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1. Rabbi Binyomin Adler Shabbos Taam HaChaim page 2
2. Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein Beeros page 5
3. Rabbi Oizer Alport Parsha Potpourri page 5
4. Rabbi Stephen Baars-Aish.Com Brainstorming With Baars page 6
5. Dr. Avigdor Bonchek Whats Bothering Rashi? page 7
6. Rabbi Shlomo Caplan Mishulchan Shlomo page 7
7. Chicago Kollel Parsha Encounters page 7
8. Chicago Kollel Halacha Encounters page 8
9. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Chamishoh Mi Yodei'a page 8
10. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Chasidic Insights page 9
11. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Oroh V'Simchoh page 9
12. Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher Sedrah Selections page 10
13. Rabbi Yissocher Frand RavFrand page 11
14. Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen-Aish.Com The Guiding Light page 12
15. Rabbi J. Gewirtz Migdal Ohr page 13
16. Rabbi Nosson Greenberg Khal Machzikei Torah page 13
17. Rabbi Yaacov Haber TorahLab page 14
18. Rabbi Yakov Haber Torahweb page 14
19. Rabbi Sender Haber Out of the Loop page 15
20. Rabbi Ari Kahn -Aish.Com M'oray Ha'Aish page 15
21. Rabbi Avraham Kahn Torah Attitude page 15
22. Rabbi Yosef Kalatsky Beyond Pshat page 16
23. Rabbi Shlomo Katz Hamayan page 19
24. Rabbi Dov Kramer Taking A Closer Look page 20
25. Rabbi Moshe Krieger Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet page 21
26. Rabbi Label Lam Dvar Torah page 21
27. Rabbi Eli Mansour Weekly Perasha Insights page 22
28. NCYI Weekly Dvar Torah page 22
29. Rabbi Kalman Packouz-Aish.Com Shabbat Shalom page 24
30. Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff Weekly Chizuk page 25
31. Rabbi Ben-Zion Rand Likutei Peshatim page 25
32. Rabbi Naftali Reich Legacy page 27
33. Rabbi Mordechai Rhine Rabbi's Message page 27
34. Rabbi Elyakim Rosenblatt Yeshiva Kesser Torah page 28
35. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Covenant & Conversation page 29
36. Rabbi A. Leib Scheinbaum Peninim on the Torah page 30
37. Rabbi Dovid Seigel Haftorah page 32
38. Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair Ohr Somayach Torah Weekly page 32
39. Rabbi Ben Zion Sobel Torah MiTzion page 33
40. Rabbi Doniel Staum Stam Torah page 33
41. Rabbi Berel Wein A Sad, Sad World page 35
42. Rabbi Berel Wein Weekly Parsha page 36
43. Rabbi Noach Weinberg ZTL-Aish.Com 48 Ways to Wisdom Way #19 page 39
44. Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb - OU Person In The Parsha page 36
45. Rabbi Pinchas Winston Perceptions page 37
46. HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl Bais Hamussar page 38
47. Yeshiva Aish HaTorah-Aish.Com Jewish History Crash Course#19 page 38
48. Rabbi Leibie Sternberg Pleasant Ridge Newsletter The Back Page
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Rabbi Binyomin Adler
Shabbos Taam HaChaim
Pekudei-Shekalim 5774
The Mishkan teaches us to be exact and uncompromising
Introduction
' , all
the work of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed, and the
Children of Israel had done everything that G-d commanded Moses, so did
they do. (Shemos 39:32)
In last weeks and this weeks parshiyos, Vayakhel and Pekudei, the Torah
repeats the entire process mentioned earlier in Parashas Terumah and
Tetzaveh, detailing the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and
the fashioning of the vestments of the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest.
Surprisingly enough, the Medrash and the commentators do not address
why it was necessary for the Torah to expend numerous verses in what
appears at first glance to be unnecessary repetition. What could be the
reason for this redundancy?
The Mishkan was akin to the Tents of the Patriarchs
In his introduction to the Book of Shemos, Ramban explains that prior to
the construction of the Mishkan, there was a void among the Jewish
People. HaShems Divine Presence which existed to such a high degree
during the time of the Patriarchs was no longer present. A primary goal of
building the Mishkan, he explains, was to restore that lofty level of
HaShems that existed during the time of the Patriarchs. The Patriarchs,
through selfless devotion to HaShem and uncompromising beliefs, merited
to having the Divine Presence resting on their tents. The Torah therefore
repeats many of the details of the Mishkans construction to reinforce the
idea that the Mishkan was meant to be exact to the last detail that theres
no such thing as its just a detail.
Reb Mendel the Shochet
The Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Levi Horowitz of blessed memory,
recalled an incident with Reb Mendel, a chassid from Jerusalem, who
came to America and worked as a ritual slaughterer in New York. His job
was particularly hard during the freezing winters, as the slaughterhouse
where he worked was open and unheated. However, the slaughterhouse
had a small cubicle where one or two people could sit and warm
themselves by a small stove. The slaughterers would go out to work but
they would hurry back as soon as they could to avoid frostbite.
One cold winter evening, while waiting in the cubicle for the truck to
come in, Reb Mendel dozed off. When it finally arrived, the air was filled
with the wake-up call for the slaughterer, and Reb Mendel jumped up and
ran to his place. The boss and six or seven workers were already there and
ready to start.
Reb Mendel quickly recited the blessing and began to slaughter the
chickens, one... two... three. He then checked his knife to make sure that it
was still perfectly sharp and free from nicks. As he was getting ready for
the next batch of chickens, he happened to run his hand across his head
and was stunned to discover that he was not wearing a yarmulke!
Apparently, while he was dozing in the cubicle, his yarmulke had fallen
off his head. Oh no! he thought to himself. What did I do? I made a
blessing and slaughtered without a yarmulke, and I didnt even know it.
The hallmark of a professional slaughterer is that he has the requisite
sensitivity and focus that allows him to detect even the slightest jerk in the
chickens neck during the slaughtering process. One who does not wear a
yarmulke while slaughtering has not invalidated the act of slaughtering.
Nonetheless, the lack of proper sensitivity could render the chicken not
kosher.
Reb Mendel said to himself, if I couldnt feel whether I was wearing a
yarmulke on or not, how could I tell if I had slaughtered the chickens
properly?
A lesser man may have hesitated, but Reb Mendel was a chassid through
and through. He walked straight back to the cubicle, laid down his knife,
and told his startled boss that he was resigning from his position. When his
boss questioned him regarding his plan for earning a livelihood, Reb
Mendel responded that he would find a different means of livelihood. Reb
Mendel ultimately found a job which paid him handsomely.
The construction of the Mishkan was a microcosm for the life of a devout
Jew. Uncompromising belief in HaShem and in His Torah is what sets the
standard for true devotion and is what allows the Divine Presence to rest
on our homes.
The Shabbos connection
Throughout the week, we are often faced with the challenge to
compromise in some manner on our beliefs. We must always remain
strong in our conviction that HaShem will provide for us in all
circumstances. On Shabbos we are granted special assistance from above
to retain a level of holiness and integrity, and even an ignorant person is
infused with the fear of Shabbos. HaShem should grant us the fortitude to
observe His mitzvos with complete Faith and we should merit the Ultimate
Redemption with the arrival of Moshiach, speedily, in our days.
Shabbos in the Zemiros
Koh Ribon
Composed by Rabbi Yisroel ben Moshe of Najera, student of the Arizal in
the sixteenth century and later rabbi of Gaza
, to Your Sanctuary return and to the Holy of
Holies. Certainly we always pray for the Ultimate Redemption, with the
arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu and the building of the Bais HaMikdash.
Yet, we just mentioned that HaShem should bring out from exile the
People that He chose from all the nations. Often in Scripture the holy
site is a reference to the Jewish People. Perhaps here we are connoting
that HaShem should allow our holiness to remain intact despite the travails
of the exile. In this manner we too will return to the Holy of Holies, i.e. the
holiness of the Jewish People in mind and spirit.
Shabbos Stories
Shabbos in the Chafetz Chaims home
Leib, a 14-year-old boy, studied in a small yeshiva in Russia. On one
occasion, he was due to return home for a visit. The train was scheduled to
reach his station on Thursday afternoon. He would board there and travel
to his home in Stuchin, Poland. Even if the train ran exactly on schedule,
Leib knew that he would arrive home just hours before Shabbos.
As it turned out, the train did not arrive at the station until Thursday
evening. By the time Leib had boarded, darkness had fallen. By Friday
morning he knew he would never reach Stuchin before Shabbos. He would
have to find another place in which to spend the holy day.
Leib asked a conductor for a list of the stations where the train was due to
stop. He had decided that if he recognized one of the stops as a place
where Jews lived, he would get off the train, in the hopes that someone
would invite him home for Shabbos. To his joy, the conductor informed
him that one of the cities was very close to Radin. Leib was quite excited
at this news, because his aged great-uncle, the Chafetz Chaim, lived in
Radin. Leibs grandfather was the Chafetz Chaims brother. It looked as
though he would be able to spend Shabbos at the home of his illustrious
relative.
When the train came to his stop, Leib gathered his belongings and got off
the train. He asked passersby the way to Radin, and quickly made his way
to his great-uncles house. His arrival was greeted with joy by the
Rebbetzin. She explained that her husband had already left for shul, adding
that, as a rule, the Chafetz Chaim, as the Rav, went to shul early in order to
learn with some of the congregants before davening. She advised Leib to
rest a bit before going to shul.
Having spent the entire previous night awake on the swaying train, Leib
was exhausted. He fell asleep immediately.
Upon awakening, the first thing he saw was the Chafetz Chaim seated at
his Shabbos table, learning from a sefer. His uncle welcomed him warmly,
then suggested that the boy wash his hands and daven Kabbalas Shabbos
and Maariv, after which they would eat the Shabbos meal together.
When Leib had finished davening, the Chafetz Chaim summoned his wife
to join them at the table. The Chafetz Chaim made Kiddush, and the three
of them -- the aged rabbi, his wife, and the 14-year-old youth -- sat down
to their Shabbos feast.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 3
When the meal was over, the Chafetz Chaim excused himself and went to
his room to sleep.
Leib prepared himself for bed as well. He tried to fall asleep again but to
no avail. At last, he rose and went into the kitchen, where a clock stood on
a shelf. Leib looked at it to check the time, then rubbed his eyes in
disbelief. The clock appeared to be functioning and yet it showed 4
oclock! How could it be 4 in the morning already? Shaking his head in
bewilderment, Leib returned to his bed.
When he awoke in the morning, he again went into the kitchen, where this
time, he found the Rebbetzin.
Good Shabbos, he began. Then he asked her the question that had been
troubling him. Last night, after the meal, I couldnt fall asleep right away.
I went into the kitchen, and saw that the clock showed that it was 4 in the
morning! Does the clock work properly? What time did we finish the meal
last night?
It was very late when we finished, she answered.
But the meal didnt last that long! What time did we sit down to eat? Did
I sleep so long when I first came?
Ill tell you what happened, replied the Rebbetzin. When the Rav
returned from shul, you were in a very deep sleep. I wanted to wake you
so that you could hear Kiddush, but my husband stopped me. He said that
you were tired from your long journey, and advised me to let you sleep.
He said that he would wait, and make Kiddush when you woke up.
When some time had passed, not wanting to make me wait any longer, he
asked our son Aharon to make Kiddush so that my son and I could eat our
meal. Meanwhile, my husband sat and learned, waiting for you to wake
up. We agreed that hed call me when you did, and that we would sit down
together to the Shabbos meal, in your honor.
The Rebbetzin added, You slept for hours, but the Rav was determined
not to start the Shabbos meal without you!
Had Leib not asked his question, neither the Chafetz Chaim nor his wife
had planned to say a word about their extraordinary behavior that Shabbos
night! (www.artscroll.com)
Skolya Rebbe
The Skolya Rebbe, Rabbi Dovid Yitzchok Isaac Rabinowitz, was known
for his great genius and depth in Torah learning, among other things. He
had a certain custom at his tishen. Somebody present was chosen to say a
passuk (verse), any passuk, from the Torah. The Rebbe would instantly
begin to expound on the passuk. He would expound, and he would
expound, sometimes for up to two hours. The person honored with giving
the Rebbe the passuk was usually a guest or somebody prominent. The
Rebbe never failed to impress, and hold those present at the tish rapt. Once
while visiting Ireland the Rebbe was at the home of a prominent Rav.
During the course of conversation the Rav said, "why doesn't the Rebbe
come clean! Everyone knows that the Rebbe plans which passuk is going
to be said ahead of time." The Rebbe challenged the Rav, and asked for a
passuk. He thought for a second, and said "Reuven, Shimon, Levi,
VeYehuda." The Rebbe closed his eyes, and expounded on the verse until
the Rav had to stop him at 2:30 in the morning. He begged the Rebbe's
forgiveness, who, in turn, said, "I forgive you, but please don't accuse
another Jew of lying in the future."
And now to the story: The Rebbe was sitting in his apartment when he
heard a truck pull up downstairs. Suddenly, the horrifying sound of boots
running through the halls and up the staircase was resonating in the
corridors of the building. It was a Nazi raid. Amidst the banging on doors,
smashing down of doors, dragging of Jews out of their apartments,
horrifying screams and, the incessant sound of boots, the Rebbe, scared for
his life, sat at his table, and began to say the passuk, "ve'es ha'anashim
asher pesach habayis hiku basanveirim mikaton v'ad gadol vayeel'u limtzo
hapasach" (and the people who were at the entrance of the house were
stricken with blindness, from young to old, and they tried in vain to find
the entrance. Shemos 19:11. It refers to the people of Sodom who
surrounded Lot's house in order to terrorize him and his visitors, but were
stricken were blindness, and were unable to find the door to the house).
The Rebbe, with intense concentration, repeated the passuk over and over
again. The apartment to the right of his was raided, the apartment to the
left was raided, and all Jews had been emptied out of the apartments above
and below, and later shipped off to their deaths. But with this passuk a
great neis (miracle) had occurred, and the Rebbe was later able to escape
from Europe with his life.
Rabbi Eliezer Silver and the Satmar Rebbe
Just as an aside from this week's parsha, as well, the first Satmar Rebbe
was once late for a bris. In attendance was Rabbi Eliezer Silver, who was
on a tight schedule that day. The bris was to begin at 9:00 sharp, but the
Satmar Rebbe was nowhere to be seen. 9:15 came, 9:30. At twenty
minutes before ten the Satmar Rebbe walked in, and with a look of
astonishment on Rabbi Silver's face he said to the Rebbe, "what happened
to 'vayashkeim Avraham baboker? (and Abraham woke up early in the
morning)'" The Satmar Rebbe replied, "it doesn't say how long the
'vayachavosh es chamoro (and he saddled his donkey)' took!!!"
The Rizhiner and the Tzemach Tzaddik
The Tzemach Tzaddik was the son-in-law of the holy Rizhiner Rebbe. The
Rizhiner was known for his riches and malchus (royalty), but for all of his
material wealth, he was on a very high, exalted level. When it came to
physical matters such as eating he took after the tradition of his
grandfather, Reb Avraham the Malach (the angel), given this title for his
reluctance to partake in earthly delights such as food.
One day when the Tzemach Tzaddik and the Rizhiner were engaged in a
meal, the Rizhiner put his fork down after he was only half way through
with his meal. When the Tzemach Tzaddik questioned him the Rizhiner
said that before he was born, he had made a deal with his neshama (soul),
only to eat enough to get by, and not a morsel more. The Tzemach
Tzaddik then commented that he just realized something. "All my life
there was something that bothered me, and I just figured out the answer,"
he said. "On Friday night we sing shalom aleichem, welcoming the angels
that accompany us home from shul into our homes. But then, just a short
while later, we sing tzeischem lishalom, bidding them farewell. Why do
we send them away so soon? Now I realize why. It's because angels can't
partake in earthly pleasures. They can't taste food. We don't want to show
them disrespect by eating in front of them, so way say goodbye before we
begin our meal," at which point the Tzemach Tzaddik put down his fork,
indicating that he was in the presence of a malach at that moment, the
Rizhiner himself.
Speaking of food, the mother of the Rebbe Reb Shmelke of Nikolsberg
and his brother Reb Pinchas once complained that one of her sons doesn't
say Bircas HaMazon (grace after meals), and the other doesn't say Kriyas
Shema al Hamitah (prayer before going to bed). (one didn't eat and one
didn't sleep). (http://rebbestories.blogspot.com)
I Think I Came To Israel Just To See You
On one of R' Nachman Bulman's trips from his home in Eretz Yisrael to
New York, his close friend, Rav Yechiel Perr, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas
Derech Ayson, came to see him. He noticed how exhausted R' Bulman
appeared and asked him why he was so tired. R' Bulman answered that he
was up the night before the trip. R' Perr expressed surprise that R' Bulman
didn't make sure to rest before his long flight. R' Bulman sighed and told
him a story which aptly illustrated his devotion to helping and inspiring
people.
A young girl from the States had traveled to Paris to study art, and she
became involved with a non-Jewish artist there, who eventually proposed
marriage. She called her parents and told them she was thinking of
marrying this artist, and wanted to know if they had any objections to the
fact that he wasn't Jewish. Her parents reassured there that they had no
problem with it whatsoever, and if she loved him, she should marry him.
The girl was surprised by her parents' reaction since she had expected
them to be opposed. Her own doubts about marrying a non-Jew led her to
inquire about Yiddishkeit. Eventually, she decided that she should travel to
Israel, where she had never visited, before she made a decision to marry
him or not. She impulsively set out for Israel, without any concrete plans
of what she would do when she stepped off the plane. Once she was off the
plane and standing in line, she started chatting with the person next to her.
She admitted to the woman that she wasn't sure why she had come to
Israel, but she had simply felt she had to come, and she had no idea where
she would go. The person she was talking to said, "There's someone in
Jerusalem, R' Nachman Bulman; you must go talk to him."
The woman gave her the phone number, and the girl called from the
airport. "Rabbi Bulman, I was told I must see you." R' Bulman apologized
that he was unable to meet with her as he was leaving to America the next
day. She said, "Please, I think I came to Israel just to see you. Please don't
say no." Rav Bulman agreed, and the girl came that night. After speaking
to him for a few hours, she enrolled in a seminary for ba'alos teshuvah, and
Rav Bulman lost his night's sleep. (Rabbi Yechiel Perr) (www.Revach.net)
Not Merely An Appellation
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky writes: Rabbi Zev Wilenski, shlita, recited
that a student of Rabbi Boruch Ber Lebowitz, ztl, had undertaken to
transcribe the notes of the revered sage to prepare them for print. This
work would eventually be known as the Birkas Shmuel, one of the classic
exegetical works on Talmudic Law.
As the student reviewed the work, he noticed a seeming redundancy of the
titles mentioned about Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav
who was a son of Rabbi Lebowitz's own teacher Rabbi Chaim
Soloveitchik, and revered as well, by Rabbi Lebowitz.
Each time that Rabbi Lebowitz quoted him, he would preface Rabbi
Soloveitchiks name with all due titles and accolades, "the true Gaon,
Rebbe and Teacher of all of Israel, The Gaon of Brisk, he should live to
see long and good days."
Even three or four times in one paragraph, Rabbi Lebowitz would repeat
the words, each preceded with a slew of praise and reverence, "the true
4 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
Gaon, Rebbe and Teacher of all of Israel, The Gaon of Brisk, he should
live to see long and good days."
The next time that Rabbi Soloveitchik was quoted in the works, the
student, in the interest of brevity, decided to leave out the seemingly
supplementary appellations. Instead he wrote, My Rebbe, the great sage,
Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik, shlita.
Upon reviewing the work, Rabbi Lebowitz was visibly shaken. "Why did
you leave off the introductory appellations? "But, Rebbe, countered Rabbi
Lebowitz's student, "I mentioned them the first time. Must I repeat them
every single time?
Rabbi Lebowitz was dismayed. "Why am I publishing this book?" he
asked in true sincerity. "What do I have from it? Honor? Money? Of
course not! I wrote this work so that a student will understand how to learn
a Rashba (a medieval commentator) or to understand the Rambam."
He paused. "The same way that I want them to understand the text, I also
want them to understand to appreciate the greatness of the Rebbe. I want
them to see and understand that Rav Yitzchak Zev is "the true Gaon,
Rebbe and Teacher of all of Israel." (www.Torah.org )
Shabbos in Halacha
The Scope of Borer
IV. Circumstances in which one may take waste from food
F.Special Leniency for Attached Mixtures
When food and waste are not actually mixed but merely attached, i.e. fat
that is attached to meat, there is another leniency that applies. We have
learned that this sort of mixture is only deemed mixed to the point where
the components touch. Thus, one would be permitted to remove part of the
fat if he leaves intact a sliver of the fat touching the meat, as in this manner
one avoids separating the mixture altogether. [Regarding random
mixtures, however, it is forbidden for one to remove even a portion of the
waste.]
New Stories - Pekudei-Shekalim 5774
To the Ticket Agent at the Delta Counter
A powerful lesson in forgiveness and being a role model for your kids.
by Josh Misner, Ph.D.
In Chicago, we marveled at the snowfall on the tarmac. Looking out the
window, I joked to my teenage daughter, "Who's going to shovel all that
snow off the wings before we take off?" A little part of me inside grew
worried by the minute, because I knew that the harder the snow fell, the
better the chances were for a delay.
Sure enough, our delay came. I refused to let it bother me, as I was
intentionally trying to demonstrate patience to both my daughter and 6-
year-old son accompanying me on our trip back home. This was a
remarkably hard task, considering that, in the last three days, I had
acquired a cumulative four hours of sleep. Regardless, I kept cool with an
ounce of pure determination, mixed with a dash of stubbornness.
I ended up sleeping through most of the pre-flight delay, as did my
children, but it wasn't until about 30 minutes before landing that panic set
in. The flight attendant announced that, because of the delay, we would
arrive at 11:00. Looking at the boarding pass for my connecting flight, I
realized it was scheduled to take off at 11:02.
Two minutes.
Knowing there was no way I would de-plane in time with two children in
tow (from the back row of the plane), I gave up and prepared for the worst.
However, the flight attendant, overhearing me discuss with the kids that
we would miss our connection, announced to the rest of the passengers to
let us go first and as such, remain seated until we got by them. She then
used her personal Wi-Fi connection to locate our gate, which was in a
completely different terminal.
Two minutes.
If this young woman refused to give up, then I shouldn't give up either.
It was going to be close, but for some strange reason, I thought that if this
young woman refused to give up, then I shouldn't give up either.
Summoning my last remaining fragment of tattered determination, I
decided we would give it a go.
We landed, and the sound of seat belts unlatching and carry-on bags
zipping broke the silence. The flight attendant announced one more time
for everyone to remain seated and let us off before they turned off the seat
belt light. The ding from the light going off might as well have been a
starting pistol, though. As soon as we stood up to begin our mad rush, so
did everyone else. The other passengers ignored the attendant's
instructions and went about their day, meandering slowly and taking their
time to gather bags, put on coats and perform other menial tasks.
We were the last ones off the plane.
I began to feel enraged at seeing this outpouring of selfishness and willful
ignorance. My determination to make the connection was growing by the
millisecond, though, and as soon as we were out of the gate, the three of us
sprinted or at least, as fast as a 6-year-old's legs can run.
Reaching the terminal and seeing our gate within grasp, I felt a glimmer of
hope, but that hope dissipated when I realized the jetway door was closed,
the reader board had been updated to reflect the next flight assigned to the
gate (which wasn't ours) and the seats surrounding the gate were empty.
We missed our flight because of the two minutes we lost due to the
selfishness of others.
Two minutes. We missed our bloody flight because of the two minutes we
lost due to the selfishness of others. My outrage turned into an outright
grown-man-tantrum.
I spotted a ticket agent at the desk in front of our gate, and struggling
through gasps to catch my breath, I shouted in his direction, "Excuse me!"
He turned to see me, only to turn around again. He ignored me. "Hey!" I
shouted again, breathless and exhausted, "Can you help us?"
"Sorry, but I can't help you right now," he responded, turning his back and
walking away from the gate.
This was the last straw. My temper boiled over like scalded milk in a pot
too small to contain it, and I lost it, shouting angrily, "Well, that's just
great! How are we supposed to get home now?"
The agent sped up, but turned his head slightly back toward us and in a
hurried matter-of-fact manner, replied, "If you missed your flight, go see
the automated service counter between gates C2 and C3!"
Automated service counter? First, we miss our flight because of selfish
airline passengers, now I'm being ignored by the only customer service
employee I can find, and he wants me to use an impersonal computerized
system to figure out my predicament for myself? "What a lazy bum," I
muttered to myself, in reference to the fleeing agent.
That's when I looked down and to the right. There was my 6-year-old,
looking up at me. He wasn't looking for answers to our problem. He wasn't
looking at me because I was being loud, self-righteous and indignant. He
was looking at me because he had never encountered a situation like this
before in his young life, and he needed to find a way to deal with it, should
it ever happen again.
The problem was, I was giving him a precedent. My childish tirade
presented him with a solution to his future conflicts when dealing with
difficult situations and even more difficult people.
Long story short, I found the self-service station, and it took me all of 60
seconds to scan our tickets and print out boarding passes to another flight,
four hours later than our original departure. We now had the time to eat
lunch, relax for a while, and most importantly, to ponder how I was going
to reconcile what I had just instilled in my children.
I needed redemption, and it had to be something they would remember.
For the next three hours, I simmered and stewed, allowing my anger to lift
like a fog that the sun cuts on a cold, clear winter morning. Contemplate as
I might, the best course of action I could come up with was a brief lecture
on how it isn't right to lose your temper with others when it isn't even their
fault, but I knew that a lecture would be likely to go in one ear and out the
other. I needed something that would stick.
I chose to do something daring, and it is something that I will never regret
as long as I live.
Roughly 30 minutes before boarding our new flight, that's when it came to
me, and I chose to do something daring, something that I normally
wouldn't have done, and it is something that I will never regret, as long as I
live.
I spotted the original ticket agent, who was working the desk at our gate
again. I grabbed my son's hand and said, "Come with me."
"Why, daddy?" he asked as he looked up from playing a game on my
phone.
"Just come with me," I replied, "I need you to watch and listen."
He got up, held my hand, and walked with me across the carpet to the
desk. There was a line of passengers, and we waited. My heart began
thumping against my ribs, and my palms formed a thin film of sweat.
When it was our turn, the agent looked up at me and asked, "Can I help
you?"
I doubt that he recognized me, or at least, it didn't seem like he did. I
approached the desk with my son's hand in mine and said:
"Sir, I don't know if you recognize me, but about three hours ago, I did
something inappropriate. I cursed at you because you didn't help us find a
new flight after we missed our connection, and that wasn't right. I took my
frustration out on you and set a poor example for my children. I want to
apologize to you and ask your forgiveness."
He looked stunned. He was speechless for what felt like forever, and just
when I was ready to turn and walk away, he spoke:
"I don't know what to say. I didn't hear you use any foul language, but I do
remember you. At the time, I was trying to locate a medical kit for a
woman boarding her plane over at the gate next door, and I was in a rush. I
wanted to stop to help you, but I was in a hurry to assist the passenger over
there. I'm sorry I didn't stop to help."
I became even more ashamed of my actions. I responded, "You have
nothing to apologize for, sir. I was in the wrong, and I need to ask
forgiveness to right this wrong, but also to show my son that the way I
behaved was not right."
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 5
Again, in disbelief, he looked stunned. "It's okay. I forgive you, and I
cannot tell you how much I appreciate your apology. You didn't need to do
this. Quite frankly, nobody ever has, and trust me, we get yelled at a lot in
this job. You just made my day, and I thank you for that." He then
extended his hand for a handshake, as he said, "My name is Ron."
Grabbing his hand, I replied, "Thanks, Ron. I'm Josh. Nice to meet you,
and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day."
Turning to walk away after giving Ron a smile, I looked down at my son,
who was still gripping my hand tightly. He was staring up at me again, but
this time, doe-eyed, with the beginnings of a smile. I smiled back at him,
tears brimming on my eyelids, and said, "That, my son, is doing the right
thing. Always do the right thing, no matter what."
