. We have seen from the example of Moses and the Menorah how God only requires that we try to do His will, and if we do so with sincerity then He will complete the task for us. A recent dramatic example of this idea was seen at the Dirshu siyum HaShas. 200 men learned the entire Talmud and were tested on everything. Many of them said that when they began they did not think that they could pass the tests on even one tractate, but somehow they succeeded and kept going, until they achieved this incredible accomplishment. May we all merit to emulate them in our own spiritual growth. This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/tp/i/gl/242061391.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 Parshas Terumah 5774 Volume 16 Issue 19 DEwT A RDA A HMWRT P A publication dedicated to Harbotzas Torah (GK-BK:HK TWMw) ...OYUw YCE IXLw TYsEW ...TRPKH LEM VTA YTRBDW Ow VL YTDEWNW I will arrange My audience with you there and speak to you from the lid of the Aron And you shall make a table of shittim wood... (Exodus 25:22-23) Each of the vessels in the Mishkan represented a different way of serving and connecting to HaShem. The Aron held the luchos, the tablets given at Sinai, and it symbolized the communication of G-d to Man through Torah. The Menorah, which was mentioned later, represented the Torahs ability to enlighten us and guide us through life. Before the Menorah, however, Moshe was commanded to make the Shulchan, a special table upon which the Lechem HaPanim, the showbread, was placed each Shabbos. When they took it off the following week, and divided it among the Kohanim, it was as fresh and warm as when it had been placed there. The Shulchan represents the Kings Table, the fact that all our sustenance is a gift from the beneficent hand of the Al-mighty. Would it not have made sense for the Torah to first finish with the things that represent Torah: the Aron and the Menorah, before moving on to the Shulchan which represented our daily bread? From the fact that the Shulchan was interposed as it was, sandwiched so-to-speak between the Aron and the Menorah, we can glean an insight into how we are supposed to look at the Torah and its relationship to our daily lives. HaShem told Moshe, Once you have made an Aron, I will speak to you from there. HaShem wants to communicate with us. The very next thing He says is, I will support you. If you hear Me from the top of the Aron, you will merit eating at My table. It is by listening to My mitzvos that you will merit parnasa and goodness. Though the Menorah will shed its light through those who study the Torah, it is more crucial to the existence of the world that when people engage in business, or any activity which humans might call, mundane, they do so while heeding and clinging to the word of G-d. The Shulchan, like other vessels, had poles with which to carry it. By the others, though, it says that the poles were for carrying it. Regarding the Shulchan though, it says, And you shall lift it with them. This teaches us that there was a specific mitzvah to lift it. When pilgrims would come on the festivals, the Shulchan was hoisted aloft and the Kohanim cried out, See how beloved you are to HaShem, so the Jews might see it and recognize that HaShem supports them from His table, and their success is a gift from Above. Also, we can infer that our efforts for our livelihood must be lofty and above board. It is noteworthy, too, that whereas by the other vessels when it says the poles are used for carrying, it says the word, bahem, with them. The posuk by the Shulchan says, bam, in them. This is the same word we say in Shema referring to the Torah, vdibarta bam, you shall speak in them. Whether on the road or in your home, these words of Torah are the guides you shall live by, and through which you will be uplifted. Then you will be worthy of enjoy the bounty of HaShems limitless table of good. R Yisrael Salanters wife related that when they got married, they made a deal to divide up the decision-making in their home. Anything that was related to ruchnius, spirituality, would be decided by R Yisrael. Anything that related to the gashmius, the physicality of their home, would be the decision of the Rebbetzin. A listener asked her how that arrangement worked out. Smiling, she replied, I never made any decisions. To R Yisrael, EVERYTHING was a matter of ruchnius! Did You Know? Know Boundaries The parsha outlines the various vessels of the Mishkan that were to be made and how they were to be fashioned. Time after time, Moshe is commanded, Make this, and Do this. Then comes the courtyard. The Torah says, You shall make the Courtyard of the Mishkan, and then proceeds to describe the linen curtains that are to be made and hung to establish its borders. The use of the term, You shall make, seems unusual since he was not making the courtyard. The courtyard existed already and it was the curtains that were being made. We can learn an important lesson from this. Be it a courtyard, a plot of land, or a person, things are defined and made by the boundaries you set. What youre willing to do or NOT willing to do; what you will say and what you will NOT say; do more than just describe you and your personality. Rather, these lines in the sand which you will not cross, and which you will not allow others to cross in approaching you unless they abide by your rules, actually help define who you are and mold you into the person you decide you want to be. Good fences make good neighbors, and they also make good people. 10 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc Thought Of The Week: Building a better you is the first step to building a better world. In fact, its the only step you can control. Mazel Tov to Tzvi and Alexandra Cohen of Chicago, IL on the birth of twin boys. May you have much Yiddishe nachas from your family. A special Mazel Tov to grandparents Shim and Debbie Kurtz SS, MD If you print it they will read. 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 2014 J. Gewirtz 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 Terumah 5774 - 1.666666% In this weeks parsha Hashem instructs Moshe regarding the construction of the vessels of the Mishkan, including the menorah. The Baal Haturim points out that in the psukim detailing the menorahs construction we find every letter of the Aleph-Bais sans the samech. Perhaps we can suggest a reason as to why this is so. The gemara tells us (Bava Metzia 84b) that Rebbe Elazar ben Rebbe Shimon had such severe sores that each night sixty sheets were spread on his bed and by morning they were so saturated one was able to squeeze sixty buckets of pus and blood from them. Also, we are told that as a remedy his wife used to make sixty different fig dishes for him. The mefarshim take note of the number sixty that is constantly being used. The Maharsha explains that this number is not to be taken literally, rather it is used by Shas to describe a particularly large amount. He does not offer a reason as to why specifically sixty is the number chosen by Shas. The Toras Chaim, however, does. He says there is a concept in kashrus known as batel beshshim where a food is considered non-existent when mixed with other foods sixty times its volume. Sixty, therefore, is a most appropriate number to use for anything of a large amount, as if to say that each one of the objects is insignificant in ratio to the total number, to the degree that it is as if it is batel beshishim and did not exist. We believe man was placed on Planet Earth to live life as a Torah-true jew. Some, though, are of the opinion that in the bigger spiritual scheme of things they are wholly insignificant, for they have not excelled in their Avodas Hashem. After all, how many of us will have posthumous biographies written extolling our virtues? My experience tells me that many, especially teenagers, underestimate how much nachas they are giving Hashem just by struggling to be an observant Yid, and consequently undervalue their place in Am Yisrael. Many feel that their niche in Yiddishkeit is batel beshishim and has no real import. What a sad mistake! Every tefilla and every mitzva observance is immeasurable in the impact that it makes on the world. Chazal tell us (Yuma 53b) that the Kohen Gadol every Yom Kippur would daven to Hashem not to accept the tefillos of wayfarers who would daven that it should not rain. I once heard an important analysis of this. Who were these wayfarers? Gedolai Hador - the giants of the generation? No, they were the regular Joes travelling the countryside going from market-place to market-place. And yet Chazal demanded that none other than the Kohen Gadol - the holiest man of the nation, on Yom Kippur - the holiest day of the year, has to daven to neutralize the tefillos of these nobodies! Because every nobody is in reality a somebody if he is connecting with his Creator through tefilla or mitzvos. The menorah and its lights represents Torah and mitzvos . The Torah wants to hint to the common jew that in the atmosphere of the menorah, he/she isnt common at all. Therefore it leaves out the alphabetical poster- boy of insignificance - the samech, the sixty. I am reminded of a poem that I composed in honor of my Shvers sixtieth birthday. The last two lines read: We all want to wish him He shouldnt be batel beshishim! Have a great Shabbos and a Gut Chodesh, Rabbi Nosson Greenberg Rav, Khal Machzikei Torah, Far Rockaway N.Y. ravgreenbergkmt@gmail.com
Aish.Com - Rabbi Ari Kahn M'oray Ha'Aish Trumah - If You Build It, I Will Come In five words (which require considerably more to render into discernable English) the Torah commands us to create holiness. "They shall make (for) me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them." What is this commandment? Is God without a home? Does He require shelter? Is He incapable of establishing His presence without a physical structure? Are we building a homestead for God? The second phrase of this commandment clearly states that the result of this building project is NOT that God will dwell in the new construct, but rather that God will dwell among or within us - "and I will dwell within (or among) them". God will not be changed by this building; He will not move, as it were, from homelessness to tenancy due to our largesse. The inescapable conclusion, then, is quite the opposite: The human experience has been lacking up to this point. In a spiritual sense, it is man who has been homeless, who needs to find his way back home. The commandment to build a sanctuary is an invitation to set aside a place in which we can tap into holiness. The word mikdash (translated as 'sanctuary') has at its root the word kadosh (holy). What is holiness? What is its source? In biblical Hebrew, kadosh (holy) means separate, out of the ordinary, different - even unique. The source of holiness is God, who is unique in every way - separate from the constraints of time, space and matter that rule human experience. In our quest to emulate God, to transcend the limitations of the human condition, we are given the opportunity to create islands of holiness, of unique separation and otherness, in all three dimensions: Shabbat and holidays are islands of holiness in time. Laws that regulate such physical spheres as kashrut and ritual purity create islands of holiness in the material world. The commandment to create a sanctuary, a physical place of holiness, allows us to redefine our relationship to space. When Moshe first saw the burning bush that was not consumed, he came to understand it as a symbol of transcendence. He understood that the God who spoke to him from the burning bush was beyond time, and unconstrained by the laws of physics. What he did not immediately understand was that God had invited him into a holy place, invited him to partake of the holiness. For the first time in human history, God set aside a physical space of holiness, but this was not something Moshe understood intuitively. Therefore, God had to invite Moshe in. God had to explain that man need not recoil from the place of holiness. Moshe was taught to understand the holiness of space, to acknowledge and respect it, but also to stand within it and to take part in it. This unique place of holiness was marked for all time by the sneh (bush) that burned but was not consumed. Moshe had been tending the flocks in what was known as "the mountain of God, at Horev"; after God spoke to him from the burning bush and created this island of holiness, this place became known for all time as Sinai - a word etymologically related to the bush (sneh). On that very spot, human history was changed forever: The word of God burst forth. The revelation Moshe experienced at that spot - of the ability to communicate with a God who transcends time, space, and matter - would be repeated, for all of the Jewish People. The sneh (bush) becomes Sinai. The content of the Revelation that occurred at that place is preserved on the Tablets of Stone, which are then placed in the Ark at the heart of the Sanctuary: The holiness of the place called Sinai is replicated in the creation of the Sanctuary, a unique place that is governed by its own laws of time, space and matter. Eventually, this same holiness will be transferred to the ultimate Sanctuary, The Beit HaMikdash - literally, the house of holiness, the Temple in Jerusalem. At the very epicenter of holiness, the Ark that houses the Tablets given at Sinai is protected by two angelic cherubs. And now we have come full circle. The cherubs that spread their wings over the Ark were last seen in the Garden of Eden, protecting the path to the Tree of Life that stood at the very heart of the Garden. When the world was created, holiness was everywhere - holiness of space, holiness of time and holiness of matter. Yet mankind turned away from holiness and instead chose sin. Exile from the Garden was exile from the holiness of space, from the proximity to God that had been possible in that holy place. At Sinai, that holiness was revealed once again. The building of the Sanctuary, and later the Beit HaMikdash, would give us the opportunity to reestablish that proximity, re-connect with that holiness and bring it into our lives. Building the Sanctuary allows us to end our exile from holiness at last. The challenge is to take that holiness and bring it into our lives. From time immemorial, man has built great edifices; in fact, it may be said that we have an edifice complex. When we build great structures, we hope to attain a bit of immortality. Of course, we know that immortality eludes us, and all great constructs of stone and mortar will eventually crumble. The only way we can rise above the limitations of our physical existence is to build constructs of holiness, both within ourselves and in the world around us. The first step is to set aside a place of holiness, a sanctuary, in our hearts. We can begin only when we take the time and make the effort to discern what is holy and enter into it, partake of it, without the cynicism and political correctness that causes modern man to value all things equally. Some things are, in fact, better, truer, more holy than others, and these are the things - times, places, objects - that allow us to step into holiness. When we partake of holiness, we connect with what is beyond our limited physical existence. Holiness is our connection with the Eternal, and holiness, like the burning bush, is never consumed. For a more in-depth analysis see: http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2014/01/audio-and-essays-and- more-parashat.html This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/tp/i/moha/242215391.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. 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":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 11 Rabbi Avraham Kahn Torah Attitude Parashas Terumah: Understanding Talmudic Disputes January 30, 2014 Summary G-d gave Moses the hermeneutic principles, so that the sages had the tools to expound the Torah and apply it to practical situations. The Romans persecution of the population caused Rabbeinu Hakadoshs drastic decision to change the way the Oral Torah was taught. There were fourty Torah sages from Moses until Rav Ashi. Each one guarded and ensured the authenticity of the transmission of the Oral Torah. If the transmission of the Oral Torah throughout the generations was so well guarded, how could there be any disputes between the rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud? The dispute between the pairs (zugos) of sages went on for generations and was the first time since the revelation at Mount Sinai that there was an unresolved dispute between the sages. Although the schools of Hillel and Shammai had very significant differences of opinion, it never affected their personal relationship with each other. The words of the sages were given by One Shepherd. We must follow the majority opinion when there is a halachic dispute. The eternal words of the Torah can be relied upon to answer even questions based on modern technology. The Hermeneutic Principles In last weeks Torah Attitude we quoted from the Rambam how everyone wrote down what they learned from previous generations, as well as what was derived from one of the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded. We say these principles in our prayers every morning at the end of the section dealing with offerings before Pesukei Dzimrah. They are known as the hermeneutic principles, and they were written down by the Tana Rabbi Yishmael in a braisa. This braisa is the introduction to the Sifra on Vayikra. Two of these principles (1 and 13) are mentioned in the written Torah, whereas the other eleven are part of the Oral Laws that G-d instructed Moses (see commentary of Raavad on the Sifra). Although the vast majority of the Torah laws were transmitted from one generation to the next, it happened that new questions arose and had to be decided. G-d therefore gave Moses these principles, so that the sages had the tools to expound the Torah and apply it to practical situations. Roman Persecution The Rambam describes how Rabbi Yehuda Hanasis Mishnah was universally accepted by the entire Jewish people and has been used ever since as the authoritative text for the teaching of the Oral Torah. The Rambam continues to explain the reason behind Rabbeinu Hakadoshs drastic decision to change the way the Oral Torah was taught. At the time, the Romans ruled the land of Israel and persecuted the population. Less and less people came to study, and they were often on the run to escape their tormentors. The writing down of the Mishnah ensured that people could study wherever they were and whenever they had time. Fourty Torah Sages With Rabbeinu Hakadosh, the Tanaic era came to a close. Tens of thousands of students, says the Rambam, studied under this great teacher, and not long after several great scholars authored other textbooks. For example, one of the sages of that period, known as Rav, wrote several volumes. One of them, the aforementioned Sifra, deals with the laws of Vayikra. The Rambam continues to enumerate the great teachers who were responsible to transmit the Oral Torah for another four generations till Rav Ashi authored the Babylonian Talmud. The scholars of the Talmud discussed the Torah source for every law mentioned in the Mishnah. Often they would use one of the thirteen principles to reveal the origin of a law. Whatever Steps Were Necessary Rabbi Yochanan, says the Rambam, was very young when he studied under Rabbeinu Hakadosh. Later in life he authored the Jerusalem Talmud, based on discussions of the sages who lived in the land of Israel. The Rambam concludes that altogether there were fourty Torah sages from Moses until Rav Ashi who guarded and ensured the authenticity of the transmission of the Oral Torah. They took whatever steps were necessary to make sure that nothing was changed from the words that G-d instructed Moses. How Can There Be Disputes? However, an obvious question arises. If the transmission of the Oral Torah throughout the generations was so well guarded, how could there be any disputes between the rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud? As a matter of fact, the Talmud discusses this. In the first Mishnah of Pirkei Avos we find a brief description of the transmission of the Oral Torah from Moses through Joshua to the elders (Pinchas and Eili HaKohein with their contemporaries). The elders passed it on to the prophets (from Samuel till Jeremiah, altogether 16 prophets). Baruch ben Neriah received it from the last of the prophets, Jeremiah, and passed it on to Ezra Hasofer who led the Jewish people back from the Babylonian exile. He and his Beis Din (Halachic court) became known as The Men of the Great Assembly. Pairs (Zugos) Of Sages In the Mishnayos that follow we find the sayings of the sages who were responsible for the continual transmission of the Oral Torah. Shimon Hatzadik, who was the last member of the Men of the Great Assembly, received the Oral Torah from Ezra and passed it on to Antignus Ish Socha. He in turn passed it on to Yossi ben Yoezer and Yossi ben Yochanan. It is interesting to note that the Mishnah mentions two sages from then on till Hillel and Shammai. The reason for the enumeration of these pairs (zugos) of sages is because each of the five pairs of sages argued about the same halacha, as mentioned in Talmud Chagigah (16a). Rashi (ibid) explains that this dispute went on for generations and was the first time, since the revelation at Mount Sinai that there was an unresolved dispute between the sages. The two leaders of each pair were both part of the Highest Court in Israel. One was the president of the court. The other had the title of Head of the Court. Only at the time of Hillel and Shammai, says the Talmud (Sotah 47b), did two schools develop and many disputes evolved then. As we already mentioned, the Rambam explains that the Roman persecution prevented the students from dedicating themselves fully to their studies. The transmission was therefore not as crystal clear, as it had been throughout biblical times till the return from the Babylonian exile. The Schools Of Hillel And Shammai The Talmud (Yevamos 13b) relates that although the schools and Hillel and Shammai had very significant differences of opinion, it never affected their personal relationship with each other. There was even a case where the school of Hillel ruled that a certain match was prohibited, to the extent that if the couple married, their children would be mamzerim, whereas the school of Shammai permitted the match. Nevertheless, the two schools still intermarried with each other, as the students from the school of Hillel were confident that they would be notified [by the school of Shammai] if the match was not acceptable to them on halachic grounds. One Shepherd The Talmud (Chagigah 3b) states that the Talmudic discussions can be very confusing. One school says pure and the other says impure, one says permitted and the other says prohibited. How can both schools be part of the transmission of the Torah from Sinai? In order to clarify this, the Talmud quotes a verse in Koheles (12:11): The words of the sages were given by One Shepherd. Says the Talmud, both opinions are based on the words of One G-d. One leader (i.e. Moses) mentioned them both in the name of the Master of all creation. As it says, And G-d said all of these words. Follow The Majority Opinion Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Idels (better known as the Maharsha) explains that every halacha, that is not written explicitly in the Torah can be interpreted and understood in more than one way. However, the Torah has a built-in system to establish the final halachic decision. In last weeks parasha it says (Shemos 23:2): You shall not be following the majority for evil, and do not respond to a dispute to yield after the majority to pervert things. On a simple level, Rashi explains that this verse teaches not to go along with people who do wrong, such as a majority opinion in a court that perverts the law. However, the Talmud (Chulin 11a) learns from this verse that we must follow the majority opinion when there is a halachic dispute. The Talmud (Yevamos 14a) relates that in general we rule like the School of Hillel, as they were the majority. However, there were instances where the School of Shammai was the majority (see Shabbos 13b) and then the halacha was established like them. Eternal Words Of The Torah In every generation new questions arise due to changing lifestyles and new inventions. Right up till today, the leading halachic authorities are consulted to rule on new issues that need to be decided. It is amazing to study their numerous responsae and see how the eternal words of the Torah can be relied upon to answer even questions based on modern technology. This unbroken chain will, with G-ds help, continue till Moshiach comes and the High Court in Jerusalem will be re-established. 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 Dov Kramer Taking A Closer Look And into the Ark shall you place the Testimony that I will give you (Shmos 25:21). This is the second time within the instructions for the Ark that G-d told Moshe to put the Testimony (referring to the Luchos, the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments carved into/through them; it also refers to the Torah, see http://rabbidmk.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/parashas-vayakhel-pekuday- 5773/) into the Ark (see 25:16). Before suggesting a reason for the repetition, Rashi (on 25:21) says he doesnt know why it was repeated. [It would seem that his not knowing meant he had no earlier source upon which to rely; he still didnt know why it was repeated even after thinking of a possible explanation. Vdok.] Rashis suggestion is that it was repeated in order to teach us that the Luchos must be put inside the Ark before the Kapores (its cover, which was discussed immediately prior to this verse) is put on it. Many commentators question what this means, as obviously the contents of a container must be put inside before closing it. Some (e.g. Ber Yitzchok and Rebbi Shmuel El-Moshnainu) explain it to mean not being able to first cover the empty Ark and then partially open it in order to put the Luchos inside. However, they dont explain why this is problematic (or why it is partially uncovering the Ark that is being pre-empted rather than completely uncovering it and then recovering it). Others (e.g. Rosh and Tur) say that the verse means that it is forbidden to cover the Ark if the Luchos are not inside, or, put another way (see Rabbeinu Bachye towards the end of his commentary on 21:18) that it is forbidden for the Ark to not have the Luchos inside of it. (They are not all saying that this is ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 13 what Rashi meant; Gur Aryeh makes this suggestion to explain the repetition, but assumes it is not what Rashi meant.) Based on this, many (e.g. Rashash on Yuma 53b and Chasam Sofer on our verses) explain that this is why there was no Ark in the Second Temple, as the Luchos were hidden (or in exile, see Yuma 53b) along with the Ark from the First Temple (shortly before its destruction). This is contrasted with the Choshen, the Kohain Gadols breastplate, which was worn in the Second Temple even though the Urim vTumim were also lost, despite the Torah also telling us (28:30) to put the Urim vTumim inside the Choshen. Since those instructions werent repeated, the Choshen was allowed (and needed for the Temple service) even without the Urim vTumim, while a Luchos-less Ark was not. Some (e.g. Meshech Chachmah) point out that there is a general rule regarding Temple service that whenever a law detail is repeated, the service is not valid without the detail being fulfilled; since putting the Luchos inside the Ark was repeated, the Ark cannot be used without them. [Although the Torah also seems to say that the Ark should be covered after it was already placed inside the inner sanctum (the Kodesh HaKadashim) rather than covering the Ark outside the sanctuary and then bringing it in (26:34, see Netziv), this contradicts what actually happened (see 40:20- 21). Rather, the Torah (26:33-34) is just telling us that the Ark, including its covering, belong in the inner sanctum; after describing the curtain that divides the inner sanctum from the outer one, thereby designating the inner sanctum as the Holy of Holies, we are told that the Kapores (the covering), along with the Ark that contains the Testimony, resides in the Holy of Holies.] Rashi proves his point by referencing what Moshe actually did (40:20). However, that verse does not just say that Moshe put the Luchos into the Ark before covering it; he also waited to put the poles in their rings until after he had put the Luchos inside. [This seems to contradict Tosfos contention that the reason the poles were not allowed to be removed is because the Ark/Luchos was so holy that G-d didnt want it handled unnecessarily (by taking the poles out and putting them back in). If this were so, I would have expected Moshe to specifically put the poles in before the Luchos were placed in the Ark; by putting the Luchos in first, the Ark/Luchos was handled when the poles were first inserted into their rings even though this could have been avoided. Although it is possible that its not as problematic for the Ark/Luchos to be handled before the Kapores covered it, since the real holiness comes from the Luchos, this would not seem to be the case.] Interestingly, just as the second verse that says to put the Luchos in the Ark follows the instructions for the Kapores, the first verse (25:16) follows immediately after the instructions to make poles for the Ark (25:12-15). It certainly seems that this juxtaposition was meant to indicate that the instructions detailed before stating that the Luchos are to be placed in the Ark should be fulfilled after the Luchos were already inside the Ark (see Ibn Ezra on 25:21). The question becomes why it was important to have the Luchos inside the Ark before the poles were added and before the Ark was covered. Since the purpose of the Ark was to hold the Luchos, the poles made to carry the Ark (25:14) should not have been needed at all times; the Ark is no less efficient at containing the Luchos without poles than it is with them, and they seem superfluous when the Mishkan was not being transported. Yet, as opposed to the Shulchan (table) and Mizbayach (altar), which also have poles, the poles of the Ark could never be removed. The implication is that things which support the Luchos (and by extension, the Torah) cannot be removed even if the apparent reason for them doesnt apply. Similarly, if the Kapores (covering) could be put on the Ark even without the Luchos inside, it would have indicated that they had a purpose in and of themselves, aside from being the container for the Luchos. Just as mitzvos must be observed even when it seems that the reason for them doesnt apply (as evidenced by the poles of the Ark always having to be attached), doing mitzvos has little spiritual value if they arent being done because G-d commanded them (see Rambam, Hilchos Mlachim 8:11). The structure (the Ark, and the system of law) must have the Torah (the Luchos) within it (at its center) in order for it to have any religious value. That the Ark isnt really considered a valid Ark without the Luchos inside is explicitly stated by Ramban (40:2). Since the Torah says that the poles should be attached to the Ark, the Luchos must already be inside before attaching them. (Although this could answer the question I raised on Tosfos, if there was a concern about handling the Ark unnecessarily, the Torah shouldnt have required it to be a valid Ark before the poles were attached.) Similarly, since the Torah required that the Kapores be placed on top of the Ark, the Luchos had to be inside first. Into the Ark shall you place the Testimony (25:21) follows the instructions for making the Kapores in order to teach us that without the Luchos being inside, the Ark isnt considered a valid Ark, while you shall put into the Ark the Testimony (25:16) follows the instructions regarding the Arks poles -- specifically the prohibition against ever removing them -- to teach us that they too must be added after the Luchos are inside. In turn, these requirements teach us that the value of the structure only exists because of the Luchos; there is no need for the un- removable poles, nor can the covering be added to complete the container, without the Testimony that connects us with G-d being inside first.