Five minutes later, Ron called me back to the desk on the PA. After I sat
back down, he had looked at the flight manifest and noticed that the three
of us were in separate rows, spread out all over the plane. He took the
initiative to not only rearrange people to allow us to sit together as a
family, but also moved us to seats with additional leg room.
Forgiveness is a gift of love, an act of beauty that benefits not only the
person being asked by way of reconciliation, but also the person
requesting it, by way of redemption.
Thanks to snow, a delayed flight and the selfishness of others, I had the
chance to make things right, to set in motion a lifetime of redemption for
my children.
To Ron, the ticket agent at the Delta counter, thank you for giving me
another chance. (www.aish.com)
Have a wonderful Shabbos, Prepared by Rabbi Binyomin Adler.
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Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein
Beeros
Completing the Job(1)
Like everything that Hashem commanded Moshe, so did the Bnei Yisrael
perform all the work.
Beer Mayim Chaim: This pasuk does not appear to tell us anything we did
not already know. As the Torah earlier recounted the fabrication of all
items in the mishkan, it carefully added a refrain to each stage: as
Hashem commanded Moshe. What could our pasuk add to that?
The Torah introduced the ban on melachah on Shabbos in the Aseres
HaDibros with an unusual commandment. Six days you shall do your
work. Does that make labor and productivity mandatory? Can it really be
a Divine commandment, to the extent that one who finds himself without
an occupation for a while violates Torah law?
The Torah alludes to something quite different. The 39 categories of
forbidden labor on Shabbos subsume all important kinds of labor. (If some
activity is not an example of one of those 39 categories, it will be a toldah/
derivative or sub-category of one of them.)
The number 39 corresponds to the number of curses sustained by Adam
and Chavah in the aftermath of their sin. The significance of this is that the
midah of din requires the very necessity of labor. Were it not for the
demands of din after the sin of Adam and Chavah, nothing would prevent
Hashem, as it were, from creating a world naturally full of all kinds of
useful commodities - all without the intervention of Man. (The gematria of
Elokim adding one for the kollel equals that of melachah.)
We are not saying that work itself is a curse. To the contrary. In the post-
chet world, Mans labor serves as a tikkun to the curses he brought upon
himself through his disobedience. Each of the 39 types of labor serves as a
tikkun to one of the 39 curses the applications of din to Mans new
condition. Each kind of melachah blunts the effect of one of the curses,
thereby allowing berachah to descend to the world.
It is in this sense that the six days of the week before Shabbos are called
yemai ha-maaseh/ the days of doing. Our labor during the week
illuminates the world by clarifying its resident kedushah, liberating it from
the kelipos that cling to it.
The mishkan addressed all the curses of Man, because it subsumed all 39
types of melachah. With the destruction of the beis ha-mikdosh that
continued its function, we lost a potent way to blunt the effects of the din
that had become part of Hashems operating system for the world. We
were left with the din but not its prescribed antidote. Thus, the gemara(2)
tells us that with the churban, every day has become a curse, i.e. the
original curses of Adam are no longer remedied by one of the melachos
that went into the mishkans construction.
On the other hand, our everyday labor has a similar, if much slower effect.
What the mishkan and its successor batei mikdash did with great impact,
our everyday labor accomplishes in part. Little by little till the arrival of
Mashiach our labor partially remedies the curses of Adam.
We have arrived at the meaning of our pasuk. Through the building of the
mishkan, incorporating the 39 types of melachah, the Bnei Yisrael
addressed all that Hashem commanded, meaning the totality of the root
concept of avodah. Mans labor became a fixed requirement of our world
through an exercise of Divine din. That din was answered (and blunted)
through the holy work done by the Bnei Yisrael in building the mishkan.
1. Based on Beer Mayim Chaim, Shemos 39:42
2. Sotah 48A
Rabbi Oizer Alport
Parsha Potpourri
Parshas Pekudei Vol. 9, Issue 23
Attached is a shortened 2-page issue of Parsha Potpourri, as unfortunately this week's issue was not sponsored. At this point most of
the issues in Sefer Vayikra are lacking sponsors. Each issue of Parsha Potpourri requires a tremendous amount of work, and
sponsorships are greatly appreciated. For more information about dedications, which are $50 per issue, please send me an email. In
this ninth cycle of Parsha Potpourri, I would like to work to increase readership and circulation in the upcoming year, as there are
thousands of Jews who could be enjoying and benefiting from each issue. I would like to ask each of you to please forward Parsha
Potpourri to anybody who you think would enjoy it and encourage them to subscribe, and thanks to those of you who have already done
so. Additionally, if you are able to print out 5-10 copies of Parsha Potpourri and bring them to your shul to share with others, it would be
greatly appreciated. Wishing you all a Good Shabbos and a Gutten Chodesh, and I hope that you enjoy the Divrei Torah and Points to
Ponder - Chazak chazak v'nischazeik!
'
(40:21)
In his commentary on our verse, the Baal HaTurim points out that the
Torah emphasizes that every aspect of the construction and assembly of
the Mishkan was done precisely as Hashem commanded Moshe. In fact,
the phrase as Hashem commanded Moshe is used 18 times in Parshas
Pekudei. As there are no coincidences in the Torah, the Baal HaTurim
explains that this number alludes to the 18 blessings recited thrice-daily in
the prayers known as Shemoneh Esrei.
I once heard a beautiful and profound insight into the explanation of the
Baal HaTurim. Hashem told Moshe (31:1-5) that Betzalel should be in
charge of building the Mishkan and its vessels, for He had imbued him
with Divine wisdom and with expert artistry and craftsmanship skills. We
are accustomed to viewing artists as free-thinking and creative spirits,
valuing self-expression over adherence to strict rules and guidelines. As
many of the specifications for the Mishkan werent absolute and even
numerous deviations wouldnt invalidate it, one might have expected
Betzalel, with his artistic spirit, to improvise and attempt to improve
upon Hashems blueprint. Therefore, the Torah stresses that he followed
each and every instruction down to the smallest detail.
Similarly, many people today complain that they feel constrained by the
standard text of our daily prayers, which was established almost 2000
years ago. They feel that as our daily needs change, so too should our
expression of them. However, based on the Baal HaTurims comparison of
the daily prayers to the construction of the Mishkan and its vessels, we
may suggest that on a deeper level, he is hinting to us that we need not feel
stifled by the repeated expression of our needs and entreaties using
identical phrases, as illustrated by the following story.
A close disciple of Rav Yechezkel Abramsky once mentioned that an
acquaintance of his had recently undergone a difficult kidney transplant.
Rav Abramsky sighed, feeling the other Jews pain, and then remarked, I
pray every day that I shouldnt be forced to undergo such a procedure.
The surprised student questioned why he made a special point of reciting
this unique prayer daily. Rav Abramsky responded that this request is
included in the standard wording of Birkas HaMazon, in which we request
that we not come to need gifts of flesh and blood (e.g.
transplants).
The student challenged this explanation, as the simple understanding of the
words is that we shouldnt need monetary gifts from other humans (flesh
and blood). Rav Abramsky smiled and explained that the Sages
incorporated every need we may have into the text of the standard prayers.
Any place we find in which we are able to read in a special request we
have into the words is also included in the original intention of that prayer.
Just as Betzalel followed Hashems precise guidelines for the creation of
the Mishkan and still found room for creative expression by doing so with
his own unique intentions and insights, so too our Sages established the
standard wording of the prayers with Divine Inspiration, articulating
within them every feeling we may wish to express. Many times, in the
midst of a difficult situation, we begin the standard prayers with a heavy
heart, only to find a new interpretation of the words which we have recited
thousands of times jump out at us. This newfound understanding, which
has been there all along waiting for us to discover it in our time of need, is
perfectly fit to the sentiments we wish to convey, if we will only open our
eyes to see it and use our Sages foresight to express ourselves.
'
) 40:38 (
The book of Shemos concludes by teaching that the Mishkan was covered
by Hashems cloud during the day and by fire at night throughout the
travels of the Jews in the wilderness. In his commentary on this verse,
Rashi curiously adds that even the times of their encampments are also
included in the reference to their journeys. What lesson is Rashi
teaching us?
Rav Moshe Shternbuch suggests that Rashi is symbolically teaching us
that there are no interruptions in a persons service of Hashem. Even at the
times when one is forced to take a break, the rest doesnt constitute a goal
unto itself, but rather a means of renewing ones energy in order to
continue with the next journey.
6 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
Parshas Pekudei is traditionally read near the end of the yeshivas winter
zman, as the students prepare to return home for bein hazmanim and the
Yom Tov of Pesach. As we conclude the book of Shemos, Rashi teaches
us the Torahs philosophy regarding this intersession. It shouldnt be
viewed as an independent break in the yeshiva calendar, but rather as a
link in the chain of personal growth and an opportunity to refresh
ourselves in order to return and begin the next zman with a feeling of
enthusiasm and renewal.
Parsha Points to Ponder (and sources which discuss them):
1) In reference to the making of the Tzitz (head-plate) of the Kohen Gadol,
the Torah states (39:30) that they wrote on it Holy to Hashem. Why
was it necessary for multiple people to inscribe a mere two words on the
Tzitz? (Moshav Zkeinim, Taam VDaas)
2) In the special portion which is read as Parshas Shekalim, Rashi writes
(30:12) that a census must be conducted by counting the half-shekels
which were contributed by each person because it is forbidden to make a
head count. The Gemora in Yoma (22b) explains that when it was
necessary to count Kohanim in the Temple, the person in charge would
count their fingers instead of their heads. As their fingers and heads are all
part of the same body, why is counting one forbidden and counting the
other permitted? (Shut Torah Lishmah 386, Mrafsin Igri)
Answers to Points to Ponder:
1) The Moshav Z'keinim explains that because one of the words written
on the Tzitz was Hashem's Holy name, it had to be written in the presence
of a minyan of 10 men. They add that this requirement wasn't limited to
the Tzitz, but every time that a scribe writes Hashem's name when he is
writing tefillin, mezuzos, or a Sefer Torah, he must first immerse in a
mikvah and then write Hashem's name in the presence of a minyan.
However, Rav Moshe Shternbuch notes that this opinion is quite original
and isn't quoted by other sources or legal authorities.
2) The Chasam Sofer explains that the Torah forbids counting Jews in
order to know their exact number. When a person counts their heads, there
is virtually no chance that he will make an error and when he is finished he
will know with certainty the exact number of Jews, and it is therefore
forbidden to do so. However, when counting their fingers, it is easy for the
person counting to accidentally miss a finger or count two fingers on a
person's hand, and because this form of counting is imprecise, it is
permissible. The Ben Ish Chai maintains that when a person is counting
fingers, he is solely focused on the fingers and not on the people to whom
they are attached. Even though at the end of his count he can easily
convert the number of fingers into the number of people, there is no
prohibition against knowing the number of Jews, only against an act of
counting them, which counting fingers is not considered. The M'rafsin
Igri suggests that a finger is not considered an integral part of a person, as
one can live even if the finger becomes detached, and therefore counting
fingers is not considered an act of counting people.
2014 by Ozer Alport. To subscribe, send comments, or sponsor an issue, email
oalport@optonline.net

Aish.Com - Rabbi Stephen Baars
Brainstorming With Baars
Pekudei - The Journey of Life
"Journeys" is the last word of this week's Parsha, which being the last
Parsha, makes it the last word in the entire book of Exodus. What does this
mean?
I have been involved in marriage counseling for many years now, and
despite what you may have seen in the day time soaps, very few couples
are unhappily married.
You might say, "How can that be?"
Every couple who comes to see me for counseling has a home, eats three
meals a day and has healthy children. They have many of the benefits of
living at the epitome of human civilization. At no other time since the
Garden of Eden has such a high percentage of the world's population
enjoyed so many of the good things of life.
Can anyone possibly be unhappy while sipping on a Starbucks special
grande latte living in the lap of luxury?
Actually yes, but those are the people with serious problems. Most married
people who complain about their marriage, even though they claim to be
unhappy are misdiagnosing themselves. They are not unhappy at all. They
are really disappointed.
Jane is married to Burt. Burt beats Jane regularly. He also has no job and is
drunk constantly. Jane has two jobs on top of looking after the kids and
keeping the house in order. I could give you more details but I think you
have the picture.
Jane eventually leaves Burt and marries someone just like your husband,
his name is Mike.
Jane is in bliss. And even though Mike has all your husband's "issues" and
maybe some extras, he doesn't communicate, he doesn't seem to care about
Jane, he doesn't make joint decisions. Plus he snores loudly, leaves his
socks on the floor, and doesn't shave regularly. None of which phases Jane
- she isn't disappointed because she was expecting worse (Burt).
"Expectations can enable or destroy a relationship."
I have a friend who volunteered for the army. He wanted to join the
paratroopers but they put him in with the foot soldiers - he was
disappointed and complained. He wanted to be pushed out of an airplane.
As long as you get what you expect, you can be happy, even though what
you expect is difficult. If I don't get my peanuts during a flight I get all
tifffy, let alone being pushed out at 10,000 feet, because it's not what I
expected.
That doesn't mean you need to live with what you expected. For example,
a healthy parent expects their new born child to NOT be potty trained. And
he/she expects to deal with all the accompanying gory details. They are
not upset, because they expected it. Yet even though it meets their
expectations, they don't accept it as the status quo and they work at toilet
training.
The reason you can tolerate so much abuse from your children, most of
which is natural - such as when they burp on your new dress or scratch
your new flat screen TV - is because you expected it. The reason we have
a hard time living with just 10% of what our children dish out, when it is
coming from our spouse, is because we are not expecting it.
You can live and be happy with anything in life, as long as it's what you
were expecting.
All Of Life Is Really Just A Journey
The story is told of the Chafetz Chaim, one of the greatest sages of the
20th century. The Chafetz Chaim lived in an extremely modest house in a
Polish village, with sparse and simple furnishings.
A reporter came to interview the eminent Rabbi. After conversing together
for some time, the reporter posed the question he'd been waiting to ask:
"For such a great and important Rabbi as yourself, where's all your fancy
furniture?"
"Let me ask you a question," the Chafetz Chaim replied. "For such an
important reporter as yourself, where's all your furniture?"
"Well," the reporter said confusedly, "I'm only travelling through."
"I too, am only travelling through," the Chafetz Chaim replied.
The Rabbi was trying to illustrate that we are all just travelling through.
We have yet to arrive at our permanent destination. This world is
extremely temporary.
You wouldn't take a crystal chandelier on a camping trip. Life is ultimately
a journey. And your chandelier is not going with you.
Rabbi Warren Goldstein (the chief Rabbi of South Africa) tells the story of
a very wealthy man who dies and left two wills, one to be opened on his
death and one to be opened thirty days after the funeral.
In the first will he commands his family only one thing, to be buried with
his socks on. Of all the things to ask or to put in a will, this was most out
of character. Nevertheless, the family felt obligated to fulfill his wish and
they asked the Jewish burial society to leave him with his socks on.
Unfortunately, they were met with tremendous resistance. Being against
Jewish law, which requires the deceased to be buried simply, without any
fineries or clothes, the funeral center would not acquiesce. And no matter
who or high up in the community they spoke to, their request was
repeatedly denied.
The funeral happened and the thirty days was up and there was
tremendous trepidation at the opening of the second will knowing they did
not fulfill the first and only request. What would happen? Would they be
written out of any inheritance?
None of their fears could have prepared them for what they heard that day.
The will read something like this:
"By now you have realized that it was not possible to bury me with my
socks on. Therefore, I now bequeath to you all my substantial worldly
fortune. Take this as a lesson though, you can't even take your socks with
you let alone your wealth. Make sure you use this money wisely because
the money will stay here but what you do with it will accompany you on to
the next world."
Life is a journey, so make it a pleasant one for you and all the people you
are traveling with. Because, even though the train will one day stop, you
will continue on with your fellow travelers.
The problem people have with marriage is not that they are unhappy, it's
that they are disappointed. They thought marriage was a destination as in:
"And they lived happily ever after."
"Journeys" is the last word and it describes so much of life. Here in the
parsha it's used to describe all that happened to the Jewish people over the
40 years in the desert (Exodus 40:38). For even though most of the 40
years the Jewish people were actually stationary, nevertheless the Torah
tells they experienced it as a journey.
When you are just travelling through it's easy to not get caught up in the
petty nonsense of daily life.
Marriage is not a destination, it's a journey. It won't make you feel
comfortable, journeys never do. But with all great journeys, they
eventually come to an end. Whatever issues you are having, they are not
the end, just a pebble on the journey. Those little small things that couples
often squabble about won't bother you once you realize that one day, at the
end of your journey, you will reminisce about your many long happily
married years together, and today is just part of the journey to then.
Brainstorming Questions To Ponder
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 7
Question 1: What one small thing can you do every day for your spouse,
that in twenty years you will be glad you did?
Question 2: How has married life made your spouse a better person?
Question 3: How has married life made you a better person?
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Dr. Avigdor Bonchek
Whats Bothering Rashi?
Parashas Pikudie
This week's sedras continue the discussion of the construction of the
Mishkan and with them we end the book Exodus.
Shemos 40:35 - And Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because
on it rested the cloud and the glory of Hashem filled the Mishkan.
Rashi - And Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting: Rashi: While
another verse says: 'And when Moses entered the Tent of Meeting'! Comes
the third verse and decides between them: 'because on it rested the cloud';
so we can conclude as long as the cloud was on it he could not enter, once
the cloud removed itself , he could enter and [G-d] spoke with him.
What Is Rashi Saying?
Rashi has quoted the thirteenth rule of Rabbi Yishamel's 13 principles of
Torah interpretation. We recite these principles in the morning prayers,
before Pisukie d'zimra.
The principle teaches us that when there are two verses that seem to
contradict each other, the Torah gives a third verse which reconciles the
contradiction.
But as you look at the example from our verse, which Rashi cites, you
should have a question.
Hint: Do you see a contradiction between the two verses?
Questioning Rashi
A Question: Is there really a contradiction here? Our verse says that Moses
could not enter the Tent because the cloud rested on it. Rashi then cites a
verse further on in the Torah in Bamidbar that says that Moses could enter
the Tent. But if we read our verse completely we understand that Moses
could not enter because the cloud rested on it, so if there were no cloud, it
would seem obvious that Moses could then enter the Tent. So all we had to
do was read the whole verse and we would know the answer! By splitting
the verse in two and then asking the question, it looks like an artificial
question. Can you think of an answer to this difficult question?
Hint: What does the Hebrew word 'ki' mean in our verse?
Understanding Rashi
An Answer: I would suggest the following. When we read our verse
completely we read that Moses couldn't enter the Tent because the cloud
was on it. It would seem to mean that this is the perpetual state of the Tent
- with the cloud resting on it. Then we read in Bamidbar that Moses did, in
fact, enter the Tent. So, we wonder how could he enter if the cloud was
always on it. With this question in mind, we go back to our verse and read
the second half again (the "third verse" that reconciles the contradiction).
Now, in order to reconcile the apparent contradiction, we re- read it: "And
Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting when ('ki') ( not 'because') the
cloud rested on it." The word 'ki' can mean 'because' but it can also mean
'when.' (see Rashi Exodus 15:19). Now if it means 'when' we understand
that only when the cloud is on the Tent Moses cannot enter it, but when it
was not on the Tent, he could.
So the reconciliation of the apparent contradiction is derived from re-
reading and re-translating it the second part of our verse. With this new
way of looking at our verse, the question Rashi asks is a good question and
the contradiction a true one and the third phrase does help us better
understand the Torah's meaning.
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.
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Rabbi Shlomo Caplan
Mishulchan Shlomo
Adar Naturally!
Mishenichnas Adar marbin besimcha With the advent of Adar we
increase our joy (Taanis 29a). Rashi explains, These are days of miracles
on behalf of Yisrael: Purim and Pesach. Rashi clearly implies that the joy
of Adar continues into Nissan when Pesach occurs. What is the connection
between Purim and Pesach? In truth, Nissan actually is the beginning of a
new year since Adar is the twelfth month (or sometimes the thirteenth
month) and Nissan is the first month. What is the mechanism by which we
can segue from the last month to the first?
The Gemara (Rosh Hashana 11a) states, In Nissan [Bnai Yisrael] were
redeemed and in Nissan, in the future, they will be redeemed. It is a well-
founded hashkafa that we view history as a spiral in time instead of a
straight line. This means that each historical event repeats itself in
some measure at the same time each year. This concept is implied by the
famous dictum (Pesachim 116b), In every generation each person should
see himself (at the seder) as if he himself left Mitzrayim. We are reliving
Yetzias Mitzrayim. Therefore, Nissan is a time of redemption past,
present and future. However, the ultimate redemption can only occur if we
have prepared ourselves for it. Let us explore one facet of this preparation.
The Ramban in Parshas Bo explains that the miracles accompanying the
exodus from Mitzrayim demonstrated that there is really no such thing as
nature. Since Hashem can manipulate all natural phenomena at will, there
really is no intrinsic nature. Nature is merely a sequence of miracles which
Hashem has deemed fit to perform in a predictable fashion, thereby
allowing us to function in an orderly environment.
Similarly, the primary theme of Purim is the demonstration that seemingly
natural events are all orchestrated by Hashem. The demise of Vashti, the
selection of Esther as the queen, the rise of Haman to power, Mordechais
discovery of a plot to kill the King, Esther being welcomed by
Achashveroshs golden scepter, and finally the execution of Haman and
the dissolution of his plot were all designed and engineered by the worlds
supreme Director.
Once we recognize that everything that happens is Hashems handiwork -
concealed but undeniable miracles, we realize that there really is no
difference between hidden miracles and overt miracles. As Rebbi Chanina
ben Dosa declared when his daughter inadvertently filled the Shabbos
lamp with vinegar instead of oil, He who told oil to burn can tell vinegar
to burn (Taanis 25a). To Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa there was no difference
between the hidden miracles of nature and supernatural miracles.
The Navi Micha prophesied, Just as in the days when you left the land of
Mitzrayim, I will display wonders (Micha 7,15). These wonders can be
precipitated by our own recognition that there is nothing truly unnatural
about the wonders of our future redemption. Certainly, the One who
performed the hidden wonders of Purim can just as easily perform the
wonders of our ultimate redemption. This is how Purim prepares us for
Pesach the days of miracles for Yisrael both natural and
supernatural. The rejoicing of Adar demonstrates our excitement over
Hashems orchestration of events to save us from Haman. This excitement
prepares us for Pesach the Season of our Redemption past, present and
future - when the supernatural becomes natural.
To receive this weekly Dvar Torah, email rabbi.caplan@gmail.com
Chicago Community Kollel
Parsha Encounters
Parshas Pikudei Required Blessing
By Rabbi Moshe Menachem Liberman
A Project Of Chicago Community Kollel
This years Parsha Encounters is dedicated in honor of Mr.& Mrs. Nachy
Shabat by their family upon their receiving the inaugural Rebbetzin Zucker
Torah vChesed Award
I n parshas Pikudei the Torah states, Moshe saw the entire work and
behold, they had done it as Hashem had commanded, so they had done;
and Moshe blessed them. (Shemos 39:43)
Rashi explains that Moshe gave them the following blessing, May it be
Hashems will that the Divine Presence rest upon your handiwork.
Why was it necessary for Moshe to bless them when Hashem had already
answered them, They shall make a Sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell
among them. (25:9) ?
Similarly, in parshas Shemini, the Torah states, Moshe and Aaron came
to the Tent of Meeting and they went out and blessed the people. And the
glory of Hashem appeared to the entire people. (Vayikra 9:23)
Rashi explains that it was the end of the inauguration of the Mishkan, but
the Divine Presence was yet to dwell in it. This caused much distress to
Bnei Yisroel because all their work and efforts invested in the
construction of the Mishkan was so that the Divine Presence would dwell
among them. Therefore, Moshe and Aaron blessed them, May it be
Hashems will that the Divine Presence rest upon your handiwork.
Why was their blessing necessary to cause the Divine Presence to dwell
among them? What happened to Hashems promise in Shemos 25:9?
In parshas Shemini the Torah states, Moshe said, This is the thing that
Hashem has commanded you to do; the glory of Hashem will appear to
you. (Vayikra 9:6)
The Midrash explains that Moshe said to Bnei Yisroel, Know that this is
the evil inclination. Remove it from your hearts and you shall be in unison
together as one in fear and service of Hashem.
The Netziv explains that already in the days of Moshe there were groups
of people whose desire for love of Hashem knew no bounds. They were
prepared to reach that goal even if it meant compromising the parameters
set by the Torah. Therefore, Moshe told them, Know that this is the evil
inclination and remove it from your hearts.
With this we can understand why it was necessary for Moshe to bless
Bnei Yisroel. The Torah wants to teach us that when we do something
8 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
with the purpose of coming close to Hashem, it is important to receive the
blessing of our teachers or rabbis as a prerequisite to its success. Only then
can we be sure that we are not misguided in our approach and that what we
are seeking to do is indeed in the spirit of the Torah.
Rabbi Liberman is an alumnus of the kollel.
Chicago Community Kollel
Halacha Encounters
A Higher Level of Kedushah
By Rabbi Moshe Rokach
Although, unfortunately, we no longer have a Mishkan or Bais
Hamikdash, Chazal tell us that batei kneisios (shuls) have the status of
mikdash meat and in some ways reflect the kedushah of the Bais
Hamikdash. For example, R Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe O.C. 2 #44)
writes that just as the Torah requires that we build a Bais Hamikdash,
Chazal enacted a mitzvah drabbanan to establish a bais haknesses in a
city. Likewise, eating, drinking, and sleeping are not allowed in a bais
haknesses since these mundane activities would degrade its kedushah. This
parallels the mitzvah of morah hamikdash, which demands proper
decorum and respect in the Bais Hamikdash. In this Halacha Encounter we
will discuss another aspect of this similarity - kedushas bais haknesses as it
relates to us-ing upper floors above a shul for mundane purposes.
Source Of The Prohibition
The Maharam MiRutenberg (Mordechai Shabbos 228) says that al-though
there is no explicit source prohibiting the use of a second floor above a
shul for other purposes, one must avoid degrading activity, such as
sleeping there on a regular basis. Maharam deduces this hala-cha from the
Gemaras statement that no habitable structure may be taller than the bais
haknesses of the city, whereas towers and the like (which are
uninhabitable) may surpass its height (Shabbos 11a). Ap-parently, the
Gemara is concerned about mundane activities taking place above the
elevation of the bais haknesses and thereby degrad-ing its kedusha.
Certainly, Maharam reasons, this should apply to the upper floors above
the shul itself. Furthermore, just as degrading activity was prohibited in
upper stories above the courtyard of the Bais Hamikdash, the same ought
to apply to a bais haknesses. The Maharam is unsure whether mundane
activity in general, which is not degrading per se (e.g. eating), is also
problematic.
Remas Leniency
The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 151:12) rules in accordance with the opin-ion
of Maharam. The Rema, however, adds an important qualification to this
halachah. The prohibition against using the area above a shul is only
applicable to a building that was initially built with the inten-tion of being
a shul. On the other hand, if an existing building is only later designated to
be a bais haknesses this prohibition would not apply. Nevertheless, the
Magen Avraham discourages relying on the Remas leniency and says,
One who guards his soul should distance himself from this practice.
According to the Taz, a building desig-nated as a shul from the outset
would also not be subject to this rule so long as the upper floors were built
for living purposes at the same time as the shul itself and not added later.
(See Aruch Hashulchan 151:17).
Tefillah barrier
Taz takes the position that the Remas leniency is only relevant to
degrading activity such as sleeping above a shul. However, the pres-ence
of something repulsive such as a bathroom situated above a shul would
pose a problem, as this creates a barrier preventing the prayers from
ascending to Heaven. The Taz testifies that he person-ally lived with his
family in Cracow above a bais haknesses and subse-quently his children
died. He attributed this terrible tragedy to having lived above a shul. (In
spite of this, the Steipler writes (K.D. Vol. 2 #86) that in areas where the
common practice is to be lenient one need not be concerned with the
potential dangers. Interestingly, some disagree with the basic premise of
the Taz and argue that our tefillos do not ascend in a direct vertical path.
Instead, they first travel to Yerushalayim and the site of the Kodesh
Hakadoshim and only then ascend to Heaven). For the same reason, the
Taz prohibits allowing a non-jew who keeps an idol in his home to live
above a shul. It would seem to follow that the Tazs concern is not limited
to a bais haknesses and according to his view an individual davening alone
should also avoid davening under a bathroom or the like. The Mishnah
Berurah, however, rules that the minhag is not to worry about this issue
and only a bais haknesses may not be situated under a bath-room. By the
same token, a minyan that has only been organized on a
temporary basis, in which case there is no kedushas bais hak-nesses, need
not be concerned with this.
Rambams Letter
There is a letter from the Rambam (Teshuvos Peer Hador #74), quoted by
the Sharei Teshuvah, which apparently was not avail-able to earlier
Poskim. In this letter the Rambam directly ad-dresses the issue of living
above a shul and, in contrast to Ma-haram MiRutenberg, says it is
permissible, so long as the area directly above the Aron Hakodesh is not
used. The Chidah (Teshuvos Chaim Shaal 56) goes so far as to say that
had the Ma-haram been aware of the Rambams position its likely he
would have reconsidered his psak. He further says that the Shulchan
Aruch would certainly have sided with the Rambam had his psak been
known at the time. As far as the testimony of the Taz as to the dangers of
living above a shul, the Chidah suggests that he must have been using the
space above the aron hakodesh as well, which even the Rambam agrees is
prohibited. The Mishna Berura, however, relies on the Rambams opinion
only in so far as permit-ting general mundane activity (e.g. eating) above a
shul, which even Maharam did not prohibit definitely.
Shtieblach
Its important to note that some places may circumvent this issue entirely.
The Divrei Chaim (C.M. Vol. 2 #32) writes that the batei knesses of
Tzaddikim were never intended to attain full-flegded kedushas bais
haknesses to begin with. From the very outset they were established to be
a gathering place of talmidei chachamim to eat, drink, and engage in
simcha shel mitzvah, aside from the Torah study and davening that takes
place there. Piskei Teshuvos (151:21) notes that for this reason some
Chassidishe Rebbes would insist on referring to such places as
shtieblach (i.e. homes) - not bais haknesses - to ensure that they were not
designated as full-fledged batei kneisios. In such a case, living above this
shtiebl would not pose a problem (aside perhaps for the issue of the Taz of
tefillos being blocked, which in any case the Mishna Berura is not
concerned with).
Above the Aron Hakodesh
Using the space above the aron hakodesh is more problematic and
everyone agrees mundane activities should not be done there. This is
because the aron has the same status as the Heichal, the upper stories of
which did attain kedusha.
Roof of a Shul
Until this point our discussion has revolved around upper stories above a
shul. Mundane activities on the roof of a shul are even more degrading to
its kedusha, because unlike an upper story which is enclosed, a roof is
readily visible to passersby (Biur Hala-cha 151:12). In fact, this
prohibition is mentioned explicitly in the Mishnah (Megillah 28a) in the
context of not spreading fruits out to dry on the roof of a shul. A modern-
day application of this hala-cha can be found in Teshuvos Shevet Halevi
(Vol. 6 #18, 9 #28)) who rules that a shul may not rent its roof space to a
cellular phone company for the purpose of erecting a communications
antenna which will be noticeable to passersby, despite the loss of potential
funds this will cause the shul. In contrast, air condition-ing units and the
like which service the bais haknesses may be placed there.
In specific circumstances there may be leniencies which Poskim rely upon
to allow mundane activities above a shul, especially when Torah study and
tefillah btzibbur are at stake. Above we have attempted to give a general
overview of the halachos re-lated to this topic, but any questions of
halachah lmaaseh should, of course, be directed to a Rav.
Rabbi Moshe Rokach learns full-time at the kollel.
Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Chamishoh Mi Yodei'a
5 Questions And Answers On Parshas Pikudei 5774 - Bs"D
Please send your answers and comments to: Sholom613@Rogers.Com
1) Ch. 39, v. 30: "Va'yich't'vu olov" - And they wrote upon it - If just
one person etched the two words "kodesh laShem" into the golden
forehead plate, why does the verse say "va'yich't'vu," in the plural form?
2) Ch. 39, v. 32: "Vatheichel kol avodas haMishkon" - And all the
work of the Mishkon was complete - The work was completed near the
end of the month Kislev. However, the assembly took place on the 1st day
of Nison. Why the 3 month wait?
3) Ch. 39, v. 40: "Es meisorOV vi'seidoseHOH" - And HIS cables and
HER pegs - Why the change in gender?
4) Ch. 40, v. 20: "Va'yikach va'yi'tein es ho'eidus" - And he took and
he placed the testimonial tablets - Every item was taken and placed, yet
this is the only time we have "va'yikach."
5) Ch. 40, v. 38: "L'einei chol beis Yisroel" - In front of the eyes of all
the house of Yisroel - From the moment the clouds of glory began
functioning in the desert for the bnei Yisroel did they function
continuously until the bnei Yisroel reached Eretz Yisroel?
Answers:
#1 Rabbeinu Avigdor says that although only one person formed the
letters, since Hashem's Holy Name was being created, it required special
intention to sanctify His Name, "lishmoh." There were therefore 10 people
standing next to the one who etched this word to remind him to do it with
the proper intention. Since numerous people were involved a plural term is
used. He adds that the same should be done when one writes a Torah
scroll. He should leave out every Holy Name and when the Torah is
complete, 10 people should be present when all the Holy Names are filled
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 9
in. Since the need for other's involvement is only for "lishmoh," some
question the need for 10 people to be present, as just one or two others
would suffice.
Rabbi Yehudoh Chosid cites the original question in the name of his
father, and similarly answers that there is a need for others to remind the
creator of the "tzitz" to etch the Holy Name with the proper intention. He
adds that the same applies to the writing of Torah, tefillin, and mezuzos.
Likewise, the sofer should immerse himself in a proper mikveh to add
sanctity to the person who is writing, which in turn, adds sanctity to the
actual writing. The requirement of 10 people and no less is because the
writing of the Holy Name is an act that is called "dovor shebikdushoh,"
which requires a quorum of 10, just like our prayers.
He also offers that "va'yich't'vu" refers to just 2 people, one who etched the
word "kodesh," and one who etched the word "laShem."
Note that halacha does not require, and the prevalent custom is not to have
anyone present when the sofer writes a Holy Name in a Torah, tefillin, or
mezuzoh. There is an opinion brought in the R'sha"sh on the gemara Yoma
38a that it is advantageous to write all the letters of the Holy Name in one
go. Perhaps according to this opinion four people each etched one letter of
the four-letter Holy Name at the same time, hence "va'yich't'vu." (Nirreh
li)
#2 Hashem wanted to have the Mishkon dedicated on the 1st of Nison, the
day that our Patriarch Yitzchok was born. He was a sanctified human
offering to Hashem, and the Mishkon likewise serves as the holy location
where sacrifices are brought. (Rabbeinu Zecharioh)
#3 The curtain's (male) cables, and the courtyard's (female) pegs.
(Chizkuni)
#4 This is because the tablets were already housed in a wooden ark. No
other items had a special storage receptacle made for them. (Ro'isi) Rabbi
Moshe Midner of Slonim offers that the tablets symbolize the Holy Torah.
It is not enough for a person to TAKE the Torah, to learn it for himself
only. He must also teach it to others, "va'yikach" and "va'yi'tein."
#5 The clouds of glory were not continuously present around the
encampment. They were only there until after the bnei Yisroel went
through Yam Suf. From the time Moshe prayed, "v'niflinu ani v'amcho"
and Hashem acquiesced with "neged kol amcho e'e'seh niflo'ose" the
clouds of glory were with them continuously. "L'einei chol beis Yisroel"
of our verse is the fulfillment of "neged kol amcho." This was the
uniqueness, "v'niflinu." (Haksav V'hakaboloh in the name of the GR"A)
Chazak Chazak V'nis'cha'zeik! A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh.
Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Chasidic Insights
Chasidic Insights Parshas Pikudei From 5765 Bs"D
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Ch. 35, v. 1: "Va'yakheil Moshe es kol adas bnei Yisroel" - Why was it
necessary to assemble all the bnei Yisroel to relate the building of the
Mishkon? Through Moshe's prophetic power he saw that in the future the
Beis Hamikdosh would be destroyed because of baseless hatred, "sinas
chinom." He therefore assembled them to symbolically indicate that their
unity was paramount in maintaining the existence of the Sanctuary. (Rabbi
Moshe of Pshevorsk in Ohr Pnei Moshe)
Ch. 35, v. 1: "Va'yakheil Moshe .. ei'leh hadvorim asher tzivoh
Hashem laasose osom" - Moshe assembled the people and said that
having them come together as a unified body is what Hashem commanded
them to do. (Chidushei Hori"m)
Ch. 35, v. 1,2: "Va'yakheil Moshe .. ei'leh hadvorim asher tzivoh
Hashem laasose osom, ..Uva'yom hashvii yi'h'yeh lochem kodesh
Shabbas Shabbosone" - 1) Why was it necessary to assemble all the bnei
Yisroel to relate the laws of Shabbos? 2) The verse ends with "laasose
osom," to DO them, and immediately follows with the restriction of doing
creative work on Shabbos. How is this "laasose"? 3) What is the intention
of the word "lochem" in verse 2? 4) Why the double expression "Shabbas
Shabbosone"?
One can accept upon himself to begin Shabbos a bit earlier than the actual
advent of Shabbos. This is called "tosfos Shabbos" and is a Torah level
Shabbos. There is an halacha that when a community accepts Shabbos
early, i.e. starting Maariv prayers in a congregation, even the individuals
who have not done so are also swept along and it is Shabbos for them as
well. This is alluded to in these verses. The nation was assembled,
indicating that they are to act in unison. "Laasose" alludes to CREATING
the Shabbos through our accepting it early. This is "yi'h'yeh LOCHEM
kodesh, you are all subject to it being Shabbos early, because the
individual is drawn after the communal acceptance of an early Shabbos.
Since it is an addition to the basic Shabbos, the double term "Shabbas
Shabbosone" is used. (Nirreh li)
Ch. 35, v. 1,2: "Laasose osom, .. Kodesh Shabbas Shabbosone" - Don't
just sanctify the Shabbos by refraining from work, MAKE Shabbos. Create
an atmosphere of sanctity and holiness. (Nirreh li)
Ch. 35, v. 3: "Lo s'vaaru aish b'chole moshvoseichem b'yom
haShabbos" - Some people sink very low in their weekday pursuits. Their
activities are devoid of even a spark of sanctity. When Shabbos comes and
work is prohibited, they must change from their spiritually totally
extinguished mode to one of lighting a spiritual fire and warmth. This is
not the correct way. One must imbue his workweek activities with warmth
and sanctity as well, so that when Shabbos comes and he increases
sanctity, he is not just beginning to create the fire. (Chasam Sofer)
Ch. 36, v. 6: "Va'yiko'lei ho'om meihovi" - And the nation experienced
total cleavage of their souls with Hashem, "kalos nefesh," through the
strong emotions accompanying their donating. (Rabbi Osher of Stolin in
Birkas Osher) A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh.
Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Oroh V'Simchoh
Oroh V'simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh On Parshas Pikudei - Bs"D
Ch. 39, v. 5: "Kaas'sher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe" - This expression
appears no less than 18 times in our parsha as pointed out by the Baal
Haturim. However, it appears only by the creation of the Kohanim's
apparel. Why was this expression not used by the building of the Mishkon
and the crafting of its vessels in Parshas Va'yakheil?
1) Even though a prophet is believed that he received a prophecy to
transgress a negative command of the Torah, this is only true if it is a short
term exception, such as with Eliyohu on Mount Carmel. If the prophet
says that he received a prophecy from Hashem that a mitzvoh should be
transgressed on a regular basis, this may not be believed. Since the
materials for the priestly garments contained both linen and wool threads
which constitute shaatnez, the Torah points out that the garments were
made "kaa'sher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe," specifically because Hashem
gave this command through Moshe who was trusted to transmit mitzvos
even when they contradict one another, did the bnei Yisroel follow
through and create the garments as commanded, even though they
contained shaatnez. (Meshech Chochmoh)
2) All components of the Mishkon, its vessels, and the priestly garments
had to be created for the intention of being used for the Mishkon and its
services. For example, one could not donate an already made sheet of
material that happened to fit the requirements for a section of the roof
covering. If one created a Shulchon or altar without any specific intention,
we assume that it was made for the Mishkon, since there is a prohibition to
make a duplicate for mundane use as per the gemara M'nochos 28b.
Therefore, one need not state that he is crafting it for the Mishkon, as this
is self-understood, as otherwise he would transgress. However, there is no
prohibition to duplicate the priestly garments. One must therefore have
specific intention to make the garments for the use of the Kohanim.
We now understand why the Torah mentioned "Kaas'sher tzivoh Hashem
es Moshe" specifically by the creation of the priestly garments, to show
that they were specifically created as a fulfillment of Hashem's command
to Moshe. (Meshech Chochmoh)
3) The GRI"Z, Rabbi Yitzchok Zeiv haLevi Soloveitchik zt"l raises a
question on the term "V'atoh T'ZA'VEH" (27:20). Why is the term
"tzivuy" not used in parshas Trumoh regarding the building of the
Mishkon and its vessels? Actually this is already raised by the Rashbam
who answers that the term "tzivuy" means to command regarding a matter
that will apply for further generations, as Rashi points out in the first verse
of parshas Tzav. It is mentioned in the gemara Kidushin 29a. He says that
the command to build a Mishkon and its vessels only applies as long as
there was a Mishkon, but the command to prepare oil for lighting the
menorah is permanent. However, the GRI"Z says that this concept should
be applied to a different aspect of the Mishkon. This is the fact that the
details of the Mishkon and its vessels are not for all further generations, as
the dimensions of the Beis Hamikdosh and its vessels and their numbers
changed later. This is in keeping with the interpretation of the Ramban on
the words "v'chein taasu" (25:9) meaning to be done with alacrity, and not
with Rashi who explains that it means that the Mishkon and its vessels
should be copied (to an extent) for all generations.
This is not the case with the priestly garments. All the details given by the
Torah in their construction are to be adhered to for all generations.
Therefore the Torah uses the term "tzivuy" for the creation of the garments
in parshas T'za'veh and uses no such term in parshas Trumoh since all
matters discussed are not for all further generations.
This explains why the words "Kaas'sher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe" is used
throughout our parsha since it deals with the priestly garments, and is not
used in parshas Va'yakheil which deals with the Mishkon and its vessels.
The GRI"Z answers a difficulty in 39:1 with this concept. The verse says
"...... ossu vigdei srod ...... va'yaasu es bigdei hakodesh asher l'Aharon
kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe." He asks why the term "asioh" is used
twice. Would it not have sufficed to say "ossu vigdei srod ...... v'es bigdei
......"? He answers that the "bigdei srod" were the cloth covers for the
Mishkon components, used to house them when travelling. These were
10 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
only needed in the desert when the bnei Yisroel traveled. In later
generations the Mishkon did not travel from place to place, so there was no
need for bigdei hasrod. The priestly garments mentioned in the second half
of the verse were to be made in all future generations as well. The Torah
therefore has to mention an "asioh" of the bigdei hasrod without the term
"kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe," to indicate that it is not for all future
generations, and a separate "asioh" for the garments of the Kohanim with
the addendum "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe," for the making of the
priestly apparel.
4) Possibly, another approach can answer this question. In parshas T'za'veh
the explanation of the Paa'nei'ach Rozo was given for the omission of
Moshe's name from the parsha. He says that Moshe lost the opportunity to
become a Kohein when he declined to do Hashem's bidding of being the
agent to bring the bnei Yisroel out of Egypt. Since he lost the K'hunoh,
Hashem left his name out of the parshas which deals in the main with the
garments of the Kohanim. We know that when a person is slighted by a
concept he often does not deal with it in its proper capacity. An example is
that a mamzeir should not write the verse "Lo yovo mamzeir bikhal
Hashem" (Dvorim 23:3). We fear that a mamzeir would not write these
words which are so detrimental to him with the fully required intention,
"lishmoh."
In spite of Moshe's lofty character development there is a possibility that
the bnei Yisroel would fear that when it came to the priestly garments,
Moshe might not give over all details and minutiae properly, since he had
lost the opportunity to wear them and that his name was omitted from the
parsha detailing them. In this particular circumstance the bnei Yisroel had
a way of checking on Moshe's accuracy. This was through B'tzal'eil. He
was picked to build the Mishkon, its vessels, and craft the priestly
garments because he was knowledgeable enough of the powers of the
letters of the Alef Beis to be able to recreate the world. The Mishkon was a
microcosm of the world, as mentioned in M.R. Breishis 3:9 and in Yalkut
Shimoni Shmos remez 419. He was able to use the world as a blueprint
from which to craft all that was required for the Mishkon. The bnei Yisroel
had open to themselves the option of checking on Moshe by asking
B'tzal'eil the details of making the bigdei K'hunoh.
This is what the verse tells us 18 times with the words "kaasher tzivoh
Hashem es Moshe" regarding the making of the priestly garments. The
bnei Yisroel implicitly trusted Moshe and did not check up on him. Instead
they crafted the priestly garments "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe."
The point raised by the GRI"Z in 39:1 is actually answered by the three
other offerings as well. According to the first insight of the Meshech
Chochmoh that the Torah stressed that a command from Hashem to Moshe
was needed to override the prohibition of shaatnez, this was not necessary
for the bigdei hasrod, which contained no linen. Therefore the Torah
mentions an "asioh" without "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe, and for
the crafting of the bigdei K'hunoh which contained shaatnez an "asioh"
with "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe."
The second explanation of the Meshech Chochmoh was that the crafting of
the bigdei K'hunoh needed a specific intention, "lishmoh." Again, the
bigdei hasrod did not need this, hence no "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es
Moshe," and the bigdei K'hunoh did need this intention, hence a separate
"asioh" with "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe."
The final offering answers this as well. The bigdei hasrod did not
encompass a failing of Moshe, hence there was no need to check up on
him for accuracy and no need to mention "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es
Moshe." Regarding the crafting of the bigdei K'hunoh where there was a
fear that the bnei Yisroel would not fully trust Moshe the Torah mentions a
separate "asioh" that was "kaasher tzivoh Hashem es Moshe."
Ch. 40, v. 30: "Va'yi'tein SHOMOH mayim" - We find in parshas Ki
Siso 30:18 "V'nosato SHOMOH moyim." Why does our verse not say
"Va'yi'tein BO mayim," and in Ki Siso why does the verse not say
"v'nosato BO moyim?" The Meshech Chochmoh answers that the gemara
Z'vochim 22a says that one is not required to sanctify his hands and feet
specifically from the laver. One may use any sanctified vessel. The
Yerushalmi Yoma 4:5 says that although any sanctified vessel may be
used, the location of the washing of the Kohein's hands and feet must take
place in the LOCATION of the laver given by the Torah, between the
Ohel Mo'eid and the outer altar, off to the south side slightly, so that it is
not in front of the eastern opening of the Mikdosh. This explains why the
term SHOMOH is used. The water need not come from within the laver, as
another vessel may be used, but SHOMOH, washing must take place at the
location of the laver.
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Rabbi Zvi Akiva Fleisher
Sedrah Selections
Sedrah Selections Parshas Pikudei 5774 Bs"D
Ch. 38, v. 21: "Pikudei haMishkon" - The accountings of the Mishkon
- Parshas Va'yakheil dealt with the creation of the Mishkon vessels, the
menorah, shulchon, outer and inner altars, the lave, and the ark for the
Tablets. Our parsha tells of the lighting of the menorah, the placement of
breads on the shulchon, the offerings on the altars, the pouring of water
into the lave, and the placing of the Tablets into the ark. All these vessels
were lacking until they were put into use. We can thus translate "pikudei"
as "lacking" ("yipokeid moshovecho"). These are the incompleteness of
the vessels that will now be put into full function in our parsha. (Admor of
Ishbitze in Mei Hashiloach)
Ch. 38, v. 22: "UVtza'leil ossoh es kol asher tzivoh Hashem es
Moshe" - And B'tza'leil did all that Hashem commanded Moshe -
Here and in 31:2,3,4, the verses tell of B'tza'leil creating Mishkon
components, its vessels, cloth coverings for the vessels for when they
travel, and Aharon's garments. It is interesting to note that when the verses
here and earlier mention the skills Hashem imbued into B'tza'leil there is
no mention of creating garments. Why wasn't the creation of the covers of
the Mishkon mentioned? This is because this was done by the women. The
preparation of the cover(s) of "eilim" and "t'choshim" hides was also not
mentioned. Perhaps this is because all that needed to be done was flaying
and tanning, and for the "eilim" hides also reddening them.
Ch. 38, v. 24: "Z'hav hatnufoh" - The gold of waving - We similarly
find waving by copper, but not by silver. This is because waving was an
exercise in elevating things. The gold and copper that were donated were
smelted and made into vessels that were used in the service of Hashem. No
such vessels were made of silver, so the silver that was donated was not
waved. (Meshech Chochmoh)
Ch. 38, v. 27: "Lotzekkes es adnei hakodesh" - To cast the foundation
blocks of sanctity - A half-shekel was collected from each adult man over
20 years old for the "adonim." Upon them is built the whole Mishkon.
They support it all. This is why it was mandatory for each man to have a
share in it. Today's parallel is support for Torah study institutes. The
members of these institutes are the "adonim" for the continued existence of
the world. This is why the evil inclination puts extreme efforts into
deterring philanthropists from donating for lomdei Torah. This is akin to
Eisov's angel injuring Yaakov's thigh, the support for Torah. (Chofetz
Chaim)
Ch. 38, v. 27: "Lo'o'den" - To a foundation block - The word "o'den"
means both a foundation block and a master, "odone." The Holy Zohar
writes that he who holds himself high and haughty is truly low (like a
foundation block), and he who holds himself low and humble is truly
great, (like a master). (Pninei Torah)
Ch. 39, v. 7: "Avnei zikoron livnei Yisroel" - Stones of remembrance
for the bnei Yisroel - The stones serve the purpose of the bnei Yisroel's
remembering that the names of their tribes are etched into the stones. This
will hopefully prevent them from sinning, as is related in the gemara Sotah
about Yoseif. (Meshech Chochmoh)
Ch. 39, v. 28: "Paa'rei hamigbo'os" - Splendour of the hats - Rav Hai
Gaon explains that on top of the hats there were large buttons.
Ch. 40, v. 15: "Umoshachto osom kaasher moshachto es avihem" -
And you shall anoint them as you anointed their father - Moshe was
surely not jealous of Aharon when he anointed him since Aharon was so
uniquely elevated. However, when it comes to anointing Aharon's sons
there might be jealousy. Moshe might believe that his own sons are
worthier than Aharon's. This is why Moshe was commanded,
"Umoshachto osom kaasher moshachto es avihem." You should anoint
them with the same attitude when you anointed Aharon. (Meshech
Chochmoh)
Ch. 40, v. 18: "Va'yokom Moshe es haMishkon" - And Moshe erected
the Mishkon - P'sikta d'Rebbi Kahana says that until Moshe set up the
Mishkon the existence of the world was tenuous. Once the Mishkon was
assembled the world had permanence.
Based on these words we might have a better understanding of the dual
"new year" dates, the first of Tishrei and the first of Nison. (n.l.)
Ch. 40, v. 22: "Va'yi'tein es hashulchon b'ohel mo'eid al yerech
haMishkon tzofonoh" - And he placed the table in the tent of covenant
on the north side of the Mishkon - The shulchon represents food, a
livelihood. The gemara says that he who wants to be wealthy should
position himself slightly to the north when he prays. As well, the menorah,
which represents Torah wisdom, was on the south side, and the gemara
says that he who wants to attain wisdom should position himself slightly to
the south.
This teaches us that we can't have both, as we cannot be in two positions at
the same time. The few times we find "Torah ugduloh b'mokome echod,"
as by Moshe and Rabbi Yehudoh Hanossi, it was possible because they
were so humble that they totally negated themselves. He who negates
himself is as if he doesn't exist and is not facing in any direction. He is
thus capable of receiving the positive influence of both the south and the
north. (Liktei Mohora"n of Breslov citing the Holy Magid of Mezeritch)
Ch. 40, v. 23: "Va'yaaroch olov erech lechem lifnei Hashem" - And he
set up an order of bread in front of Hashem - Although Moshe set up
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 11
the showbreads he did not partake of them. When he set them on the table
he was a Kohein but on Shabbos, which was the day it was eaten, he was
no longer a Kohein. (Mahari"l Diskin)
Ch. 40, v. 35: "V'lo yochole Moshe lovo el ohel mo'eid ki shochan olov
he'onon" - And Moshe was unable to enter the tent of covenant
because the cloud rested upon it - A verse in parshas Yisro says that
Moshe entered the cloud. This seeming contradiction is answered by
Medrash Hagodol. Moshe surely was able to enter the tent of covenant.
However, he was unable to do so by virtue of protocol. One does not enter
the tent without first being invited. The Holy Zohar answers by
differentiating between "mi'lei" and "mo'lei" of our verse. The cloud
"filled" the "ohel" as a result of the perfection of the upper realms with the
lower realms. The sanctity of the cloud here was greater.
The gemara Yoma answers that by Har Sinai Moshe was also unable to
enter and Hashem, so to say, took hold of Moshe and brought him into the
cloud.
Ch. 40, v. 38: "Ki anan Hashem al haMishkon l'einei kol beis
Yisroel" - Because Hashem's cloud was on the Mishkon to the
eyes of all the house of Yisroel - Even though they had clouds of glory
from the time they left Egypt, those clouds were visible only to their
prophets. Once Moshe asked of Hashem, "V'niflinu ani v'a'mecho," and
Hashem responded, "Neged kol amcho e'e'seh niflo'os," the clouds of glory
were visible by all "beis Yisroel." (Haksav V'hakaboloh citing the GR"A)
A Gutten Shabbos Kodesh.
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Rabbi Yissocher Frand
RavFrand
Parshas Pekudei
The Almighty Likes Humble Buildings and Humble People
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's
Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: CD #849 Saying L'shem Yichud - A Good
Idea? Good Shabbos!
Towards the beginning of Parshas Pekudei, the Torah says that the entire
weight of all the gold that was dedicated to the Mishkan was 29 Kikar and
730 Shekel [Shmos 38:24]. The Sforno writes that this was a small quanity
of gold, relatively speaking. The amount was a small fraction of the gold
present in the first Bais HaMikdash built by Shlomo HaMelech, which in
turn had a fraction of the gold present in the remodeled second Beis
HaMikdash built by Herod. Nevertheless, points out the Sforno, the
Presence of the Shechinah in the three Sanctuaries (the Mishkan and the
two Batei Mikdash) was inversely proportional to the amount of gold
present. The Shechina was most acutely felt in the Mishkan of Moshe, less
so in the Mikdash of Shlomo, and far less so in Herod's Bais HaMikdash.
The clear lesson, says the Sforno, is that the grandeur of the wealth or the
size of the building is not what determines the Presence of G-d amongst
the Jewish people. The beauty of a building has nothing to do with
whether the Presence of the Shechinah will reside in that building. The
Master of the Universe is not impressed with posh and lavish
surroundings. The Mishkan, which was temporary - almost a tent like
structure, was a poor man's house and yet the Shechinah was always there.
The Almighty does not value such things. What G-d wants is people's
feelings and devotion. He is not interested in the surroundings.
My purpose in mentioning all this is not to cast aspersions against any
congregation with posh design and theater seating. I happen to enjoy
comfortable seats. My point is that we should all remember that none of
this is what is going to bring down the Shechinah into our synagogues.
According to the Sforno writes, the actions and the piety of the people
present will bring down the Shechina.
An extension of this is another idea of Chazal: Take heed of the children
of poor people (aniyiim), for from them will emerge Torah. In this context,
'aniyiim' does not merely refer to people who are poor of means.