Rabbi Moshe Krieger Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet Parshas Terumah This week's sidra deals primarily with the various laws and directives concerning the Mishkan's construction. The Midrash Rabba (34:1) records an exchange on the topic between Moshe Rabbeinu and Hakadosh Baruch Hu wherein Moshe expressed his surprise at Hashem's command to build the Mishkan, questioning the need to construct an earthly abode for a Being whose glory occupies the universe from one end to the other. Additionally, earlier in our sidra (Midrash Rabba 33:8), the midrash relates another conversation between Moshe Rabbeinu and Hakadosh Baruch Hu in which Moshe expressed his doubt that human beings could even truly provide an adequate dwelling for G-d. Regarding this question, the midrash also records the response which Hashem provided, wherein He reassured Moshe that absolutely any member of Klal Yisroel possessed the ability to build a proper mishkan. As the passuk states, Kol ish asher yidvenu libo Every man whose heart motivates him [shall donate to my mishkan]. In his sefer Shai Lamelech, my father-in-law, Rav Elimelech Miller, shlita, raises the pertinent difficulty. To put it bluntly, the conversation seems to make no sense. Moshe Rabbeinu's questions appear perfectly logical. Can we even entertain the assumption that Hakadosh Baruch Hu requires a resting place, chas veshalom? Furthermore, even were G-d to truly need a home, could human ability ever begin to suffice in its provision? And to address Hashem's answer, how could simple motivation grant a person the power to literally create a dwelling place for G-d? Moreover, G-d's answer certainly does not address Moshe's more basic point in Midrash Rabba 34:1, in which he brought into question the very need for Hashem to acquire a dwelling. My father-in-law explained the answer provided by the midrash. In truth, Hakadosh Baruch Hu certainly did not require a home on earth and, even if He had required such a dwelling, our limited abilities could never have sufficed in its creation. Yet, while He did not need to dwell on earth, Hakadosh Baruch Hu desired to do so and even agreed to make do with an abode produced by limited human abilities entirely for our own good, to enable every member of Klal Yisroel to grow closer to Him. Hashem nurses an intense desire for admittance into the heart of the Jewish people. By providing B'nei Yisroel with a place where they could strongly experience His holiness, Hashem hoped that we would begin to feel close to Him and allow Him into our hearts. In his response to Moshe Rabbeinu's questions, Hashem was answering that anyone could succeed in building what was the ultimate purpose of the mishkan a place in our hearts for G-d. There is a fascinating Alshich which highlights this concept. Regarding the passuk containing Hashem's commandment to build the Mishkan, V'asu Li mikdash v'shochanti b'socham And you shall build me a sanctuary and I shall dwell within them (Terumah 25:8), the Alshich quotes a Chazal which highlights the selection of the word b'socham within them as opposed to the more grammatically correct form b'socho within it. The Alshich explains that when we build Hashem a sanctuary He will indeed dwell not merely within it but within them the hearts of B'nei Yisroel. He will dwell within us. In fact, even the manner in which B'nei Yisroel were instructed to perform the physical building of the Mishkan was designed to further ensure that they would provide G-d a place to dwell within their heart. There was a special measure of purity of intention required for the performance of this mitzvah. Rashi at the beginning of our parsha expounds upon the passuk Veyikchu Li Terumah And you shall take for Me a contribution, explaining that the word li for Me teaches that one was to give his donations to the Mishkan solely for Me [G-d]. In fact, one was not even permitted to contribute anything which he did not desire to give solely for Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Furthermore, the Alter Mi'Kelm explains that the halacha codified a very strict bar of requirements for the donation to meet before being considered as having been given for Hashem's sake. One was even prohibited from performing the mitzvah with the intent to reap heavenly reward, and, in fact, such intent would render the mitzvah invalid. One fulfilled the commandment of building the Mishkan only if he performed it solely for Hashem's sake. In Maseches Sanhedrin (106b), the gemara writes Rachmana liba ba'ei G-d desires our hearts. Hashem pines for our heartfelt avodah. Indeed, Hashem wishes us to perform not merely the mitzvos regarding the 14 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc Mishkan's construction but every mitzvah simply out of a burning desire to grow closer to Him. It's not easy to serve Hashem with a pure heart. It is said that the Brisker Rav would break down sobbing every year when the chazzan read the words L'bochein l'vavos b'yom din To the searcher of hearts on the day of judgment during the Yomim Noraim (High Holidays). Indeed, can anyone testify that they possess true purity of heart? It requires a tremendous amount of effort to obtain even just one more level in one's sincerity of avodah. Another story is told of the Brisker Rav which highlights the degree of effort needed to grow in this area. Although repeating the words of the first passuk of shema presents halachic difficulties, the Brisker Rav would repeat the words al levavchem [And you shall place these statutes] upon your hearts (from the second paragraph of shema) many times. In fact, Rav Avraham Erlanger once counted that the Brisker Rav had repeated those words with tremendous concentration a total of forty-two times in a single recitation of shema. This is merely a minor example of the effort the Brisker Rav expended in order to grow closer to Hashem. Do we expend even a fraction of that effort? May we be zoche to truly create a sanctuary for G-d within our hearts, and serve Him constantly with the greatest love we can muster. Rabbi Eli Mansour Weekly Perasha Insights Parashat Teruma: Spiritual Currency Parashat Teruma begins with the command, Veyikhu Li Teruma, instructing Beneh Yisrael to donate materials for the construction of the Mishkan. Curiously, rather than commanding Beneh Yisrael to give or donate materials, G-d commands them to take a donation. And the question is obvious: how does one take a donation? Why did Hashem formulate the command in this fashion? David Hamelech famously proclaims in Tehillim (49:18), Ki Lo Bemoto Yikah Hakol a person does not bring any of his material assets with him to the next world. In Jewish tradition, a dead body is buried in plain, simple shrouds with no pockets, emphasizing the point that no matter how much wealth a person accumulates in this world, he takes none of it with him to the next world. He leaves this world empty-handed. The currency in this world, whether its the U.S. dollar, the Euro, or the Israeli shekel, has no value whatsoever in the next world. The only thing a person takes with him in his spiritual currency his Torah and Misvot. This cannot be seen, but it and only it accompanies a person on his final journey to the next world, where it has enormous value. A king once asked Baron Rothschild how much he was worth. Rothschild gave a number that was around one-tenth of his true worth. What?! the king exclaimed. Youre trying to fool me? I know youre worth at least ten times that! No, the Baron replied. You asked me what I am worth, not what my property is worth. True, my assets are worth ten times as much as what I said, but that is not my worth. All that can be taken away from me in an instant. My worth is only the charity I have given. Those are the only assets that can never be taken away from me. People bring their money to the bank for safekeeping. Rather than risk losing the cash, they deposit it in their bank account so it will be secure and they can access it later. This is what we are doing every time we give charity. We are depositing our money in the safest savings account imaginable. It is ensured not by the FDIC, but by the Almighty Himself. The Rabbi or collector to whom we give the donation is the like the teller. When we give money to the bank teller, we know we are not really giving it to him or her; the teller is just transferring the funds for us into our account. Similarly, the money we give to charity, every penny of it, is deposited straight into our heavenly account. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) once asked, If there are ten birds on a rooftop, and we shoot two of them, how many remain on the roof? Naturally, his audience replied that eight birds remain on the roof. The Rabbi noted that this is incorrect. The moment the shots are fired, all the other birds fly away. The only birds that remain on the roof are the dead ones. He proceeded to explain that this is true of money, as well. Whatever money we have can so easily fly away. It is said that money has wings, and we have seen this happen many times. People can go to sleep wealthy and wake up poor if their assets devaluate overnight. Ironically, the only assets that we really keep, that stay on the roof, are the dead ones the assets we donate to charitable causes. These are secure and guaranteed to remain with us for all eternity. In this vein, the Ben Ish Hai explained the otherwise peculiar expression, Veyikhu Li Teruma. When one makes a charitable donation, when one contributes toward the Mishkan, he is receiving, not giving. He is depositing those funds in his own account in the most secure and profitable savings plan possible, and earning greater dividends than any other investment could ever yield. National Council of Young Israel Weekly Dvar Torah Carrying Our Legacy Rabbi Binyomin Hellman, NCYI , Rabbinic Training Program 5774 The poles shall remain in the rings of the Ark; they may not be removed from it (Shemos 25:15) Many commentators discuss the significance of the command that the poles by which the aron (Ark) was carried were to remain permanently inserted into the rings of the aron. They may not be removed, even when the aron is at rest. This commandment was unique to the aron. The poles of the menorah and the shulchan were inserted only when they were needed to be used to carry those items. Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 96) rules that this command is a mitzvah ledoros, a command for all future generations anyone who was to remove the poles would be subject to malkus (lashing). Below are some approaches towards a possible rationale of this mitzvah: According to Sefer HaChinuch, the reason for this mitzvah is that the aron, which serves as the repository of the Torah, must be treated with proper reverence. Should the Bnei Yisrael suddenly be called upon to travel, they might, in haste, attach the poles in a clumsy or haphazard manner which would likely cause the poles to detach, and the aron to fall. To avoid this great degradation of the Torahs honor, the Torah mandates that the poles be permanently attached. This law can thus serve us as an impetus to grant the proper reverence to the Torah. If the Torah makes a safeguard merely to prevent a possible breech to the Torahs honor, we must certainly act with due respect towards the Torah and to the institutions and individuals who represent it. The Chofetz Chaim contends that the poles are symbolic of those who support Torah study. Anyone who supports Torah becomes sanctified to the point that he merits a permanent connection to it. [A similar idea is presented by Alshich and Meshech Chochmah as well.] Indeed, the Chofetz Chaim writes (in Shemiras HaLashon, Shaar HaTorah Chapter 6) that the connection between a person who supports the Torah, and the institutions and individuals that he supports, is so strong and reciprocal that, even if the supporter of the Torah was an absolute and utter ignoramus while in this world, he will be transformed and become a well- versed Torah scholar in the next world.. My grandfather, HaRav Toviyo Lasdun ztl once told me another approach to this Halacha which his Rebbe, HaRav Eliyahu Meir Bloch ztl, related in the late 1940s. The purpose of this command is to teach us that the Torah, by its very nature, is transitory. It stands always prepared to be carried and spread throughout the world; for its eternal Divine message is not constrained to any particular place or time. There were those who felt the Torah lifestyle was not suited for America. R Elyah Meir wished to impress upon them that the power of Torah is such that its message is suited for every kehillah (Jewish community) in every city throughout the globe. Many thriving and growing congregations in numerous locales across the continent will receive this Dvar Torah; thus, proving that the timeless message of the Torah is indeed transient and relevant to all Klal Yisrael wherever they may be. Shabbat Shalom The Weekly Sidra - Terumah By Rabbi Moshe Greebel Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis Without question, the giving of Tzdakah (charity) is one of the most essential aspects of the Torah, as is seen from what HaKadosh Baruch Hu said of Avraham Avinu: For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of HaShem, to do Tzdakah and judgment; that HaShem may bring upon Avraham that which He has spoken of him. (Braishis 18:19) In the words of Shlomo HaMelech we see the following: Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; but Tzdakah saves from death. (Mishlei 10:2) In the Gemarah Shabbos 139a, we are told this: Ulla said, Yrushalayim shall be redeemed only by Tzdakah as it is written, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and those who return to her with Tzdakah. (Yshaya 1:27) These of course, are only but a few of the many examples in Mikra (Scripture) and Chazal (our Rabbanim of blessed memory) of the importance of the Mitzvah of giving Tzdakah. Now, in the order of the Sidros (orders of weekly reading) of the Torah, the Sidra of Mishpatim, dealing with law, precedes this weeks Sidra of Trumah, dealing with donating to the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Why in fact, should this be so? In the text Iturei Torah (Trumah page 200), in the name of one Rav Y. Petzanovski, this question is resolved in the following manner. ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 15 The reason that Mishpatim precedes Trumah is to instruct us that even though one who gives generously from the goodness of his heart to worthwhile causes is highly esteemed by HaKadosh Baruch Hu, this is only true when the money donated was earned honestly as per the dictates of the Torah HaKdosha. If Tzdakah however, was earned dishonestly G-d forbid, against the dictates of the Torah, it has no benefit to anyone whatsoever. It is soiled, blemished, and falls into the category of accomplishing Mitzvos through Aveiros (sins). Hence, it is for this very reason that the Sidra of Mishpatim, which deals with rightful law, precedes the Sidra of Trumah, which deals with freely donating to the construction of the Mishkan. That is, everything that is donated must be earned via rightful law, and have no stigma or taint of fraudulence about it whatsoever. This is as the Navi (prophet) states: And judgment is turned away backward, and Tzdakah stands far off; for you have ensnared the truth in the street, and upright dealing cannot enter. (Yshaya 59:14) Money that is earned through backwards judgment and ensnared truth simply cannot be used for Tzdakah. And, even though large and generous amounts of this money are donated as Tzdakah, in the end, they do no one any good. In the Zohar Sefer Shmos, 2nd Chailek, 198a, the following Passuk (verse) is discussed: Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring the poor, who are cast out, to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you hide not yourself from your own flesh? (Yshaya 58:7) The Zohar instructs: Your bread, says Scripture, yours emphatically, your own property, but not that gotten by robbery or violence or theft; for, in that case, so far from its being a source of merit, it will be a reminder, woe to him, of his sins. Not only will dishonestly earned funds for Tzdakah benefit no one, such funds when donated, will additionally cause woe. This weeks Sidra states: Take you from among you an offering to HaShem; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of HaShem; gold, and silver, and bronze. (Shmos 35:5) From among you must mean from that which is emphatically yours, and not gotten by robbery or violence or theft. This donation to the Mishkan must be clean of fraud and dishonesty. This very same motif plays as well in the giving of Karbanos (offerings), as stated by Dovid HaMelech: Accept, I beseech you, the freewill offerings of my mouth, HaShem, and teach me Your ordinances. (Thillim 119:108) That is the only freewill offerings that are acceptable are those earned rightfully through the ordinances of HaShem, which is seen as well from the following Psukim (verses): And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and stranger; I am HaShem your G-d. You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie one to another. (Vayikra 19:10-11) Concerning the Mitzvos of Paiah and Leket (leaving some of the field for the poor), the field must be under the rightful possession of the one giving to the unfortunate. That is, a field gotten through illegal, anti Torah methods, is not one from which Paiah and Leket should be given. And, lastly, we see this principle of honesty in the following: He who has a generous eye shall be blessed; for he gives of his bread to the poor. (Mishlei 22:9) That is, it is his bread, earned by the honest sweat of his brow, and not unlawful bread. In the Chidushei Agados of the Gemarah Ksubos 15, the Maharsha (Rav Shmuel Eidels 1555- 1631) of blessed memory, regales us with the following very candid observations of Jewish life in Poland in the 16tth- 17th century: There are many in this generation who have amassed their fortunes dishonestly, and with desecration of the name of HaShem, with such infractions as stealing from the non Jew, afterwards, donating that (ill gotten) money for eternal honor, and the Bracha (blessing) of the MiShBairach (who shall be blessed). This is all done for their names to remain in perpetuity. Yet, this is nothing more than a Mitzvah accomplished through an Aveira. In conclusion, the following incident concerning the absolute honesty of the Admur (Chassidic master) Rav Ychiel Meir of Gustinin (1816- 1888) of blessed memory, is presented. A certain Chassid once came to Rav Ychiel Meir with a long litany of personal problems and troubles, such as vast amounts of money he owed, and pleaded for the Rebbes Bracha (blessing), which the Rebbe quickly bestowed. As per the practice of the day, the Chassid left a Pidyon (redemption money) for the Rebbe, which the Rebbe refused to take. But, Rebbe, pleaded the Chassid, please accept the Pidyon as a token of my appreciation for your Bracha! Why will you not accept it? Because, answered Rav Ychiel Meir, prior to giving any Pidyon, you should make certain you are not giving it through the inconvenience of others to whom you owe it. First clear your debts, and then we shall see to the Pidyon! May we soon see the Gulah Shlaimah in its complete resplendence- speedily, and in our times. Good Shabbos. Confidential matters may be sent to Rabbi Greebel at: belmar.rabbi@yahoo.com Also appearing on the website: The National Council of Young Israel http://www.youngisrael.org Dvar Torah - Terumah: You Get What You Pay For By Rabbi Dovid Sochet Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis The Torah writes in this week's Parasha (1) "they will take to Me a portion, from every man whose heart will motivate him shall you take My portion." One might question: If Bnei Yisroel gave the terumah (portion) to Hashem, the pasuk should have said vayitnu li terumah ...."give to Me a terumah". Another point which needs clarification is why the Torahs command of this mitzvah differs from its command in regard to other mitzvohs. The Torah commands us to give with our hearts motivation without explicitly requiring us to give a specific amount. The pasuk (2) lists the various materials that were required to be donated for the construction of the Mishkan. The Torah mentions - gold, silver, and copper, - turquoise, purple, and scarlet wool, linen and dyed red goat's hair , - ram skins, tachash skins, acacia wood, - oil for illumination, spices for the anointment oil and the aromatic incense. After enumerating those materials which were relatively less costly items, the Torah ends this list with - "shoham gem stones and other gem stones used for filling the settings of the Ephod and the Kohen Gadols (High Priest's) Breastplate. These gems were exquisite, unique, and precious beyond compare. The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh (3) poses an obvious question. This list of solicited items is apparently arranged in descending order of value, e.g. first gold, then silver, followed by copper (or bronze) and so on. Why then are the Avnei Shoham and Avnei Miluim (shoham stones and filling stones), the items of greatest value, mentioned at the end? He answers that ultimately what counts in the eyes of Hashem is not the value of the gift received, but what the gift represented for the person who brought it. As the pasuk speaking allegorically (4) says about the Mishkan (Tabernacle), the Jewish people made , - "a Tabernacle for His presence has the King Shloima made of the wood from Lebanon, its pillars he [Shloima] made of silver, His [Hashem's] resting place was gold, its [the Tabernacle's] suspended curtain was purple wool, its midst was decked with implements bespeaking love by the daughters of Yerushalayim. Rashi explains that the daughters of Yerushalayim refer to the Jewish people. The Ohr Hachaim continues with a passage from the Gemarah (5) that the Avnei Shoham and Avnei Miluim were miraculously brought to the Princes on clouds from Gan Eden. Since these were donations that in effect "came from Heaven" and did not involve any individual's toil or labor, they were therefore listed after the oils and spices, which, although there may have been less pricey, were donations that were a product of the people's labor and efforts. In that way they were superior to the much more "expensive" gifts of precious stones. A poor person's small donation, which may be something he had to scrape for, can very well mean more in the Eyes of Heaven than an enormous contribution which is "pocket change" for the person who endowed it. This is why the Avnei Shoham gems and Avnei Miluim jewels are the last items on the list of materials donated. The implication here is quite clear. When we invest time and energy into some activity it becomes meaningful and worthwhile to us, while something achieved easily and effortlessly makes no impact on our lives. Suppose a king was to declare all taxes to be voluntary; anyone can contribute as much as wished. Obviously tax revenues would be very slim indeed. A human king who desires to raise tariffs from his subjects must decree specifically who and how much must be contributed. These taxes would by necessity be mandatory and additionally there must be a bureaucratic system in place to collect them. However this is not the case with Hashem. He does not desire gold and silver, as the pasuk (6) says Hashem says - "All gold and silver is Mine". Chazal (7)teach that what Hashem requests is the full devotion of our hearts - our love towards him. They shall take to Me a portion, the pasuks usage of the word "take to Me" rather than "give to Me" implies that the desired contribution is one that involves taking of yourself, and not merely just giving something that is in your possession. From every man whose heart will motivate, whoever so desires you shall take My portion. A Chasid of Reb Ahron of Karlin (8) once saw the Rebbe outside his home attempting to start a fire using two stones. The Chasid asked Reb Ahron why he did not go inside and take fire from one of the candles already lit. He responded that he had an intense dislike for 'fire' gained without effort. The Great Tzadik internalized this message: "fire" is an allusion to the passion that we have when serving Hashem. He was trying to impart this lesson to the Chasid, and perhaps even to himself! This message is particularly relevant in our times. We often look for the easy way out. We appreciate any device that will make our lives less burdensome. This is of course as things should be. However, when it comes to performing Hashem's mitzvohs this is not always the most desirable way of fulfilling His will. By choosing the "easy way out" in 16 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc mitzvah observance, we are, in effect, diminishing and depreciating the mitzvah's value. Furthermore, if performing mitzvahs does not necessitate any significant commitment we will not feel that mitzvahs have any great value. The less effort invested in performing the mitzvah, the less importance we attach to that mitzvah. Performing mitzvohs may fall in the rank of our list of priorities if they become meaningless and unnecessary activities. We must never allow ourselves to sink into a comatose state when it comes to mitzvah observance. Rather than being satisfied with the minimum Halachic requirement, we must strive to toil and exert ourselves to perform the mitzvohs energetically; to the best of our ability. Only when we invest the proper time and effort in the mitzvohs can we truly appreciate the beauty and greatness of the Torah and its laws. Good Shabbos. Rabbi Dovid Sochet 1. Shemos / Exodus 25:2 2. Shemos / Exodus 25:3-7 3. Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar 1696-1743 4. Shir Hashirim / Song of Songs 3:9-10 5. Tractate Yoma 75A 6. Chagai 2:8 7. Tractate Sanhedrin 106B 8. 1802-1872, He is the author of the Sefer Beis Ahron Rabbi Dovid Sochet is the son of the Stoliner Rebbe of Yerushalayim; he spent a considerable amount of his formative years in Los Angeles CA, and the 5 Towns in New York. He studied in the following Yeshivas: The Mesivtah of San Diego, Yeshiva Harbotzas Torah in Flatbush NY, and Yeshiva Gedola of Passaic. He currently is a Rabbi in Spring Valley New York where he resides with his wife and children. Rabbi Sochet is also certified Mohel. The National Council of Young Israel http://www.youngisrael.org Torah Insights-Terumah: Striving for Imperfection By: Rabbi Dov Shapiro,Certified Mohel Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis My friend Dr. David Luchins often quotes his Rebbi, Rav Ahron Soloveichik ztl, who encapsulated the context of our responsibility in this world as follows: You can define all of Judaism in one run-on sentence declared Rav Ahron, A perfect G-d dared to create an imperfect world, and deigned to create an imperfect creature you and me- and all humanity and gave us, His imperfect creatures, the daunting task of perfecting His imperfect world. Striving towards perfection is a lifelong goal, and one that most of us will never accomplish at least not literally. But recognizing that the context of our responsibilities is specifically within an imperfect world is a critical step in order for us to devote ourselves to our mission wholeheartedly. When Hashem commanded the Jews to build the mishkan (Tabernacle) the list of required items included atzei shitim, acacia wood. From where would the Jews obtain acacia wood in the middle of the desert? Some commentaries (Tosfos, Ibn Ezra) learn that there was a forest of acacia trees near the Jews camp in the desert. Rashi brings the Midrash Tanchuma that Yaakov Avinu prophetically foresaw that the Jews would require atzei shitim for the construction of the mishkan and planted them for this purpose when he arrived in Mitzrayim centuries earlier. While this midrash explains the source of the wood, it opens up another, even more fundamental question. What was the point of having a mitzvah which could only be fulfilled by prophetic planning? What lesson is the Torah teaching us with this unique mitzvah that we were only able to fulfill because of Yaakov Avinus actions centuries earlier? Let us take a closer look at Yaakovs behavior when he decided to plant his acacia trees 210 years ago. When Yaakov travelled down to Mitzrayim, the immediate purpose of his journey was a joyful one - to be reunited with his son Yosef after 22 years of separation. Nevertheless, he also realized that he would never return to Eretz Canaan and that his familys journey would begin a long, bitter exile that would be physically and spiritually devastating. Michtav MEliyahu (2:230) describes Yaakovs great concern about the effect that golus Mitzrayim would have on his children and the great efforts he exerted to encourage and spiritually fortify his children in preparation for their exile. Then, after doing all he could for the Jews who would suffer in the exile, Yaakov did something else. He turned his attention to the post-golus stage. He brought acacia saplings with him from Eretz Canaan and planted them in Egypt, planning for the building of a mishkan 200 years hence. Yaakov, with his penetrating vision and his determined focus on what needed to be done, did all he could for one painful stage in Jewish history and then, undeterred, looked forward and moved on to a somewhat more pleasant period that would follow. Actually, even the building of the mishkan did not transpire in an entirely sanguine context. The Sforno (31:18) points out that when the Jews first received the Torah there was no need for a mishkan; the Jews relationship with Hashem could be manifested any place they would build a mizbeyach. After the chait haegel (golden calf), a mishkan was required to serve as a kapara (atonement) for their sin, and as a place where Hashems presence would be felt and experienced. Let us now contextualize the frame of Yaakovs prophetic mind as he contemplated 200 years of Jewish history. He saw the great suffering his children would experience in Egypt, and he saw how close they would come to spiritual and physical annihilation. Then, when Hashem would miraculously rescue His chosen nation and give them the Torah and its glorious destiny, Yaakov saw how they would sin and forfeit much of the greatness they had achieved at Har Sinai. As dark and painful as this revelation must have been to Yaakov, rather than be discouraged, he reacted with determination, anticipating and planning for the subsequent redemption of the building of the mishkan. One of the most ubiquitous challenges we face in life is functioning, performing, and excelling in an imperfect set of circumstances that we wish were different. We are readily motivated and energized to perform when optimum results are within our reach. When perfection is unattainable, we can lose the enthusiasm to pursue results that will never provide that sense of total accomplishment. In most cases though, imperfection is the reality in which we live. Rarely are the results of any project perfect. Golus, and life itself, present us with many unavoidable challenges that limit our abilities to reach objective perfection. Yaakov Avinu saw these challenges and he realized that his childrens destiny would be far from perfect. In his proactive reaction to the downfalls and irreversible setbacks of golus, Yaakov taught us the proper way to deal with imperfect circumstances: deal with them as best as you can. Dont let your disappointment over things that you cant change stop you from addressing those things you can change. Yaakovs vision scanned the most painful centuries of Jewish history. When there was something he could do, he did it; when he could do no more, he searched for the next event in his childrens lives that he could influence, planting seeds that would be the source of their salvation. The Meshech Chochma (Vayigash 46:2) comments on the posuk in Tehillim (20) Yaancha Hashem byom tzara ysagevcha shem elokai Yaakov - The G-d of Yaakov will shield you in your time of distress. Yaakovs name is mentioned in this posuk because he was the forefather who dealt with Jewish life in the context of golus and its challenges. Unlike Avrohom and Yitzchok, Yaakov had a unique challenge to prepare his children to be able to serve Hashem in the darkness of golus. Yaakov taught us to accept the imperfect reality of golus and face it with resolve and determination. The imperfect world we live in requires all our efforts in order to succeed. We need to learn from Yaakov Avinu to not get discouraged by past failures or projections of imperfect results. Especially since, in the words of Rav Ahron Soloveichik, ztl, that is exactly how it is supposed to be. Rabbi Dov Shapiro is the Rav of Kehillas Bnei Aliyah in New Hempstead, and a Certified Mohel. He can be reached at 877-88-Mohel or www.eastcoastmohel.com. To receive an e-mail of his weekly parsha column, e-mail DSMohel@gmail.com.
Aish.Com - Rabbi Kalman Packouz Shabbat Shalom Trumah 5774 GOOD MORNING! Do you ever wonder about how you are raising your kids -- the example you set for them, the values that you want to inculcate, the balance between directing, control and free will? It has been said that being a parent is the only job where when one finally knows what he's doing, he's out of a job. In truth, I am not sure that parents ever really know what they are doing -- or are ever out of job. The job is constantly evolving. The role of a parent is to make his child independent -- to nurture the self- confidence, transmit values, encourage self-motivation. We need to do our best to give our children what they need to grow and succeed in life. We won't always be there. Lori Palatnik once said, "Hold their hands so that they can walk, let go so that they can run and cheer so that they can fly!" The formula is simple in theory: Just give your children love, security, trust, joy in life, gratitude, values, motivation, direction. However, as every parent knows, try as one might, success is often out of our hands. One does his best to be a good example, to control his own anger and passions, and to provide an atmosphere that nurtures the values that one holds dear. Where you choose to live, the school you send your children, after school activity groups, your synagogue and community participation -- all have an important impact on how your children develop. Education is comprised of learning information and values, understanding how to analyze and apply what one learns, and the development of sound, solid habits. If one develops the habit of brushing and flossing each night, the question of whether one should skip a night is no longer a question; this habit will hopefully reduce cavities and maintain oral health. Likewise, with attitudes for life, one must build good habits which will strengthen belief and outlook. The Torah is an instruction book for life. The very word "Torah" means "instruction." The Torah is often called "Torat Chaim" meaning "Instructions for life." The purpose of the commandments, the mitzvot, are the means to fulfill God's will which will help us as human beings lead more meaningful, happier lives. There are two mitzvot, commandments, our Torah heritage directs us to fulfill which help develop joy in life and gratitude as well as trust and security. The first mitzvah is at the very beginning of the day and the second is at the very end of the day. The fulfillment of these are two gifts for a successful life. Upon opening one's eyes in the morning, a Jew gives thanks for being alive and expresses gratitude to the Almighty by saying the "Modeh Ani" - ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 17 - "I am thankful before You, Living and Everlasting King, that you have returned to me my soul with compassion. Great is Your faithfulness!" By training oneself -- and one's children -- to say this each morning is instilling an appreciation for life and a gratitude to the Almighty for life itself and what happens to us in life. (Please see Charlie Harary's "Take the Shot" for a profound insight!) At night, the last mitzvah of the day is to say "Kriat Shema al HaMita" -- Reading of the Shema before going to sleep. At very minimum, one says the Shema -- "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One" -- the first paragraph following the Shema and the blessing "HaMapil." The blessing is one of trust in God and request that He watch over and protect us while we sleep. While the prayers are usually said in Hebrew, one may say the prayers in English. Most Siddurim, prayer books, have "Modeh Ani" and "Kriat Shema al HaMita" in them. If you are going to purchase a prayer book, I highly recommend the Artscroll Prayer Book available at Jewish bookstores or JudaicaEnterprises.com . Children are often afraid of the dark and of the unknown of going to sleep. One can appreciate how comforting it is to children to have a nightly ritual of saying the Shema and a prayer to the Almighty to protect them. I explained to my children what the words mean and why we say the Shema. Then each night after brushing their teeth, I would start with the youngest one and hold each child as he or she says the Shema and the blessing. I then gave my child a kiss and for the last time that day would tell them, "I love you!" For me, it was the highlight of my day. For my children ... hopefully, a treasured moment of childhood. Torah Portion Of The Week: Terumah This week's Torah reading is an architect's or interior designer's dream portion. It begins with the Almighty commanding Moses to tell the Jewish people to donate the materials necessary for the construction of the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary. The Torah continues with the details for constructing the Ark, the Table, the Menorah, the Tabernacle (the central area of worship containing the Ark, the Menorah, the Incense Altar, and the Table), the Beams composing the walls of the Tabernacle, the Cloth partition (separating the Holy of Holies where the Ark rested from the remaining Sanctuary part of the Tabernacle), the Altar and the Enclosure for the Tabernacle (surrounding curtains forming a rectangle within which was approximately 15x larger than the Tabernacle). Dvar Torah based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin The Torah states: "Cover (the ark) with a layer of pure gold on the inside and outside and make a gold rim all around its top" (Ex. 24:11). Why was it necessary to cover the ark with gold on the inside? The Talmud (Tractate Yoma 72b) comments that from here we see symbolized that a Torah scholar must be pure inside as well as outside to be considered a Talmid Chochom, a Torah scholar. That is, just as the ark which symbolized Torah knowledge had gold on both the inside and the outside, so too a torah scholar is not someone who just speaks wisdom on the outside, but he must also internalize his wisdom and live with it. There have been many intellectuals throughout the ages who have espoused profound philosophical ideals. They have expressed the most elevated thoughts of universal love for humanity. However, in their own private lives they have been arrogant and cared only for their ideas, but not for the people with whom they actually had to deal with on a daily basis. This is not the Torah concept of a Talmid Chochom, Torah scholar. To be considered a true Torah scholar and not merely someone who carries a lot of book knowledge with him, one must practice the lofty ideals that he speaks about. This has held true for all our revered Torah scholars both in ancient and modern times. Our lesson: Whenever you speak about lofty thoughts, ask yourself whether you actually follow the principles you speak about. If not, do not stop speaking about those ideals, rather you should elevate your behavior. Annual Super Bowl Joke! During a lull in the game, a man turns to the lady on his left and says, "You and I are sitting next to the only empty seat in the stadium and these seats are being scalped at $5,000 a pop!" The lady replies, "Yes, it was my late husband's seat." The man offers condolences and says, "But I would have thought a friend or a relative would have wanted to make use of it." "Yes," says the lady, "I would have thought so, too ... but they all insisted on going to the funeral." Quote of the Week Giving up is a final solution to a temporary problem With Deep Appreciation to Robert K. Jones With Special Thanks to Marshall Nathanson This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/tp/ss/ssw/242051401.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 Parshas Terumah - Chodesh Adar Be Freilach Life Is a Mission , "Make for Me a Mikdash, a Holy Place, and I will dwell within them" (Shemos 25:8). On first reading this is a very difficult verse. One would think it should have read, "and I will dwell within it" - that God is telling us to make a Holy Place so that He can dwell there. Chazal say that the possuk is hinting at something very deep: Make for Him a Holy Place, and He will dwell within them, within each and every one of us. (Rav Chaim of Volozhin, Nefesh HaChaim, Sha'ar 1, chap. 4.) Our job on this lowly earth is to accomplish a holy mission by sanctifying ourselves to the highest level possible while still living our physical existence. Our whole existence must be raised up above the mundane. Our task is to view our lives not as simple means of attaining as much pleasure as possible while avoiding pain to our utmost ("Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die"). Rather, we should see our lives as missions, a form of worship, with very high standards and very important goals. Anything which interferes with this job can only be detrimental. Our mission is to follow the Torah, and thus raise ourselves to a level in which we attach ourselves to the Divine. Adar - Happier and Happier Transcribed and adapted from a recorded lecture of Moreinu v'Rabbeinu Harav Hatzaddik Zeidel Epstein, zt"l, Mashgiach of Torah Ore. Chazal tells that when Adar arrives, we should increase simcha (joy). The specific use of the word "increase" implies something that is up to the person. If he wants, he can increase simcha. And if he wants, he can decrease it. Whatever he wants. He can want to be happy, or want not to be happy. Chazal dictate to us, that during Adar, one should increase simcha. This is contrary to our normal understanding of simcha. If everything is going good one has simcha. If not, he doesn't. We assume that simcha depends upon things beyond one's control. How can increasing simcha be up to the person? The word simcha means that the person is freilach, happy. What does happy mean? It refers to being satisfied with what one has, with the state of affairs he is in. That's the definition of simcha. The opposite of simcha is when a person is missing something. This causes one to not feel simcha. He feels something is lacking. Now if something is really missing, what do Chazal mean when they tell us to increase simcha? Chazal are teaching us that a person really has the ability to increase his contentment, his feeling of fullness and perfection. Everyone has different situations in his life. There is the situation the person finds himself in right now, and the situation he should be in. If a person would look at what he has, very likely he would have simcha. Once he starts combining this personal analysis with what he should have, where he should be, or wants to be, the simcha vanishes because he sees what he is missing. Chazal are instructing us that there is a personal perfection that one should train himself in: foster your satisfaction with what you have. Concentrate on what you have. Think about it, and give it importance. It does not contradict the other side: where you should be or where you would like to be. Of course we all want more. We want to be better, we want to improve, and we really should be there. But at the same time, we thank Hashem for the little that we actually do have. The need to grow and produce should not overshadow the joy of what one has. Where one is now is perfection in and of itself. Everything a person has is important and in its own right is a level of perfection. If you need more, OK, you need more. But it doesn't mean that the half you actually do have has no worth because you're lacking. Especially in spiritual matters: every little piece of perfection is of infinite value. Chazal (in maseches Megillah) determined that Purim should always fall on the month before Nisan (even when there are 2 Adars), because we want one geula (the redemption from Haman's scheme) to be next to the other geula (the redemption from Mitzrayim). How do we put one geula next to the other; how do we prepare for geula? By increasing simcha. Increasing our feeling of simcha helps us in our avoda. ' "Serve Hashem in simcha" can be understood in 2 ways. On a simple level, serving Hashem joyfully is an obligation. In the tochecha the possuk states that we received the punishment of the terrible churban "because you didn't worship Hashem with simcha" (Devorim 28:47). A person's job in this world is to serve Hashem in joy. Whatever he does should be with simcha. Daven with joy, learn with joy. Chazal tell us that worry distracts a person and denies him the ability to function properly. Sorrow and grief are such powerful emotions they impede the Divine Presence to rest upon a person. Chazal relate that Yaakov Avinu suffered tremendous grief, mourning the loss of his dear son Yosef. This deterred him from attaining his previous state of prophecy and communion with Hashem. Sorrow distracts a person and makes him numb so he cannot feel the spiritual light surrounding him. There is another way of understanding the importance of being happy. "Serve Hashem in joy" is a piece of advice. Simcha is the means to 18 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc achieve the ability to serve Hashem. Joy and spiritual service go hand in hand. When a person is happy with what he has, whatever it is, that means that this little bit that I have, this is whom I am. This simcha encourages one to continue serving Hashem. Recognize the goodness G-d has bestowed upon you with what you have received until now: everyone in his own situation. The first bracha we make in the morning is , "Who has given the heart understanding" (see Rashi and Ibn Ezra on Iyov 38:36, and Ibn Ezra on Tehillim 73:7 who translate the word sechvi as "heart"). The fact that a person can understand is enough to stop and make a bracha and give the Ribono Shel Olam a thank you. (According to pshat that sechvi refers to a rooster then we have even more to thank Hashem. All a rooster does is recognize when night is over and day has started, and that little knowledge warrants a bracha.) A person has to recognize the value of the tiniest little gift, no matter how small. He has to be so joyful about this little detail that he makes a bracha and thanks the Creator for having merited this gift. Yes, he has to recognize that Hashem was the one who granted him the gift of this little bit of understanding. From there we continue on to every action and every movement we make. Each tiny gift warrants a bracha. A person has to develop a deep recognition that Hashem opened his eyes this morning; he received the sense of sight from his Creator. And how much chesed is there in the ability to stand up straight and not remain bent over? What happens when one suffers from any tiny disability in any of these brachos? He feels totally out of sorts. If there is any slight deviation of one of the discs in his spinal column, ooh! he can't straighten out, he can't walk, he's ois mentsch. He's totally out of sorts, he's not himself, he asks everyone to daven for him. One must have simcha and recognize Hashem's great gift in every small detail, no matter how insignificant it seems. How much more so must one recognize the gift Hashem gave us, the Jewish nation, that we were granted the opportunity to get close to the Divine? As we say everyday in davening: The Ribono Shel Olam chose us, selected us,: . : and he truly draws us close to his great name. . And he separated us from those who are mistaken. Whoever I am. It could be I learn just a little bit. Still, I have a connection to the Torah in some way. Of course we all could do better. We're not perfect. I could learn more and with more depth, daven better, perform more mitzvos, more meticulously. Certainly we must not underestimate the need for improvement. But on the other hand, baruch Hashem, I thank the Ribono Shel Olam for the little that I do have. Chazal instituted a tefilla when one leaves the Beis Midrash: (Brachos 28b ' "I thank you Hashem for putting my place among those who sit in the beis midrash and not among those who sit on street corners." Why did Chazal accent such a minor issue as just sitting in the beis medrash? Shouldn't they have accented something greater? Thank you Hashem that I'm a great lamdan, I finished shas? I'm a great talmid chacham. But thank you for just sitting there? Yes! That is what Chazal wanted to instill in us. We must recognize the greatness of just being able to sit in the beis medrash. It has infinite value in and of itself. And immediately afterwards, one should not be satisfied with just being a sitter. It motivates us to want more and more. Every kleinekeit deserves a bracha. For example, imagine a first grade teacher. He never made it to the big leagues in Lakewood. He's teaching aleph beis. They once came to the Baal Shem Tov. He was an aleph beis rebbe in cheder. They asked him why such a great talmid chochom is a mere aleph beis rebbe. First he answered them that in the Torah it says that the Ribono Shel Olam was also a rebbe; He taught Klal Yisroel Torah. Then he said, "When a talmid chochom creates new chiddushim, it could be emes (true Torah) and it could be that it's not emes. But my Torah is Toras emes (absolutely true Torah - no one can argue about aleph beis, it's absolutely true.) It's impossible to know. A person wants to be a great Rosh Yeshiva and teach the most complicated and deepest levels of Torah. Instead he finds himself in a Talmud Torah teaching little children. He says to himself, "Ach, this just isn't it." Never underestimate the value of what you are doing. The Reishis Chochma cites a Chazal that in the next world the teachers of little children will be up front. What! First grade teachers? What's so great about teaching elementary school? The answer is that one cannot evaluate the value of what he is doing. To impart in the children a proper solid foundation in Yiddishkeit is one of the most important jobs in this world. To teach them love of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, love of the Torah. We can't even begin to estimate its value. And for this one has to thank the Ribono Shel Olam with the tefillos, "Who has chosen us... who has separated us." And what is this recognition? Simcha! The Chovos Halevovos tells us that every mitzvah a Yid does is a wonderful present sent by Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Imagine you received a special delivery package. You open it up and see your friend sent you a present. Wouldn't you feel that much closer to him because of the present? These are the mitzvos Hashem sends us. They declare His love towards us and how much we must feel even closer to Him. We see the other person has opportunities we don't have and it raises within us questions. Why did he get that and I got this? What's the difference which present he sent you? So he sent someone else a different gift. Be happy with yours. Right