Sometimes we see children who come from backgrounds that are less than
stellar and they turn out to be the best students in the Yeshiva. Some of
them go on to be great men in Israel.
This is the same thought. They come from humble backgrounds and they
are humble people. From them, Torah comes forth. Rav Meir Shapiro once
explained that when children from poor families see the sacrifices of their
parents to send them to Yeshiva and to afford tuition and the like, it makes
a profound impression on the children. When children are aware of all that
sacrifice, they approach their learning differently. The common
denominator between the thought regarding the gold in the Mishkan and
the students from poor backgrounds is that the Almighty appreciates
humble backgrounds.
The Soloveitchik dynasty of Torah greatness is well known in the Yeshiva
world. It has transcended many generations and continues to this very day.
How did this great Torah dynasty get started? I have seen this story written
up in many places, most recently in something I read by Rav Aharon
Soloveitchik, zt"l, a member of this Torah dynasty.
The dynasty did not started with a great Talmud Chochom, but with a man
who was a great business man, named Rav Moshe Soloveitchik, who lived
in the time of Rav Chaim of Volozhin. He was in the lumber business and
was a fantastically wealthy individual. He gave vast sums of money to
charity on an annual basis. All of a sudden, his business took a turn for the
worse and he lost everything.
It was such a shocking setback for the Jewish community that Rav Chaim
of Volozhin convened an emergency meeting of the Beis Din in Volozhin
to determine what Rav Moshe Soloveitchik did that caused Divine
disfavor, such that his business suffered such a dramatic reversal. The Beis
Din met and deliberated and the only thing they could come up with was
that Rav Moshe Soloveitchik gave away too much money to charity! They
ruled that he was in violation of the Talmudic dictum that one is not
allowed to give away more than 20% of his income to Tzedakah.
Rav Chaim of Volozhin was not satisfied with the conclusion of this Beis
Din. At any rate, Rav Moshe Soloveitchik was out of a job, he was out of
his business, and he was bereft of his wealth. What could he do? He
started learning. He was obviously a very smart man. He no longer had a
business, so he went to the Beis Medrash and he learned with the same
diligence and the same acumen that made him into this fantastically
wealthy person. He became a tremendous Talmid Chochom in his own
right. He was the progenitor of the Soloveitchik Torah dynasty.
After that, Rav Chaim Volozhin said "Now I know why he lost his money.
Because of his great merit in giving charity, the Almighty wanted to allow
him to have the merit of being the patriarch of a great dynasty of Torah
scholarship. But (based on the above quoted teaching of Chazal), it is the
children of poor people who have the greatest potential for having Torah
issue forth from them. Moshe Soloveitchik had a problem. He was too
wealthy to have children who would be great in Torah. He lost his money.
He became poor. The rest, as they say, is history."
This in fact is the lesson of the Mishkan - the Divine Presence has an
affinity for the humble.
'Sitra Achra' Makes Major Effort Fighting Start Of Something
Positive
The completed Mishkan was brought to Moshe [Shmos 39:33]. Rashi
comments that the people were unable to erect the Mishkan. It was too
heavy for them to lift. Since Moshe had not directly participated in the
construction of the Mishkan, Hashem allowed him this privilege of being
the one to erect it. Moshe, however, asked the Almighty "How is it
possible for any person to single-handedly lift up such a massive structure?
If all these people together could not put up the Mishkan, how can I do it
by myself?" Rashi quotes the Medrash Tancuhma that Hashem answered
Moshe: "You make it look like you are lifting the Mishkan, and I will
miraculously ensure that it gets lifted by itself."
The Bikkurei Avraham asks a basic question: We know that the entire
Mishkan was intended to be used as a portable structure. For 39 plus years,
they assembled and disassembled and reassembled the Mishkan whenever
they traveled from place to place. Nowhere do we ever find that they had
trouble putting up the Mishkan. We certainly do not find that each time
they came to a new place Moshe Rabbeinu had to do this "trick" of
pretending that he was assembling the Mishkan. Why was it that the first
time was different? Why was it that only the first time, no one was able to
erect the Mishkan not even Moshe to the extent that it needed to be
assembled miraculously?
The Zohar writes that on the day the Mishkan was first erected, the 'sitra
achra' was defeated. The 'sitra achra' is the Kabbalistic term for the forces
of evil in the world. These forces became vanquished and departed from
the world. Once the Mishkan was erected, it was erected 'on high' and
'down below'.
"Samael (evil angel) and the 40 chariots that accompany him were also
shaken." I don't know what this means and most people don't know what
this means. But the point of this Zohar is that when the Mishkan was
finally put up, it had this unbelievable effect on the negative and impure
forces in the world, the 'sitra achra'.
This explains why it was initially so difficult to put up. There are certain
events in human history that are watershed events. The initial assembly
was a watershed spiritual event for the Jewish people and for mankind in
general. The assembly of the Mishkan triggered the Avodah in the
Mishkan and the Divinely commanded sacrificial order and all the holiness
and purity that would emanate from this Service.
The Sitra Achra is a wise force. It knows how to pick its battles. Why fight
one thousand battles when one can choose a single major battle and win it?
That battle was the initial assembly of the Mishkan. Since the Mishkan
was going to introduce such holiness and such Divine Service into the
world, this was the event into which the Sitra Achra decided to put all his
powers and wage his battle. That is why it was initially so hard to
assemble, but once it was accomplished it became easier.
The lesson is that whenever one tries to introduce something spiritually
worthwhile that is going to have a positive effect on people, it is going to
be an extremely hard to get it off the ground. That is why building a shul
or mikva or Yeshiva or school or some new organization that is going to
help people and add holiness to the world is so challenging. Know that all
such attempts will trigger a royal battle. The 'sitra achra' is going to pull
out all stops for this very same reason. "If I can stop this, look how many
battles I will win down the line!" If a mikva (or anything else of that
12 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
nature) is going to be built, look how much holiness will be brought into
this world. "If I can stop a Yeshiva from being created and there is less
Torah in the world, there are hundreds of battles I have won hundreds of
people that will not go to a Yeshiva down the line. If I lose this "startup
battle" - the 'sitra achra' fears - look at all the Torah learning and
Kedusha that will come into existence."
This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah
portion. Tapes, CDs, MP3s or a complete catalogue can be ordered from the Yad Yechiel Institute, PO Box 511, Owings Mills MD 21117-0511. Call
(410) 358-0416 or e-mail tapes@yadyechiel.org or visit http://www.yadyechiel.org/ for further information. RavFrand, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi
Yissocher Frand and Torah.org.

Aish.Com - Rabbi Yehonasan Gefen
The Guiding Light
Pekudei: The Positive Aspect of the Churban
Shemos, 38:22: These are the reckonings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan
of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshe's bidding...
Rashi, Shemos, 38:22: sv. The Mishkan; mishkan: "[It says the word
mishkan] twice, to allude to us that the Temple that was taken as collateral
(mashkon) by being destroyed twice because of the sins of Yisrael."
Rashi quotes the Midrash (1) that explains the double usage of the word
mishkan. The word 'mishkan' alludes to the concept of a mashkon, which
is the collateral that is given when someone borrows something; if he is
unable to return what he borrowed then the lender keeps the collateral. In
this instance, God made the two Temples collateral for the Jewish people.
This is because at future junctures in history they would sin so badly that
they would deserve to be totally wiped out, but God would instead take out
His wrath on the wood and stone of the Temples, thereby sparing the
existence of the people. This Midrash teaches us that there are positive
aspects to even the most tragic occurrences such as the Destruction
(Churban) of the Temples.
The following story demonstrates this point in a dramatic way; Rav Levi
Yitzchak of Berdichev zt"l was once staying overnight in an inn. He arose
at midnight in order to pray tikun chatsos - the prayers that express our
pain at the destruction of the Temple. He prayed with great fervor and
emotion, and the innkeeper, a simple Jew, hearing the noise, came in to see
why he was crying so much. He tried to explain what it meant to have a
Temple and how God's presence was so apparent, and how lacking we are
in Exile. He did such a good job that the innkeeper suddenly burst into
uncontrollable tears at his sudden realization of the magnitude of the
tragedy that had befallen the Jewish people. He cried so much that Rav
Levi Yitchak worried for his health; so he began to reassure him that there
was a positive aspect to the Churban - that which is mentioned by Rashi in
this week's Parsha - that the Jewish people were spared being destroyed
because God instead took out His wrath on the Temples. He did such a
good job in showing the innkeeper the positive aspect of the Churban that
the innkeeper broke into joyous dancing and singing with Rav Levi
Yitzchak. They made such a noise that other people heard them and came
in to ask what they were so happy about. The innkeeper answered: "Don't
you know - the Temple was destroyed!" (2)
This story brings out further the idea that despite the undoubtedly tragic
nature of the Churbanot, they also had a positive aspect in that they
ensured our survival. This teaches us a wider lesson that in all the
tragedies that we endure, whether as a nation or as an individual, there are
positive aspects. One possible benefit is that a person can often see Divine
Providence more clearly in times of pain, thereby strengthening his
relationship with God. Another positive benefit of difficult events are that
they can help people step back from their hectic lives and see if there is
anything that needs to be changed. One example is of a woman with
several young children who was constantly worn out looking after her
children and running the house at the same time. She felt that it was a sign
of weakness to get paid help to unload the burden. It was only when she
was struck with a serious sickness that she had to get more help.
Thankfully she recovered from her sickness with a heightened
understanding of how she could be the best mother to her children. She
now realized that before the sickness she was so worn out doing
everything in the house that she was impatient and moody with her
children. The forced change in her life showed her how much more calm
and happy she could be with her children when she was not so worn out
doing all the housework. (3) In this way, a seeming tragedy actually
became a positive turning point in her relationship with her children.
Rashi teaches us that even difficult circumstances have benefits - if we
open our eyes to them, we can use them to grow in our spiritual growth.
Notes
1. Midrash Tanchuma 5.
2. Heard from my Rebbe, Rav Yitzchak Berkovits shlit"a.
3. Needless to say the specific question of whether or how much help a
mother should have is subjective and varies according to a number of
factors.
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Parshat Shekalim - Atonement for the Sale of Joesph
"This shall they give - everyone who passes through the census - a half
shekel of the sacred shekel, the shekel is 20 geras, half a shekel as a
portion to Hashem." (1)
In Parshas Ki Sisa, the Torah instructs every man to give half a shekel
(known as machsit hashekel) towards the communal offering given in the
Mishkan (Tabernacle). Since the destruction of the Temple, we no longer
merit to have this mitzvah, however, we remember it every year when we
read Parshat Shekalim. Accordingly, there still remain valuable lessons
that can be derived from the machsit hashekel.
The Midrash Rabbah offers a surprising reason for the mitzvah, and in
particular, why the specific value of half a shekel, must be given. The
Midrash explains that the giving of the half shekel is an atonement for the
sale of Joseph by his brothers. The brothers sold Joseph for twenty pieces
of silver. This is equivalent to five shekel. Ten of the brothers sold Joseph,
each one receiving one tenth of this value, making a half shekel each.
Accordingly, since each brother gained half a shekel in the sale, their
descendants were instructed to give half a shekel as an atonement. (2) The
obvious question to be asked is what is the connection between the giving
of half a shekel and the sale of Joseph?
In order to answer this, we need to deepen our understanding of the sale of
Joseph. The brothers knew that twelve tribes were destined to come from
Jacob. Each tribe would have its own unique qualities and they would all
join together to combine to make up the Jewish people as a whole, with
tribe complementing the others. The brothers decided that Joseph had lost
his right to be part of this group, because of what they perceived to be his
dangerous attitude and behavior. Therefore, they believed that they could
remove Joseph from the destined 12 tribes, and be left with only eleven.
The chiddush (novelty) of this approach was that they planned to remove
one of the twelve pieces to the puzzle that would constitute the Jewish
people. They felt that they could do without Joseph's potential contribution
to the Jewish people, and the Jewish people could continue without him.
With this understanding we can now explain how the mitzvah of Shekalim
atones for the sale of Joseph. The commentaries note the significance of
the fact that one must give half a shekel as opposed to a full shekel. Many
explain that it comes to teach us about the importance of unity amongst the
Jewish people by showing that each person is only 'half a person' without
combining with the strengths of his fellow man. (3) One should not think
that he can separate from his fellow Jews and be unaffected. A person who
ha this attitude he will be incomplete. In this way, the mitzvah of giving
half a shekel can act as an atonement for the sale of Joseph. Joseph's
brothers thought that they could get along fine without Joseph's
contribution to the Jewish people. Their mistake was that even if they
believed him to be erring, he was still an essential part of the Jewish
people. By giving half a shekel we remind ourselves that this is not the
correct attitude - all Jews are part of a unified whole, and everyone needs
to combine with their fellow.
This idea even extends itself to people who are not behaving in the most
optimal fashion. Shortly after the mitzvah of giving half a shekel, God
commands us to combine a number of spices to make the incense. One of
these is the chelbanah, which the Sages tell us has a foul smelling odor.
Why then is it included in the ingredients for the incense? The Talmud
explains that any communal fast that does not include sinners is not
considered a proper fast. (4) Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz explains that when
the Jewish people are not united, then they are not considered one unit, and
therefore the power of the community is drastically weakened.(5)
The Bostoner Rebbe epitomized the attitude that every Jew should be
treated with respect regardless of his religious affiliation. His funeral
testified to this by the fact that there were numerous people attending who
would not be classified as regular Bostoner Chassidim. He expressed his
attitude in this area briefly: He said, "When people try to disassociate one
group from another, that's part of the 'Torah' of sinat Yisrael (hatred of
Jews). Every person can improve. Every group can improve. But it doesn't
mean that these people have to be blackballed because some people think
that they're not exactly the way they are..." (6)
We have seen how the Midrash connecting the episode of the sale of
Joseph to the mitzvah of giving half a shekel, teaches us that we should
realize that we should never 'blackball' other Jews, regardless of who they
are. May we all merit to learn from the words of the Bostoner Rebbe and
emulate his actions, in striving to unite all Jews.
Notes
1. Ki Sisa, 30:13.
2. Bereishit Rabbah, 84:17. With commentary of 'Matnot Kehunah'. One
may ask, that according to this reasoning, the descendants of Joseph and
Benjamin (who was not involved in the sale) should be exempt from this
Mitzva. It seems that there are other reasons for the Mitzva of Shekalim
which obligate every man to give it, however the amount of half a shekel
is fixed by the calculation made by the Midrash.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 13
3. See Tallelei Orot, Shemot, chelek 2, p. 202 in the name of the Chida,
and beshem amroo, Shemot, Ki Tisa, 30:13 in the name of Arvei Hanachal
(author of Levushei Srad on Shulchan Aruch).
4. Krisus, 6b.
5. Sichot Mussar, Maamer 54, p. 231.
6. Quoted in Mishpacha Magazine, Issue 287, 22 Kislev, 5770, p. 41.
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Rabbi J. Gewirtz
Migdal Ohr
Volume 16 Issue 23
A publication dedicated to Harbotzas Torah
Parshas Pekudei-Shekalim 5774
DEwT ARDA UK OYLQw-YDWQP P
(ZK:XL TWMw) .IDAL RKK RKKH TAML OYNDA TAM ...wDQH YNDA TA TQCL FSKH
RKK TAM YHYW
And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the
sanctuary a hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a
socket. (Exodus 38:27)
The Torah gives an exact accounting of what the donations were used for
in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) down to the penny. Though Moshe and his
emissaries could have been trusted, they wanted to make sure they were
above reproach so they opened the books.
In this case, the Torah tells us that the silver which came from the
Machtzis HaShekel, the half-shekel each person gave to be counted and as
an atonement, was used to make sockets to hold the pillars of the Mishkan,
and hooks and overlays for them as well. The Torah here doesnt make
mention of any other silver donations.
There is a difference of opinion amongst the commentaries whether this
was all the silver used in the Mishkan, or whether there were other
donations of silver that were used for various utensils and vessels, but they
were not mentioned here. Regardless of the opinions, the Torah only
discussed how the silver brought from the half-shekels was used and from
this we can learn an important lesson about how we are to use our money.
Not everyone would be a Kohain, and most people would not be a Levite.
The average Jew would not spend his days in the Mishkan and yet it was
important for them to have a share in it. The half-shekel they gave to be
counted represented their person, so the way it was used in the Mishkan is
very telling.
The silver they gave was used to support the pillars. It was used to adorn
them and help them be more useful in creating the structure of the
Mishkan by providing the support for the walls. Like the pillars of the
Mishkan, our Rabbis and Torah scholars who dedicate themselves to
Torah are the underlying strength in the structure of Klal Yisrael. They
provide protection for us even when we may not realize it.
If one has money, the best use he can put it to is the support of these pillars
of our nation, (assuming its not a case of life-and-death) just as the silver
sockets were made to hold the pillars in place in the Mishkan. By
supporting them, we are in turn supporting and protecting our entire nation
so our money is indeed well-spent.
Further to this point, the Ohr HaChaim points out that no silver was
wasted. There were one hundred sockets made of 100 talents of silver and
each weighed a full talent. This alludes to the fact that when one gives
money to support Torah study and scholars, there is no waste. His money
is completely a mitzvah item, and he gets reward for all of it.
May it be HaShems will that we will all soon once again donate the half-
shekel, this time under the guidance of the Melech HaMoshaich, speedily
and in our days.
R Eliezer Gordon, the Telzer Rov, was supported by his father-in-law for
many years as he concentrated exclusively on Torah. At one point, his
father-in-laws financial situation took a turn for the worse. Nonetheless,
whenever R Leizer was offered a rabbinic position, his father-inlaw was
against the idea. His wife protested, How long can we support him? He
replied, Who knows who is supporting whom? Are we supporting him
with our money or is he supporting us with his Torah learning?
Finally, his wife won and R Leizer accepted a position. On the day the
Gordons were scheduled to leave, R Avraham Yitzchak Neviazer, the
father-in-law, suddenly collapsed and died.
His wife, a true tzadekes, eulogized him, Woe is to me. I killed him. He
said to me, Who knows who is sustaining whom? Now I know that it was
our son-in-law who supported us. We were living in the merit of his
Torah.
Did You Know?
Building the Mishkan was intended to bring HaShems Shechina, His
Divine Presence, down to earth, but also to lift us up so we could come
closer to Him by providing a way to interact with G-d.
In Devarim, (Deuteronomy 10:20) the Torah tells us to cling to God but
it doesnt tell us how.
The Gemara (Kesubos 111b) understands this to mean that we should get
close to Talmidei Chachomim. One should endeavor to marry the daughter
of a Torah scholar, marry his own daughter to a Torah scholar, do business
with them, and so on.
The reason for this mitzvah is that it is highly desirable for us to get close
to HaShem and we can do this by learning about His ways.
The best way to learn about Him is by spending time with people who
know more about Him than we do. In other words, hanging out and
interacting with scholarly people, well-versed in G-ds ways is a way to
get closer to Him.
By cleaving to and supporting Talmidei Chachomim, we are in effect
cleaving to HaShem Himself, and fulfilling the purpose of building the
Mishkan on an even higher level.
Thought Of The Week:
Dont invest money just to make more money. Thats a waste. Invest it to
make a better life for yourself and a better world for Mankind.
Mazel Tov to R Dovid and Blymie Gewirtz of Brooklyn, NY upon the
wedding of Yonah to Rikki (Bodner.) May the new couple build a Bayis
Neeman BYisrael and may you have much Yiddishe nachas from all your
children.
2014 J. Gewirtz E-mail Subscribe to info@JewishSpeechWriter.com Youll get back more than you give. Print, e-mail, and share Migdal Ohr with
others. Youll be glad you did. E-mail Subscribe to info@JewishSpeechWriter.com
HE ISYN LARsY R TB ABYL NEL
LXR TB OYRML HMYLw HAWPR TWKZL UXLDBY W
LDNYYRB TB IYYRB HQBRW HAL IB QYZYYA QXCY

Rabbi Nosson Greenberg
Khal Machzikei Torah
Pikuday 5774 - The Perfect Setting
In this weeks parsha we learn of the actual manufacturing of the
vestments worn by the Kohanim in the Mishkan. Among them is the
Choshen - the breastplate worn by the Kohain Gadol. I saw (in a sefer
whose name escapes me) someone who points out a subtle difference in
the wording of the Torah between Hashems instruction to Moshe
regarding the making of the Choshen and its actual execution. In parshas
Tetzaveh when Hashem instructed Moshe on how to place the twelve
precious stones onto the Choshen He said, Meshubatzim zahav yihyu
bmiluosam - They (the rows of stones) shall be of golden settings with
their fillings (Shmos, 28:20). In other words, the stones were to be placed
in rows upon the Choshen by fitting them into gold settings that were
already attached to the Choshen. However, in our parsha where the
instructions are carried out, the Torah uses an extra word in its description.
It says, Musabos mishbetzos zahav bmiluosam - Encircled with gold
settings with their fillings (Shmos, 39:13). Now we know that no word in
the Torah is unnecessary. If musabos was not needed at the time of
instruction, then why does the Torah deem it necessary to insert it into the
description at the time of manufacture?
Perhaps we can offer a homiletic understanding using a magnificent vort I
was told by Rav Zalman Stern in the name of his rebbe, Rav Shmuel
Birnbaum Ztl. The above-mentioned twelve stones were extremely
precious and valuable; each one in its own right was worth a kings
ransom. Stones of that size these days are of such fame that they are given
names. The Star of Bombay sapphire, The Hope diamond, The Midnight
Star ruby just to name a few. Yet look at how the Torah describes these
stones: Avnai Miluim - The filling stones! No unique name for each
of the twelve, just one collective title that describes their function vis vis
the golden settings. Why does the Torah seemingly ignore the majesty and
grandeur of each of these stones? Says Rav Birnbaum that the Torah is
teaching us an important lesson. As fancy, as unique, and as famous as one
may be, nothing can compare to having the ability to help out another.
Yes, each of these stones were fabulously precious, but their true legacy
was the comfort that each of them provided to the gold settings. Settings
that, before being filled by the stones, sat there with a gaping void within
them looking and feeling insignificant and foolish. And then they were
filled, and they felt accomplished and proud of their participation in the
bigdai kehunah. This act of kindness to those settings was the real fame
and pride of the stones and thus they were appropriately called The Avnai
Miluim .
With this gem (pun intended) of a vort we can now explain the insertion of
the extra word musabos. You see, when one helps out another, such as
giving tzedakkah or doing a chessed, there is a tremendous feeling of
accomplishment and of being blessed. The baalai mussar tell us that this
feeling should be to the degree that one should consider himself the
recipient rather than the benefactor. [That is why "Venasenu" the hebrew
for And they shall give is a palindrome, for in truth when one gives he is
receiving.] Similarly with these stones. When Hashem gave instructions to
Moshe, the stones had a job: to fill the empty settings. But then a
phenomenon happened. When they filled those settings, they felt like any
14 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
benevolent provider should feel. That the settings were doing them a favor
by safely and securely encircling them and keeping them firmly in place
on the Choshen. Instead of them feeling that they were Miluim - fillers,
they instead considered themselves musabos - recipients, encircled by the
settings.
Have a great Shabbos,Rabbi Nosson Greenberg
Rav, Khal Machzikei Torah, Far Rockaway N.Y. ravgreenbergkmt@gmail.com

Rabbi Yaacov Haber
TorahLab
What Is An Ayin Hara?
God instructs Moshe that when he takes the census of the Israelites, they
must be numbered indirectly: every man will give half a shekel, and the
money thus collected will be counted. This is so that no plague will break
out among them (Exod. 30: 11-13).
Rashi explains that the plague would come from the ayin hora (evil eye)
which would result from a direct count of the Israelites.
In general, we are supposed to avoid counting things publicly, to avoid the
evil eye in counting our wealth, for example, or in counting a minyan.
Here, however, this rule seems puzzling. If the ayin hora results from
some evil spirit, why should the Jews be worried about it in this case? G-d
is the ultimate power in the Universe, and it is He who commanded the
census in the first place, and he could (presumably) stop any such evil
spirit if He wanted to!
I heard in the name of the Maharal an extremely simple explanation of the
idea of the ayin hora. Every prayer to G-d must be answered! (albeit that
it may not be answered in the way we intend) Whether the prayer is
formal, spontaneous, a prayer of your neshama or even unconscious.
Now suppose someone shows off his good fortune to us. Although we may
not wish him any harmand might be shocked at such a suggestionwe
may find ourselves thinking, in spite of ourselves: Why should he have
such a good income, or such a nice car while Im struggling to stay afloat.
He is, after all, no better than I am! That thought may count as an
unconscious prayer against this persons success, which will be answered,
in one way or another!
There are only two situations in which there is no such danger: the reaction
of a father to his childs success, and that of a rabbi to his students
progress. Only in these two cases, the reaction is one of unalloyed
pleasure. In all other cases of being confronted with someones success,
there may be a component of resentment or envy, leading to the ayin
hora.
The Talmud also makes the point that the most successful people are those
who deal in small items, like jewelry, which can be hidden, and need not
be displayed prominently so as to arouse envy.
Even when Moshe was to go up Mount Sinai after the incident of the
Golden Calf, to receive the Ten Commandments a second time, he is
commanded to go alone: No man shall go up with you (34:3). Rashi
explains: The first tablets were given amidst tumult and thundering and
assemblies, which resulted in the evil eye from the nations of the world!
So this time it was going to be a much more low-keyed affair. As Rashi
says: There is nothing more beautiful than modesty.
The power of prayer! If all prayers must be answered, even ignoble
prayers, how much more will prayers be answered which are in
accordance with G-ds wishesprayers for the welfare of others, or for
our own spiritual growth.
Rabbi Yakov Haber
TorahWeb
"As G-d Commanded Moshe"
The recurrent phrase in this week's parasha - "ka'asher tziva Hashem es
Moshe" - is repeated no less than eighteen times.(1) The commentaries
offer diverse explanations for this phenomenon ranging from technical to
halachic to hashkafic. Some distinguish between ourparasha where the
phrase appears and parashas VaYakheil where the phrase curiously does
not appear.
Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk in his Meshech Chachma explains that the
bigdei kehuna described in Pekudei contained sha'atnez - wool and linen -
and therefore required special Divine dispensation to wear them. The
Mishkan, whose construction is mentioned inVaYakheil, by contrast, even
though its curtains also contained sha'atnez, but no regular Torah
prohibition was violated since they were not worn. Hence, the Torah
indicates that the Jewish people acted as G-d commanded concerning the
bigdei kehuna. Concerning theMishkan, this was obvious.
Rav Hirsch comments that the Mishkan, a building, was not considered
complete until it was totally finished. By contrast, the garments of
kohanim were considered complete as each one was finished. Hence, in
our parasha, the above-mentioned phrase appears after the formation of
each garment indicating its completion and also concerning the completion
of the construction of the Mishkan after all of its vessels, walls and
curtains were formed (Pekudei 39:42-43).
Beis HaLevi, the first Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik, presents a
penetrating analysis of this recurring phrase in two places. In parashas
Lech L'cha, Beis HaLevi explains this phrase to indicate that even though
an individual is highly intelligent and thinks that he knows the reason why
Hashem commanded the mitzva, he should perform it not because of his
knowledge of the reason but because of the Divine command itself. Only
this attitude is truly Divine service. Performing the mitzva because of our
understanding would not be serving G-d but serving ourselves by
following our understanding. A similar duality appears in the Gemara
Rosh HaShana (16a). After the Gemara questions why we blow the shofar
on Rosh HaShana, the Gemara challenges the question: Why do we blow
shofar?! Hashem commanded us to blow! Even though ta'amei hamitzvos
are often offered by Torah scholars as part of Torah study, the m'chayeiv,
that which obligates us to do the mitzva is certainly not the reason, but
rather the Divine command itself (see P'nei Yehoshua). Whether one has
an insight into a possible reason or not, he is equally bound by the mitzva
because of the Divine commandment.
In parashas Ki Tissa, Beis HaLevi links this concept to the relationship
between the Cheit Ha'Eigel and the building of the Mishkan. One opinion
in the Midrash followed by Rashi (Ki Tissa 31:18) states that Hashem
commanded Moshe concerning the Mishkan only after the Cheit Ha'Eigel.