now you have the opportunity to do a chessed. At this very moment feel that this is your opportunity to gain perfection, perfection in this act of loving- kindness. The holy seforim relate that there is an exact account of what each person has to accomplish each day. There is no such thing that we live randomly and we can do whatever we wish. A person is sent his assignment each day, and if he doesn't finish it, it is sent a second and third time. The job could be in harbotzas Torah, or chessed, or davening; it could be in one's feelings or one's actions, etc. Sometimes one has to suffer the pain that he wants to do something and he can't. Whatever it is, these are all wonderful presents that the Ribono Shel Olam gives constantly every minute. One who becomes aware of this and lives like this has simcha. It is possible to create simcha. One can work on ' "Serve Hashem with joy." The simcha pushes him and gives him the ability to "serve Hashem." The next step is unbelievable: "Come before Him in song." "Before him!" One with simcha actually stands in front of Hashem! What? That little bit of simcha brings me in front of Him? Yes. As small as it is, that is the power of simcha. Don't underestimate the importance of what seems the most insignificant action. Unfortunately we don't see this. All we see are the tzoros, the pain and suffering. We don't concentrate on picking up on what we can achieve from every situation. This is our job in Adar. Be happy. Increase simcha. It is up to us and it is within our grasp. And with this joy we can merit the Geula which is getting closer every day. May we see the coming of the Moshiach speedily within our lifetime. Wishing everyone a Freilachen Adar and a 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 vnur, Volume 28 Number 18 February 1, 2014 s"ga, wt rst wt v"p tnuh :hnuhv ;s Dazzling Diversity And ram skins that are dyed red, and techashim skins, and shittim wood. Shemos 25:5 Rashi cites the Gemara (Shabbos 28a) which comments that the techashim were a type of animal that had many colors. The Targum therefore translates it as tbIdxx - an animal that prides itself and rejoices about its many colors. In Taam VDaas, Rabbi Moshe Shternbach notes that there is a very beautiful symbolism in this particular animal being chosen to be used in the construction of the Mishkan, which epitomizes the service of God in our lives. Every righteous person and everyone who worships God does so with his own personality and with his particular flair. Yet, this does not reflect disparity or disunity among our efforts, but rather, it indicates diversity and the glory of our people. Each person has his own face and personality. Just as each person is different, so too are the unique talents and abilities which each person contributes to the national mission of sanctifying the name of God. We unite in our common goal, and we rejoice and celebrate our national heritage. The skin of the tachash was multi-colored, and it was used to cover the Mishkan. This represents how the many and varied aspects and facets of our people all join together and contribute to blend into a complete national effort to serve God. A Revealing Repetition And they shall make for Me a sanctuary - so that I may dwell among them in conformance with all that I show you, the form of the Mishkan and the form of all its vessels; and so shall you do. Shemos 25:8-9 Sefer Shaarei Aharon lists how the commentators struggle with the repetitive commands of UGgu and UGgT ifu at the beginning of Verse 8 and the end of Verse 9. According to Rashi, these two verses are to be read together. The full message is UGgu - And they shall fashion a Mishkan according to the pattern and plan which was to be shown to Moshe. UGgT ifu" - And so shall it be done in every generation. In case any of the utensils should be lost, or when the items are remade for the Beis HaMikdash, the replacement or new implement should be made according to the format of those described here. Ibn Ezra understands the opening UGgu as a reference to the command to build the Mishkan structure, and the concluding directive UGgT ifu as a command to the forming of the utensils and contents of the building. In other words, the verses describe the distinct command to build the Mishkan (They shall make for Me a Sanctuary) and that of fashioning the items which were contained within it (and the form of all its vessels, and so shall you do). Ramban comments that the repetition in the Torah is used simply to emphasize and encourage that the fulfillment of the mitzvah be done in a swift and diligent manner. This particular expression is found later in 39:32 where the Torah reports that, in fact, Bnei Yisrael did as all that Hashem had commanded Moshe, so did they do. ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 19 A Touching Symbolism And you shall make two cherubim of gold - beaten shall you make them, from both ends of the lid. Shemos 25:18 Rabbeinu Bachya suggests an explanation of what the cherubs symbolized. These figures were indications and testimony to the presence of the celestial angels. Just as we are commanded to acknowledge the presence of Hashem, we are also commanded to accept the concept of the angels and their role in the spiritual realm. The angels are the force by which the influence of intellect and the power of speech are placed in the mouths of the prophets. Without this force, there would be no prophecy, and without prophecy there would be no Torah. This is why the Torah instructs us to place forms of cherubs upon the ark, for they represent the angels. Their wings being spread above the ark also symbolizes that these angels receive their influence from above, which they then direct to the prophets. Sefer Shiras David notes that according to this understanding, we can now suggest why the faces of the cherubs were those of small children. An angel is a creation which receives its mission completely from Hashem, as it offers itself totally to its mission without any individuality or semblance of independence. This corresponds to a child, who is clearly dependent and a receiver. The faces of children thereby represent the fact that the influence which the angels bestow is only due to that which they receive from Hashem. A Lesson In Learning Each of the various utensils found in the Mishkan was allowed to be fashioned from metals other than gold, if necessary (See Rambam, Hilchos Beis HaBechira 1:18-19). The exceptions to this were the Keruvim - the baby-faced cherubs which adorned the top of the holy Ark. As taught in the Mechilta (end of Mishpatim), it was critical that these images be from gold only. The reason for this was that the cherubs represent the children of the nation. These images were placed upon the Ark, wherein the Tablets of the Law were placed, to indicate that it is our responsibility to provide Torah education to our children and to train them to be devoted to Torah. Rabbi Meir Shapiro of Lublin highlights that the form of the Keruvim and their placement upon the Ark were representative of the transmission of our Torah heritage to our youth. Because this ideal is so significant in terms of our lives priorities, it was therefore essential that the symbolism be complete by fashioning the Keruvim out of gold, and nothing less than that. Furthermore, a lesson can also be learned regarding the educational institutions which we are to build for our children. We must spare no effort nor any expense necessary to ensure that our youth be educated in the best possible manner. When we plan and build Torah schools and study halls, we must think in uncompromising terms, for nothing but the best is needed for the job to be accomplished. The One-Horned Tachash And you shall make a Cover for the Tent - spread of red-dyed ram skins, and a Cover of tachash skins above. Shemos 26:14 The ox which Adam HaRishon brought as a korban had one horn on its forehead (See Shabbos 28b, from Tehillim 69:32). Why did Adam HaRishon specifically offer an ox with one horn instead of a regular ox? What is the significance of his korban? HaKosev in Ein Yaakov (Chulin 60a) quotes the Rashba who explains that when Adam HaRishon sinned by partaking of the forbidden fruit of the Eitz HaDaas (Tree of Knowledge), he did so because he strayed from what he knew he was supposed to do, instead following the knowledge in his heart. In order to show that he was no longer going to follow his personal desires, and instead be solely committed to doing the will of Hashem, he brought a korban which had only one horn coming out of the middle of the animals head. One horn coming out of the middle of the head showed that he was going to go in in which it seemed that they held more than one God (see Maharsha in Chulin ibid. who expresses a similar thought). The Iyun Yaakov in Avoda Zara (8a) mentions that it was apparent to Adam HaRishon to bring this animal as a Korban, as it only had one horn. The reason it only had one horn is that it was directly created by Hashem (as opposed to animals that were born later which usually have two horns). Adam realized that he must bring this animal as his atonement. We know that the concept of a korban that is brought as an atonement is that it is in place of the person who sinned. Adam HaRishon understood that just as he was created directly from Hashem without parents, it was fitting for him to bring a korban which was similarly created directly by Hashem. the one straight logical way, that of Hashem, and not deviate to another path due to his desires. The Rashba continues that this concept was also apparent in the building of the Mishkan, in which the skins of techashim were used to cover the Mishkan. The techashim also had only one horn, as we see in the Gemara (Shabbos). Their usage in the Mishkan was to cover the entire Mishkan and make it into one unit. This similarly showed that Bnei Yisrael recanted and did teshuvah from their sin of the Golden Calf, The Veil And The Screen And you shall make a curtain of blue wool, purple wool, red wool, and twisted linen; of woven work it should be made with the form of kruvim. Shemos 26:31 There are three fundamental differences between the Paroches which separated the Kodesh from the Kodesh HaKodoshim and the screen (Qxn) that separated the courtyard from the kfhv building. First of all, the design on the Paroches was woven into the fabric, whereas the design on the Qxn was stitched into the fabric. Secondly, the Paroches was held up by four pillars while the screen was held up by five pillars. Thirdly, the Paroches and its pillars rested on silver sockets, whereas the pillars for the screen rested on copper sockets. What is the significance of these differences? Kli Yakar elaborates and explains that the Paroches separated the outer part of the kfhv building from the Kodesh Kodoshim, which even the Kohen Gadol was only to enter on Yom HaKippurim. On Yom HaKippurim, the Jewish people are like ohftkn, pursuing only spiritual activities, not physical ones. Spiritual activities are linked to the intellect, which is a power that can form ideas without the need for physical objects. This is referred to as vcJjn - thought - which is related to the term for woven work, cJj vGgn, the method by which the designs were made on the Paroches. The silver sockets had a white color, signifying the purity of Yom HaKippurim, when the Kohen Gadol entered the Kodesh Kodoshim wearing only white garments, while the four pillars represent the fact that the Kohen Gadol wore four white garments on Yom HaKippurim. The screen, however, marked the end of the courtyard area dominated by the large jCzn - Altar - upon which korbanos were brought. Many of the offerings were brought to atone for sins that result from the yetzer hara, represented by the Jjb, which is hinted at in the word ,Jjb - copper, which acted as the foundation of the pillars holding up the screen, and the five senses, represented by the five pillars through which man has contact with and is enticed by the outside world. Finally, the fact that the design is stitched upon the screen hints at a verse in Tehillim (139:15) which states that a person is stitched together from the lowest components of the earth. Mans physical source brings out some of his basest instincts. The Mishkan represented various stages of a person's spiritual development, from the more physical to the more spiritual. All of this was hinted at in the various structures that made up the Mishkan. Halachic Corner On Shabbos, we customarily have one person recite the HaMotzi bracha for the entire family or assembly. It is customary that the person who slices the bread does not hand the piece to another person, but places it before him on the table. (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 167:18) This is because handing the slice of bread to another person is a sign of mourning, as the pasuk in Eicha (1:17) states: "vhshC iIhm vGrP" - Zion spreads out her hands. And the word "vGrP"- spreads out - implies giving a vGUrP - a slice - of bread. The verse is therefore saying that when Zion is in mourning, a slice of bread is put in her hands. (Abudraham) Another custom is to place salt on the table during the meal. This is because ones table is compared to the Altar in the Beis HaMikdash, and eating on it is analogous to offering a sacrifice. Every sacrifice prior to being burned on the Altar fire required salting, as the verse (Vayikra 2:13) says: Upon all your sacrifices you shall offer salt. (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Ch. 31) Some declare during the Shabbos meal: I am eating to fulfill the mitzvah of Oneg Shabbos. Questions for Thought and Study 1. Why are all the commands for the building of the Mishkan written in singular form but switched to plural in Pasuk 25:10, when Hashem says "iIrt UGgu" - and they shall make an Aron? See Ramban 25:10 2. Why were all of the measurements of the iIrt half measurements and not whole numbers? See Baal HaTurim 25:10 3. What four attributes represent the ohyJ (accacia) wood from which the ijkJ (table) was made? See Rabbeinu Bachya 25:23 4. Why did the Shulchan have a crown (edge) around it? See Rashi 25:24 5. Why did the Shulchan need four rings around it? See Kli Yakar 25:26 6. According to the Daas Zekaynim, how are the ohJre (boards) considered to be standing - "ohsnIg"? See Daas Zekaynim 26:15 Answers: 1. All the commands were said individually to Moshe, who represented all of Bnei Yisrael. Regarding the iIrt, which represents Torah learning, it is written in plural form, indicating that every person in Bnei Yisrael should be involved personally in Torah learning and should not have a representative. 2. Half numbers are used because the iIrt represents Torah learning. One must humble himself and consider himself not whole in order to be successful in learning. 3. The four attributes are: ouka (peace), vcuy (goodness), vguah (salvation), and vkhjn (forgiveness). 4. The Shulchan represents the Kingdom of Hashem (a table fit for a king). This is understood by the crown that surrounded its edge. 5. This is to allude to the "rzIjv kdkd" (the turning wheel of fate). We should provide sustenance to others from our table as fortunes can change at any time (and the table will be turned) on a rich person. 6. One explanation is that the wood should not be warped in any way and should stand straight up. Another explanation is that these boards would last forever and are only currently hidden to us. 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
20 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Rabbi's Message Miracle Grow Parshas Terumah is about the building of the Mishkan. It took a great deal of patience, talent, and devotion. But at the end, despite all the effort, the Mishkan couldn't happen without a miracle. The Medrash tells us that Moshe couldn't understand how mankind would be able to build a dwelling place for Hashem. Hashem replied, "You just follow directions, and I will place My Presence within it." The Talmud relates that Moshe could not figure out how to make the ornate Menorah. Hashem replied, "Just place the right amount of gold in the fire, and I will make it happen." Similarly, in Parshas Pikudei when it was time to erect the Mishkan, it was impossible to do so because of the sheer weight of the beams. Hashem told Moshe, "Act with your hands as if you are lifting the beams, and they will arise miraculously." One wonders: If the Mishkan would be built by a miracle anyway, what was the purpose of the donations and the devotion? Why couldn't Hashem just build the Mishkan in the first place? Each year, as the winter season nears its end, I receive a catalog in the mail which advertises a certain "Miracle Grow" type planting-package. The advertisement illustrates a package of self contained seeders, which require extremely low maintenance. You barely need to water, fertilize, weed, or care for them. It seems that you just need to plant them, and come back later to harvest. Pictured next to the illustration of the seeders, are happy customers with their bountiful crop. And I wondered: What is the difference between these successful farmers and me. Neither of us did much watering in our gardens; neither of us fertilized the plants or weeded them. Why is it that they ended up with a bountiful crop, and I did not? I realized that even when "miracles" are involved, one has to take the first step in order for the miracle to occur. The reason they have a bountiful crop and I do not, is because they bought the seeder in the first place, and I did not. This was the message of the prophet Elisha, when he asked the poor woman (Melochim 2, Chapter 4), "What do you have in your house?" Because if she has one flask of oil then the prophet can bless her that she should miraculously have many. But if she has nothing to start with, then the opportunity for a miracle does not begin. I once heard an analogy to this thought using a modern day parable which is undoubtedly based on the wisdom of old. A great king announced that he would offer great riches to anyone who would climb to the top of a newly erected tower, which had 50 flights of stairs. Many contestants came and tried. But after about 10 or 20 flights, they gave up exhausted. Only one man persevered with conviction. He said to himself, "If the benevolent king is offering reward for the challenge, it must indeed be possible to do." This man forced himself forward with great faith and as he turned the corner to the second half of the challenge, he saw that the king had installed a series of escalators to take the contestants up the second 25 flights of stairs. As Jews we believe in miracles. In the inauguration days in our relationship with Hashem we experienced open miracles. Later on we experienced hidden miracles. But in all cases, a miracle required that we buy in and do our part. Likewise, we believe in Siyata Dishmaya, Hashem's helping hand. Once we make our contribution, we can proceed with Hashem's blessing and miraculously create great things: The Menorah, the Mishkan, and a garden full of produce and fulfilled dreams resulting from our initial investment. May Hashem place before you worthy investments. May Hashem crown your investments with miracles. 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 Trumah - Be On Guard Against The Yetzer Hara Who Dissuades Us From Giving Tzedakah "Speak unto [daber] to the Children of Israel, and they shall take for Me an offering..." (Shmos 25:2) The Baal HaTurim on our Pasuk cites a Midrash which explains that the Torah invokes the word "daber" to indicate consolation and appeasement. Just as at the time of the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, Hashem tells Yishaya the prophet to console and appease a broken-hearted and broken-spirited people with the words, "Dabru Al Lev Yerushalayim" (Yishaya 40:2), so too here in our Pasuk, the word daber refers to words of consolation and appeasement. Here the consolation was necessary, according to the Midrash, because this commandment involved a financial deprivation. Since the Klal Yisroel were being asked by Hashem to contribute from their own resources toward the building of the Mishkan, they had to be addressed in a soothing and appeasing manner in order to ease the burden of giving. This is mystifying. We know (Bechoros 40a) that when Klal Yisroel left Egypt they left with fabulous wealth. Each member of Klal Yisroel possessed 80 camels laden with gold, silver, precious gems, and pearls. We also know that what they were requested to give, was a mere half shekel per person and an additional free will offering of any amount they wished to contribute. Surely this is hardly a sum that would make any dent whatsoever in their financial portfolio. If this is so, is it conceivable that people with such substantial wealth would be so grieved by contributing a mere half shekel, to warrant the need for Hashem to tell Moshe to console and appease them? Moreover, who is it that is asking them to contribute? Hashem Himself, who redeemed this enslaved and poverty-stricken nation from bondage to freedom, and bestowed upon them incredible wealth. Is it possible that Klal Yisroel could feel pained by contributing this trifling sum to the one who gave them all their massive wealth? Moreover, for whose benefit was the Mishkan, for which they were being asked to contribute? It was for, none other than Klal Yisroel's own benefit. The Mishkan was the pride and glory of the Klal Yisroel. It provided a means of receiving Divine forgiveness and served as an avenue of self-purification. Could a nation feel pain in contributing to a Mishkan being built for their own benefit? Furthermore, who are these people who were being asked to contribute? They were the Dor Deah - the greatest generation that ever lived. They were the generation privileged to cross the Yam Suf, where the lowliest handmaiden had visions of prophecy beyond those of the holy prophet Yechezkel Ben Buzi. They were the generation who were privileged to stand at Har Sinai and receive the Holy Torah. They were privy to the greatest manifestation of Divine Revelation since the creation of the world. Is it conceivable that people of such inordinate spiritual loftiness would feel so pained to make a contribution, that it would be necessary for Moshe Rabbeinu to speak words of consolation to them? We glean from this Midrash some insight into the human nature of man. Wealthy people of the highest spiritual distinction, when asked by their own Divine benefactor to give a negligible amount of Tzedaka for their own benefit, felt hurt to contribute. It was necessary for Hashem to tell Moshe Rabbeinu to placate and console them. How powerful is the Yetzer HaRah within us, who convinces us not to part with that which came from our "Kochi VeOtzem Yadi, (strength and power of hand); when in reality, it was Hashem who bestowed upon us all that we have, in order that we may share with and help others. May this Midrash inspire us to stand guard against this deficiency existing within us. May we be zoche to understand the joy of giving and sharing, and to open our hearts to the majestic Mitzvah that is Tzedakah. Amen. 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 The Home We Build Together Terumah - 1 February, 2014 / 1 Adar Rishon, 5774 The sequence of parshiyot, Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki Tissa, Vayakhel and Pekudei, is puzzling in many ways. First, it outlines the construction of the Tabernacle, the portable house of worship the Israelites built and carried with them through the desert, in exhaustive and exhausting detail. The narrative takes almost the whole of the last third of the book of Exodus. Why so long? Why such detail? The Tabernacle was, after all, only a temporary home for the Divine presence, eventually superseded by the Temple in Jerusalem. Besides which, why is the making of the Mishkan in the book of Exodus at all? Its natural place seems to be in the book of Vayikra, Leviticus, which is overwhelmingly devoted to an account of the service of the Mishkan and the sacrifices that were offered there. The book of Exodus, by contrast, could be subtitled, the birth of a nation. It is about the transition of the Israelites from a family to a people and their journey from slavery to freedom. It rises to a climax with the covenant made between God and the people at Mount Sinai. What has the Tabernacle to do with this? It seems an odd way to end the book. The answer, it seems to me, is profound. First, recall the history of the Israelites until now. It has been a long series of complaints. They complained when the first intervention of Moses made their situation worse. Then, at the Red Sea, they said to Moses, Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didnt we say to you in Egypt, Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert! (Ex. 14: 11- 12). After crossing the sea they continued to complain, first about the lack of water, then that the water was bitter, then at the lack of food, then about the lack of water again. Then, within weeks of the revelation at Sinai the only time in history God appeared to an entire nation they made a golden calf. If an unprecedented sequence of miracles cannot bring about a mature response on the part of the people, what will? ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 21 It is then that God said: Let them build something together. This simple command transformed the Israelites. During the whole construction of the tabernacle there were no complaints. The people contributed, some gold, some silver, some bronze, some brought skins and drapes, others gave their time and skill. They gave so much that Moses had to order them to stop. A remarkable proposition is being framed: It is not what God does for us that transforms us. It is what we do for God. So long as every crisis was dealt with by Moses and miracles, the Israelites remained in a state of dependency. Their default response was complaint. For them to grow to adulthood and responsibility, there had to be a transition from passive recipients of Gods blessings to active creators. The people had to become Gods partners in the work of creation.