Thus, the construction of the Mishkan atoned for the sin of the Golden
Calf. Beis HaLevi explains that each mitzva has enormous spiritual, inner
depth and this is certainly so for the Mishkan and Mikdash which "houses"
the Divine Presence in some mysterious way. One knowledgeable of this
depth of Torah might be tempted to utilize his knowledge to create some
entity which will bring down the Divine Presence without following any
specific Divine commandment. This is what B'nei Yisrael attempted to do
in forming the Eigel. (See Midrash quoted by Ramban (32:1) that they
were inspired to make an image of the Eigel having witnessed the image of
an ox in the Merkava vision they experienced at Har Sinai (see Yechezkel
1:10).) Their grievous error lay in the fact that only G-d determines what
form of worship is appropriate and what kind of structure and vessels
would be a correct form to "house" the Shechina. K'lal Yisrael in
constructing the Mishkan atoned for their great sin by not diverging one
iota from the Divine command and building it because of G-d's command,
not based on their insights into its enormous spiritual significance.
Creating alternate forms of worship based on the perceived reasons for
mitzvos is sinful and can even lead, as it did in the case of the Eigel, to
idolatry.
Perhaps we can connect all of the approaches given above as follows.
Divine service is itself a big mystery. How can finite man serve the infinite
Creator? As the Midrash (B'reishis Rabba 44:1) teaches, G-d is not
affected by our service of Him. Nonetheless, HashemYisborach in His
Infinite Wisdom provides for us a means with which to serve Him and
elevate ourselves through that service. The unifying factor of all of these
approaches is that only G-d can command how His creations should serve
and thereby connect to the Infinite One.
When should one mitzva override another? Only the Torah itself can
determine that. This is Meshech Chachma's teaching - the overriding of the
law of sha'atnez is only "as G-d commanded Moshe." What if we think we
know the reason for a mitzva - shouldn't it be performed because of that
reason? This is what Beis HaLevi teaches: our performance of mitzvos is
in order to follow the Divine command. The reasons can enhance but
should never motivate the "mitzva act".(2) What if we come up with a new
mode of service? This is the second teaching of Beis HaLevi: only G-d can
determine the mode of service appropriate.
But G-d also commanded the Chachmei HaDor to create safeguards to the
Torah and even add Rabbinic mitzvos.(3) Ran (D'rashos 7) teaches that
these serve as expressions of ahavas Hashem and yir'as Hashem
demonstrating that we do not wish to suffice with just the minimum
requirements and also wish to safeguard our precious heritage. However,
since we cannot choose to serve the Almighty in a way he has not
commanded, the Chachmei HaDor must have enormous insight as to what
kinds of Rabbinic safeguards and Rabbinicmitzvos would "blend in" with
the rest of the Torah and which would be foreign intrusions into the Torah
system. Our sages teach us "kol d'tikkun Rabbanan k'ein d'Oraisa tikkun".
All Rabbinic enactments follow Torah patterns. To do so properly requires
absolute mastery of the Torah far beyond that which ordinary Torah
scholars possess.
Recent controversies have erupted concerning what modes of avodas
Hashem are appropriate and which are not. Our parasha resonates again
and again with the slogan - "ka'asher tziva Hashem es Moshe." Make sure
that everything is in accordance with this directive! But how are we to
know Hashem's Will in an era when we can no longer ask Moshe
Rabbeinu to receive direct instructions from the Almighty? The answer is
contained in the Torah's directive "ki yipalei mim'cha davar
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 15
lamishpat...v'asisa k'chol asher yorucha" (Shof'tim 17:8-10). Follow the
interpretations and rulings of the Sanhedrin and in subsequent eras the G-
dolei Chachmei haDor (see Seifer haChinuch (495) that this verse applies
for all generations) who will be given Divine assistance to determine
which mode blends in with the Torah and which does not. May the Nosein
HaTorah continue to grant the Chachmei haDor the wisdom to guide us in
following His will and Am Yisrael the desire to loyally follow their
guidance.
1. Be'er Moshe by R. Moshe Yechiel HaLevi of Ozhorov suggests the
Moshe Rabbeinu who was willing to give up his life for K'lal Yisrael
merited "chai" mentionings of this phrase referencing his role as the
sh'liach of Hashem indicating his eternal life and legacy.
2. See Rav Y. D. Soloveitchik's shiur on the Korach Rebellion available at
www.bcbm.org.
3. The important distinction between the Sages until the chasimas
haTalmud and those after that time is beyond the scope of our limited
words here. But even current Chachmei HaDor are charged to make
limited takkanos to preserve the Torah's integrity.
Copyright 2014 by The TorahWeb Foundation. All rights reserved.
Rabbi Sender Haber
Out of the Loop
Hot Spot
A few years ago, I worked with my star student Michael on his Bar Mitzva
speech for parshas Pikudei. He did a great job. Michael was talking about
himself, but I think that the Bar Mitzvah boy inside each one of us can
relate:
This morning, I read to you about the Mishkan that the Jews built in the
desert. The Mishkan was a structure dedicated to Hashem. In it, the people
could serve Hashem with no distractions at all. Nobody lived in the
Mishkan. They all had lives. But they knew that the Mishkan was there for
them when they needed somewhere quiet and holy to go.
I have learned from my parents and teachers that Hashem does not demand
that we concentrate on only Him 24/7. As long as we are following the
Torah, Hashem encourages us to live our lives and have fun as we become
productive members of society. On the other hand, I have learned that we
cannot spend our whole life running around and living for others. We need
to take time out to concentrate on ourselves and our relationship with G-d.
The Jewish camp in the desert was enormous, but it could not be complete
without the sacrosanct structure of the Mishkan where everything could be
forgotten and our souls could be nourished.
As I grow up, Ive come to realize that life can get very complicated and
very busy. Years ago, life was simpler: I would wake up, cry, eat, and get
my diaper changed. Now I need to split my time between Shacharis,
school, sports, sleeping, eating, learning and beating up my brother.
I have come to appreciate the value of taking time out to evaluate and
appreciate everything that I have in my life. I have come to realize how
important it is to set aside time to talk to Hashem.
Even professional athletes cannot spend all of their time on the court. In
the average Basketball game things can get pretty heated up. People get
hyper, pressured and sometimes discouraged. Every once in a while it is
important for them to huddle together or take some time off on the bench
or in the dugout. There is nothing wrong with getting excited, but
everyone needs a place where they can cool down and refocus.
Of course there is a big difference between a Dugout and a Mishkan, but
the concept of space and time is the same. Every Shul is a Mikdash Meat,
a mini-sanctuary where we can pause and let time stand still as we
communicate with G-d.
I am privileged that I have been brought up in a community where I have
been taught how and where to come and connect with Hashem.
Thank You.
Aish.Com - Rabbi Ari Kahn
M'oray Ha'Aish
Pekudei - A Happy Ending
The Exodus story is tinged with dashed dreams of what could have been.
As we arrive at the end of the Book of Shmot (Exodus), we are left with
mixed feelings. On the one hand, the book seems to have a happy ending.
Any reader who appreciates the hopelessness of the situation of the
Israelite slaves in Egypt as they are described in the book's early chapters,
and contrasts their plight with the end of the book, where the people are
free and spiritually attuned, must declare Shmot an exceptional narrative
of liberation, a victorious tour de force.
Reading through the book in more detail would most likely lead the reader
to the same conclusion: The book of Shmot is a success story, describing
an unparalleled, epic march from slavery to salvation, from redemption to
revelation. The hated, obstinate Pharaoh and his sadistic henchmen are
punished, measure for measure: Their cruelty and arrogance lead them to
the bottom of the sea. The Jews march to Sinai, witness the most glorious
theophany in human history, and build a sanctuary in which this singular
revelation can be recalled, recast and repeated on a daily basis. Shmot ends
as the Glory of God fills the Mishkan, in the midst of this unique nation.
Surely, as might be expected, there were some setbacks -- small "mini-
rebellions," a degree of grumbling and complaining, a minor "military
action"even one glaring, glistening, golden transgression. But surely, by
the end of the book, all has been forgiven and forgotten. Or has it?
This is the question that gnaws at us: Was this, in fact, the way the book
was supposed to end? At first glance, the question seems absurd; what
better final chapter could we have hoped for? The Glory of God Himself
had descended into the completed Temple (Mishkan). The entire camp was
transformed into a place of holiness, like no other known to mankind. The
Children of Israel stood poised to continue their journey, to fulfill their
destiny.
And therein lies the rub: This entire generation will never make it to the
Promised Land. Likewise, their leader Moshe will never step foot in the
"Land flowing with milk and honey."
As originally scripted, the "screenplay" was quite different: After a short
stopover at Sinai, where the people would gain the spiritual focus and
energy that would carry them forward to their final destination, Moshe
should have led the glorious march that ended in Jerusalem. There, the
Presence of God would have filled the newly-built Temple, the Beit
HaMikdash, the eternal seat of God on earth. The Word of God should
have rung out from Jerusalem, as teachings of decency, peace and freedom
began, first as a ripple but soon as a tidal wave of righteousness, to sweep
across and enlighten the world. The inhabitants of the land would have
bowed their heads, acknowledging that the rightful owners had come
home; they would have handed them the keys and politely excused
themselves.
But this is not how the book ends. In fact, the entire scenario never came
to fruition - not for Moshe's generation, nor for any other. The entire
generation that experienced the great miracles described throughout
Shmot, all the adults who entered into the Covenant at Sinai, perished in
the desert, as did Moshe.
If we read the last chapters of Shmot while considering what should have
been, the ending of the book is a bittersweet tale of missed opportunity.
What we thought was a story of triumph becomes a description of failure.
Shmot concludes as the temporary temple, the Tabernacle or Mishkan, is
consecrated. In fact, the Mishkan should never have existed; it is but a
cheap imitation of what was meant to be. Clearly, had the building of the
permanent Temple, the Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem, not been delayed,
there would have been no need for a temporary construct that would
accompany them on their travels through the wilderness. The forty-year
sojourn in the desert was not a part of the original plan; it was a result of
those "little rebellions" and that golden calf. In fact, our bad choices had
far more impact than we might care to consider. Those choices forced a
detour - geographical, chronological and spiritual - that led us so far away
from our goal that even after millennia we have not achieved it.
Was the building of the Mishkan a pyrrhic victory? Are there times in our
own lives when we do the same - celebrate what we think is a great
accomplishment, without realizing that we are actually settling for a mere
shadow of what could or should have been? Do we settle for spiritually
inferior accomplishments, basking in their modest glory while stunting our
imagination, not allowing ourselves to strive higher, to envision our souls,
and indeed the entire world, perfected?
The Book of Shmot has come to an end, yet the story it should have
recorded remains untold. The mission remains unfinished. We are charged
with taking up the vision of what should have been, and seeing it through.
In order to do so, we must liberate our minds from the artificial boundaries
we have imposed upon ourselves, and envision a world elevated and free, a
world in which the story of the Exodus finally reaches its glorious
intended conclusion.
For a more in-depth analysis see: http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2014/02/audio-and-essays-
parashat-pikudei.html
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Rabbi Avraham Kahn
Torah Attitude
Parashas Pekudei: Cynic, Cynic On The Wall
February 27, 2014
Summary
Moses made an exact account to address the gossip of cynics. Moses was
beyond reproach. The cynics only purpose is to destroy the subject of
their mockery. Cynics are one of four groups that will not be allowed into
the Divine presence in the world to come. There is no limit to how low a
cynic can go. The two negative character traits of insolence and pride
combine to produce the cynic. Just as you cannot talk sense to someone
16 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
who is intoxicated, the same applies to the cynic. Cynicism is like a shield
covered with oil. Amalek only destroyed the reverence. Rashi compares
the cynic to somebody jumping into a hot bath. The three obligations on
Purim were designed to help us counteract the cynical forces represented
by Amalek.
Exact Account By Moses
In the beginning of this weeks Parasha it says: These are the reckonings
of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of Testimony, which were reckoned at
Moses bidding (Shemos 38:21). The Midrash Tanchuma relates how
Moses sat down and made an exact account of everything that had been
received and spent in the making of the Tabernacle. Asks the Midrash, G-d
clearly trusted Moses and referred to him with the words (Bamidbar 12:8):
In My entire house he is the trusted one. So for what purpose did he
have to make an exact account?
Cynics Gossip
The Midrash answers that Moses overheard the gossip of some cynics who
were talking amongst themselves. They said that a person who was in
charge of the entire Tabernacle and had limitless gold and silver at his
disposal, it is not surprising that he became rich. To address the gossip of
the cynics Moses made a promise that when all the work had been
completed, he would make an exact account. This is why he was so careful
to make an exact account.
Moses Was Beyond Reproach
Moses was the beloved leader of the Jewish people. He did everything for
the sake of the honour of G-d and for the benefit of the community. From
the time he grew up in Egypt, he dedicated his life to help and assist his
fellow human beings. Who would dare doubt his integrity? When
everyone was busy at the time of the exodus from Egypt asking for gold,
silver and other valuables from their Egyptian neighbours, Moses was
looking for the coffin of Joseph. For Joseph had requested that they take
his remains along with them when they left Egypt. Could anyone seriously
think that the greatest of all prophets, whose whole life was devoted to
seeking spiritual values, would allow himself to steal from the donations of
the Jewish people intended to build the Tabernacle? Moses was surely
beyond reproach.
Destructive Nature Of Cynicism
This teaches us the destructive nature of cynicism and mockery. It is not
based on common sense or intellectual wisdom. Cynics will find or even
invent any minute flaw in a persons conduct or personality. They will
utilize the smallest little crack in the foundation and develop it to ruin the
whole building for their own aggrandizement and entertainment. Their
only purpose is to destroy the subject of their mockery.
Great Sin Of Mockery
Rabbi Yaakov Molin, better known as the Maharil writes, A person shall
guard himself not to mock. The cynic will justify and say I will just say
something in jest in front of others so that I shall appear to be cute. I will
do all kinds of shtick (stunts) to make people around me laugh. One should
be aware that this is a great sin. Our sages (Avodah Zara 18b) warn that
the cynic will eventually find himself in great pain and in the end he will
receive major Divine punishment. The Talmud (Sotah 42a) teaches that
there are four groups of people that will not be allowed into the Divine
presence in the world to come. One of these groups is the group of cynics.
(The other three groups are people who speak gossip, people who lie, and
people who flatter to gain favour).
How Low Can You Go?
Later in this weeks Parasha, the Midrash shows us that a cynic will not
even stop from being cynical about G-d Himself. The Midrash relates that
the Tabernacle was constructed in the three months after Yom Kippur, but
it was only erected on the first of the month of Nissan. G-d wanted it to be
erected in the same month that our Patriarch Isaac was born. Again the
cynics spun their evil doings, wondering aloud, whats going on, the
Tabernacle is finished, why is it not being erected? Obviously, they did
not know why G-d waited. The Midrash concludes that this is the meaning
of what is says, And the people spoke about G-d and Moses (Bamidbar
21:5). Not only were they calling into question the propriety of Moses
conduct, they dared to question G-ds as well. There is no limit to how low
a cynic can fall.
Insolence And Pride
Rabbenu Yonah (Gates of Repentance 3:174) explains that the two
negative character traits of insolence and pride combine to produce the
cynic. Even without having any personal benefit, the cynic will cause
major damage to fellow human beings, pulling them down without any
regard for the consequences. Only a proud person who thinks of himself as
being better than his contemporaries would allow himself to be cynical
about others. A modest person who is aware of his own flaws will never
mock someone else.
Intoxicated
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto (Path of the Just Chap.5) explains that a
person who becomes accustomed to cynicism and mockery will not be
ready to listen to even common sense. This person totally loses his bearing
and will not accept guidance from anyone to change. Instead, he looks at
everything in a crooked way. He becomes totally intoxicated with his own
cynicism. Just as you cannot talk sense to someone who is intoxicated, the
same applies to the cynic.
Nothing Can Penetrate
Rabbi Luzatto compares cynicism to a shield covered with oil. With the
slippery oil that makes everything slide off its surface, nothing will
penetrate the shield. In the same way, the slippery character traits of pride
and insolence bring about that nothing will penetrate cynicism. Any
attempt to help correct the cynic will be in vain.
Destroying Reverence
There is no limit to the destruction that the cynic can cause. Our sages say
that one cynical comment will distort a hundred proofs. People will laugh
when they hear mockery and will not even realize how it affects them.
Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner explains that as the Jewish people left Egypt and
were miraculously saved at the splitting of the Red Sea, the whole world
stood in reverence of them. Nobody dared to touch them. Along came the
nation of Amalek, with no personal agenda. Although they were not
threatened in any way by the Jewish people in the wilderness, they
attacked the nation who had just been freed from slavery. There could only
be one motivation: to break down the reverence in which the Jewish
people were held by the rest of the world. This was a classical act of
cynicism. Amalek did not gain anything for themselves. They only
destroyed the reverence.
The Hot Bath Made Cool
The Torah states, Remember what Amalek did to you on the way when
you were leaving Egypt. That he met you on the way (Devarim
25:18). The Hebrew word for meeting used in this connection can also
be translated as cooling. The nations were afraid of the Jewish people
but the cynicism of Amalek cooled them down. Rashi compares the
cynic to somebody jumping into a hot bath. Although he gets burned, he
nevertheless cools it down for others, proving that it is possible to survive
somewhat to jump into the hot water. Amalek jumped into the hot bath for
no reason other than to cool down the Jewish people.
Purim
In a few weeks we are going to celebrate Purim. On Purim, we remember
what Haman, a descendant of Amalek, did to the Jewish nation. On the
Shabbos before Purim, we are obligated to remember what the nation of
Amalek did to our ancestors after the exodus from Egypt and we read the
portion of the Torah dealing with this (Shemos 19:14). Amalek personified
the evil of cynicism that brings about so much ruin and breakdown of
relationships in its wake. The essence of Purim is to bring people closer to
each other by showing concern and care for everyone. This is done by
fulfilling three of the obligations on Purim: (1) sending food to friends and
family; (2) giving charity to the needy; and (3) having a festive meal.
These were designed to help us counteract the destructive forces
represented by Amalek. We must be cautious that the very activity of
Purim should not be abused to poke fun and ridicule others. The spirit of
Purim (no pun intended) should prevail to destroy cynicism and bring us
all closer together.
These words were based on notes of Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto. Shalom. Michael
Deverett P.S. If you have any questions or enjoyed reading this e-mail, we would appreciate hearing from you. If you know of others who may be
interested in receiving e-mails similar to this please let us know at michael@deverettlaw.com. For previous issues please see
http://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/kahn/archives/archives.htm.

Rabbi Yosef Kalatzky
Beyond Pshat
LZeicher nishmas avi mori Reb Moshe Ben Yosef Kalatsky zl u lzeicher nishmas emee morasi
Shaindel Bas Reb Chaim Tzvi zl LZeicher nishmas ishtee Yehudis Chanah Kalatsky Bas Reb
Kehas Zl
1. Betzalel the Vessel for Wisdom
The Torah states, See, Hashem has proclaimed by name, Betzalel son of
Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah. He filled him with Gdly spirit
with wisdom, insight, and knowledge and with every craft The Torah
tells us that Betzalel was chosen to oversee the building of the Mishkan.
The Gemara at the end of Tractate Berachos tells us that Betzalel was
endowed with the understanding of how to conjugate letters of the Hebrew
alphabet to bring about Creation. Because he possessed this knowledge, he
understood the inner workings of Creation. The Mishkan, being a
microcosm of existence needed to be infused with the similar intent as
Creation so that it could activate the necessary spiritual forces and
influences. The Midrash tells us that at this time, Betzalel was thirteen
years old. Why did Betzalel merit such a special endowment?
Whenever the Torah mentions ones pedigree it usually only traces it back
to ones parent. However, regarding Betzalel, the Torah traces his
pedigree back to his grandfather, Chur. As it states in the verse , Betzalel
son of Uri son of Chur. The Midrash tells us that Betzalels qualification
for this special endowment can be understood with an allegory. There was
a general who fought many battles for his king and was victorious. He
brought great honor and glory to his king. Because the general had brought
him much honor, the king decided that after the next battle he would
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 17
reward him for his selfless sacrifice. However, before the king was able to
actualize his intent, the general was killed in battle. The king wanting to
show his appreciation to his dedicated general, decided to seek out the
generals closest relative, his grandson. He bestowed upon him the wealth
and recognition that was due to his grandfather. Chur the grandfather of
Betzalel, attempted to stop the Jewish people from the sin of the Golden
Calf. When he intervened for the sake of Gd, he was killed by the rabble.
Betzalel was the beneficiary of the sacrifice of his grandfather and was
thus endowed with the wisdom to oversee the building of Mishkan. This
was due to the merit of his grandfather.
The Torah tells us that Pharaoh told the Hebrew midwives, Yocheved and
Miriam, to kill the Jewish male children as they were being born. The
Torah tells us that they defied his order because They feared Gd. The
Midrash states that as a reward for their fear of Gd Yocheved and Miriam
merited that Hashem made for them houses (baatim). Yocheved was
given the houses of Priesthood (Kehuna) and Kingship (Malchus). This
reward was realized through Moshe (as King of the Jewish people) and
Aaron (who was the High Priest). Miriams reward was wisdom
(chochmah). Where do we see Miriams reward manifested? The verse
states in Eyov, Fear of Gd is wisdom. Betzalel, a descendent of
Miriam, merited wisdom because of Miriams demonstration of her fear of
Gd. Thus, Betzalel was endowed with the most advanced level of
wisdom, which gave him the ability to understand the inner workings of
Creation.
Rashi in the Portion of Mishpatim cites Chazal who ask, Why is the
Potion of the Jewish Court juxtaposed to the Portion of the Altar (which
precedes it in the previous Portion)? The Midrash explains it is to teach
us that the location of the Sanhedrin Gedolah, (The High Court of Israel)
must be adjacent to the Altar (the Sanctuary of the Temple). This location
was known as the Chamber of Cut Stone (Lishkas HaGazis). What is the
significance of the Sanhedrins location being adjacent to the Holy
Sanctuary?
One is able to say that reason that the location of the Sanhedrin must be
adjacent to the Sanctuary is based upon the verse, Ki me Tzion teitzei
Torah - Torah goes forth from Zion. Since the Sanhedrin represents a
body of Torah Sages who have the greatest understanding of Torah and are
responsible to resolve all halachic issues, they must be closely associated
with the Divine Presence to merit a special level of clarity. The verse
states, Gd stands within the congregation of Gd. Meaning, that when
every rabbinic court convenes to issue a verdict, Gd is present and the
judges merit to see truth through the Eyes of Gd, rather than through their
human intellect, which is subject to error.
The Gemara in Tractate Sanhedrin states that the Judges who were
qualified to be part of the Sanhedrin were required to understand seventy
languages because they needed to hear direct testimony of witnesses
without any intermediary such as an interpreter. The Sanhedrin was
composed of Judges that were not only proficient in the entire Torah but
also proficient in seventy languages and many branches of knowledge that
were directly or indirectly related to the evaluation of evidence. The
Gemara states that although one is not permitted to study the laws of
witchcraft, the judges of the Sanhedrin were permitted to be fully versed in
these areas in order to adjudicate these cases properly. The judges who
qualified for the Sanhedrin possessed a level of genius and understanding
that is beyond our comprehension.
One would think that such an unequalled level of genius would cause the
judges to become haughty and arrogant, which would impair their
judgment due to their various conflicts. However, because they convene in
the proximity of the Divine Presence, it causes them to be humbled and
negated, thus allowing them to fully employ their genius properly. The
Gemara in Tractate Rosh Hashanah states there are no rabbinic fences in
the Temple. Why is this so? Rashi explains that the reason the Rabbis
enact fences was because one does not have continuous cognizance and
focus of ones spiritual responsibilities. This lack of cognizance leads to
inadvertent transgression. However in the Temple, because one is able to
sense Gds Presence, there is no lapse of cognizance. Thus, there was no
need for Rabbinic fences. The Sanhedrin, being in the proximity of the
location of the Divine Presence would cause them to have a sufficient fear
and reverence of Gd. It will thus allow them to maximize on their
exceptional knowledge and ability. This is the meaning of wisdom is
synonymous with the fear of Gd.
2. Earth, the Equivalent of Heaven
The Midrash cites a verse from Psalms, Hashem, I love the shelter of
Your House and the place of the residence (Mishkan) of Your Glory
Reb Shimon Bar Yochai explains, From this we see that the lower
Sanctuary corresponds to the heavenly Sanctuary. Reb Yaakov BReb
Yossi said, Why does King David say I love the shelter of Your
House? It is to indicate that the Mishkan itself is the equivalent of
Creation. Where do we find that it is equivalent? The Torah states
regarding Creation, Gd spread the heavens like a tapestry
Regarding the Mishkan it is written, You should make tapestries made of
goat hides Regarding Creation the Torah states, And Gd separated
between the waters Where do find the concept of separation in the
Mishkan? It states, The curtain shall separate (between the holy and Holy
of Holies). Regarding Creation, the Torah states, The waters shall
gather Regarding the Mishkan, it states, The water will gather in the
copper laver.It states regarding the creation of man, So Gd created
Man in His image Where do we find the corresponding element for
Man in the Mishkan? It is the High Priest. (Just as Adam was created to
serve Gd on earth, so too was Aaron chosen to be the Officiant of Gd in
the Mishkan) The Midrash continues to offer many other correlations
between the Mishkan and the creation of the world. Why did the Mishkan
need to be the equivalent of Creation?
The objective of Creation was for Gds Presence to dwell in the physical
realm with Man to be His Officiant. However, because Adam had failed by
eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, physical existence
was no longer fit for the Divine Presence. By sinning, Adam putrefied the
world that was created to be a pristine setting for Gd. At Sinai, the Jewish
people once again ascended to the level of Adam before the sin. At that
time, the angels pleaded with Gd to keep His Splendor in heaven.
However, Gd told Moshe to explain to the angels that His location is on
earth on not in heaven.
The Gemara tells us that a tzaddik is greater than the most lofty angel. Reb
Chaim of Volozhin ztl explains that although the greatest human being
cannot comprehend what the angel understands, the devoutly righteous is
still greater because the angel only understands because Gd endowed it
with this understanding; however, the tzaddik reaches horizons of
understanding and clarity through his own initiative. Whatever the tzaddik
is, is due to his own choices and initiatives. Therefore, his level of
achievement is attributed to himself. Since the greatness and dimension of
the angel is not attributed to its own initiative, the tzaddik is greater than
the most lofty angel. Gd gave the Torah to the Jewish people to allow
them to develop and refine themselves spiritually. Since man is a product
of his own choices, the Torah is meant to be the mechanism through which
he can make the proper choices and thus be spiritualized.
Since the beginning of Creation, the Sinai event was the first time that the
world was able to once again be the dwelling location for the Divine
Presence. As Chazal tell us, the world quaked because Gd brought heaven
to earth. Ramban explains that the Mishkan was a replication of Sinai. The
intensity of Gds Presence in the Holy of Holies in the Mishkan was the
equivalent to that of Sinai. Just as Gd communicated to Moshe and the
Jewish people at Sinai, He spoke to Moshe from between the Cherubs on
the Holy Ark that was located in the Holy of Holies. Ramban presents
many correlations, based on verses of how the Divine Presence in the
Mishkan was the equivalent of Sinai. Thus, the Mishkan is the location
through which the initial intent of Creation can be fulfilled.
The Midrash continues, Why is the Mishkan the equivalent of heaven and
earth? The verse states, I call heaven and earth today to bear witness
Just as heaven and earth will bear witness for the Jewish people if they are
adhering to principles of the Torah, so too will the Mishkan bear witness
on their behalf. As the Torah refers to the Mishkan as Sanctuary of
Testimony (Mishkan ha eidus). The verse states, These are the
reckonings of the Sanctuary, the Sanctuary of Testimony Why does the
Torah repeat the word Sanctuary (Mishkan) twice? Reb Shmuel
explains, It is alluding to the destruction of the First and Second
Temple. If the Jewish people have the Mishkan or the Temple in their
midst it is an indication that they are conforming to the principles of the
Torah. However if the Temple is destroyed, then it is a confirmation that
the Jewish people have transgressed. The Mishkan only has value if there
is a Jewish people. If there is no Jewish people, then the Mishkan has no
value.
Chazal tell us that although the ninth of Av is the most tragic day of the
year, because it is the day that the First and Second Temples were
destroyed, it is referred to as a moed (holiday). Why is this so? It is
because the verse in Prophets tells us that at the time of the destruction of
the First Temple, The Wrath of Gd had been poured out on the wood
and stone. Chazal tell us that if Gds Wrath had not been expended on
the Temple it would have had to come upon the Jewish people. This would
have destroyed them. The destruction of the First Temple was an act of
Mercy, although it was an expression of the Attribute of Justice.
Therefore, the day of the destruction of the Temple is considered to be a
holiday, because it was the day the Jewish people were spared. By being
spared, they have the opportunity to repent and atone for their sins, and
thus are able to bring about the rebuilding of the Third Temple with the
coming of Moshiach.
The Mishkan needed to be the equivalent of Creation because the objective
of existence is to be the dwelling location of Gd. If the world itself was
not qualified to host His Divine Presence, then the Mishkan was to be that
location.
18 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
3. The Power of Agency
The Midrash states, When they had finished all that was needed for the
Mishkan, the people said, When will the Divine Presence dwell in our
midst? The Jewish people were anguished that the Divine Presence did
not enter into the Mishkan. What did they do? They went to all of the wise
of heart and said, What are you doing sitting idly while the Divine
Presence is not entering into the Mishkan! After all that we have given to
its building, go now and erect the Mishkan so that the Divine Presence
should dwell in our midst. However, they did not know how to erect the
Mishkan. They believed that if they were to erect it, the Mishkan would
collapse. They went to consult with Betzalel and Ahaliav, because they
were the ones who understood the inner workings of the Mishkan. They
asked them, How will you erect the Mishkan? They attempted but they
did not succeed. The people began to murmur and complain amongst
themselves saying, What did the son of Amram do to us? He caused us to
expend our wealth on the building of this Mishkan and we toiled with
great effort, because he promised us that Gd would ascend into the
Mishkan and dwell within the tapestries of goat hides. As it states, Make
for Me a dwelling location in your midst. But He did not! Why could
they not erect the Mishkan?
The Midrash continues, It is because Moshe was pained and anguished
that he did not participate in the building of the Mishkan. Gd thus did not
allow the Mishkan to be erected without Moshes involvement.
One would think that the Jewish people would have wanted Moshe to be
involved in every aspect of the building of the Mishkan because he was
chosen by Gd to be the conduit for Torah. He was the most special Jew to
ever live and radiated with holiness. However, the Jewish people did not
seek out his assistance until they realized that they were not able to erect it
themselves. Why did they not initially come to him to participate? How
could they have even considered that the Divine Presence would enter into
the Mishkan without Moshes participation? In addition, it seems that had
Moshe not been pained and anguished he would not have participated in
the building of the Mishkan. Gd would have allowed the Jewish people to
erect it without Moshes participation. How is it possible that neither the
Jewish people nor Gd would want Moshe to be involved in the building
of the Mishkan to some degree?
The Midrash tell us that the Mishkan was beloved to Gd like gold,
because it was the Mishkan of Moshe. The Torah tells us that Moshe
was instructed by Gd to build every aspect of the Mishkan. However, he
was not actually involved in the physical building of the Mishkan. Ohr
HaChaim HaKadosh explains that the mitzvah of the building of the
Mishkan was given to Moshe and because he could not do everything
regarding its building, it was understood that Gd wanted him to delegate
the responsibility to the Jewish people. Subsequently, Gd endowed all
those who had a wise heart with special wisdom that was needed to build
the Mishkan in order to actualize their agency to Moshe. Why did Gd
command Moshe to delegate the building of the Mishkan to the Jewish
people? The obligation should have been directly incumbent upon them.
Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh explains that through the principle of agency,
Gd wanted Moshe to be the beneficiary of the building of the Mishkan.
He wanted every aspect of the mitzvah to accrue to him. This is based on
the principle of agency which states, the agent is considered to be the
equivalent to the one who appointed him. Based on this understanding of
agency, the entire Mishkan identifies with Moshe (Mishkan of Moshe_
because every aspect of the Mishkan was done through the agency of
Moshe. The Gemara in Tractate Kiddushin, tells us that it is greater for one
to perform a mitzvah himself then to delegate it through an agent. If this is
so, why did Gd want the Mishkan to come about through the law of
agency? It was because it was not possible for Moshe to be engaged in
every aspect of the Mishkan.
When the Jewish people were not able erect the Mishkan they came to
Moshe to erect it. Although they had been acting as Moshes agents
regarding the entire building of the Mishkan; nevertheless, since Moshe
was pained and anguished because he understood that value of being
personally involved in the execution of a mitzvah, Gd did not allow them
to complete its building. Thus, it was necessary for them to come to Moshe
to erect it. We are now able to understand that regardless of Moshes level
of spirituality why the Jewish people did not ask him to participate. They
were acting as his agents in every aspect of the building of the Mishkan.
Thus it was not necessary to ask him.
4. Moshes Dimension of Being
The Torah states, All of the work of the Tabernacle (Mishkan), the Tent
of the Meeting, was completedThey brought the Tabernacle to Moshe,
the Tent and all its utensils The Midrash tells us that Moshe was pained
and anguished that he did not participate in the building of the Mishkan.
Gd therefore did not allow the Jewish people to erect the Mishkan
without Moshes involvement. Rashi cites Chazal, Why did the Jewish
people bring the Tabernacle to Moshe to erect? It was because of the
weight of the beams that they were not able to erect it. Moshe had not
participated in the building of the Mishkan. Gd, therefore, reserved the
erecting of the Mishkan for him so that he should complete its building. It
was humanly impossible to erect the Mishkan because of the weight of the
beams (krashim). Why did Moshe not initially participate in the building
of the Mishkan?
Maharal of Prague ztl explains that whenever there is something that
involves the evolution and development of existence and the fulfillment of
the objective of Creation, it is not by chance or coincidence but rather it is
destiny. The events relating to the building of the Mishkan unfolded
exactly as Gd had intended. Moshe chose initially not to participate in the
building of the Mishkan because he did not want to deny any Jew the
opportunity to participate in its building. The reason Moshe understood the
situation in this manner was due to Gd. He did not want Moshe to
actually participate in the building of the Mishkan until its completion with
the erection of the beams. Why did Gd not want Moshe to participate in
its development but only in the completion of the Mishkan?
Maharal of Prague ztl in his work Gevuras Hashem explains that each
Jew within the 600,000 men above the age of twenty who left Egypt were
considered to be a component (prat) within the totality of the Jewish
people. Moshe was not a component within the Jewish people, but rather
he is considered to be the equivalent of the totality of the Jewish people.
As Chazal tell us, Moshe is the equivalent of the entire Jewish people.
The Midrash tells us that the Mishkan was the equivalent of Creation.
Every aspect of Creation is alluded and reflected in the Mishkan. The
reason Moshe did not participate in the development and details of the
building of the Mishkan was because Moshe, as a person, only had
relevance to the totality of the Mishkan, which is the totality of existence.
Because of his dimension of being, is role was to bring together all the
components of Creation to establish what is the equivalent of all existence.
The Jewish people, as a nation, have a special relationship with Gd
because as an entity, they represent totality, which is Gd Who is all-
encompassing. In this context there is a commonality between Gd and the
Jewish people. No single Jew can have a relationship with Gd in his own
right, but rather it is because he is part of the entire Jewish people that he
has a relationship with Him. Moshe, on the other hand, was the only one
who was able to have a direct relationship with Gd because he reflected
the totality of the Jewish people. His dimension of prophecy and
relationship with Gd was face to face.
The Torah tells us that because Miriam did not fully understand and
appreciate Moshes special dimension of person, she was critical of his
behavior. She not understand that Moshes behavior needed to be different
than any prophet. In response to her inappropriate criticism, Gd told her
that she had spoken improperly about Moshe My servant. This is
because only he was the equivalent of the entire Jewish people, thus
meriting a relationship of face to face.
5. The Characteristic that Engenders Blessing (From Ki Sisa)
The Torah tells us that Moshe gave an accounting of all the gold, silver,
and copper that had gone into the building of the Mishkan. Torah states,
These are the reckonings of the Tabernacle The Midrash states, This
is the understanding of the verse in Proverbs, A man who is faithful has
great blessings (ish emunos rav Berachos). Whoever is trustworthy
(neeman), Gd will bestow upon him many blessings. The verse
continues, The one who is aggressively pursing wealth, will not be
vindicated. Who is the man who is trustworthy (neeman)? It is Moshe. In
whatever pursuit he was involved, his handiwork was blessed. Why was it
blessed? Because he was neeman. Who is the one who was consumed
with the pursuit of wealth? It was Korach. Although he was a Levy, he
wanted to possess more than he was given, which was the High
Priesthood. King Solomon tells us that if one possesses the characteristic
of faithfulness, he is the conduit for blessing. Why does the characteristic
of neeman (faithful/trustworthy) bring about great blessing?
The Torah states, But you who cling to Hashem, your Gd, you are all
alive today (Vatem HaDevakim BaShem Elokeichem Chayim Kulchem
HaYom). Maharal of Prague ztl explains that when one cleaves to Gd,
Who is the source of all, will have life and unlimited blessing. It is because
he is connected to the One Who encompasses all, he will have relevance to
blessing. In contrast, one who does not cleave to Gd will not have
blessing or life in the spiritual or material sense. The concept of blessing
is of a spiritual nature. Just as the spiritual realm is unlimited and
unquantifiable, so too is blessing unlimited and unquantifiable. On the
other hand, the material realm is defined by limitation and quantification.
The one who has relevance to blessing must be one who cleaves to Gd,
meaning that he lives his life in full conformance with the Torah, which is
Gds Will. In addition, the individual who wants to cleave to Gd
properly must reflect His characteristics so that there should be a
commonality for the sake of compatibility, thus allowing him to cleave.
The Gemara in Tractate Shabbos tells us that the signet of Gd is Truth.
Therefore, the one who cleaves to Gd must reflect His characteristic of
Truth.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 19
Moshe is quantified as neeman because he was faithful and trustworthy
in every aspect of his life. He embodied uncompromising truth. When he
gave an accounting of all the materials that were used in the Mishkan, he
indicated that he was fully responsible for all to understand that he was
truly faithful. It is because Moshe was the ultimate faithful and trustworthy
person, that he was the conduit for blessing. The Torah tells us that the
Divine Presence did not enter into the Mishkan until Moshe gave his
blessing. This is because, as King Solomon tells us, A man who is faithful
has great blessings.
One who lives his life as a Jew in a manner that is fully consistent with the
Torah, he is considered to be faithful. If he is genuine in every aspect of
his life as one who adheres to the dictates of the Torah, he is one who has
relevance to the spiritual realm and thus has relevance to blessing. The
Gemara in Tractate Yomah tells us that one who studies Torah and
behaves and speaks properly will evoke praise from all those around him
for his level of sanctification of Gd. They will say, Fortunate is the one
who gave birth to him. Fortunate is the one who taught him Torah
Since this individual truly represents Gd in the most positive context, he
will thus be a conduit for blessing.
Rabbi Shlomo Katz
HaMaayan
Parshas Pekudei - An Accounting
In this weeks parashah, the construction of the Mishkan is completed. The
parashah opens: These are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan
of Testimony, which were reckoned at Moshes bidding. The Sages say
that the accounting was actually taken from Moshe! Why, asks R Moshe
Gruenwald zl (died 1853-1911; rabbi of Khust, Hungary), was an
accounting required from Moshe? We read about the workers in the first
Bet Hamikdash (Melachim II 12:16the haftarah for Parashat Shekalim,
which is read this week), They did not make an accounting with the men
into whose hands they gave the money to pay out to the workmen, for they
acted with emunah / integrity.
R Gruenwald explains: The purpose of the accounting was to teach us a
lesson. Many commentaries explain how the various parts of the Mishkan
and its furnishing allude to different parts of the human body and to human
traits. Thus, the accounting that Moshe gave regarding the Mishkan
teaches us to take an accounting of ourselves--of our body parts and
character traits. Are we using our organs and our abilities as intended?
In a similar vein, R Gruenwald asks: Why do we reckon according to a
lunar calendar? After all, the sun is more distinguished! Because we can
learn a lesson in proper behavior from the moon. Every month, the moon
waxes and wanes. So, too, we must undergo cycles of growth and
contraction. Periodically, preferably every day, man must humble himself
and reflect on what he has accomplished. Then he must grow some more
and begin the cycle anew. (Arugat Habosem)
These are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony . .
. (38:21)
Rashi zl comments: The Mishkan was a testimony to Yisrael that G-d
had decided to overlook the sin of the Golden Calf.
Commentaries ask: We read (Vayikra 16:16; see Rashi there) that Hashem
dwells among Bnei Yisrael amidst their tumah. If so, how does the
Mishkan testify that Hashem has forgiven Bnei Yisrael? Maybe He is
residing in the Mishkan even though Bnei Yisrael remain defiled by the
sin of the Golden Calf!
R Avraham Mordechai Alter zl (1866-1948; Gerrer Rebbe, known as the
Imrei Emes) answers: The holiday of Chanukah commemorates the fact
that one days supply of oil burned for eight days, the length of time it
took the kohanim to acquire oil that was not tamei / ritually impure. Why
was this miracle necessary? According to halachah, the Temple service
may be performed in a state of tumah when it is impossible or even
impractical to perform it in a state of taharah / ritual purity. [For example,
if a majority of kohanim are tamei, the korban tamid / daily burnt offering
may be offered by a kohen who is tamei.] If the only oil available was
tamei, why couldnt the Chashmonaim have used that oil?
The Gerrer Rebbe answers: Performing the Temple service in a less than
ideal fashion, i.e., in a state of tumah, is acceptable for routine Temple
service. However, the Chashmonaim were re-dedicating the Temple;
indeed, the word chanukah means dedication. When a dedication is
taking place, when a mitzvah is being inaugurated, we cannot settle for
second best. Thus, only tahor oil was acceptable for the dedication.
Similarly, it is true that Hashem dwells among Bnei Yisrael amidst their
tumah. However, the inauguration of the Mishkan could not have taken
place unless Bnei Yisrael had been cleansed of the sin of the Golden Calf.
(Quoted in Pardes Yosef: Chanukah p.107)
The Midrash notes that the word Mishkan alludes to mashkon /
collateral. The two-fold use of the word Mishkan at the beginning of
our parashah alludes to the two Batei Mikdash which were taken away
from us as collateral, so-to-speak, for our sins.
Why should the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash be alluded to at the time
the Mishkan was being constructed? asks R Yosef David Sintzheim zl
(1736-1812; Chief Rabbi of France; author of the Talmud commentary
Yad David). He answers:
The Mishkan was intended to be an atonement for the sin of the Golden
Calf. The midrash teaches that since Bnei Yisrael sinned using the word
Eleh/ These (as written in Shmot 32:4--These are your gods,
Yisrael), their atonement came through the word Eleh (referring to the
first word in our parashah). In the future, too, the word Eleh will be
used, says the midrash, specifically referring to Yishayah 48:12Eleh /
These will come from afar [at the time of the ingathering of the
Diaspora]. The commentary Yefei Toar explains this midrash to mean
that since Hashem said that He would remember the sin of the Golden Calf
and mete out punishment for it a little bit at a time, we might fear that it
will not be forgotten even at the time of the future redemption. Therefore
the midrash assures us that the atonement that began with the construction
of the Mishkan (Eleh fekudei) will be completed in the future (Eleh . .
.).
R Sintzheim concludes, answering his original question of why the
destruction of the Bet Hamikdash should be alluded to at the time the
Mishkan was being constructed: In the interim, however, before the
atonement is complete, the sin of the Golden Calf will cause the
destruction of the two Temples. The word fekudei (as in our verse, Eleh
fekudei) means accounting, but it can also mean missing. It refers to
the two Temples that will be missing from us until the sin of the Golden
Calf is ultimately erased.
Understood in this light, our verse is alluding not just to the destruction of
the two Batei Mikdash, but to the entire process of atonement of which the
Mishkan is but one part. Why is the Mishkan called the Mishkan of edut /
testimony? Because it testifies to the unfolding of the process just
described. (Shelal David)
He took and placed the Testimony [i.e., the Luchot] into the Aron / Ark
. . . (40:20)
R Shlomo Kluger zl (1785-1869; rabbi of Brody, Galicia) notes that our
verse contains two verbs (took and placed) whereas the verses relating
to the other implements of the Mishkan contain only one verb. (For
example, verse 22 states: He put the Table in the Tent of Meeting.)
Why?
R Kluger explains: The Gemara (Kiddushin 7a) teaches that when A gives
a gift to B, who is a distinguished person, and B accepts the gift, A is
considered to be a recipient because he is receiving a favor from B. This is
why the Torah says earlier (Shmot 25:2), Take a donation for Me, rather
than Give a donation to Me, because a person who fortunate enough to
give a gift to Hashem actually is receiving a favor from Hashem.
In the same vein, it was an honor for Moshe to be able to put the Luchot
into the Aron / Ark. Thus, when he placed them, he also took
something for himself. (Imrei Shefer)
For the cloud of Hashem would be upon the Mishkan by day, and fire
would be on it at night . . . (40:38)
R Yitzchak Weiss zl Hyd (rabbi of Verbau, Czechoslovakia; killed in
the Holocaust in 1942) writes: The Mishkan, where the Luchot were
housed, alludes to a Torah scholar. If a Torah scholar publicizes himself,
as the *day* is public, Hashem will bring a *cloud* of obscurity over him.
However, if a Torah scholar conceals himself like an object concealed at
*night*, Hashem will spread his fame as a fire is seen from a distance.
(Siach Yitzchak)
Memories of Yerushalayim
R' Ben-Zion Yadler z"l (1871-1962; Maggid / preacher of Yerushalayim),
writes in his memoir, B'tuv Yerushalayim, about one of the unassuming
tzaddikim of Yerushalayim of those days, R Yehoshua Zvi Michel
Shapira zl (died 1906).
All his days, the gaon / great sage and tzaddik R Zvi Michel Shapira
ztvkl / may the memory of the righteous and holy one be a blessing
worked to conceal his greatness in all areas of Torah, the revealed
[Gemara and halachah] and the hidden [kabbalah]. Only isolated
individuals, those closest to him, appreciated even a little of his greatness.
[Ed. note: One of his primary students was R Yaakov Moshe Charlap zl,
later rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Merkaz Harav.] . . .
R Zvi Michel encouraged increased study of mussar / character
improvement works. He objected strongly to those who study mussar
from their lips outward [i.e., reading the words but not internalizing the
message], as if reading a storybook, not realizing that mussar study
requires no less toil than studying halachah. Once, the sage R Zvi Michel
ztl told me [R Yadler] that he saw someone sitting on a recliner and
studying Shaar Hacheniah / The Gate of Submission from the work
Chovot Halevavot / Duties of the Heart. He wondered how the Chovot
Halevavot can influence a person when he is sitting in a recliner, as if
reading a storybook.
20 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
[On a related note:] The sage R Yehoshua Heschel Margolis ztl, who at
the end of his days was rabbi of Rechovot, told me [R Yadler] that he
once entered the home of a merchant and found him in the middle of his
meal. He had a telephone on the table, and in one hand was a mussar book.
One moment he studied mussar, and the next moment he spoke on the
phone. Woe to us that we have forgotten the study of mussar and think
that that is how it is done--in one hand, the phone, and in the other, the
mussar book, R Margolis told me. Therefore, we must strengthen
ourselves and our children, to study mussar with exertion and with review
of what one has learned. May we all merit to learn and to teach, to keep, to
do, and to fulfill!
The editors hope these brief 'snippets' will engender further study and discussion of Torah topics ('lehagdil Torah u'leha'adirah'), and your letters are
appreciated. Web archives at Torah.org start with 5758 (1997) and may be retrieved from the Hamaayan page. Hamaayan needs your support! Please
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Rabbi Dov Kramer
Taking A Closer Look
And B'tzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur of the Tribe of Yehudah did
all that G-d had commanded Moshe (Shmos 38:22). Theres a missing
link in this chain of command; since G-d commanded Moshe, who then
commanded B'tzalel, the verse should have said and B'tzalel did all that
Moshe had commanded him. Based on this, Chazal (Brasishis Rabbah
1:14 and Yerushalmi Peyah 1:1) tell us that B'tzalel did even things he
did not hear from his teacher Moshe. Nevertheless, it was consistent
with what was said to Moshe at Sinai. What was it that B'tzalel figured
out on his own (and had to figure out on his own) because Moshe didnt
teach it to him, despite Moshe having been commanded about it by G-d?
And why didnt Moshe relate these details to B'tzalel in the first place?
Rashi quotes this Midrash, and, in our editions, continues by paraphrasing
the Talmud (Brachos 55a), which says that Moshe had commanded
B'tzalel about the vessels of the Mishkan before teaching him about the
Mishkan itself. B'tzalel realized that the structure (the Mishkan) must be
built before its contents (the vessels), and asked Moshe whether G-d had
really told him to build the Mishkan first. Moshe responded that G-d had
indeed told him to make the Mishkan first. At first glance, then, it would
seem that this was what was meant when the Midrash refers to something
that B'tzalel did as G-d had commanded even though he hadnt heard
about it from Moshe.
There are many issues raised by many commentators on this Aggada, but
discussing here would detract from the questions raised above. Early
printed editions of Rashi do not include the discussion about whether to
make the Mishkan or its vessels first, and according to Rabbi Shmuel
Yehoshua Gold, zl (Iyunim BRashi), it does not appear in any
manuscript of Rashi either. It first appears in Eliezer Toledanos edition of
Rashi; most subsequent editions of Rashi, which were based on an edition
based on Toledanos, included it as well. [None of the commentaries on
Rashi who came before Toledanos edition reference this part of Rashi;
almost all who came after it do. Whatever motivation/justification
Toledano had for adding words that werent Rashis, doing so did lead
subsequent commentaries to share their thoughts on the numerous
difficulties with this Talmudic Aggada.] Maharai (Trumas HaDeshens
commentary on Chumash) quotes the first part of Rashi (the only part that
existed at the time), and says that Rashi cannot be referring to whether the
Mishkan or its vessels should be made first, as that wouldnt qualify as
something that his teacher didnt tell him. In a footnote, the publisher
(Mor Shmuel) says it cant be what Rashi meant because Moshe did in
fact tell him, but told it to him in the wrong order. I would think it cant
be considered something that Moshe didnt tell him because in the end
Moshe did tell him (after B'tzalel asked about it). The bottom line, though,
is that when the Torah says B'tzalel did everything that G-d had
commanded Moshe, meaning even things that Moshe never told him, it
cant be referring to whether the Mishkan or its vessels should be made
first.
Ramban quotes the Yerushalmi/Midrash Rabbah too (without attributing it
to Rashi), and references his earlier comments (36:8) that Moshe didnt
teach B'tzalel all of the details (see also Kli Yakar). For example, Moshe
told him to make ten curtains for the covering, with two sections of five
curtains each, and they (B'tzalel and his helpers) understood on their own
that they should make 50 loops and 50 golden clasps (36:12) in order to
connect the two sections. The verse is therefore telling us that even though
Moshe didnt share all the details of the construction with B'tzalel, the
finished product, down to every detail, was exactly the way G-d had
commanded Moshe. (He says that although they were made in a different
order than Moshe was commanded, the finished product was exactly the
same.) This does address what it was that B'tzalel didnt hear from Moshe,
but it doesnt explain why Moshe didnt share all the details with B'tzalel
in the first place. It seems strange that G-d would tell Moshe to do things
in a specific way, yet Moshe would leave out some of the details.
Additionally, the Talmudic discussion regarding the order things were
made in is based on the premise that Moshe told B'tzalel what he was
commanded in Parashas Trumah (i.e. the vessels then the Mishkan), and
then comparing it with how B'tzalel made them in Parashas Vayakhel (i.e.
the Mishkan then the vessels, although in both cases the courtyard and the
priestly garments followed both). If Moshe taught B'tzalel Parashas
Trumah, then he was taught all the details; if he didnt, why assume
Moshe used the order in Parashas Trumah as opposed to the order in
Parashas Ki Sisa (31:7-11), where the Mishkan came first?
Chizkuni quotes Rashis noting that the Torah says B'tzalel did what G-d
had commanded Moshe rather than what Moshe had commanded him, and
adds an example of what Moshe didnt tell B'tzalel (yet he did anyway):
the covering of the tops of the pillars. Earlier (36:38) he says the same
thing, but based on the verse he is commenting on it is clear that he means
the gold covering and decoration of the five pillars that supported the
screen at the entrance of the Mishkan. In the original commandment
(26:37) it says that these pillars should be covered with gold, without
specifying that it means only the tops and some decorative gold; Moshe
never told Btzalel which part was to be covered in gold and which part
should be decorated with gold, yet it was done as G-d had commanded
Moshe. The same can be said of the pillars surrounding the courtyard; the
commandment says they are to be decorated with silver (27:10-11 and
17), yet B'tzalel not only decorated them with silver, but covered their tops
with silver as well (38:17 and 19). [This is likely why Chizkuni says for
example, as the gold covering the pillars of the Mishkans entrance
werent the only thing that B'tzalel did that was consistent with what was
said to Moshe at Sinai despite not hearing about it from his teacher.]
However, we would still need to understand why Moshe didnt tell B'tzalel
how to cover and decorate these pillars.
In his discussion about what Rashi couldnt have been referring to when he
says that B'tzalel did what G-d commanded Moshe even though Moshe
hadnt relayed it to him, Maharai suggests that Moshe purposely didnt tell
B'tzalel everything because he wanted to put the finishing touches on the
Mishkan himself. Nevertheless, B'tzalel figured out what else was needed,
and did it before Moshe had a chance to. Although Maharai doesnt tell us
what it was that Moshe didnt tell B'tzalel about, it could have been how to
cover and decorate the pillars. [Since the commandment for the pillars of
the entranceway was to cover them with gold, which is the same
wording as other pillars (26:32) and beams (26:29), and for these the
covering was complete (36:36 and 36:34), not just their tops, plus their
decorations, the discrepancy regarding these pillars cant be attributed to
Moshe wanting B'tzalel to leave them unfinished. Nevertheless, it could
apply to the pillars of the courtyard.]
Theres a bigger issue with Chizkunis approach, though; since the
commandments in Parashas Trumah were what G-d spoke to Moshe
(25:1), how could the lack of specificity (or the discrepancy between what
it says in Parashas Trumah and what it says in Parashas Vayakhel) be
based on Moshe not telling B'tzalel what G-d had commanded him?
Wasnt it G-d Himself who didnt mention the tops of the pillars being
covered (or their decorations)?
In his explanation of the Aggada that appears in our editions of Rashi,
Rabbi Yehonasan Eibeschitz (Chidushay Rebbi Yehonasan on Brachos
55a, Tiferes Yehonasan on Shmos 25:9 and Yaras Dvash 1:2; see also
Chidushay Gaonim, one of the commentaries on Ain Yaakov, who quotes
similar approaches) says that Moshe was shown a vision of the completed
Mishkan and its vessels, a vision referred to several times throughout the
commandments to build the Mishkan (25:9, 25:9, 26:30, 27:8). This vision
explicitly included both the Mishkan and to its vessels, and sometimes
including the expression and so shall you do (25:9 and 27:8). If included
in the commandment to build the Mishkan and its vessels was the
requirement to recreate what he had seen in this vision, then the silver and
gold decorations of the pillars (and that it was their tops that were covered
in gold) were included in what was commanded to Moshe even though
they werent included in the words of the commandment. Therefore, when
Moshe repeated only the words of the commandment to B'tzalel, he wasnt
telling him everything. Yet, B'tzalel did all that G-d had commanded
Moshe, despite Moshe not completing the picture (pardon the pun) by
adding the details he had seen in the vision.