(1) That, I believe, is what the sages meant when they said, Call them not your children but your builders.(2) People have to become builders if they are to grow from childhood to adulthood. Judaism is Gods call to responsibility. He does not want us to rely on miracles. He does not want us to be dependent on others. He wants us to become His partners, recognising that what we have, we have from Him, but what we make of what we have is up to us, our choices and our effort. This is not an easy balance to achieve. It is easy to live a life of dependency. It is equally easy in the opposite direction to slip into the mistake of saying My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me (Deut. 8: 17). The Jewish view of the human condition is that everything we achieve is due to our own efforts, but equally and essentially the result of Gods blessing. The building of the Tabernacle was the first great project the Israelites undertook together. It involved their generosity and skill. It gave them the chance to give back to God a little of what He had given them. It conferred on them the dignity of labour and creative endeavour. It brought to closure their birth as a nation and it symbolised the challenge of the future. The society they were summoned to create in the land of Israel would be one in which everyone would play their part. It was to become in the phrase I used as the title of one of my books the home we build together. From this we see that one of the greatest challenges of leadership is to give people the chance to give, to contribute, to participate. That requires self- restraint, tzimtzum, on the part of the leader, creating the space for others to lead. As the saying goes: When there is a good leader, the people say: The leader did it. When there is a great leader, the people say: We did it ourselves.(3) This brings us to the fundamental distinction in politics between State and Society. The state represents what is done for us by the machinery of government, through the instrumentality of laws, courts, taxation and public spending. Society is what we do for one another through communities, voluntary associations, charities and welfare organisations. Judaism, I believe, has a marked preference for society rather than state, precisely because it recognises it is the central theme of the book of Exodus that it is what we do for others, not what others or God does for us, that transforms us. The Jewish formula, I believe, is: small state, big society. The person who had the deepest insight into the nature of democratic society was Alexis de Tocqueville. Visiting America in the 1830s he saw that its strength lay in what he called the art of association, the tendency of Americans to come together in communities and voluntary groups to help one another, rather than leaving the task to a centralised government. Were it ever to be otherwise, were individuals to depend wholly on the state, then democratic freedom would be at risk. In one of the most haunting passages of his masterwork, Democracy in America, he says that democracies are at risk of a completely new form of oppression for which there is no precedent in the past. It will happen, he says, when people exist solely in and for themselves, leaving the pursuit of the common good to the government. This would then be what life would be like: Above this race of men stands an immense and tutelary power, which takes upon itself alone to secure their gratifications and to watch over their fate. That power is absolute, minute, regular, provident and mild. It would be like the authority of a parent if, like that authority, its object was to prepare men for manhood; but it seeks, on the contrary, to keep them in perpetual childhood: it is well content that the people should rejoice, provided they think of nothing but rejoicing. For their happiness such a government willingly labours, but it chooses to be the sole agent and the only arbiter of that happiness; it provides for their security, foresees and supplies their necessities, facilitates their pleasures, manages their principal concerns, directs their industry, regulates the descent of property, and subdivides their inheritances: what remains, but to spare them all the care of thinking and all the trouble of living?(4) Tocqueville wrote these words in the 1830s, and there is a risk that this is what some European societies are becoming like today: all state, no society; all government, little or no community.(5) Tocqueville was not a religious writer. He makes no reference to the Hebrew Bible. But the fear he has is precisely what the book of Exodus documents. When a central power even when this is God Himself does everything on behalf of the people, they remain in a state of arrested development. They complain instead of acting. They give way easily to despair. When the leader, in this case Moses, is missing, they do foolish things, none more so than making a golden calf. There is only one solution: to make the people co-architects of their own destiny, to get them to build something together, to shape them into a team and show them that they are not helpless, that they are responsible and capable of collaborative action. Genesis begins with God creating the universe as a home for human beings. Exodus ends with human beings creating the Mishkan, as a home for God. Hence the basic principle of Judaism, that we are called on to become co- creators with God. And hence too the corollary: that leaders do not do the work on behalf of the people. They teach people how to do the work themselves. It is not what God does for us but what we do for God that allows us to reach dignity and responsibility. 1. Shabbat 10a. 2. Berakhot64a. 3. Attributed to Lao-Tsu. 4. Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America, abridged and with an introduction by Thomas Bender, The Modern Library, New York, 1981, 584. 5. This is not to imply that there is no role for governments; that all should be left to voluntary associations. Far from it. There are things from the rule of law to the defence of the realm to the enforcement of ethical standards and the creation of an equitable distribution of the goods necessary for a dignified existence that only governments can achieve. The issue is balance. 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 Terumah And let them take for Me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take My portion. (25:2) The Yerushalmi Terumos 1:5:5 states that five individuals are excluded from giving Terumah, the designated tithe of grain given to the Kohen. They are a: cheresh, deaf - who speaks but does not hear; shoteh- imbecile; katan - young child; toreim es she'eino shelo - one who contributes from funds that are not his; oveid kochavim - idol worshipper/gentile, even if he is giving money which belongs to a Jew. I was perusing through some old seforim and came across a volume of drashos, homilies, from rabbanim written some fifty years ago. From a homiletic perspective, they were quite good. One lesson that I learned from them was that the problems confronting the American Jewish community have not changed. They have just become more "state of the art." The issues are the same; the terms of description have changed. There was a homiletic rendering of the above Yerushalmi that was informative and inspiring. I take the liberty of citing it here, adding my own embellishment. Chazal's statement Lo yitromu, "these five should not give Terumah," in the literal sense means that these individuals should not set aside their tithe of grain for the Kohen. It can also indicate a foreboding concerning the potential of a certain breed of individual whose contribution to the Jewish community we can do without. Let us begin with the cheresh, someone who has great difficulty controlling his oral expression, but, for some reason, hears nothing that anyone says. Always prepared to present his ideas for the improvement of the community, he has no problem articulating his disdain for present policies and procedures. In other words, he questions the validity of hallowed rituals and customs, impugns the character and ability of those in present leadership positions, but adamantly - and with extreme indifference - ignores any rebuttal or deference. He talks, but refuses to listen. There is, of course, a clear difference between the cheresh whom Chazal disallow from giving Terumah and the cheresh who plagues every community - large or small. Chazal address a cheresh who is a victim of circumstances, whom Heaven has incapacitated. He would give anything to listen, but, sadly, he cannot. Our cheresh refuses to listen. Regardless who makes the attempt to reach him, to get his attention, to calm him down - he deliberately, maliciously and obstinately rejects any appeal to common sensical listening. Such a person should be neither expected - nor allowed - to contribute to the community. According to Chazal, the shoteh is an individual who squanders that with which he has been entrusted. He is a frightened person, overly insecure, and ever self-conscious. His self-esteem is obviously at an all-time low. He will, therefore, do anything for attention - regardless how much a fool he makes of himself. He cannot be trusted, because he would even turn his back on his best friend if he thinks that it would advance his own prestige. Pride is a word that is foreign to his lexicon, and loyalty is equally so. In 22 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc order to garner attention and acceptance, he attempts to usurp tradition, while simultaneously claiming his allegiance to the Mesorah. While declaring his fidelity to Halachah, he distorts and denigrates individuals who stand at Klal Yisrael's helm, as well as their decisions. He, too, is another individual whose Terumah is unacceptable. The Talmudic katan is, physically, a child. We can apply the childish characteristics to those adults who manifest infantile tendencies. A child thinks small; likewise, the katan of our community is small-minded, maintaining a bucolic, narrow-minded, unsophisticated perspective - just to be different. He is often a hypocrite whose personal lifestyle is self- serving, reflecting opulence and modernity; he feels that his shul, yeshivah and the lifestyles of those who devote their lives to the spiritual and physical maintenance of both of these institutions should be supported according to the welfare scale. Chazal refer to the katan as someone who is samuch al shulchan aviv, perpetually relying on his father's support. Our katan is quite similar, in that whenever it comes to communal forward and upward growth, and especially when it demands serious contributions on his part, he responds, "What was good for my father is good for me!" He certainly neither drives a car nor lives in a house like his father did. He sees nothing wrong with maintaining the old ghetto lifestyle for others, but never for him. Indeed, can we ever expect a contribution from this katan? The last two types of individual whose contribution to the Jewish community are eschewed began to rear their ugly heads fifty years ago, as the Orthodox Jewish community was picking up steam. There were those who feared an insular lifestyle. They feared being cut off from the newfound friendships they had made and their acceptance into American society. Rather than take pride in their heritage, they began to incorporate she'eino shelo, that which was not theirs, into their celebrations and social affairs. Contemporary music became the sound track for the "lyrics" which David Hamelech used for Sefer Tehillim. Observances included gentile flavor and anything that would convey the message: "We are not the old- fashioned Jews from Europe. We are like you. We are Americans." Yes, this Jew seeks to inject she'eino shelo, that which is not his, into what Hashem wants to be only ours. Akum she'toram, the gentile who seeks to contribute, represents the external forces that have pervaded the Jewish mindset. The illness of "keeping up with the Joneses" used to be an intra-Jewish-community issue. Now, we see that this scourge has spread, as Jews try to impress their non- Jewish neighbors. Our buildings must compete with theirs; our general studies curricula must contend with that of private schools; our shuls must be modern basilicas; our demands of our spiritual leaders are that they be politically correct, secular-minded intellectuals whose proficiency in the non-Jewish disciplines exceeds their Torah erudition. Chazal saw that akum she'toram can present serious issues for the Jewish community. We neither have a need to impress anyone, nor should we judge ourselves and our success based upon the values and morals of the outside world. If this renders us as being insular, then we have something else of which to be proud. And the Keruvim and their faces toward one another (25:20) The Talmud Bava Basra 99a debates how the Keruvim stood. What position toward one another did they maintain? One opinion posits that they stood with their faces toward one another, while the other opinion is that they faced toward the House, i.e., eastward towards the Holy. The question raised from the pasuk which states: u'pneihem laBayis, "With their faces toward the House," is resolved by Chazal, who distinguish between: b'zman she'Yisrael osin retzono shel Makom, "when the nation does the will of Hashem," when the Keruvim faced one another; and when the nation did not perform the will of Hashem, which was indicated by their facing the House. The Keruvim that stood above the Aron HaKodesh in the Kodshei Kodoshim, Holy of Holies, manifested varied situations which served as the barometer of the people's relationship vis-?-vis Hashem. When the Keruvim stood side by side, facing the House, it was not a good sign. It indicated that Klal Yisrael's service to Hashem was lacking; their behavior was deficient. When they looked at one another, it projected an image of love, symbolizing the love that prevailed between Hashem and His People. When the nation strayed, the Keruvim turned toward the House to remind the people that something was amiss; they were not fulfilling their obligations (to the House). What is the meaning of panim el panim, "facing toward one another"? Obviously, it has a deeper meaning than a mere positional encounter towards one to another. Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, offers the following analogy: A man enters his home, his hands filled with packages of all sizes and weight. He calls out to his wife, "I picked up everything that was on the list." His wife replies tersely, "Thanks," and instructs him where to put the groceries that he bought. In other words, the husband has just returned from a shopping expedition, worn out and tired. His wife barely acknowledges his return, probably taking it for granted that this is the way it should be. After all - it is only groceries. Let us change the scenario a bit and imagine the husband arriving home with a bouquet of flowers for his wife. Then, she will not simply instruct him to place them in a certain vase. She will stop to look at them, smell them, appreciate them. This is the meaning of "face to face" - a reflection of love, of caring. When a Jew performs a mitzvah, he must demonstrate his care for the mitzvah and his love for its Author - Hashem. He must "face" Hashem, panim el panim. A Jew arises in the morning and begins his day with Modeh Ani - "I thank (You, Hashem)"; lefanecha - "I stand before You in praise and gratitude." He must place emphasis on the lefanecha, before You. He washes his hands and recites the brachah, blessing, Baruch Ata Hashem. Does he underscore in his mind to Whom he is speaking - before Whom he is standing? This is how one should go through his day, reflecting the acute awareness that he stands before Hashem. Let us stop for a moment and view ourselves through the perspective of reality. We walk/drive to shul while reading our text and email messages. Then, of course, we must respond. One does not want to be rude. We enter the sanctuary of the shul, but do not put the phone away. It is placed right next to our Siddur - just in case something that requires our attention comes up during davening. We "rarely" answer the phone during Shemoneh Esrai - the rest of davening is not as fortunate. Now, is this panim el panim? Hashem calls out to us: "I want to see you face to face." Sadly, we do not hear Him, because we are too busy responding to our most recent text! How do we understand this concept of panim el panim in the context of the Churban Bais Hamikdash? When the gentile attackers entered the Holy of Holies, they saw that the Keruvim were looking at one another. Obviously, this was not a good time for the Jews. This was a period of anger. Hashem was expressing His displeasure with us. Perhaps the Keruvim should not have been positioned toward one another. The commentators offer explanations for this anomaly, of which I will quote two. When the Keruvim were found to be facing one another during the destruction of the Temple, this was interpreted as Hashem's "goodbye kiss"to Klal Yisrael prior to their leaving the land to go into exile. We have yet to return from the exile, but we will always remember Hashem's "good bye." The kiss reflected love and yearning for the day when we could ultimately return. Rav Shimshon Pincus suggests that the panim el panim of the Keruvim was a sort of "last will and testament" to Klal Yisrael. As long as the nation was comfortably ensconced in Eretz Yisrael, it might have been possible to maintain the lesser, "side by side" relationship with Hashem. When the nation was exiled and they no longer had the good fortune of the protective barrier of the Bais Hamikdash, they were in a serious predicament. When the path to Gehinom, Purgatory, was glaring at them, about to swallow them up at the slightest wrong move on their part, they were literally on shaky ground. They must have known that the path to spiritual survival is always open to those who maintain a panim el panim relationship with Hashem. Otherwise, without the "love," we cannot make it. We may not have the Bais Hamikdash in our midst - but we will always have Hashem. You shall make the planks of the Mishkan of Shittim wood, standing erect. (26:15) Chazal teach that the Kerashim, Planks, of the Mishkan were from a tree, she'eino oseh peiros, that was non fruit-bearing. One would think that the edifice from which such holiness emanated would have had walls that symbolized the future. What could be more symbolic of the future than bearing fruit? Yet, this is exactly what the Torah does not want. Dayan Moshe Swift, zl, explains that when the walls are comprised of fruit- bearing wood, there is always the fear that one might begin to think that it is the edifice that generates holiness, that the building itself is the primary component. We do not believe there is a difference between a small shul in a basement and a large arena with all of the modern innovations. It is what takes place within the environs of the building that determines the future. It is not the building - it is what goes on inside. Alternatively, the Chachmei Ha'Mussar, Ethicists, derive from here that one does not build a shul, yeshivah, or any organization at the expense of others. As long as the tree bears fruit - it should continue to bear fruit. Why stunt its potential, simply because we need wood for a shul? It is so easy to take the shirt off of someone else's back - and use it for our own purposes. How often do we take the liberty to contribute someone else's time and money for a project for which we personally have no time or interest? This is why we use a tree that does not bear fruit - so that we do not deprive it of its continued potential to provide fruit. We might suggest another idea. Every person has his or her own potential function in life. Sadly, there are those who do not appreciate their G-d- given function and desire that which belongs to others. This causes them to lose out doubly. First, they are not achieving what they could do best; and they are also often preventing the realization of the success of a project, because they insist on a position for which they are not qualified. The "tree" that was created to bear fruit should continue doing so, for it has a vital life-sustaining function. It is when individuals are dissatisfied with themselves, or are envious of others, that problems surface. If ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 23 Hashem has designated a specific purpose to an individual, it should become his life's focus. The middle bar inside the planks shall extend from end to end. (26:28) The Briach HaTichon was an amazing component of the Mishkan. It basically kept the walls together, thus stabilizing the Mishkan structure. The Targum Yonasan ben Uziel explains how this pillar functioned. Avraham Avinu planted a tree in Beer Sheva. When Klal Yisrael walked through the miraculously split Red Sea, the angels uprooted the tree and flung it into the sea. The tree floated on top of the water. At that point, an angel proclaimed, "This tree was originally planted by the Patriarch Avraham; it was at this tree that the Patriarch would pray and call out to others in the Name of Hashem." The nation immediately grabbed hold of the tree and eventually appropriated it for the Mishkan, where it served as the Briach HaTichon. It was seventy amos, cubits, long, and when it was placed into the center hole of a beam, it wound itself around the corners and connected all the beams. When the Mishkan was disassembled, it returned to its original straight position. The questions are obvious: Why did it require a miracle? Why could they not use any other piece of lumber? Why did it require a historic origin i.e., Avraham Avinu? Apparently, nothing else in the Mishkan had such an "illustrious lineage" as the Briach HaTichon. In his Kaayal Taarog, Horav Ronen Abitul, Shlita, offers a meaningful explanation. Chazal teach that the world stands on three things: Torah, avodah and gemillus chasadim, the study of Torah, the service of G-d through prayer, and performing acts of lovingkindness (Pirkei Avos 1:2). At first glance, we see that the Mishkan was the amalgam of two of these requisites. Moshe Rabbeinu erected the Mishkan. It was only through his input that the Mishkan stood. He was the symbol of Torah; he was its lawgiver, the one for whom the Torah is called - Toras Moshe. Aharon and his sons, the Kohanim, performed the avodah, service, in the Mishkan. So we now have Torah and avodah. In order for this microcosm of the world to endure, it must have some aspect of gemillus chasadim must be connected to it. This is where the Briach HaTichon enters the picture. Hashem specifically selected the tree which was planted by Avraham the Amud HaChesed, Pillar of lovingkindness. Our Patriarch wrote the book on chesed - both from a material/physical standpoint and from a spiritual perspective. He devoted his entire life to saving the world from the scourge of paganism. He initially reached out to the pagans with material kindness, and then, once he had their attention, he taught them the monotheistic dogma. The Mishkan with its Briach HaTichon imparts a valuable lesson: Torah and avodah are necessary; they are wonderful - but they are insufficient if one seeks enduring reality. Gemillus chasadim must be added to the equation, as it was included in the structure of the Mishkan. Then it will last. This was the scenario during the Bayis Sheni, The Second Temple era. There was Torah study and the service was being carried out in the Bais Hamikdash, but there was sinaas chinam, unwarranted hatred between Jews. This - more than any other factor - brought down the Bais Hamikdash. There was no chance. How could there be - if people did not get along with one another? It is impossible to touch upon the subject of chesed without immediately referring to the tzaddik of Yerushalayim, Horav Aryeh Levin, zl, an individual who not only truly understood the meaning of chesed, but lived it with his every breath. After all is said and done, carrying out acts of kindness to our fellow man generates a good feeling within a person - even when one does not receive a thank you. The mere knowledge that one is doing a good thing, that one is helping someone, should engender an internal sense of satisfaction. We observe an even more elevated level of chesed: when one acts not only because it is a "good" thing, but because it is the "right" thing to do. When one empathizes with the other, when one feels his pain, when it does not make a difference if the subject is observant or not, ethical or even a criminal - that is chesed. This was Rav Aryeh Levin. He gave help to the underground fighter - the Israeli soldier before the State was established. He also found the means and spirit to extend his hand in encouragement to the thief that had befouled his life. He did not care if one was a hero who might have had little or no respect for Jewish observance or one who was down and out, willing to steal and cheat as a means of self-support. At times, he could go in the morning to give courage and infuse faith in the condemned prisoner who was on his way to the gallows, and in the evening, he was at the prisoner's home giving solace and comfort to the woman who that day became the prisoner's widow. With Rav Aryeh there was no "before" and "after," no sense of what must come first and what could be put aside for later. It was all one