There are other possibilities as to what Moshe was commanded that
B'tzalel didnt hear from Moshe. For example, there is much discussion
about how the pillars of the courtyard were situated, with several
approaches suggested by the commentators (see page 3 of
http://www.aishdas.org/ta/5765/vayakhel.pdf). All of the approaches fit
within the guidelines of the commandment, so which one did G-d have in
mind? If Moshe was shown a vision of the layout, this was the one he was
commanded, even if other layouts were consistent with the words of the
commandment. It can therefore be suggested that even though the words
Moshe repeated to B'tzalel contained numerous possibilities, B'tzalel chose
the one that matched what Moshe saw on Mt. Sinai; it was commanded to
Moshe, but wasnt specifically relayed to B'tzalel. Similarly, there are
multiple possibilities regarding how the Mishkans covering lay (including
the overlap at its front and back ends, see page 6 of
http://www.aishdas.org/ta/5768/terumah.pdf); covering the Mishkan the
way G-d intended it even though the words of the commandment could be
interpreted differently could also qualify as something that B'tzalel did as
G-d commanded Moshe if Moshe didnt specify which of the possibilities
matched the vision he saw.
Would whether the branches of the Menorah were curved or straight
qualify? There are many disputes about numerous details of the
Mishkan, but some (i.e. the size of the altar and the height of the
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 21
courtyards curtains, see Zvachim 59b) required Moshe to tell Btzalel
that things were not as they seem (if they werent). Nevertheless, if Moshe
didnt see the need to delineate all the possibilities for every detail (and
tell B'tzalel which one G-d meant), there would be things that Btzalel had
to figure out on his own even if Moshe repeated every word of G-ds
commandments to him. The Torah therefore tells us that Btzalel did
everything as G-d had commanded Moshe, as the final product matched
what Moshe had seen on Mt. Sinai, despite some details not being relayed.

Rabbi Moshe Krieger
Bircas HaTorah Parsha Sheet
Parshas Pekudei
In this week's sidra, the passuk (39:33) relates that Klal Yisroel brought
the Mishkan to Moshe Rabbeinu. Rashi explains that Klal Yisroel did not
actually erect its walls because nobody was physically capable of setting
the massive wooden shafts into place. Rashi then supplements the Torah's
narrative by recounting that Moshe Rabbeinu, knowing that he too did not
possess the ability to put up the walls, asked Hakadosh Baruch Hu how it
was possible for a human being to erect the Mishkan's beams. Hashem told
Moshe, Work with your hands as though you are performing the
construction, and it will [miraculously] arise by itself. Rashi then adds
that Hashem had purposefully left this job for Moshe Rabbeinu to perform
since he had not been designated any other duty during the Mishkan's
construction.
The question begs recognition. Simply put, if Hakadosh Baruch Hu wished
to grant Moshe a job, why would He provide him with one so entirely
fake? As can be seen from Rashi, Moshe Rabbeinu was not capable of
erecting the Mishkan's structure and in fact only performed the physical
movements which one would usually expend during construction it was
ultimately Hakadosh Baruch Hu who caused all of the beams to fall into
place. What purpose was served by granting Moshe a task that was, in
reality, no more than a simple sham?
Rav Avraham Cohen, shlit"a, in his sefer, Bikkurei Avraham, attempts to
resolve this difficulty by presenting an argument which indicates that the
job was not, in fact, a fake task invented hastily for Moshe Rabbeinu to
perform, but, rather, a perfectly real and important responsibility. Indeed,
Rav Cohen claims that the job was one which only someone possessing
Moshe's unique level of spiritual devotion could carry out.
Rav Cohen prefaces his answer by explaining that the actual erecting of
the Mishkan's walls was set to result in the shechina finally descending to
dwell among Klal Yisroel. Being that directly facilitating the shechina's
arrival was an act too lofty for even the greatest of tzaddikim, Rav Cohen
suggests that the physical setup as well must have been impossible for any
human including Moshe Rabbeinu to perform.
Yet, he then explains, by commanding Moshe to [w]ork with [his] hands
as though [he was] performing the construction, Hashem was revealing
that in reality, as long as Moshe possessed sufficient desire, he actually
could succeed in erecting the Mishkan. Hakadosh Baruch Hu guarantees,
Rav Cohen says, that if we exhibit a boundless desire to perform even acts
which truly are beyond our capabilities and, to that end, exert every last
bit of effort in an attempt to physically complete the impossible act, we
will ultimately be furnished with the necessary abilities.
Progressing towards his answer, Rav Cohen writes that Moshe Rabbeinu
possessed a unique desire to erect the Mishkan.
We can provide rather strong basis for Rav Cohen's assertion. Aside from
the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu was perhaps the greatest person to ever walk
the earth, Rashi writes in Parshas Nasso (7:1) that during the earlier
preparation of the Mishkan and its vessels, Moshe had attempted with a
tireless devotion to ensure that every aspect of the instructions would be
completed according to its exacting specifications. Furthermore, as Rav
Cohen himself writes in support of his claim, the Midrash Tanchuma
(Pekudei, 11) states that throughout the Mishkan's preparation, Moshe
remained greatly pained over the fact that G-d had not designated any
actual, physical job for him to perform.
Moshe Rabbeinu's heart brimmed so overwhelmingly with devotion to the
task of building the Mishkan, that his technically fruitless attempt to erect
the beams his last display of desire to complete the Mishkan's
construction constituted a finishing touch to his already deeply
embedded devotion to the Mishkan's completion.
The issue is thus resolved. Moshe's act cannot be considered fake because
the whole purpose of his act was to display that final degree of desire to set
up the Mishkan and thereby provide the last drop of merit necessary
before Hashem would agree to cause the Mishkan's actual erecting.
Incredibly, this fake act ultimately assisted directly in drawing the
shechina to dwell among Klal Yisroel!
Even regarding our modern-day lives, there is much to be gleaned from
this episode. We are often beset by circumstances which make the
responsibility to fulfill Hashem's will appear a truly impossible task. We
must remember that if we show Hakadosh Baruch Hu a genuine desire to
succeed and we exert every effort possible in pursuit of such success
Hashem will ultimately grant us the ability to achieve our spiritual goals.
For instance, there are many people who desire to become talmidei
chachamim but consistently fail to achieve success in their studies. Aside
from continuing to relentlessly endeavor to attain a full understanding of
the material, such a person must also pour out his heart in prayer for divine
assistance, telling Hakadosh Baruch Hu that achieving true understanding
of Torah is something he values more than anything else in the world.
Similarly, if a person feels unable to pass the battles of shemiras einayim
(guarding of the eyes) which are thrown daily in his path even if the
person feels himself stumbling constantly in this area he should show
Hashem his desire to succeed by both distancing himself from the places
he knows may affect him, and begging Hakadosh Baruch Hu to help him
remain firm in the face of the grave aveirah.
When Hashem sees such a genuine devotion to spiritual growth, He will
surely grant the person strength even far beyond his natural capabilities.
Close to two weeks ago, Klal Yisroel lost Rav Meir Schuster, zt'l, a great
individual who displayed a truly extraordinary degree of devotion to the
mitzvah of drawing his fellow Jews closer to the service of their Creator.
The sheer number of irreligious people he was mekareiv amounting in
the many thousands is simply mind-numbing. Day in and day out, for
forty years, he stood by the Kosel searching for any person who might at
least not scream at him to get lost and mustering up the courage to
approach them, offer them a place to stay and invite them for a shiur or a
Shabbos meal. The task would certainly have proven daunting for even the
most outgoing of personalities. Yet Rav Schuster, who had always been a
very introverted and quiet man, was forced to change his entire nature in
pursuit of this special mitzvah. Ultimately, though the job should have
been nearly impossible for him to complete, Rav Schuster succeeded in
being mekareiv an incredible number of people.
Displaying true devotion to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, Rav Schuster did not
simply dismiss his dreamy idea but instead invested his heart and soul into
the holy project and indeed, Hashem granted him the capabilities which
he had originally lacked and allowed him to achieve success in the
mitzvah which he wished so dearly to perform.
If we show Hashem that we truly desire to serve Him, there is no good
deed from which He will hold us back.
It is our fervent hope that Rav Schuster be a meilitz yosher for all of Klal
Yisroel.
May we all truly strengthen our devotion to avodas Hashem and thus be
granted great siyata dishmaya in all our spiritual endeavors.
Rabbi Label Lam
Dvar Torah
Parshas Pekudei - Not More! Not Less! Not Easy!
These are the numbers (pekudei- designations) of the Mishkan, the
Mishkan of the Testimony, which were counted at Moshes command;
[this was] the work of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, the son
of Aaron the Kohen. (Shemos 38:21)
These are the numbers: In this Parsha, all the weights of the donations for
the Mishkan were counted -[that] of silver, of gold, and of copper. And all
its implements for all its work were [also] counted. (Rashi)
We are treated to a full accounting of the appropriation of the materials
invested in the construction of the Tabernacle. Is there a trust issue here
and everything has to spelled out for transparency sake? Is that the reason
for all these myriad of details? Yes, there is a trust issue but of a different
kind that is being expressed here as an all-time lesson.
The Sefas Emes reveals a secret that many in the world would be anxious
to know and tap into. He spells out how to create wealth. This is not some
get rich quick scheme. It really works and all according to the spiritual
laws of the universe. This may be the basis to the notion that Jews
somehow control wealth in the world. It just might be true but not as
crudely as our detractors would imagine.
He quotes a Possuk in Mishlei mentioned in the Midrash on this weeks
Parsha A man of Emunos- reliability will attract an abundance of
Brochos-Blessings! These are the numbers: In this parsha, all the weights
of the donations for the Mishkan were counted -[that] of silver, of gold,
and of copper. And all its implements for all its work were [also]
counted.These are the numbers: In this parsha, all the weights of the
donations for the Mishkan were counted -[that] of silver, of gold, and of
copper. And all its implements for all its work were [also] counted.These
are the numbers: In this parsha, all the weights of the donations for the
22 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
Mishkan were counted -[that] of silver, of gold, and of copper. And all its
implements for all its work were [also] counted. He offers the following
terse explanation. Hashem, the source of all good wants to bestow
blessing on all of his creatures. If the recipient is not reliable and through
the reception of wealth he will come to forget his Creator and will slip into
sin, then since all of Hashems deeds are calculated truth for the real good
of the person, then the good is withheld so he should not come to sin. The
Sefas Emes continues in his explanation that the Jewish Nation here is
mandated to build that Temple according to Divine specs and also to keep
Shabbos!
The precise use of all the materials without any deviation or
misappropriation establishes a bond of trust that invites blessing. This is
the exact cure for not getting too far from the source of the blessing.
Shabbos is that Temple in time and though its observance our Emunah is
reaffirmed again and again week after week.The entirety of creation is
thereby delivered to its ultimate sublime source and the channel of Brocho
is opened for the whole world, not just the Jews.
That sounds easy enough. All we have to be is reliable- trustworthy not to
become corrupted by wealth and it is ours to not be ours. Rabbi Avigdor
Miller offers to the following scenario of a wealthy young man emptying a
big bag of money on the table to be counted. Suddenly a nickel falls off
the table and rolls underneath. When he climbs down on all fours to search
for the missing coin, a witness to his action reminds him he is a wealth
man and wonders why he is exerting so much effort for a five cent piece.
Then the wealthy young man answers that this is the money that belongs to
the free lone society and not his at all. He is required to account for every
penny. Then his actions are understood.
I once heard about a certain wealthy man who raised a beautiful Torah
family. Someone asked one of his daughters how he managed not to spoil
them with the abundance of wealth that was always available. Her answer
was astonishing. My father gave us total access to some well-endowed
accounts and he told us to take whatever we needed and whenever we
needed, but he cautioned that the money was designated for charity and
whatever we helped ourselves to, will be deducted from whatever will be
available to help Kollel couples, and make more seminars to create Baalei
Teshvah.
This is what he was doing constantly with his moneys, and therefore they
helped themselves sparingly and generously with this appreciation in
mind. The money is Hekdesh belonging to Heaven and we are just its
stewards and cashiers. Not more! Not less. Not easy!
DvarTorah, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org.

Rabbi Eli Mansour
Weekly Perasha Insights
Parashat Pekudeh: At What Age Does Education Begin?
Parashat Pekudeh continues the Torahs description of the Mishkan, its
furnishings and the priestly garments, a project which was led by a man
named Besalel. The Torah tells us that Besalel was the grandson of Hur, a
leader who was killed during the tragic incident of Het Haegel (sin of the
golden calf). When the people approached Hur and demanded that he
make for them an idol, he refused, and he was eventually killed for his
opposition.
Why was specifically Hurs grandson chosen for the job of constructing
the Mishkan?
The answer, perhaps, is that Besalels illustrious background of firm faith
and courage enhanced the sanctity of the Mishkan. Besalel came from
sacred stock, and this background helped infuse the Mishkan his
handiwork with a greater level of Kedusha.
The Talmud tells that Rabbi Hiya credited himself with ensuring the
perpetuation of Torah. He explained that he took some flaxseeds, planted
them, and used the flax which grew to make a trap for deer. He then
trapped a deer, fed its meat to the poor, and used its hide as parchment on
which to write the Torah. Then he studied with five young students with
these books. When Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi heard about Rabbi Hiyas
accomplishments, he exclaimed, How great are the actions of Hiya!
Rabbi Hiya understood that the earlier in the process one is able to inject it
with Kedusha, the greater an impact it will have. The inspiration given to
these five children was drawn not merely from their experiences in school,
but from the origins of this enterprise. Already the planting of the seeds for
the trap for the animal from which the books were prepared was done with
Kedusha. And this brought the level of Torah learning to an entirely
different level. Just as Besalels righteous grandfather enhanced the
sanctity of the Mishkan, similarly, the sacred origins of the books used by
Rabbi Hiyas students raised the level of Kedusha and inspiration which
they received.
A father once asked a certain Rabbi at what age he needs to begin the
process of his childs Hinuch (education).
The process should have begun many years ago, the Rabbi replied.
Hinuch begins when the parents are in school.
Of course, this is not to say that a parent who did not receive a proper
Torah education no longer has the ability to properly educate his or her
own children. It is never too late. But it does mean that our childrens
education begins with our own spiritual growth and training. Building
ourselves is a crucial component of our efforts to build our children. By
enhancing ones own level of Kedusha, he is able to enhance his childrens
level of Kedusha and help reach great heights of spiritual achievement.
National Council of Young Israel
Weekly Dvar Torah
Haman's Shekalim
Rabbi Mendel Kaufman,
Mara D'atra,Young I srael of Briarwood, NY
In this week's parsha (38:25:27), the Torah tells us that a half shekel was
collected from very male aged 20 years and older. The shekalim were
melted down to make the containers used as foundations for the walls of
the Mishkan. Another half shekel was collected to pay for the public
sacrifices brought every day and on special occasions. This second half
shekel was collected every year during the month of Adar. The Gemara
(Megillah 13b) explains the connection between the half shekel and the
month of Adar.
Resh Lakish says: It was foreseen by the Creator that Haman would one
day offer shekalim for the destruction of Israel (referring to the 10,000
shekalim Haman offered King Ahashverosh to obtain his consent to
destroy the Jews (see Esther 3:9). Therefore, he anticipated Hamans
shekalim with the half of Israel, as we learned in the Mishna on the first of
Adar when the collection of the shekel was announced.
On the surface it seems the connection between Hamans shekalim and the
shekalim of Israel is simply a comparison of shekalim to shekalim. Or the
connection was just that the merit of the mitzvah of giving the shekalim
was so strong it could overcome the threat of Haman. But I would say that
the connection is really a profound idea that teaches us the place of the
individual Jew in the scheme of things.
We have to consider what Haman wished to accomplish by offering
Ahashverosh the 10,000 shekalim. It would not be logical to say he was
simply offering him a bribe. It would be an insult to offer a bribe to
Ahashverosh who was master of 127 countries. I already have everything;
what could your measly 10,000 mean to me? Ahashverosh could exclaim.
To understand what Haman wished to accomplish, let us first ask
ourselves: what is the purpose of money?
For the majority of us, the answer is obvious. Money is the medium of
exchange we need to provide for ourselves and our families. But what
about the minority who already have so much money that if they lived for
a thousand years they would not be able to spend it all. Why do these
millionaires, and billionaires knock themselves out in the pursuit of
making more money? The answer is, for them, money is a scorecard. If
you have a million dollars, you are a big person; if you have a billion
dollars, you are an even bigger person; and if you have two billion dollars,
you are bigger still.
This is what Haman wanted to demonstrate to Ahashverosh before he
could get his consent to destroy the Jews. Our sages tell us that
Ahashverosh was a melech tipesh (foolish king), but he wasn't a complete
idiot. Haman knew that as soon as he presented his proposal to destroy the
Jews, Ahashverosh would say: Wait a minute this Jewish nation has
been around for a thousand years. They have survived Pharaoh of Egypt,
Sancheverv of Assyira, Nebuchandezer of Babylon and G-d knows who
else. What makes you think you have the power to destroy them now?"
And Haman answers: "Well, lets see who they are and who we are. They
are a remnant scattered all over your kingdom with little power. I will
offer you the substantial sum of 10,000 shekalim. and without batting an
eye, you will turn it down. Now well see who we are and who they are.
We are strong enough to destroy them.
To this, G-d answers, "You, Haman, are making a grave mistake. To
measure the strength of Israel, you do not use the conventional standards
of political, economic or military power. A half shekel from the Jews is
enough to overcome all 10,000 of your shekalim as long as that half
shekel is used for the foundation of a sanctuary and to provide sacrifices in
the service of G-d. With its spiritual power, Israel can vanquish all its
enemies. And, of course, Haman himself was eventually brought down.
This could also be the meaning of the Midrash (Shir Hashirim).
A story is told that a Rebbe was lecturing and the audience was sleeping.
(Evidently, there is nothing new under the sun). Intending to wake them
up, Rebbe announced: "one woman gave birth to 600,000 children," upon
which they snapped to attention. Rebbe explained "I am referring to
Yocheved who gave birth to Moshe who was equivalent to 600,000 Jews,
as it is written (Shemot 15:1), thus sang Moshe and the children of Israel.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 23
This Midrash is obviously more than just a lesson to a speaker on how to
keep his audience awake. In fact it contains an important message for us
all.
There once was a Rabbi who lived during the time the Jews in Eretz
Yisrael were under the domination of the Roman Empire. The Beit
Hamikdash had been destroyed a century before. The Jews were scattered
throughout the Middle East with a remnant still living in Eretz Yisrael.
The Roman Empire was at it zenith. The Rabbi was calling on this small
Jewish community to remain true to its heritage and resist the
blandishments of assimilation, but the people were sleeping; they couldnt
absorb the message the Rabbi was teaching. They thought, "look how
powerless and few we are and look how powerful and numerous the
Romans are. But the Rabbi taught them that if you use conventional
arithmetic you would be correct they are many and we are few. When it
comes to counting Israel, however, conventional numbers do not apply.
Look at Moshe. In conventional terms he would count as one person. In
actuality, he was equivalent to 600,000 people. So it is with us. In
conventional terms we are few and they are many. But if we do mitzvoth
and are prepared for sacrifices, then each of us will become multiplied
until we are able to outnumber our opponents.
This "arithmetic" applies in our day, particularly in relation to Medinat
Yisrael. From its inception, Israel has had to face overwhelming numbers
but yet, with the aid of G-d, it has been able to prevail.
Now our brethren are suffering through a period of death and insecurity.
Some Jews, unfortunately, feel overwhelmed by the multitude of forces
arrayed against us that are calling for concessions. Using conventional
calculators, who can blame them? There seems to be no other way out. But
we have learned from Jewish History that when Israel remains true to its
ideals and stays close to the service of G-d, it can prevail no matter what
the odds. We must constantly turn to G-d seeking Shalom Al Yisrael.
Shabbat Shalom
The Weekly Sidra - Pekudei
By Rabbi Moshe Greebel
Associate Member, Young I srael Council of Rabbis, Belmar, NJ
On many occasions in these mailings we have discussed how words in
LaShon HaKodesh (holy tongue) have multiple meanings. This weeks
Sidra is no exception to that rule, as we shortly see in its opening Passuk
(verse):
This is the account of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), of the Mishkan of
Testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moshe,
for the service of the Lviim, by the hand of Isamar, son to Aharon the
Kohain. (Shmos 38:21)
Initially, we should take note that the term Mishkan in this Passuk is
doubled to HaMishkan Mishkan HaAidus. Prior to addressing this issue,
we should also take into account that the term Mishkan, which refers to a
sanctuary, is a linguistic form of the term Mashkon, or collateral. In
lending agreements, collateral is a borrowers pledge of specific property
to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan. That is, if the loan for some
reason is not repaid, the collateral becomes the property of the lender.
On the above Passuk, which features the double language of HaMishkan
Mishkan HaAidus, Rashi instructs the following:
It (the term Mishkan) is stated twice, which alludes to the sanctuary,
which was twice set as collateral for the two destructions, because of the
sins of Yisroel.
What Rashi seems to be saying here is that the double language of
Mishkan refers to the two Batei Mikdash (Temples), the first which was
destroyed by Babylonia in 3338 to the creation, and the second which was
destroyed by Rome in 3828. Since the Bnai Yisroel sinned grievously,
both Batei Mikdash were taken away from them as collateral, only to be
returned when Yisroel would do Tshuva (repentance). The source for
Rashis comment here, is the Midrash Tanchumah (Warsaw edition),
Pikudei #5:
Rav Shmuel said, Why does it state the term Mishkan two times?
Because through their (evil) actions, they (both Batei Mikdash) were
(taken away) as collateral..
In essence then, the Mishkan which was erected by the Bnai Yisroel in
the wilderness, and which lasted 480 years, alludes to the Mashkon
(collateral) of both Batei Mikdash, which will eventually be collected by
HaShem for our transgressions.
The Ohaiv Yisroel (lover of Yisroel), the renown Admur (Chassidic
master) Rav Avraham Yhoshua Heschel of Apt (1748- 1825) of blessed
memory, posed the following inquiry. While it is true that the term
Mishkan has a multiple meaning, perhaps, the Torah was not alluding to
the concept of collateral at all, but only to the simple meaning of
Mishkan (Tabernacle). Through what logic did our Rabbanim of blessed
memory, realize that the concept of collateral was being referred to?
The Ohaiv Yisroel responded in the following way. It is the customary
manner of the world, that whenever we see a man taking a very in depth
and very precise accounting of his assets, he may in fact, be doing so
because he plans to use his possessions as collateral. To be certain, any
form of collateral must have a very exact monetary value affixed to it.
In this weeks Sidra, continued the Ohaiv Yisroel, we see the same exact
and precise accounting of the Mishkan and all its parts:
All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the holy place,
the gold of the offering, was twenty nine talents, and seven hundred and
thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. (ibid. 38:24)
And the silver of those who were counted of the congregation was a
hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and seventy five shekels,
according to the shekel of the sanctuary. (ibid. 38:25)
And, so on, and so forth, we see a very exacting accounting being made
here in the Torah, which hints to a future collateral (both Batei Mikdash)
which will be taken for our transgressions.
The commentary of the Tzvi Yisroel adds that we even see this eventual
collecting of the collateral of both Batei Mikdash from the words of
Bilaam, which were:
How goodly are your tents, Yaakov, and your Mishkan, Yisroel!
(Bamidbar 24:5)
Now, based on the Gemarah in Sanhedrin 105b, we see:
Rabbi Yochanan said, From the blessings of that wicked man (Bilaam),
you may learn his (true) intentions..
Basically, taught the Tzvi Yisroel, when a man shows his friends his
assets, they bless him by saying, May you use these assets for Simchos
(joyous events)! However, one who is an enemy of the man displaying
his assets will instead say, May you be compelled to spend these assets as
collateral in your time of distress!
This then, is what Bilaam truly inferred. How goodly are your tents
(plural) refers to the beauty of both Batei Mikdash. And your Mishkan
refers to the fact that for the sins of Yisroel, they will in the future be
required to give up a collateral of those Batei Mikdash.
And so, as the accounts of the Mishkan were meticulously made, we as
well, have an obligation to account exactly for all our actions. Let us
determine to accept the responsibility with which the Torah obligates us,
and let us see the abundance of blessings through that acceptance.
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 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 - Pekudei
Torah Study Provides for those who Provide for Torah Study
By Rabbi Dovid Sochet
Associate Member, Young I srael Council of Rabbis, Spring Valley, NY
The Gemarah (1) teaches us that if a person had the will and intent to
perform a mitzvah but through forces beyond his control he was deterred
from executing the mitzvah the pasuk elevates his intent to be as if he
actually performed the mitzvah. The Chasidic Rebbes explained that these
words the pasuk elevates his intent to be as if he actually performed the
mitzvah mean that there is an added benefit. Not only is it considered
before heaven as if he achieved what he set out to do, but it is elevated to
be as if it was carried out fully without any defects. For example, a person
doing a mitzvah must have proper intent without any ulterior motive but
must rather perform solely for the sake of Hashem. Also, one should
devote all his energy and concentration in his service to Hashem without
hesitation or wavering for an instant. This is certainly very difficult to do,
however, when the person truly intended to do the mitzvah but was
thwarted in his attempt; the verse elevates his intent to be as if he
completely fulfilled the mitzvah exactly as Hashem commanded without
any variance whatsoever.
A similar lesson can be learned from our parsha. The pasuk (2) says
-
he took and placed the Testimony (Rashi calls the Luchos the Two Tablets
of Testimony) into the Ark and placed the staves on the ark, and he placed
the lid on the ark from above. An explanation of this seemingly bizarre
order of events is necessary. Should they have not first finished the entire
creation of the Ark, that is first placing the lid on the Ark and then
followed through by placing the staves on the Ark?
It has been noted that the Ark of the Covenant is symbolic of talmidei
chachomim - Torah scholars. This idea is actually mentioned by the
Gemarah (3). Just as both the luchos (the Tablets which were etched by
Hashem Himself) and the Torah scroll written by Moshe were placed
inside the Ark (4) similarly Torah scholars have within themselves the
knowledge of Torah. The Shela Hakadosh (5) states that the staves
carrying the Ark are figuratively alluding to the financial benefactors that
give economic support to the Torah learners.
This is the reason why the Torah commands (6)
- the staves shall remain in the rings of the Ark; they shall not be
removed from it. As the Mishnah (7) teaches us
- if there is no "flour" there is no Torah and without Torah
there is no "flour". "Flour" here refers to sustenance; when Torah scholars
are provided with monetary support the dissemination of Torah can
24 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
flourish, but only through the merit of the existence of Torah study will the
financial endeavors of its benefactors be fruitful. These two go hand in
hand each complementing the other, never to be detached one from
another.
Earlier in the book of Shemos there are two pesukim that seem to be
redundant. One pasuk (8) says - you
shall put into the Ark the Testimony that I shall give to you. A few
pesukim later the pasuk repeats itself and reads (9)
- you shall place the lid on the Ark from above, and
into the Ark you shall put the Testimony that I shall give you. Rashi was
troubled by the repetition since this was already stated in a previous pasuk.
Rashi explains that the second pasuk is not superfluous rather the pasuk is
coming to teach us that you shall place into the Ark the Two Tablets of
Testimony prior to its ever having had its lid placed on top of it, and this is
what he actually did as we see from this week's parsha.
We must still understand what the significance is if the luchos were placed
in the Ark prior to the laying of the Kapores- the lid, or the opposite. The
Kapores completes the Ark. The Ark without the Kapores refers to a Torah
scholar still lacking in areas of his service, that is, his intent and desire is
to study Torah and perform mitzvos exactly as Hashem commanded, but
he has not yet reached this extremely lofty goal. The Ark with its cover in
place represents the talmid chacham who is complete in his scholarship
and in his service to Hashem.
The placement of the luchos in the Ark prior to the cover signifies that one
must learn Torah even if he is not yet at the most desired level of Torah
learning as the Rabbis teach (10) a person should always learn Torah even
if it is not for Hashems sake because through learning in such a manner he
will eventually come to learn for Hashems sake.