seamless life of chesed. Rav Aryeh had no rating system concerning acts of chesed. He loved all Jews alike and he felt their pain equally. For him, every human being was an entire world, and the entire world, in turn, was one unity. The feelings were reciprocated. People who came into his presence simply felt better. They wanted to better themselves, their lives, their religious observance. They were drawn to him because they knew that he loved them all. Who taught him such compassion? Where did he learn such sensitivity, such empathy and love for another human being? In his memoirs, Rav Aryeh wrote: "I remember arriving in the Holy Land in 1905 and visiting Jaffa. I went to visit the Rav, Horav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, zl, who received me with good cheer, as was his holy way to receive all who came to him. After chatting a while, we davened Minchah, and then went out for a stroll in the fields. He did this often to collect his thoughts. Along the way, I plucked some branch or flower. My rebbe was taken aback, and then he gently said to me, 'Believe me: in all my days I have taken care never to pluck a blade of grass or flower needlessly, when it still had the ability to grow or blossom. Chazal teach (Bereishis Rabbah 10:6) that there is not a single blade of grass here on earth that does not have a Heavenly force Above telling it - grow! Every sprout, every leaf of grass says something, conveys some message. Every stone whispers some inner, hidden message in the silence. Every creation utters its unique song to Hashem.' "These words, spoken from a pure and holy heart, engraved themselves deeply on my heart. From that time, I began to feel a strong sense of compassion for everything." As mentioned earlier, performing chesed often generates a warm feeling within a person. This, for many, is the ultimate reward - knowing that one is doing something to help another Jew - even if there is no audible gratitude. Chesed shel emes, kindness of truth, is the ultimate chesed, because one receives no reward. Even this form of chesed, however, has varied levels. One can perform kindness towards someone who is so sick that he is unaware that someone is even present. One can address the spiritual and emotional needs of those who are incarcerated in prison, as did Rav Aryeh, or he can assist in the preparation of the deceased for burial. Various levels structure the performance of this mitzvah. The following is an eyewitness testimony of an act of chesed shel emes that is truly emes. In his Yesupar L'Dor, Rav Yona Emanuel writes concerning his experiences in the Westerbork Concentration Camp, outside of Bergen Belsen, Germany. Officially, Westerbork was not classified by the Nazis as an extermination camp. Still, prisoners who are not fed, and beaten mercilessly inevitably die. The prisoners who died in Westerbork were not buried, but rather, they were taken to the crematorium to be burned. It was a gruesome sight: Jews bringing sacks filled with bodies of babies to the crematorium, Jews loading the bodies of their brothers and sisters into the ovens. Rav Emanuel writes that he asked the Jewish kapo in charge of the detail if he could enter the crematorium to see what was being done there. He agreed, but stipulated that it would a brief "visit." The following are his words describing the sight. "The silence of death surrounded me when I entered. I was shaking from head to foot and choked with emotion. Suddenly, I heard voices, and I shuddered as the thought entered my head, 'Are the dead speaking to one another?' I walked on nevertheless, and now I heard the voices with greater clarity. Somewhere, people were praying! "The voices were coming from over to the right. I walked that way and discovered a small room in which a group of Jews were sitting and reciting Tehillim with a tone of sad melancholy. "I do not know if they saw me, but I saw them. Their clothes, like mine, sported the yellow patch. These were the men of the chevra kaddisha, Sacred Burial Society, who were responsible to carry the bodies to the ovens. They recited Tehillim in memory of the dead after carrying each sack of bodies. Later on, I discovered that before any bodies were burned, these men made every effort to prepare them as if for burial, in accordance with Jewish custom." Perhaps, the next time one feels that he has properly executed an act of chesed to his self-satisfaction - he should think about what these holy people were doing, and he will have some idea concerning the meaning of chesed. Va'ani Tefillah A Talmudic rule teaches us that whenever the word v'hayah, "and it will be," is used, it denotes joy. This makes sense, because v'hayah symbolizes the future - which personifies hope, change, something to which to look forward. The Sfas Emes comments upon the relationship between v'hayah and listening to mitzvos. This should be a way of life, rather than a cause celebre. He says that the Torah is teaching us an important lesson: Joy in mitzvah observance catalyzes a deeper understanding of these mitzvos. In accordance with the v'hayah - commensurate with our enthusiasm and joy will be our cogency of these mitzvos. Blind faith is for those who cannot see. Joy opens one's eyes. The greatest reward for mitzvah performance is - a mitzvah. One better understands it and appreciates it. V'hayah im shemoa tishmeu deals with accepting the yoke of mitzvos. In the previous parshah, V'ahavta, we accepted upon ourselves the yoke of the Heavenly Kingdom. Does that not also include the ol mitzvos, yoke of mitzvos? Why is it necessary to accept a new yoke? Horav Moshe Feinstein, zl, explains that, while accepting the yoke of Heaven does include mitzvos, such mitzvah observance becomes something inclusive in what I had originally accepted. Mitzvah observance must be out of a sense of love, calm and satisfaction, out of a desire to do and to act - not because it is part of the "Heavenly package." In Memory of Florence Goldberg Levine Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother Monmouth County, New Jersey 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 24 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 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 G-d commands Moshe to build a Mishkan (Sanctuary) and supplies him with detailed instructions. The Children of Israel are asked to contribute precious metals and stones, fabrics, skins, oil and spices. In the Mishkan's outer courtyard are an altar for the burnt offerings and a laver for washing. The Tent of Meeting is divided by a curtain into two chambers. The outer chamber is accessible only to the kohanim, the descendants of Aharon. This contains the table of showbreads, the menorah, and the golden altar for incense. The innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, may be entered only by the kohen gadol, and only once a year, on Yom Kippur. Here is the Ark that held the Ten Commandments inscribed on the two tablets of stone that G-d gave to the Jewish nation on Mount Sinai. All of the utensils and vessels, as well as the construction of the Mishkan, are described in great detail. Insights A Swell Party Let them (the Children of Israel) take for Me a portion. (25:1) What a great wedding this is! The food! The flowers! The bridesmaids dresses! (Was that real silk?!) Ah, this is nothing. You should have come to the wedding I went to last week. This guy wanted to make some impression Ill tell you! He rented a space shuttle and the ceremony was performed while the bride and groom were floating in space wearing spacesuits! Wow! That must have been great! Yeah, it was okay, but somehow there was no atmosphere... All the preparations for a wedding are for one purpose only to bring simcha (happiness) to the chatan (groom) and the kallah (bride). But there are those who focus on the trappings and miss the essence, those who come only to eat and drink and ignore the essential point. Similarly, this world is no more than a wedding-hall bedecked with food and flowers and streamers and musicians. All for one purpose. To bring the chatan and kallah together. That the soul of Man be wedded to the Creator. But there are those who wander through life like guests at a wedding banquet, picking up a chicken drumstick here and an egg-roll there, and completely miss the point. Let them (the Children of Israel) take for Me a portion. Let them separate themselves from what is superficial and superfluous in life and connect themselves constantly to the essence. To wed themselves constantly to the Divine Presence. Source: adapted from Degel Machane Efraim 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 Terumah In this week's parashah, we are commanded by Hashem to build Him a sanctuary; a Tabernacle in the Desert and a Holy Temple in Yerushalayim. One of the main purposes of the Sanctuary is to have a central place for prayer to Hashem. Although Hashem is everywhere and one can approach Him wherever he is, the place of the Beis Hamikdash is the "Gate to Heaven," and all of the prayers from around the world ascend through it. This was made clear in the prayer which King Shlomo recited at the dedication of the Temple: "And when they return to You with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land, which You gave to their ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 25 fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name. Then hear You their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause" (1 Melachim 8:48- 49). Prayer is not just a ritual which must be performed by reciting the words. Prayer is communication with Hashem. In communication between any two parties, the most important element is concentration. If someone speaks without paying attention to what he is saying, he could cause some major damage. Certainly someone standing before a king, petitioning him for what he needs for himself and his family, must be very careful of his words. One of our main problems is that we think that since the words of the prayers have been institutionalized and recorded in the prayer books, all we have to do is read them aloud, and it doesn't take much concentration to do that. But that is totally wrong. First of all, imagine someone standing before a king and reading a prepared statement, but it is obvious that his heart is not in it. He is mumbling words, at lightening speed, often not even pronouncing them properly or even skipping many of them because his mind is preoccupied at the moment with his business and his other affairs, and perhaps he even shmoozes with his friend in the middle! Would the king acquiesce and grant his request or evict him from his palace for the farce he is performing which is an insult to the king's honor? But besides that, the whole assumption is wrong. Before the siddur was written, everyone would compose his own prayers. But not everyone was able to do that properly so the Sages wrote the basic prayers down for all of us. However, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov writes that that which was written was merely meant to be an outline form of ideas, to be a springboard for us to add our own thoughts and words to. And even today, he says, one should add his own prayers and supplications, and talk to Hashem in the language that he would normally talk to his father and friends. This, Reb Nachman says, is the essence of prayer. But of course, our formidable enemy, the Yetzer Hara, works very hard to inundate us with foreign thoughts during davening. The moment we begin to pray, we find ourselves thinking about our business affairs and everything else under the sun. A story is told about someone who was cheated by a non-Jew. Some time later, that same non-Jew bought a large amount of merchandise from this Jew, and the Jew found a way to write the bill ambiguously so that he could get his money back. But later he regretted what he had done and was afraid that the client would examine the bill scrupulously and realize that he was cheated, and it wouldn't help the Jew to explain that he was just taking back what was rightfully his. In despair, the Jew consulted with his rabbi. The rabbi comforted him and told him not to worry. He assured him that the non-Jew would never find the inaccuracy. "But Rabbi," the Jew argued, "How can you be so sure? If he does find it, he won't just ask for his money back. He'll beat me up and perhaps even kill me." "Don't worry," promised the sage. "He'll never realize it. He is not like we are. He has no time to go over his bills. He doesn't daven Shemoneh Esrei!" Another story is told of someone, a few days before his vacation, who finished davening Minchah in shul, and, much to his surprise, the rabbi walked over to him and said "Shalom aleichem." "Why do you say that?" asked the surprised fellow. "I haven't even left yet." The Rabbi responded, "It was obvious from the way you were davening that you just returned from a virtual tour of the United States, so I greeted you with shalom aleichem as is customary!" Of course we have to work very hard to fight these distractions and concentrate with all our might upon our prayers to the Almighty. But, on the other hand, one should not lose his self-respect simply because of the battle he finds himself in. In the wonderful sefer, Mishlei Ba'al Shem Tov (Parables of the Ba'al Shem Tov), it is brought that sometimes one is shocked at himself when he contemplates what horrible, even lewd, thoughts he sometimes has during davening; sometimes even during the actual Shemoneh Esrei itself. He may think to himself, what kind of terrible person am I to have these terrible thoughts when I am standing before the Almighty Himself. However, the Ba'al Shem Tov encourages this fellow with a simple parable. A king usually sits in his palace, which is well guarded by his soldiers. To get an audience with the king, one has to pass through lots of sentries. Once, a fellow wanted to speak to the king. The guards knew that, although he gave some excuse, his real intention was to speak badly to the king about them and to beg him to have them removed from their posts and, perhaps, even executed. Will they let him through? The Ba'al Shem Tov says that it depends on what kind of a guy he is. If he is a lowly, non-influential person, to whom the king will surely pay no attention, then the guards may say to him, "Go right in. Tell the king whatever you want. We are not afraid of your slander. You can't harm us at all." But if he is someone who has influence with the king and to whose words the king will pay attention, then they will do everything in their power to prevent him from seeing the king, lest they pay a bitter price for letting him through. The moral is: the Yetzer Hara knows that when we daven to Hashem, we beg Him to purify the world and destroy the forces of evil including him. Will he let us pray in peace? It depends. If he knows that we have no power in our prayers to influence the Almighty, then he will leave us alone. However, if he knows that we have the potential to daven well, and Hashem may, possibly, hear our prayers, then he will do all in his power to prevent us from concentrating and he will bombard us with foreign thoughts, even those which are shocking and embarrassing to ourselves, in order to prevent us from influencing Hashem to destroy him and the hosts of Satan. Therefore, concludes the Ba'al Shem Tov, if one finds himself being distracted by terrible thoughts during davening, rather than be discouraged and fall into despair, quite the contrary, he should find encouragement in the situation. He should say to himself, if the Yetzer Hara is fighting me so hard, that only proves that I must have a great power of prayer which he is afraid of. I didn't know that myself, but, if that's the case, then I will muster all of my strength to put these thoughts aside and I will concentrate on my prayer with everything I have! May the Ribbono Shel Olam accept all of our prayers, for good, for the benefit of all of Klal Yisroel and us among them. Shema Yisrael Torah Network info@shemayisrael.com http://www.shemayisrael.com Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344
Rabbi Doniel Staum Stam Torah Parshas Terumah 5774 - A Charitable Heart In the faint light of the attic, an old man, tall and stooped, bent his great frame and made his way to a stack of boxes that sat near one of the little half-windows. Brushing aside a wisp of cobwebs, he tilted the top box toward the light and began to carefully lift an old worn out journal from the box. Hunched over to keep from bumping his head on the rafters, the old man stepped to the wooden stairway and made his descent, then headed down a carpeted stairway that led to the den. Opening a glass cabinet door, he reached in and pulled out an old business journal. Turning, he sat down at his desk and placed the two journals beside each other. His was leather-bound and engraved neatly with his name in gold, while the old worn out journal was his son's. His sons name, "Jimmy", had been nearly scuffed from its surface. He ran a long skinny finger over the letters, as though he could restore what had been worn away with time and use. As he opened his journal, the old man's eyes fell upon an inscription that stood out because it was so brief in comparison to other days. In his own neat handwriting were these words: Wasted the whole day fishing with J immy. Didn't catch a thing With a deep sigh and a shaking hand, he took Jimmy's journal and found the boy's entry for the same day, June 4. Large scrawling letters, pressed deeply into the paper, read: Went fishing with dad. Best day of my life.(1) G-d spoke to Moshe saying, Speak to the Bnai Yisroel and they shall take for me a portion; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My portion. Why does it say that they shall take for me a portion and not they shall give for me a portion? The Apiryon(2) explains that although normally a person does something in order to achieve the result of that action, at times, one may do something because of a tangential benefit that will result. As a result of the Service performed in the Mishkan(3) the world was filled with blessing and goodness. In fact, since the Temples destruction many of the blessings that were omnipresent while it stood have ceased from the world. When the Torah speaks about donating materials for the construction of the Mishkan it does not mention the direct purpose, but the personal benefit that they would have from the construction of the Mishkan, i.e. the bounty and blessings that would result from the Divine Service being performed. Thus, their giving was essentially taking, for they were taking the blessing that would result from having a Mishkan. The Sages explain that whenever one selflessly donates or gives of his resources, finances, efforts, or energy he benefits in innumerable ways that he is not aware of. In Birchas Hamazon we petition G-d, ' - Please make us not needful Hashem, our G-d, of the gifts of flesh and blood Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum ztl, the Satmar Rebbe, offered a poignant explanation of this request. The Gemara(4) states that there are three partners that contribute to the creation of every person: father, mother, and G-d. Ones bones, sinews, blood, and flesh are the contributions of the parents, while the soul is from G-d. It is G-ds contribution that composes the essence of life, for the body is merely an 26 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc external garment/receptacle which houses the soul while it resides in this world. When one gives charity begrudgingly and with a heavy heart, he is giving solely on a physical level. In a similar vein, if one gives out of guilt or embarrassment, his spiritual/emotional self does not participate in the giving; it is a heartless gift. Normally when one contributes in such a manner he does so with a sour face and an angry demeanor, inevitably causing grief and shame to the receiver. However, one who gives exuberantly and wholeheartedly does so with passion and warmth. Such charity is given with heart and soul, not merely the hand. In our prayers we beseech G-d that even if we, G-d forbid, are forced to beg for charity and alms, our contributions should be given not merely by flesh and blood, i.e. heartlessly and unemotionally. Rather, it should be given with love and care; a contribution of the flesh and blood coupled with the Divine spark of love and brotherhood. There is an age old question why there is no special blessing recited prior to giving charity? If the mitzvah of giving charity is so important shouldnt it warrant a unique blessing? In addition to the many halachic reasons proffered, Sefas Emes relates a practical psychological reason. Reciting a blessing before contributing alms to a poor man creates an invisible barrier between the giver and the recipient. The Torah demands that one relate to a needy person as a subject, not merely an object. The giver must see the poor man as a dignified and valuable human being, not merely an excuse or medium for the givers selfish performance of a mitzvah that will enhance his religious experience. Can one imagine how a needy person would feel if a contributor, check in hand, closed his eyes, and began to recite a blessing with tremendous fervor and concentration? A collector is not an esrog! No matter how important and special the recitation of a blessing is, it cannot interfere with the dignity of another person, the largesse of the contributor not withstanding. The Sfas Emess explanation has important implications for all human relationships. When I was in Yeshiva, an older mentor would often comment that, nobody wants to be your project. In other words, if one wants to help someone who is troubled, confused, or downtrodden, he cannot approach him as his chessed case. If one does so he will be met with little success, if not downright resistance. He may even be told to mind your own business. The only way to reach or touch another person emotionally is by truly caring about them. Superficial love is detectable and invariably bears resentment. This is one of the most important rules of kiruv(5). In order to connect with others one needs to sincerely and genuinely care. Before one can have any effect on another he must cast aside his personal agenda of helping and focus on loving deeply. In the words of Rav Shlomo Freifeld ztl: If you want to draw someone closer to Torah and you invite them to your Shabbos table, dont give long-winded speeches at the table. Give him a good piece of hot potato kugel. Then hell want to come back! When one gives charity it is not enough for him to give with his hands; he must also give with his soul. Despite the loss one incurs when giving, one must remember that at the same time he is taking and gaining far more than he seems to be giving. The difference between giving with ones hands and giving with ones heart is the difference between a giving that fosters love versus a giving that breeds embarrassment and resentment. And they shall take for me a donation Went fishing with dad. Best day of my life. 1. Excerpted from 'To a Child Love is Spelled T-I-M-E: What a Child Really Needs From You' by Mac Anderson and Lance Wubbels. 2. Rabbi Shlomo Gantzfried ztl 3. (Tabernacle) and later in the Bais Hamikdash (Holy Temple) 4. Niddah 31a 5. teaching unaffiliated Jews about Torah observance Parsha Growth Spurts Parshas Terumah 5774 You shall cover it with pure gold, from within and from without you shall cover it. (Shemos 25:11) Shelah Hakadosh quotes the pasuk (Tehillim 101:2) Then I will walk wholeheartedly within my home. He explains that when one does a mitzvah in public it is difficult to not feel some arrogance. The antidote is that one should contemplate how he would do the mitzvah if he was in the privacy of his own home where no one could see him. He should then strive to do the mitzvah with the same humbleness he would have in his home. That is what Dovid Hamelech meant that he walks wholeheartedly, i.e. without arrogance, in his own home. Chasan Sofer (Rav Shmuel Ehrenfled ztl) adds that at times one must utilize the opposite approach. If one is in the privacy of his own home and is accosted by his yetzer hara who tries luring him into sin, he should picture himself standing in public. If others were watching he surely would not engage in such iniquitous behaviors. That mental imagery will help him ward off lurking temptation. Chasan Sofer explains that the pasuk alludes to both of these ideas. At times the greatest mussar for a person is to contemplate how he would behave inside; at other times he has to contemplate how he would behave if he was outside. From inside and from outside you shall cover it. One who utilizes this approach properly will ensure that his neshama is unsullied, like pure gold. You shall make two keruvim out of gold (Shemos 25:18) Mechilta (end of Parshas Mishpatim) states that if there was a deficiency of gold, the vessels could be constructed of other metals, such as silver of copper. The Keruvim however, could only be constructed out of gold. Rav Meir Shapiro ztl (Immrei Daas) explained that the Keruvim had the image of children, and therefore were placed atop the Aron, to symbolize that we must always ensure that the chinuch of our children is based on Torah standards. For the same reason the Keruvim had to be constructed out of pure gold to symbolize that the chinuch we convey be sterling, unadulterated, and pure. You shall make a menorah of pure gold, hammered out (Shemos 25:31) Rashi notes that Moshe had a very difficult time conceptualizing what the Menorah should look like. Finally Hashem instructed Moshe to cast the ingot of gold into the fire and the Menorah miraculously emerged. Melachim (I, 7:49) states that Shlomo Hamelech fashioned ten Menorahs for the Bais Hamikdash. If he was able to make so many, it seems clear that Shlomo Hamelech did not have nearly as difficult a time as Moshe Rabbeinu did in constructing the Menorah. Shlomo merely had to replicate the Menorah of Moshe. Rav Chaim Shaul Kaufman ztl (Mishchas Shemen), quoting Rav Eliezer Kohn ztl, explained that this symbolizes Chazals teaching that all beginnings are difficult (see Rashi, Shemos 19:5). This is surely true in regards to Torah learning. It is only once overcomes the initial hurdles that he can discover the sweetness of learning. The Menorahs light symbolizes the light of Torah, and therefore it was apropos that there was so much confusion and difficulty in creating the initial Menorah. The later replicas were created with far greater ease. They shall be even at the bottom, and together they shall match at its top, a single ring shall it be for both (Shemos 26:24) Although they flanked each other, every adjacent board surrounding the Mishkan was essentially separate from its counterpart. However, at the top the two were enjoined by the (square) ring that was placed atop them. Rav Shimon Schwab ztl (Maayan Bais Hashoeivah) notes that this is an allusion to marriage. When a man and woman decide to marry and fulfill the mandate of they shall become one flesh (Bereishis 2:24) there are two facets of that union. On the physical level they remain distinct entities, each with his/her own proclivities and personalities. Although they stand side by side, they remain essentially distinct from each other. However, at its top, in the spiritual realm, they fuse together, with one goal in mind: to build a home built on Torah values, and to bring nachas ruach to Hashem. The symbolism of that union is through the husband giving his new wife a ring, a symbol of the boards surrounding the Mishkan which the young couple seeks to spiritually replicate. On the one hand physically distinct, and yet spiritually fused by the ring that binds them together. Rabbis Musings (& Amusings) Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Terumah 30 Shevat (1 Rosh Chodesh Adar I) 5774/January 31, 2014 Its an age-old womens question: Why when a woman cares for her children is it called watching my kids, but when a man watches his children he tells everyone hes babysitting? Hashem created everyone with their talents, and women are granted an innate ability to be mothers. Men are good at a lot of things too. But watching their children alone can be an extreme challenge for many men. For one, taking care of children requires multitasking, something which men arent legendary for. It also often requires dealing with flaring emotions and a lack of rationality, which men arent always good at either (just ask their wives). Whatever the reason is, many men have a particularly hard time watching their children. When they refer to it as babysitting it makes them feel like theyre doing a chesed, which helps them feel altruistic. Perhaps they also like to pretend that they are going to get some sort of compensation for doing it (like being allowed to sleep in their house that night). I was thinking about this recently, because Chani went to a Melave Malka on Motzei Shabbos last week, and I was left home with our children. Call my watching them whatever you want, but I was about to call a babysitter for backup. The truth is that the older four were fine. But our four month old son, Dovid, wasnt happy with me. Suffice it to say that he spent the majority of our time together sobbing and screaming. His flustered and frustrated father tried everything to calm him down, including giving him ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 27 two bottles, holding him in different positions, pushing him in the stroller, playing music, etc. but it was all to no avail. Lets just say it was a rough night for both of us. The next morning when I arrived home from shul, and walked into the kitchen, Dovid was swinging back and forth in his swing. I was sure when he saw me he would burst into tears, the way our children cry when their pediatrician merely walks into the room. I was pleasantly surprised when he looked at me and smiled one of the cooing smiles that melts a parents heart. There is definitely an advantage to not being cognitively developed enough to be able to bear a grudge. We state each morning in shacharis that Hashem renews every day constantly, the workings of creation. Not only does Hashem give the world renewed energy to function each day, but He also invests a spirit of newness into the world. No matter what I did or how I acted yesterday, I can renew and recommit myself to rectify yesterday and proceed with today. The effective parent/teacher greets his/her children each morning with a smile that conveys a feeling of happiness that they will have the chance to spend time together. There are unquestionably certain children who make it difficult for the parent/teacher to do so. For such children it requires great focusing on the childs good qualities, some forced temporary amnesia to overlook previous confrontations and struggles, and some prayer for Divine assistance. A child can sense when he/she is wanted and welcomed. It is especially vital to help the child who least deserves it feel wanted and loved. Our goal is imitatio Dei, to be like G-d. Thankfully, G-d grants us a new opportunity each morning, despite what we have done until now. If we can give that sense of newness to those we interact with, we are indeed divine! Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos, R Dani and Chani Staum 720 Union Road New Hempstead, NY 10977 (845) 362-2425 Rabbi Berel Wein Rabbis And Savants There was a long and critical article that appeared this past week in one of the Hebrew newspapers here in Israel concerning the role of rabbis in society. There is no question that the role of most rabbis in the United States is far different than what is currently the case in Israeli society. In the United States the rabbi is a far more personal figure. He is a teacher, speaker and confidant. He is also expected to be somewhat of a social worker, psychologist and counselor. His main task is to care for his flock, which in most cases is limited to his immediate congregation and in certain instances does expand to include the entire Jewish community where he is located. He also has important executive and administrative duties as well as being a fundraiser. This is certainly not the classical job description of rabbis over the past centuries in Europe, the Levant and early American Jewry. While holy men and kabbalists abounded over all of these centuries, those rabbis were not expected to be a dispenser of blessings, an advisor as to business matters or a political guru. His realm of expertise was limited to studying and teaching Torah, writing books, debating halachic issues and being a role model in his community. This type of rabbi in the main did not take hold in American soil. In America the congregational rabbi described earlier in this paragraph came into being and to a great extent still exists today in American Jewish life. It is interesting, if not even distressing, to note that there is a great disconnect between the yeshiva education given to potential rabbis in the United States and the real skills needed when they actually enter the field. This disconnect has caused many personal and communal difficulties and disappointments. In Israel, in most cases, the congregational rabbi as he exists in the United States is absent here. There are neighborhood rabbis, city rabbis, court judge rabbis, chief rabbis, army rabbis, but almost all of them have very little contact with the people or society that they are meant to serve. In Israel the matter is further complicated by the fact that the community that they are meant to serve is not a homogeneous one. The congregational rabbi in the Diaspora may have a diversity of people in his congregation but basically he is serving a particular section of the Jewish society. Here in Israel the rabbi is serving a society that is at one and the same time secular and religious, believing and denying and of a very different social and economic strata. The concept of a congregational rabbi has made some headway here in Israel over the past few years, especially in areas that have absorbed immigrants from English-speaking countries. Nevertheless, the great disconnect between the Israeli rabbinate and the Israeli public is felt in all areas of Israeli life and is a vexing and disturbing issue. In Israel certainly, again with relatively few exceptions, the disconnect between the yeshiva education, the formal exams given for rabbinic ordination and the entire mindset of the educational system with the general society, is glaring and troublesome. Israel needs rabbis desperately but also desperately needs rabbis that can somehow connect to the average Israeli without a demeaning attitude and an always critical eye. In both the United States and Israel the Hasidic rebbe andthe rosh yeshiva haveboth supplanted the roles and authority traditionally ascribed to the rabbi. But these positions have currently expanded so that the rebbe and the rosh yeshiva are not only rabbis but are savants as well. All personal, domestic, social and economic questions are addressed to them for divinely inspired answers. They are all active in politics with all of the baggage that that brings with it. They are somehow to be invested with prophetic powers that can decide life-and-death issues for individuals, institutions and for the State of Israel itself. Over the last few decades this has been shown to be a very slippery slope that bordered on dangerous consequences for many. Great caution should be exercised in appealing to those who proclaim themselves to be all-knowing. Great and wise men should certainly be consulted on issues of importance, and their opinions, if rendered, should be taken into consideration. Nevertheless in the long run of life it is only we that are responsible for our actions and for our behavior and policies. Both rabbis and savants need to be connected to and part of the general society in order to be effective and productive. All of Jewish history bears out this contention. One would hope to see progress in narrowing the disconnects and enhancing the roles of rabbis and savants as well. 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 Terumah The main moral thrust of this week's parsha is the challenge to take the mundane and ordinary and make of it something spiritual, holy and eternal. To our sorrow, we are well aware of how the supposedly holy can be made tawdry, cheap and negative. Thus the challenge of the opposite is truly a daunting one. Dealing with money, gold and silver, workers, artisans and the like usually inhibits any sense of holiness and eternity. The material always seems to corrupt the spiritual. It is not for naught that there is strong rabbinic opinion that the Third Temple will not be man-made but rather will descend from Heaven completely formed. It is destined to be eternal while the Tabernacle/Mishkan in the desert and both the First and Second Temples were the products of human endeavor and earthly building materials. All three of these great projects and physical institutions were destroyed and taken from us. Apparently we had failed in the goal of converting the earthly and temporary into the heavenly and eternal. So, if in fact this is the case then why does the Torah spend so much space and employ so many words to describe the physical construction of what, after all, remained only a temporary structure subject to conquest and destruction? This is a question, which has nagged the brains of all biblical commentators for many centuries. It also poses the problem of this enormous challenge of the spiritual having to deal with the physical and in fact being dependent upon the physical in order to achieve its stated spiritual goal. Part of the answer to this ongoing problem lies in the attitude of human beings towards the physical wealth that all of us pursue during our lifetime. The Torah wished to teach us that wealth, material goods, human talents and artistic abilities are all only means to an end and not the end itself. One of the great pitfalls of life is elevating the means to be the end. Thus wealth for the sake of wealth, money for the sake of money, power and influence for the sake of power and influence becomes the norm in much of human society. This by its very nature prevents the transformation of the physical into the holy, the fleeting temporary into the unending eternal. The true purpose of gold and silver, architectural talent and building skill is to create a place of holiness and a constant reminder of the relationship between the Creator and the created. Therefore this week's parsha emphasizes the importance of donative intent. The Tabernacle/Mishkan was not to be built from funds gathered by taxation and coercion. Without proper donative intent there is no hope to convert the physical into the spiritual. Halacha raises the question why we do not recite a blessing before giving ones donation to charity or the support of Torah. Many answers, almost all of them technical, are advanced to solve this question. I am struck by the question itself. For the basis of its being asked is that somehow one must inject holiness into an otherwise ordinary act of money being transferred. How difficult this is if it is not preceded by the recitation of a blessing. Holy intent creates holiness and can transform the material into the spiritual. 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
28 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb-OU Person in the Parsha Parshas Terumah - A Tale of Two Grandfathers Those who knew him used many different words to describe him. Some called him stubborn. Others called him staunch. Still others used the word steadfast. I am his grandson, and I prefer to think of him as having been unbending in his commitment to the truths he believed in. I often refer to my paternal grandfather in these weekly columns. But I don't think I've ever yet introduced you, dear reader, to my maternal grandfather, Mr. Max Hartman. The nature of his relationship with all his many grandchildren is conveyed by the fact that none of us referred to him as "Grandpa" or "Zaide." To all of us, he was "Dad," a loving father figure who refused to acknowledge the many decades that separated us from him. My grandfather was one of those now legendary Jews who came to America at the turn of the 20th century but remained totally observant of all Jewish religious practices. One indication of his "stubbornness" was his reaction to the difficulties he initially faced in observing the Sabbath as an employee of others. He eventually started his own business and scrupulously kept it closed on the Sabbath and Jewish festivals throughout the difficult years of the Great Depression and the Second World War. He was one of the founders of a synagogue that was one of the few in pre- war United States that required total adherence to Sabbath observance of its members. That synagogue remains well attended to this very day, and carries the name Shomer Shabbat "Shtiebel," the Sabbath observant chapel. He passed away more than forty years ago. His Hebrew name was Mordechai, and in my eulogy for him I compared him to the biblical Mordechai. I applied to him a verse in the scroll of Esther, soon to be read in the synagogue on the holiday of Purim, now just several weeks away. The verse reads, "All the King's courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed down to Haman, for such was the king's order concerning him; but Mordechai would not kneel or bow low" (Esther 3:2). Like Mordechai, my grandfather "would not kneel or bow low" to the pressures and influences of the secular society. It was not until long after my grandfather's demise that I found an apt metaphor for my grandfather's firm dedication to our tradition in this week's Torah portion, Parshat Terumah (Exodus 25:1-27:21). In Terumah, we read of the construction of the Tabernacle. We learn about its various contents, its coverings, and its walls. Of the latter, we read, "You shall make the planks for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, upright." Many commentators interpret every component of the Tabernacle in terms of its symbolic significance. Using this approach, the planks of the Tabernacle represent the quality of standing upright and firm, with unbending commitment to a cause. The Hebrew word for the planks is kerashim, for which the singular is keresh. The letters of the word keresh, when transposed, spell out the word sheker, falsehood or untruth. Each plank, each keresh, represents truth, which in our tradition is permanent, in contrast to falsehood, sheker, which does not last. In that sense, my "Dad" was a keresh, firm and unbending in his belief in eternal verities, and a bastion against the transient fashions of faithlessness. We also read in this week's Torah portion of another component of the Tabernacle, and it too has symbolic significance. I refer to the briach hatichon, the center bar, which is to be inserted "halfway up the planks and shall run from end to end" (Exodus 26:28). This center bar was what held all the planks together. What does this center bar represent metaphorically? For this, I draw upon the homiletic insight of a different "grandfather," namely Rabbi Shaul Taub, the Chassidic Rebbe of Modzitz, who was my wife's paternal grandfather. Although he was as firmly committed to religious tradition as was my own grandfather, he is remembered best by his followers for his compassionate and comforting Chassidic melodies. In his posthumously published work, Yisa Berachah, he seeks to elucidate the cryptic statement in the ancient Aramaic Targum Yonatan, which reads, "The source of the wood for the center bar was the tree that Abraham planted in Beer Sheba." "What can this possibly mean," he asks. "What connection can there be between Abraham's tree and this component of the tabernacle?" To answer this, the Rebbe of Modzitz reminds us of the account in the Midrash of the consultation between the Almighty and two angels, the Angel of Truth and the Angel of Loving-kindness. The former opposed the Almighty's plan to create man, insisting that man was full of falsehood. The latter consented to man's creation, arguing that man was capable of great loving-kindness. Thankfully for us, the Angel of Loving-kindness prevailed. The Rebbe expands upon the argument of the Angel of Truth. It was not man's propensity for falsehood that troubled him, as much as it was his deceitful tendency to have falsehood masquerade in the guise of truth. The Angel of Loving-kindness was able to counter the argument of the Angel of Truth by suggesting a test by which authentic truth would be discriminated from hypocrisy; that is, from falsehood disguised as truth. That test was whether or not the truth in question led to cruelty, or led to loving-kindness. If it led to cruelty, it was not truth. Authentic truth leads only to loving-kindness. The tree that Abraham planted in Beersheba is understood by our Sages to have been either an inn that offered hospitality to wayfarers, or an orchard that fed them and slaked their thirst. That tree was the ultimate expression of loving-kindness. The central bar that held the planks together is, from the Rebbe's perspective, a metaphor for loving-kindness, for the force that assures that the unbending truths do not stand in the way of gentleness, sympathy, and compassion. The essence of a Jew, whether famous like my wife's grandfather, or a layman like my grandfather, is the ability to insert the "central bar" into the "planks." It is the rare quality of being able to infuse unbending truths with loving-kindness. It takes a skilled spiritual artisan to place the briach hatichon betoch hakerashim, the central bar halfway up the kerashim, and running through them from end to end. Judaism today faces this challenge: Can we not compromise the timeless truth of our tradition and still retain the traits of our forefather, Abraham? The "central bar," flexibly bending its way through the "upright plank," symbolically assures us that the challenge can be met. Rabbi Mordechai Willig TorahWeb Happy with our Portion The Rama concludes Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim (697:1) with a discussion of our obligation to increase drinking and joy on Purim Katan, the 14th day of Adar Rishon. He rules that there is no obligation to do so, but one should add a bit to his meal. The Rama's final words are: "A good- hearted person feasts perpetually" (Mishlei 15:15). This implies that the requirement to increase joy "from when Adar enters" (Ta'anis 29a) applies to Adar Rishon as well, and the Gemara (29b) further states that one enjoys good luck and should adjudicate any outstanding cases with non- Jews in their courts at that time (Mishna Berurah 686:8). The increase in joy is left undefined, however, and requires explanation. The Vilna Gaon contrasts the above phrase in Mishlei with the first half of the pasuk: "All the days of a poor man are bad." Chazal teach us that, "Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his portion" (Avos 4:1). The poor man referred to is one who is never happy because he has a greedy soul and always covets more (see Avos 5:23, 4:28), and therefore all his days are bad; even when successful, he desires more and is therefore unhappy. By contrast, one who is satisfied with what he has is always happy. One who drinks is happy only while he is intoxicated, but not after the effects of alcohol wear off. One who is good-hearted is always as happy as the one who drinks is at the time of drinking. A good heart is the most important attribute (Avos 2:13, Vilan Gaon), and enables a person to always be happy. Why is Adar a time to increase joy? Rashi (29a) explains "From when Adar enters" as follows: "Purim and Pesach were days of miracles for Yisroel". On a simple level, Rashi is saying that one's joy increases upon remembering that Am Yisroel experienced miracles in Adar and Nissan many years ago. However, the cause of the joy goes beyond merely remembering the past. True joy occurs when one is happy with his portion. Remembering the miracles Hashem performed for Am Yisroel during these months reminds us that Am Yisroel is Hashem's portion (Devarim 32:9). This enables us to be happy despite whatever problems we face. Moreover, the juxtaposition of Purim and Pesach, which is the reason we celebrate Purim in Adar Sheni (Megilla 6b), represents a critical lesson. Just as the open miracles of Pesach are clearly divinely ordained, so too is the hidden miracle of Purim. "From the great and open miracles one acknowledges the hidden miracles which are fundamentals of the entire Torah. We have no portion (chelek) in the Torah of Moshe Rabeinu until we believe that all our matters and occurrences are all miracles. None are nature and the way of the world, neither those of the community nor those of the individual" (Ramban Shemos 13:16). ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 29 Joy increases in Adar when we internalize this crucial lesson. We exalt in our being Hashem's portion, which began, as a nation, with the events recalled on Pesach. We begin our joy in Adar, when we celebrate the hidden miracle of Purim and focus on the Ramban's idea that all of our personal matters are ordained by Hashem. We can be happy with our lot if we recognize that it is controlled from Above. On Purim, the festival of lots, this recognition reaches its peak, and the month of Adar leads up to the peak with increasing joy. The absence of Purim in Adar Rishon is due to the need to have Purim and Pesach in adjacent months. This reminds us that hidden miracles, and all of our matters, are the result of Divine Providence. We thereby increase joy from the beginning of Adar Rishon, and on Purim Katan we reach the level of "A good-hearted person feasts perpetually." By contrast, we reduce joy from when Av enters (Ta'anis 29a). On a simple level the sadness of Tisha B'Av comes from our recalling the destruction of the Temples and other tragedies. However, the original sin of Tisha B'Av was caused by a failure to recognize the universal nature of Divine Providence. "The people wept on that night" (Bamidbar 14:1), they cried on Tisha B'Av after hearing the report of the spies detailing the power of the enemy forces in Eretz Yisroel. "They are too strong for us" (13:31), and even, as it were, for Him (Rashi). Hashem responded: "How long will they not have faith in Me, despite all the miracles I have performed in their midst?" (14:11). Am Yisroel indeed saw the open miracles in Egypt and beyond, but they knew that in Eretz Yisroel they would lead a natural life and they did not realize that Divine Providence extends beyond supernatural events into the hidden miracles of every day. This failure caused them to cry notwithstanding the great miracles of the Exodus and the ongoing blessings they experienced in the desert. All the days of the poor are bad, even successful ones, if he does not recognize that the blessings are from Hashem. We reduce joy from the beginning of Av because in that month the secret of joy, the belief that our portion and our fate is always in Hashem's hands, was forgotten. Rejoicing in our portion results from our having a portion in the Torah of Moshe Rabeinu and realizing that our portion is determined by Hashem. Every Shabbos we pray for our unique portion in Hashem's Torah. On this Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Adar Rishon, we begin to increase joy by reinforcing our faith in hashgacha pratis upon Am Yisroel and each individual, from the events of Purim and Pesach until this very day. Copyright 2014 by The TorahWeb Foundation. All rights reserved.
HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl Bais Hamussar Terumah This week's Dvar Torah is sponsored L'iluy Nishmas R' Ahron Moshe Zt"l ben R' Yitzchok Hakohen Shlit"a This week's parsha begins with the mitzvah of donating toward the building of the Mishkan. "Speak to Bnei Yisrael and they should take for Me a donation, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take my donation" (Shemos 25, 2). The question is obvious. Why did the Torah say that Bnei Yisrael should "take" a donation for Hashem; wouldn't it be more correct to say that they should "give" a donation to Hashem? Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash) cites a Gemara in Kiddushin (7a) to answer this question. Halachah mandates that in order to be mekadeish a woman, the man must give her something of value (Nowadays a ring is used to fulfill this requirement). Yet, there is one instance where the kiddushin can be accomplished by way of the woman giving the man something of value. When the man accepting the present is someone held in high regard, then the fact that he accepted her present gives her pleasure. This pleasure has the value of money and thereby fulfills the halachic requirement to be mekadeish a woman with something of value. Similarly, the Torah is implying that when one gives a donation and it is accepted by Hashem, in effect the donor is really the recipient. He has indeed "taken" a donation! When we daven, learn or perform a mitzvah, we tend to think that we have done Hashem a favor. However, such an outlook is totally incorrect. Hashem does not need our Torah and mitzvos. He gives us the opportunity to learn and daven for our benefit. Dovid HaMelech declared, "And I, in Your abundant kindness, will enter Your Sanctuary." It is due to Hashem's great kindness that He allows us to serve Him. The gain is solely ours. If we bear this in mind, it will give us a fresh outlook on our avodas Hashem! Maaseh Rav The Mashgiach, Rabbi Wolbe was a man of few words. Unless he was sure that his words would make a difference, he just wouldn't talk. This was his conduct even when people came to hear his advice. A very close Talmid, who learned with him B'Chavruso related that the Mashgiach spoke so scarcely that sometimes it took him 10 years to hear a full story. He would hear a third of a story one time and then another quarter... until he finally got the full picture. Please share with us your personal experiences with the Mashgiach Rabbi Wolbe z"l, Thank you. Aish.Com - Rabbi Ken Spiro Jewish History Crash Course Crash Course in Jewish History Part 15 - The Time of the Judges by Rabbi Ken Spiro The Talmud calls the Book of Shoftim, "the Book of the Straight." Why? Because the ultimate goal of every Jew is to use his free will to work out what is wrong and right, using the Torah as a guide. And this is what happens in the Time of Shoftim. In those days, there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in his eyes. (Shoftim 21:25) Some say this verse sounds like a description of anarchy. But there was no anarchy; the vast majority of Jews were totally dedicated to Torah and were making decisions in the right way, and didn't need someone tell them what to do. Indeed, that is the ideal situation. Of course, the lack of leadership following the death of Yehoshua did have negative consequence; a small minority took it as a license to slip into idolatry and immorality. This happened largely because the Jews did not get rid of all of the Canaanites, as they were commanded to do, and the Canaanite pagan influence was felt. Whenever the Jews abandon HaShem, the repercussions are immediate: And they forsook the G-d of their fathers and they went after other gods. And the anger of the L-rd was kindled against Israel and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers and he gave them over to the hands of their enemies. (Shoftim 2:8-14) This is one of the most important patterns we have to understand in how Jewish history works. When the Jews betray their covenant with HaShem, bad things happen -- usually, an enemy comes and attacks. The covenant with HaShem doesn't just cover the behavior of man toward HaShem, it also includes the commandments mandating the behavior of man toward man. But both are a must. Heed The Warning HaShem says over and over again -- keep the Torah, all facets of it and no one will bother you. You will live in peace in your land. You will prosper, and not only that, the whole world will come to learn from you and you will elevate the entire planet. But if you don't, a big fist will not come out of heaven and swat you, because HaShem acts in history. What will happen instead is a physical enemy will appear or a famine will hit the land, and all will suffer. When bad things happen to Jews, it is never by chance. It is always a consequence of Jewish actions, and therefore, the remedy is never to deal solely with the external threat. If an enemy attacks, defense is in order, but so is introspection; the presence of enemy is only a symptom of a deeper problem that must be dealt with. We see this in the Time of Shoftim which extends from 1244 BCE to 879 BCE. And the L-rd raised up judges and they saved them [the Israelites] from the hands of those who had spoiled them. (Shoftim 2:16) Who are the Shoftim? The Shoftim are Jewish leaders who arise during this time, unify the people, get them to repent, deal with the spiritual problems of the nation, and also deal with the physical threat. They are military leaders who know how to mobilize the nation for war against an enemy, but their real power lies in their Torah knowledge and ability to adjudicate Jewish law. We will highlight a few of the 16 Shoftim described in the Torah: Deborah One of the first of the Shoftim is a woman -- Devorah. (See Shoftim, chapter 4-5.) She is famous for sitting under a palm tree where anyone could seek her advice, and from where she issued battle orders. Barak, Israel's top warrior during that time, refuses to go into battle without her. Together they lead the troops against the much larger Canaanite force backed up by 900 iron chariots, of which Israel had none. The Book of Shoftim describes a key battle with the Canaanites led by Sisera. On the even of the battle, Barak is doubtful that Israel's warriors could ever beat such a strong opponent but Devorah stands firm. An unexpected storm is unleashed in the heavens, and the resulting downpour turns the ground to mud; the iron chariots get stuck and the Canaanites panic. Devorah's prophecy that "This is the day on which the Lord will deliver [the Canaanite general] Sisera into your hands..." is thus fulfilled. 30 ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc Shimshon Shimshon is the Judge famous for his superhero strength, and for leading the struggle against Israel's arch-enemy, the Philistines. (See Shoftim, chapters 13-16.) The Philistines were a seafaring people who inhabited the coast of Israel and Lebanon in the area of Gaza-Ashdod-Jaffa. They had migrated into the area from somewhere in the Mediterranean and settled there in the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age. Excavations show that the Philistines -- despite what the word "Philistine" has come down to mean in the English language -- were very sophisticated culturally. They had perfected iron tools and iron weapons, gaining an important technological advantage over their neighbors. With their might, they started encroaching on the Jewish people who are living in the highlands during this time. Shimshon was one of the people who takes on the Philistines. He is a most unusual man who never cuts his hair and he has superhuman strength because of this. To undermine the Philistines he pretends to join them by deliberately marrying a Philistine woman but she is killed by her own people; he then consorts with another Philistine woman -- Delilah. A big mistake. Delilah catches on that Shimshon is a major threat to her people. She figures out the secret of his superhuman strength and cuts off his hair while he is asleep. As a result the Philistines are able to capture him. They then blind him and throw him in prison. But they forget that hair grows. As his hair grew back, his superhuman strength returns. Unaware of this, the Philistines decides to execute Shimshon in a public display at the Temple of Dagan, one of their gods. As the masses gather to watch the execution, blind Shimshon asks a slave boy to position him next to one of the columns supporting the temple. With his renewed superhuman strength he overturns the column and collapses the whole place killing all inside. He dies giving his life for the Jewish people and the Torah says he killed more Philistine enemies in that moment than he vanquished the whole rest of his life. Shmuel The last of the Shoftim is the Prophet Shmuel, who is one of the most important prophets in Jewish history, and who is also famous for anointing the first two kings of Israel -- Shaul and David. (See 1 Shmuel, chapters 1- 16.) By the time Shmuel appears on the scene, the Jewish people have gone through close to 400 years of no strong central leadership. They had to live up to a very high level of individual responsibility or else HaShem would let them know they were off course via the Canaanites or the Philistines or the Midianites. This was a very hard way to live. In the final analysis, the nation couldn't maintain this level of scrutiny without stronger guidance. When Shmuel was younger, he would travel the land adjudicating Jewish law and giving people advice, but now that he has grown old, he can't do it anymore. Meanwhile, his two sons, who have taken over for him, prove unpopular with the people. So a delegation is dispatched to ask Shmuel to anoint a king instead: And they the people said [to Shmuel] "Behold, you have grown old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now set up for us a king to judge us like all the nations. And the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Shmuel ..." (1 Shmuel, 8:5-7) Shmuel doesn't want to do it, but HaShem tells him to go ahead and find a king for the people. And this is how the Time of Shoftim comes to a close. Shmuel functions as a Judge for 13 years and the last of two years he actually co-leads the Jewish people with the first Jewish king whose name is Shaul. Next: King Shaul Aish.Com - Rabbi Noach Weinberg ZTL 48 Ways to Wisdom Way #15 Oral Instructions For Living Most Jews are familiar with the "Written Torah" - the Five Books of Moshe. But many are not aware that the Jewish People also received the Oral Torah at the same time. The Oral Torah is not an interpretation of the Written Torah. The fact is, the Oral Torah preceded the Written Torah. At Mount Sinai 3,300 years ago, HaShem revealed Himself to the entire Jewish People. He then gave Moshe the 613 commandments along with a detailed explanation of how the Jewish People were to fulfill them. At that point in time, the teachings were entirely oral. It wasn't until 40 years later, just prior to Moshes death and the Jewish People's entering the Land of Israel, that the Written Torah as we know it (containing various stories and sources for the Mitzvos), was given to the Jewish People. In effect, the Written Torah is a form of "Cliff Notes" or summary notes of the information that HaShem gave the Jewish People, through Moshe at Sinai. As such, the Written Torah cannot be understood without the Oral Torah. Today, the Oral Torah also exists in a written form, called the "Mishnah." Almost 2,000 years ago during intense Roman persecution, the Jewish leaders wrote down the Oral Torah to avoid it being forgotten. Go For As Much As You Can Get A single word in the Torah can yield a four-layered understanding about life, if one knows how to apply the appropriate tools for gaining this understanding. The deeper you go into a Torah idea, the more real it becomes until you integrate it and act accordingly. The Torah can be understood on four primary levels of depth. 1. "P'shat" - the simple explanation of what the Torah is about. Rashi (12th century France) wrote a famous commentary explaining this level. 2. "Drush" - this is the Midrash, which tells us where the Biblical concepts emanate from - and how to apply it to living. 3. "Remez" - a more sophisticated level of the Midrash. Different ways of reading the words reveal different aspects of their meaning. 4. "Sod" - the hidden meanings and mysticism of the Torah. These four words form the acronym "PaRDeS," which means "orchard." The Torah is filled with delicious spiritual fruits, just waiting to be plucked and savored. Wisdom is for the soul, as food is for the body. HaShem gave us the need for physical nourishment in order to teach us that we also need spiritual nourishment. The Sages say that a Jew prays three times a day -paralleling the three daily meals. The Science Of Metaphysics If you have a legal problem, you seek out a lawyer. If you become ill, you'll look for a doctor. If a piece of Torah is difficult for you, look for an expert. Find a rabbi who can teach you the intricacies - and techniques for learning it on you own. Torah, because it is so comprehensive and comes from a Divine source, cannot be approached like any other book. There are immutable principles and rules that you need to first become familiar with before delving into Torah, and they are usually learned from experts who are entirely familiar with them. Get practice in using the traditional techniques needed to approach the study of Torah properly. The wonderful thing about Torah is that so many volumes of precious commentaries have already been written on all aspects of Torah. Whenever you have problems understanding the Torah's instructions, you can benefit from the understanding of those who preceded you. In recent years, much of this literature has been translated into English. Why Do We Need The Oral Torah? The Bible with its Oral Instructions is the only way to open all the locks. There is a symbiosis between them: The Written Torah provides the commandments for daily living, and the Oral Torah explains how to actually carry them out. The Written Law cannot be used intelligently without it. For example: Totafos (known as Tefillin) are mentioned in the Written Law. But how do we know what they are? What color are they? What size? Shape? What about the straps? How many compartments? What parchments go inside? How should they be worn? Who should wear them? When? We need the Oral Law to tell us that they are square, black boxes. A Sukkah - what is it? Does it have a plastic roof or a metal one? Is it made of wood? Does it have pink floors? The Written Bible doesn't say; the Oral Law does. Jews all over the world know what "Tefillin" are. If you think about it, you will realize that it was not necessary to write an explicit description of Tefillin in the Torah. One need simply look at an older pair. Tefillin were worn by every adult male throughout Jewish history, and they themselves provided as permanent a record as any book. The Oral Law is as absolute as the Written. Advantage Of The Oral Torah Do you have an encyclopedia? When was the last time you used it? Most people haven't looked at their encyclopedia in ages. Usually, the only time you use an encyclopedia is when you need to look up something specific. Otherwise, it is just a reference work that sits on your bookshelf. Imagine if there was no such thing as an encyclopedia. How would life be different? We'd all have to retain a lot more information! This was HaShem's objective in devising the Oral Torah. Because Judaism is not a reference work made to sit on a shelf. Torah is meant to be lived and internalized. To do that, you need to know it backwards and forwards. With both a Written and Oral Torah, the basics are laid out in writing, but ":\D nOD trcdk trcd ihc 31 the rest of it must be learned orally, encouraging every Jew to constantly discuss and clarify. The word "mishnah" means "review." Since the nature of an oral transmission is that there's a danger of inaccuracy, constant review was one of the ways to ensure its integrity. The student would take notes, and then memorize them until he knew it perfectly by heart. Then, having tens of thousands of people learning the same information guarantee that mistakes would not enter into the transmission. HaShem, in His infinite wisdom, devised the consummate system for transmitting Torah throughout the generations. It is not a written law, and it is not an oral law. It's both. Why Are "Oral Instructions" An Ingredient In Wisdom? If HaShem spoke on Mt. Sinai, then that message is significant! You should look up the explanation of what He said. The Written Torah tells you "Love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart." The Mishnah tells you how. If you have an insight into how to live, it makes sense to remember it and integrate it. It is a principle of Jewish life that you need to know as much Torah as possible. The more you know, the more fulfilled you can become. Master the Mishnah, and you uncover a whole world of understanding and insight. 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.
. The following columns on last weeks parsha were received after publication 1. Rabbi Michael Rosensweig Torahweb page 31 2. HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl Bais Hamussar page 31
Rabbi Michael Rosensweig TorahWeb Protecting the Vulnerable in Society: A Litmus Test for an Idealistic System of Civil Law In the aftermath of maamad Har Sinai, the most important and dramatic experience in history, the Torah in Parshat Mishpatim turns its attention to the details of halachic civil law. This transition from the transcendent and charismatic to the pragmatic and mundane is striking and commanded the notice of the midrash and mefarshim. Chazal, commenting on the inclusive vav of "ve-eileh ha-mishpatim", note that the seemingly prosaic details of Jewish civil law are equally rooted in the sinaitic experience. One can suggest that precisely because civil law is common to all cultures and addresses the most pragmatic personal and social issues, an examination of the features that distinguish the halachic perspective in this domain effectively highlights the uniqueness and idealism of Jewish law, accentuating its kedushah objective. Rabbeinu Yonah (Avot 1:1) interprets the charge of "hevu metunim ba- din" (be patient in judgment) as a requirement to carefully and rigorously analyze the implications of Jewish civil law. He posits that only a profound contemplation of this area of halachah facilitates the objective of "daat Hashem", in keeping with the challenge articulated in Yirmiyah (9:23) - "haskeil ve-yadoa oti". The Ramban links the specific challenge of implementing the wide array of mishpatim with lo tachmod, the last of the asseret ha-dibrot. In addition to the pragmatic link - the fact that sensitivity to proper boundaries precludes many of the temptations and breaches of conduct that lead to quarrels and civil litigation - this connection may also underscore that proper adherence to civil law requires an idealistic posture that is fostered by a comprehensive commitment to halachic values (see Ibn Ezra on lo tachmod, and Torah Web, parshat Yitro, 2002). This idealistic perspective on mishpatim may also explain the Torah's decision to begin discussion of the wide array of Jewish civil law with the obscure laws of eved ivri. Ibn Ezra (Shemot 21:1) notes that while every law is independent, the order and linkage between different pesukim and halachot is consequential, as well, albeit often more subtle or even esoteric. In this vein, he comments (perush ha-oroch) that the Torah introduces mishpatim with the slave because servitude, particularly to a peer, is an unparalleled degradation. Elsewhere (perush ha-katzar), he completes the picture by adding that it is a central tenet of halachic civil law to prevent the exploitation of one who is disadvantaged, incapable of safeguarding his own interests. In essence, Ibn Ezra is asserting that the litmus test of any idealistic system of civil law is in how it protects its weakest link, its most vulnerable population. [This insightful understanding of the Ibn Ezra was first brought to my attention by Rav Moshe Besdin zt"l] [Similarly, the Torah conveys exceptional sensitivity to the plight of the vulnerable segments of society by invariably emphasizing our obligation to the ger, yatom and almanah specifically in the context of moadim celebrations, when the family motif is particularly central. See, also Rambam's formulation (Hilchos Yom Tov 6:18) of this theme as a litmus test of authentic simchah.] The Torah's very presentation of mishpatim beginning with eved ivri underscores its idealistic posture, and further validates and reinforces the theme of "mah eilu misinai af eilu mi-sinai". Copyright 2014 by The TorahWeb Foundation. All rights reserved. HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl Bais Hamussar Mishpatim This week's Dvar Torah is dedicated for the speedy Refuah of the children Chaim Michoel Shlomo ben Michal and Refoel Yitzchak Eizik ben Michal, B'soch Sh'ar Cholei Yisroel. One of the numerous mitzvos bein adom l'chaveiro mentioned in this week's parsha is the prohibition of believing lashon hara:The Torah commands us, "Do not accept a futile report" (Shemos 23, 1). Rashi cites the translation of the Targum, "Do not believe a false report," and explains that this mitzvah includes two separate warnings. Firstly, it is forbidden to accept lashon hara. Additionally, a judge is warned not to listen to one party when the other party is not present. Interestingly enough, the commandment not to accept a false report is not referring to believing lies. Rather, it refers to believing lashon hara which is for the most part a true account. (If it would not be true it would fall under the category of "motzie sheim rah"). What is false about lashon hara? Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash) explains that truth is not measured by the words spoken; it is measured by the intent behind them. Even a perfectly true statement, when said with the intention of causing another harm, is considered false. It is this intention to harm another person which is inherently false. This idea is found in Maseches Sukka (32b) where the Gemara attempts to identify the hadassim referred to by the Torah. The Gemara eliminates a certain poisonous plant because it does not conform to the Torah's principle, "Love truth and peace" (Zecharya 8, 19). Though a poisonous plant certainly does not fit under the title of "peace," why does the Gemara also consider it a lack of truth? The answer is that an object which harms is considered "false." The converse is also true. A blatantly false statement is considered true when the intention is good, and the situation warrants such words. We know that Hashem is the G-d of truth, and nevertheless, when repeating to Avraham what Sarah had said about him, He changed the wording so that Avraham would not be offended. The intention was pure and thus the statement was true. This is the rationale for the second prohibition included in the above pasuk. The attempt to tell one's version of the story first, does not mean that his account is false. Yet, since his intention is to cause the judge to have a bias toward his version of the story, thereby harming his opponent, his words are labeled as false. Sheker is the only middah that the Torah warns us to stay far away from (ibid. 23, 7). Rav Wolbe notes that regarding forbidden relations the Torah states, "Do not come close" (Vayikra 18, 6), while regarding sheker we are told, "Distance yourself from a false word." We must bear in mind that it is not merely false words from which we must run, but also true words said with a negative or harmful intention. "But it is true" is not an excuse for a harmful word, because in reality there is no greater falsehood than that! Maaseh Rav Rabbi Wolbe once marveled at the Tznius of the Rosh Yeshiva of Mir, Rabbi Binyomin Beinish Finkel zt"l. He said that no one knows anything about him. He conceals his learning and his vast knowledge. He conceals all his Chesed and Middos Tovos. This is a level of Tznius that is rare to find, but in our beautiful nation it can be found! Please share with us your personal experiences with the Mashgiach Rabbi Wolbe z"l, Thank you.
Vol 24 # 42 PLEASANT RIDGE NEWSLETTER s xc sga, A Kehilas Prozdor Publication (c) 1990-2014 Rabbi Leibie Sternberg (Monsey/Spring Valley Zmanim) vnur, :,arp http://www.prozdor.com Candles Mincha DafYomi Shiur Shachris a ezx Friday 4:54 5:04 9:39 Shabbos 1:45/4:54 4:15 9:00 9:39 Sunday 5:04 5:25 8:00 9:38 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 (Sanhedrin 29a) seeks a Scriptural source for the adage: grud ;hxunv kf one who adds on, actually detracts. The Gemara suggests the following 2 Pesukim from Parshas Terumah: 1) ufrt hmju oh,nt which describes the length of the Aron HaKodesh in the Mishkan, where the word oh,nt without the Aleph would imply a value of 200 Amos, but with the Aleph, it is reduced to 2 Amos; and 2) ,ughrh vrag h,ag describing the cover of the Mishkan as consisting of 11 curtains, which, if h,ag were spelled without the Ayin would equal 12, but with the Ayin, equals 11. Thus, adding a letter reduces the words value. The Shulchan Aruch (jut 263:1) states that one should be very careful to light a beautiful Shabbos candle, and some have Kavanah to light two candles one for rufz and one for runa. The Rema adds that one may add and light 3 or 4 candles, citing the Maharils opinion that if a woman forgot to light once, she should add a candle everafter, because one may add onto the subject of a specific Kavanah. However, in the Darkei Moshe on the Tur, the Rema opines that since grud ;hxunv kf, by adding on candles one dilutes the Kavanah intended towards rufz and runa for the original two candles. For this reason, the Rema in the Shulchan Aruch says one may add, as is apparent from the Maharil, but the Rema himself does not recommend it. The Maamar Mordechai adds that at the very least, if a woman does light more than 2 candles for Shabbos, she should make the runau rufz Kavanah obvious by separating the main 2 candles from the others that she is lighting. The Tzitz Eliezer (13:26) strongly advised a woman who wanted to add on many candles despite her husbands objections, that to do so would defeat the purpose of Shabbos candles, which is to promote and preserve ,hc ouka, and in particular, since there was no Halachic imperative and there were strong arguments against adding, that she should abandon the idea. QUESTION OF THE WEEK: If one removes a Mezuzah to be checked, may/must he leave the Mezuzah holder on, to avoid saj that he has no Mezuzah ? ANSWER TO LAST WEEK: (May a man dye his black hair white to appear older ?) The TaZ (suh 182:7) quotes the Beis Yosef who permits it even vkhj,fk since to do so is not deemed an activity of vat hbueh, and therefore, does not violate ackh tk. The Poskim have even permitted it where by doing so, one seeks to alter his appearance in order to be appointed a Rosh Yeshiva etc DIN'S CORNER: Although one does not include personal requests in his Tefilos on Shabbos, that refers to requests that he can make after Shabbos. However, if he will not be able to make them after Shabbos, such as saying Tefilas HaDerech where necessary, he may do so on Shabbos. One may always daven for Hatzlacha in what he is engaged in, even on Shabbos. (BTzeil HaChochmah 5:41) DID YOU KNOW THAT .... A certain city had four Shuls, and by a vbe, enacted many years before, all Simchas were held in the main (i.e. oldest) one. This was based on: ofu,c h,bfau asen hk uagu - although the Shechinah visited each Shul, there should be only one Mikdash. Thus, a Chasan was called up in this Shul before his Chasunah, regardless of where he normally davened, and he was given up to 14 Aliyos for his family and friends. If there were two Chasanim, both were to be given up to this amount. The same applied to Sheva Berachos. One year, there were 8 weddings scheduled between Yom Kippur and Succos. Between all the Aliyos and Piyutim, and everyone having to say Birchas Lulav on the Ravs Esrog and Lulav, most of the day went by in Shul. The grumbling did not stop when the davening ended but continued into the following week. Representatives demanded that the vbe, be voided. The Poskim concluded that there was no Halachic impediment to abolishing this vbe,. Although the Shulchan Aruch (jut 153:17) states that if a building has been designated and used as a vkhp, ouen the Tzibur may not move the minyan to another site, this is only where the first Shul is being abandoned entirely (See Mishna Berurah). That would not be the case if each Shul would henceforth host its own Simcha. Also, the rationale is not to cause a gr oa, where people would say the first Shul has a problem, and is being abandoned. Here however, all would know it was just congestion. To change a Kehilahs vbe, however, requires an overriding policy. The Sdei Chemed quotes the Pri Chadash (112) who laments the fact that Shabbos ,ukhp, take so long, with additional Piyutim and a long MiSheberach after each Aliyah causing people to eat before davening, talk ohkyc ohrcs to each other, and creating an atmosphere of atr ,uke. If Chazals vbe, shortened the Shabbos Shemona Esrei from 19 ,ufrc to 7, so as to eliminate extra vjrhy, the vbe, requiring all Simcha events to take place only in the main Shul should not survive. A Lesson Can Be Learned From: A former Chosid of the Karliner Rov showed up in Karlin one day, dressed in an expensive, modern suit. The Karliner Rebbetzin happened to be looking out the window as he passed by, and she called out her criticism to him, that he had so diverged from the Jewish way of dress. The man brazenly replied that he had noticed how the Rebbetzin herself was usually dressed according to the modern styles of the day, albeit in a modest fashion. The Rebbetzin quickly informed him: The Torah says in Shemos that Moshe was instructed to tell the Jews to borrow items from the Egyptians: ,uknau ... ;xf hkf ... v,bfan vat vktau - a woman should borrow from her neighbor, silver and gold ornaments, and clothing. In Parshas Bo, Hashem instructed Moshe once again to tell the Jews: uvgr ,tn aht uktahu - the men should borrow, and here ,ukna is not mentioned. The clear implication is that the vkutd, which came about because oauckn ,t ubha tk (they didnt change their mode of dress) depended on the men preserving the Jewish way of dress, while the women were not so restricted, and were free to borrow clothing from the Egyptian women and dress in their fashion, as long as they did not violate the rules of Tznius. P.S. Sholosh Seudos sponsored by the Sternberg family.