This can be suggested as the reason why the Torah in this week's parsha
stressed that the staves were to be placed on the Ark before the Kapores
was placed on it. Many charitable people make the decision that if they
can give charity they would rather give it to the most needy cause or to the
largest or best Yeshiva, or the greatest Torah scholar. However, this is not
the desired way. A person who can afford to give should give to whoever's
need is greater at that time. This is hinted by the placement of the staves
even before the Ark was completed, suggesting that the importance of
providing assistance to the Torah scholar who has not yet fulfilled his
potential.
The Gemarah (11) teaches us that the ark miraculously carried those that
carried it. It could further be suggested that since the staves were placed in
the ark to carry it although the Ark actually carried its bearers, the
placement of the staves teaches us that the supporters of even those Torah
scholars who have not yet gained complete mastery of Torah precisely as
Hashem demanded, are the mainstay of the support of Torah learning.
These benefactors merit that their benevolence provide them with financial
success just like the those who ostensibly bore the Ark were in fact
themselves carried by it.
Please feel free to forward this Torah thought to anyone you feel will take
pleasure in reading it. Feel free to contact me at Rabbisochet@gmail.com
for any questions and comments.
Good Shabbos. Rabbi Dovid Sochet
1. Berachos 6A, also see Tractate Kiddushin 39B
2. Shemos / Exodus 40:20
3. Tractate Yoma 72B
4. See Tractate Bava Basra 14B
5. Rabbi Yeshaya Haleivi Horowitz - born apr.1565 -1630
6. Shemos / Exodus 25:15
7. Tractate Avos 3:17
8. Shemos /Exodus 25:16
9. Shemos / Exodus 25:21
10. Tractate Pesachim 50B
11. Tractate Sotah 35A
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

Aish.Com - Rabbi Kalman Packouz
Shabbat Shalom
Pekudei 5774
GOOD MORNING! What is our responsibility for righting the wrongs of
this world? Here is the second part of Rabbi Noah Weinberg's article
"Repairing the World!" If you missed part 1, go to: aish.com/world_repairs
If you are really serious about fixing the world, you won't just mail a
check. Beyond the 10 percent commitment of money, there's another
aspect: a 10 percent commitment of time. You'll join an organization.
Many of the world's great revolutions have succeeded by strength in
numbers: the civil rights movement, women's rights, or even save the
whales.
What if no organization exists? Then create it. The Talmud (Baba Basra
9a) says: "Greater than one who does a mitzvah, is one who causes others
to do a mitzvah." If you really want to be effective, wake others up to the
problem, and mobilize their efforts.
Imagine that a child is sick with a rare disease. If it is an acquaintance,
you'd probably say, "Oh, that's terrible." Now if you ask yourself: "Okay,
what am I going to do about it?" your answer will probably be, "Me?!
What can I do about it?" However, if you really care, you could truly do a
lot. If it was your cousin, you'd take some personal responsibility, perhaps
researching information on the Internet. If it was your own child, you'd
leave no stone unturned.
I know a young couple -- he's a businessman and she's a doctor. They
found out that their two young children had Gaucher disease, a debilitating
condition that is handicapping for life, and sometimes fatal. So what did
they do? Together they founded an organization, committed to finding a
cure for Gaucher disease. She conducted the medical research and he
raised the money.
There was no guarantee of success. But inasmuch as it was their own
children, there was no alternative but to try. And the Almighty helped
them. After six years, they developed a synthetic enzyme which can
effectively treat the condition -- and their two children became the first in
the world to have a hopeful prognosis. If you want to make a difference,
it's possible.
Beyond the basic responsibility of tzedakah is rachamim, "mercy" --
caring about others personally and getting involved. You can walk around
claiming to be a good person, but unless you feel it inside, you're not
really there.
That is why the Torah juxtaposes the command to "Love your Neighbor,"
next to the prohibition "Do not to stand idly by while another is in need"
(Leviticus 19:16-18). Don't cruise through life as if it's some obstacle
course: watch out, here's a human being, manipulate him, push him, score
a point, one-upmanship. That's not the way. You have to share the burden
of your fellow human being.
The Talmud asks, "Why was Adam created alone? So that every person
should say, 'The entire world was created just for me.'" This is a
recognition that everything -- including the needs of every other human
being -- was created for you. We are all caretakers of this world and
responsible to deal with the problems. Everything on earth, problems as
well as beauty, offers an opportunity for you to connect and to grow.
Every person you encounter is there for a purpose. If someone needs help,
it is your challenge.
Look around at absolutely everything and ask, "What is this saying to me?
Why was this sent as part of my path to perfection?" Empathize with the
victims of society. Empathize with the victims of crime. Empathize with
the victims of terrorism. Empathize with the victims of discrimination.
Feel the suffering of people you will never meet -- the plight of strangers
halfway around the world.
How do you become real with the suffering of others? To understand the
problems encountered by a blind person, for example, try blindfolding
yourself for a day. Or go to the hospital and visit patients who have lost
limbs. Share the burden.
Ultimately, every human being is striving for universal perfection. We
have a divine spark that yearns to make a difference in the world. We all
care. We just need to focus our attention. Tikun Olam means committing
oneself to solving the world's problems. If everyone would give 10
percent, there would be no problems in this world -- no hunger, no cancer,
no homelessness.
Once you acknowledge that you are responsible for the whole world, only
one question remains: What will you do about it?
For starters, here are a few places to make a difference:
www.GiveDaily.org
www.KerenYandY.org
www.Just-Tzedakah.org
When you care about problems, you'll set priorities, organize, and make
the sacrifice. And with the Almighty's help, you will change the world!
Torah Portion Of The Week: Pekudei
Pekudei includes an accounting of all the materials that went into the
making of the Mishkan (the portable Tabernacle) and details of the
construction of the clothing of the Cohanim. The Tabernacle is completed,
Moses examines all of the components and gives his approval to the
quality and exactness of construction, the Almighty commands to erect the
Tabernacle, it's erected and the various vessels are placed in their proper
place.
Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin
After the completion of the construction of the Tabernacle, the Torah
states:
"And Moshe saw all the work and behold, they did it as the Almighty
commanded ... and Moshe blessed them" (Exodus 39:43).
Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin was once at a dedication ceremony for which one
rabbi selflessly devoted an extremely large amount of time and energy.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 25
When the rabbi spoke he heaped praise and blessings upon the donors
whose contributions made the institution possible.
Rabbi Sorotzkin spoke next and said, "Really the donors should be the
ones to praise and bless the rabbi. It was his efforts that enabled them to
have the merit of contributing to such a worthwhile cause. However, the
rabbi followed in the steps of Moshe. After the complete report of
everything that was donated to the Mishkan, (the portable Tabernacle),
Moshe blessed all those who participated in the donations and
contributions. They should have blessed Moshe for the opportunity he
gave them."
Rabbi Sorotzkin continued, "The same is true when a wealthy person helps
a poor person. The wealthy person gains more from the poor person, since
he gains spiritual merit. However, what usually happens? The receiver
expresses more thanks to the giver than the giver does to the receiver."
When someone approaches us for a contribution for a worthy cause, we
should appreciate that he is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to
contribute. This is an important concept for people who work for the
community to raise funds. They should be aware that they are doing an act
of kindness for the donors. At the same time, they need to show their
gratitude to the donors. And if the donors -- or prospective donors -- do not
have respect or appreciation for the one making the request (assuming it
was made pleasantly and properly), it is the prospective donor who needs
to examine his own character and values.
Quote of the Week
The goal is to fix the problem, not to affix the blame
In Loving Memory of Marilyn S. Yarus (Yahrzeit Feb. 28, 2014), arus,
Sukenik & Ratner families
With Deep Appreciation to James & Patricia Cayne
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Rabbi Eliezer Parkoff
Weekly Chizuk
Pekudei - Look At Yourself in the Third Person
As we mentioned in Parshas Tetzaveh, the fact that Klal Yisrael built the
Mishkan "just like Hashem commanded Moshe" is repeated no less than
18 times. Rav Elchanan Wasserman used to take special note of this. What
is the difference between the previous generations and the latter
generations? Today, whenever a person speaks about himself, people
cannot fathom by any stretch of their imagination that he isn't expressing
his ego. However, it used to be different. In the Torah when a person
spoke about himself, no one ever speculated that he was referring to
himself. Look at all the verses in Parshas Pekudei where Moshe Rabbeinu
spoke about himself in third person: "And Moshe performed" "Just like
Hashem commanded Moshe." Why doesn't the possuk write, "Just as
Hashem commanded him?" Isn't it obvious that Hashem gave all these
commands to Moshe? It's as if there is some other Jew called Moshe, and
Hashem used him to carry out His missions. And Moshe Rabbeinu was
just standing on the side observing, as if it had nothing to do with him at
all.
This also was Rav Elchanan's habit regarding himself. In spite of his
enormous stature in Torah and leadership, he never took personal credit for
anything. Once, Rav Elchanan came to visit the Mashgiach of his yeshiva,
Rav Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky, who was critically ill and in a very
dangerous state. The rebbitzen complained that he doesn't allow any of the
boys in the yeshiva to take care of him.
Rav Elchanan responded thusly, "Regarding himself, he can say he doesn't
want. But for the Mashgiach of the Yeshiva certainly the yeshiva boys
have to serve him in order to get him well. Even the Mashgiach himself
has to want that the Mashgiach should be healthy, because the Yeshiva
needs the Mashgiach." He brought proof from Moshe Rabbeinu in Parshas
Pekudei. (Ohr Elchanan p. 117)
R' Zusha and the Rav
In the town of Anipoli there were two Rabbis, Rebbe Zusha the Chassid,
and the town Rav, a Misnagged. R' Zusha was always happy despite the
fact that he had nothing but troubles, poverty, and ill health. The Rav on
the other hand, despite his honorable position in the community, was
always unhappy, depressed, bitter and angry. He could not bear others, or
even himself.
One night, bitter and frustrated he went to ask R' Zusha for help. He
sneaked out of his house at an hour when he would not be seen and
secretly made his way to the hovel which R' Zusha called home. When he
arrived, the lamps were still burning, so he knocked hesitantly. Almost
immediately R' Zusha appeared at the door with a smile and an invitation
to enter.
"How is it that you are so happy and content and I am always angry and
cursing everybody?" asked the bewildered Rav.
"Let me give you an example," offered R' Zusha. "Take the wedding of R'
Moshe's daughter. When Reb Moshe, the local philanthropist, made a
wedding for his daughter recently, he dispatched a messenger to personally
invite the special citizens of Anipoli. When the messenger came to your
house, you demanded to see the guest list. You saw that you were 14th on
the list."
'"Chutzpah!' you shrieked, and decided that you would attend, but come
late. When you arrived, all the guests were already sitting at the tables and
eating the festive meal. When you arrived, there were no empty places to
be found.
"Soon, Reb Moshe the philanthropist saw you looking for a place to sit.
'Rabbi,' he called out, 'where have you been?' He brought you to the head
table, but there were no more empty places. They brought you a chair, but
you sat behind somebody else. You were furious, looking for somebody to
lash out at, but nobody was really paying any attention to you. The waiter
did not even see you. By the time the host noticed that you were not
eating, all the food was gone.
"R' Moshe went into the kitchen to find something, but there was nothing
befitting the Rav of Anipoli. Everything had already been picked through.
By this time you were cursing the host, the waiters, the guests, and even
the bride and groom themselves. When it came time for the bentching
(Grace after Meals) and the Sheva Brachos (seven blessings said after the
festive meals in the presence of the bride and groom), you had been all but
forgotten. You went home broken, angry, and bitter, cursing the Master of
the World Himself.
"When the messenger came to the house of R' Zusha (he always referred to
himself in the third person), Zusha was taken aback. What a kind gesture!
Reb Moshe is inviting Zusha to the wedding of his daughter?! What has
Zusha ever done to deserve an invitation to their wedding?!
"So Zusha went two hours early to the wedding. Zusha asked what he
could do to help set up. Zusha officiated at the ceremony. Zusha ate a full
meal. Zusha was honored with bentching and Zusha recited the Sheva
Brachos."
"You see", Rebbe Zusha continued his explanation to the Rav of Anipoli,
"you wanted everything, but you ended up with nothing. Zusha didn't ask
for anything, but he got it all!" 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
hsuep
Volume 28 Number 21 March 1, 2014
s"ga, wt rst y"f u"f vfux :hnuhv ;s
Controlled And Calculated
These are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of the
Testimony, which were counted at the word of Moshe; the work of the
Leviim in the hand of I tamar, son of Aharon the Kohen. Shemos 38:21
The Mishkan of the Testimony - Testimony for Israel that the Holy One,
blessed is He, overlooked the incident of the Golden Calf for them, for He
rested His Shechinah among them, in the Mishkan. - Rashi
The Mishkan served as a proof that Hashem had forgiven the Jewish
people for the sin of the Golden Calf, for He would otherwise not be
willing to have His Shechina dwell among the people. Why, however, does
Rashi teach us this lesson only at this advanced point in the description of
the command and eventual construction of the Mishkan? Why does Rashi
not make this comment earlier, perhaps when the command to build the
Mishkan is first introduced in Parashas Truma? Sefer Kiflaim Litushia
explains that this can be compared to a man who eats without any control,
only trying to fill his physical desire to consume more and more. He eats
without restraint and without measure, even to the point where he may
eventually become sickened from his unlimited indulging. In contrast, a
doctor who dispenses medications and healing drugs will be exceedingly
careful to prescribe only the correct amount and the proper dosage of each
pill for his patient. When the Jews sinned at the Golden Calf, there were
those who tore off their golden jewelry and they came to dump it in
unlimited amounts into the boiling cauldron from which the idol was
formed. This uncontrolled dumping of gold was typical of sinful action,
where a wild effort was made to indulge in the sin of idolatry. However, in
contrast, the construction of the Mishkan was a targeted and specified
mitzvah where amounts of each material were measured and weighed (see
38:14). This in and of itself shows that the construction of the Mishkan
was a healing and therapeutic endeavor, for every aspect was measured
and calculated. It is here, in our parasha, that we find the tally of exactly
how much of each material was used. This aspect of the Mishkan was the
testimony that Hashem had accepted the peoples teshuva, and instead of
their taking part in an uncontrolled mob action to sin, the people had come
to work together for the sake of Heaven in a measured and disciplined
manner.
No Compromise
26 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
And they made the Tzits, the holy crown, of pure gold, and they
inscribed on it with script like the engraving of a signet, Holy to God.
Shemos 39:30
The verse states that UcTfhu - and they wrote upon the head-plate the
words Holy to God. What is the significance of using the plural verb
when it seems that the writing itself would apparently have been done by
one person? Sefer Pardes Yosef cites the Ram of Gur, who explains
that the Mishna in Yoma (38a-b) tells us that there was an individual
named Ben-Kamtzar who knew how to write the name of God while
holding four quills in his hand at the same time. The sages wanted to have
him share his secret, but he refused, and without good reason, and for that
he was highly criticized. Although this trick seems to be quite curious to
accomplish, we must understand why he was criticized for not teaching
others how to do it. Tosafos Yom Tov cites an answer. The name of God
has four letters in it. Once the first two letters have been written, a
shortened form of Gods name already appears, with the Yud and
Heh. At this point, when we continue and attempt to write the remaining
Vov and Heh, the shortened name of God is temporarily distorted and
obliterated, because at the moment we have the Yud and Heh, and they are
followed by a Vov alone, this is no longer a name of God until the final
Heh is written. Ben-Kamtzar had a method by which the name of God was
not compromised for even a moment, and that is by his being able to write
all four letters simultaneously. When he was asked to teach others how to
do this, and he stubbornly refused without a reason, he was criticized.
Perhaps this is also indicated in our verse, as they wrote the name of
God upon the head-plate. With four people working together, they avoided
the problem of having to write the first two letters, which already comprise
the name of God, and then to have to erase its significance even
temporarily by writing the Vov next to those letters, rendering the word
meaningless for a moment.
Follow The Formula
And all the work of the Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting, was completed,
and Bnei Yisrael did just as all that God had commanded Moshe, so did
they do. Shemos 39:32
Seemingly, the order of the verse is backwards. It should have been
written: And Bnei Yisrael did just as all that God had commanded
Moshe, and all of the work of the Mishkan, the Tent of Meeting, was
completed. One may explain that the phrase And Bnei Yisrael did all
that God had commanded refers to mitzvos other than those involved in
building the Mishkan. However, if this were so, why is this mentioned
specifically after the completion of the Mishkan?
In Oznaim LaTorah, Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin notes that Chazal tell us
(Avos 4:2) that one mitzvah brings another one in its wake (vumn ,rrId vumn)
just as one sin brings another one (vrcg ,rrId vrcg). Hashem created man to
be honest, and with the intelligence to distinguish between right and
wrong. It says in Devarim 35:19: And you will choose life. In order to
ensure the possibility of free will, this choice must appear to be between
equally possible alternatives. Yet, as Chazal tell us, the nature of a person
is that by doing one mitzvah he gives himself the power to make the right
choice the next time easier. Similarly, by doing a sin, it inclines a person
towards making the choice to sin again that much easier. On the spiritual
level, by doing mitzvos one raises his level of holiness (vJUse) where one
desires to further elevate himself spiritually by fulfilling more mitzvos.
The sin of the Golden Calf created a stronger inclination to deviate from
the way of Torah. The Mishkan was an antidote to the influence of the sin
of the Golden Calf in that by having Klal Yisrael participate in the mitzvah
of constructing a dwelling place - the Mishkan - where a person could
tangibly experience Hashems presence, it created a power to incline
towards choosing the path of the Torah according to the formula of one
mitzvah brings with it another. Therefore, the Torah first says that they
completed building the Mishkan and then it says that Klal Yisrael did
everything that Hashem had commanded, including mitzvos not directly
connected to building the Mishkan.
Motivated For The Mikdash
And Moshe saw all the work, and behold, they had done it, as God had
commanded so had they done; and Moshe blessed them. Shemos 39:42
Moshe said to them: May it be His will that the Shechina rest on the work
of your hands. May the pleasantness of our God be upon us, etc.
(Tehillim 90:17) This is one of the eleven Tehillim that begin with "vJnk
vkhpT" - A prayer for Moshe. -- Rashi
Why was there a need for Moshe to pronounce this specific request that
the presence of Hashem reside among the people? This was precisely the
goal and express intent of the building of the Mishkan, as the verse stated:
They shall make for Me a Mikdash, and I will reside among them. Now
that the Mishkan was completed, the people were already assured that they
would merit this honor. What, then, is the meaning of this blessing of
Moshe?
Ksav Sefer notes that Moshe was, in fact, addressing the Jewish people
themselves. He told them, May it be your will - the desire of the Jewish
nation - that the presence of God reside among us. The purpose of
Moshes words was to exhort and to encourage the Jews to appreciate that
it was up to them to demand spirituality. After the work of constructing the
Mishkan was completed just as God had commanded Moshe, Moshe
feared that there might arise an element of pride and perhaps even
arrogance among the people, in that they had succeeded in creating such a
spectacular
structure, and that they thereby would consider themselves entitled to have
Hashem dwell among them. Moshes intent was to undermine this risk,
and to focus their minds to aim for the one singular goal of serving
Hashem for the sake of Heaven, with humility and dignity. In fact, the
original pledge to the Jews was They shall make for Me - for My sake - a
Mikdash. If the Jewish people were to act in accordance with the will of
Hashem, without the mixing of ulterior motives, then I will reside among
them. Moshe urged the nation, Let it be our communal will that the
Shechina be a part of all our efforts and dwell among us.
Inserting The Rings
And he took and placed the Testimony into the Aron and placed the
poles on the Aron, and he placed the lid on the Aron from above.
Shemos 40:20
Placing the poles into the rings of the Aron happened only after the Tablets
were in the Ark. However, in Parashas Truma the Torah seems to tell us
that the Tablets were placed into the Ark only after the poles were placed
into the rings. The Gemara in Yoma (72b) says that the poles were loose in
the rings but could not slip out. Rashi explains that the ends of the poles
were thick and had to be squeezed through the rings. However, the middle
of the poles were narrow and loose in the rings, though they could not slip
out. The measurements for the Ark were such that in fact the poles should
not have fit into the rings at all. The attributes of the Ark were more
spiritual than physical. Chazal tell us that even though the Ark was carried,
it actually transported those who carried it. (Sotah 35a) Originally, the
rings were made in a way that only in a miraculous fashion would the
poles fit into them. The rings would stretch momentarily to allow the
poles to enter and then return to their normal size so that the poles would
never slip out. This was before the incident of the Golden Calf.
Shem MiShmuel explains that after the incident of the Golden Calf, only
the placing of the Tablets into the Ark would cause the rings to expand in
an unnatural fashion to allow the poles to be put into place. Only in the
merit of having the Tablets already placed into the Ark would the Ark then
prepare itself for transportation. Therefore, when the Torah recounts in
Parashas Pekudei how the poles were actually placed into the rings, it first
mentions the Tablets being placed into the Ark and then the placing of the
poles into the rings.
The Courtyard Was Different
And he erected the courtyard all around the Mishkan and the Altar,
and he placed the screen of the gate of the courtyard. And Moshe
completed the work. Shemos 40:33
It is noteworthy that in every single fulfillment of the building of the
Mishkan the Torah says "vJn ,t wv vum rJtF" - that it was done exactly as
God commanded Moshe. There is only one exception to this phenomenon.
When describing the construction of the courtyard of the Mishkan the
pasuk does not tell us that it was done just as God commanded Moshe.
In what way was the courtyard different from the holy vessels and
vestments of the Temple?
In Maayan Beis HaShoeiva, Rav Shimon Schwab, l"vf, explains: From
the very beginning of this project, Bnei Yisrael were instructed that all
must be done with the purest intentions. For example: "vnUrT hk Ujehu"
(Shemos 25:2), and "Jsen hk UGgu" (Shemos 25:8) - They will take all
donations for My sake, and They will build for Me a sanctuary. In
general, Torah and mitzvos may be pursued VnJk tkJ, even for personal
gain that will ultimately lead to VnJk , pure intentions. Nevertheless, the
construction of the Mishkan, where the service of Hashem will take place,
must be fused with total VnJk, solely for the sake of Hashem. To this the
pasuk testifies "vJn ,t wv vum rJtF" every step of the way. All was
accomplished with the purest intentions just as God commanded Moshe.
However, the courtyard of the Temple served as a place of gathering for
all of the people, even those who may not have achieved this level of ohnJ
oJk that is achieved in the inner sanctum of the Mikdash. If the Temple
was to be a landmark to unify all of the people in their quest for spiritual
growth, it was necessary to relax this requirement in the courtyard, thus
the absence of "vJn ,t wv vum rJtF" in its construction.
Halachic Corner
Rosh Chodesh Adar II will take place Sunday and Monday, Machar, Yom
Rishon, vYom Sheni
The Mishnah (Shekalim 1:1) tells us that a proclamation was made to
remind everyone to have his half shekel ready to be paid at the proper
time. In addition to the proclamation of the Beis Din, there was one more
reminder. The portion of Shekalim (Shemos 30:11-16) would be read in
the synagogues on the Shabbos that fell on or before the first of Adar.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 27
Although shekel contributions for the Beis HaMikdash service are not
applicable in the absence of the Beis HaMikdash, the synagogue reading is
still observed in commemoration of the Beis HaMikdash period - Jsenk
rfz. The Mishnah continues to expound upon and detail the various
communal needs which were attended to and maintained at this time of
year and with these funds. Later in the Mishnah (4:2) we find that all the
needs of the city are funded from the remainder of the treasury chamber.
All the needs of the city refers to the digging of the wells and ditches,
upkeep and repair of streets and marketplaces, and the protection of the
city.
During the time of the Beis HaMikdash, the city of Yerushalayim provided
the environment surrounding the Beis HaMikdash within which the
community lived and thrived, and its needs had to be funded by the
consecrated funds of the shekalim treasury. Our local Jewish communal
needs are also essential for our survival and our future. All who participate
in the funding and support of communal needs and institutions are
involved in a consecrated mission.
Questions for Thought and Study
1. Why does the Torah imply that Betzalel did all the work when it has
said before that there were many wise men who worked on the Mishkan?
See Ramban 38:22
2. How does the gold of the Mishkan allude to the hard work that Bnei
Yisrael endured in Egypt? See Baal HaTurim 38:24
3. Regarding the garments of the Kohanim, why does the Torah have to
indicate specifically that they were made "vJn ,t wv vum rJtF" - as God
commanded Moshe? See Meshech Chochmah 39:1
4. How did the Leviim recognize how to take apart and reassemble the
Mishkan? See Ramban 40:2
5. Which utensils name was changed after it started to be used? See
Haamek Davar 40:6
6. How did the commands to Moshe by Hashem allude to our daily
prayers? See Baal HaTurim 40:22
Answers:
1. This was to indicate that all the work in the Mishkan was under
Betzalels direction and that they would show him all the work for final
approval.
2. The Torah has an extra "v" in the word "cvzv" - the gold, alluding to
five types of gold items that were given: "cvz hkf kf 'znuf ',gcy 'ozb 'jj" -
bracelets, nose rings, rings, body ornaments, and other utensils of gold.
This was representative of the five forms of hard labor that Bnei Yisrael
endured in Egypt: "vae vsucg '.jk 'hubhg 'rrn 'lrp" - crushing work,
bitterness, affliction, oppression, and hard work.
3. There are two answers. First, the garments were made of wool and
linen, which are prohibited (shatnez). The Torah needed to indicate that it
was expressly Hashems command to override this prohibition. Another
explanation is that the Kohens garments (unlike the utensils) can have
copies made and used for non-holy activities. Therefore, the Torah needs
to specify that these garments should be woven with the intent to only use
them to serve Hashem.
4. Moshe would take apart and reassemble the Mishkan every day of the
seven initital inauguration days, so that the Leviim would be familiar with
these procedures.
5. The ,Jjb jCzn (copper altar) became known as the vkIgv jCzn - the altar
of the Olah sacrifice after the 8th day when it began to be used for the
daily vkIg.
6. The words "vJn ,t wv vum rJtF" - as God commanded Moshe - are
used 18 times in connection with the erection of the Mishkan, alluding to
the 18 blessings of Shemoneh Esrei.
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
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Rabbi Naftali Reich
Legacy
Parshas Pekudei - Heavenly Whisperings
Purim is one of the most joyous festivals in the calendar and is celebrated
with an overflow of buoyant spirits and loving affinity with fellow Jews.
The history behind the festival has timeless lessons that are as relevant
today as they were for our people in the times of Megillas Esther.
At the end of a seventy-year exile period in Babylon, the Jewish people
expected to be redeemed, in line with a well-known prophecy passed down
the generations after the Destruction of the Holy Temple. When the
seventy-year mark passed and they remained in exile, gloom and feelings
of having been rejected by G-d began to eat away at the Jewish soul. As
the events of the Purim story unfolded, with Haman's ascent to power and
his vicious plot to annihilate the Jews, the situation seemed more and more
hopeless. In the depths of their despair, Mordechai and Queen Esther
emerged as Hashem's tools of salvation. The Babylonian exile and the
nation's trials and tribulations were then acknowledged as purposeful and
meaningful. The entire nation re-embraced Torah and mitzvos with
renewed faith and devotion.
The Purim message is meant to uplift and fortify us not only on Purim but
day in and day out, as we encounter the full gamut of life's challenges. At
the conclusion of this week's Torah portion, the last in the book of
Shemos, there is another important message that can assist us as we
encounter the many bumps in our life journey that test our faith and
endurance.
The Torah tells us that the Jewish people were accompanied in the their
desert travels by a miraculous pillar of cloud during the day. At nighttime
they were led by a pillar of fire that never left the camp. What insight can
we glean from this miraculous phenomenon? What was the significance of
these two symbols of G-d's presence that never once deserted the people
during the 40-year odyssey across the wilderness, until they entered the
Promised Land?
I believe that the Torah is imparting to us a very important message. The
first test recorded in the Torah that was given to Avrohom Avinu was
Hashem's command to 'leave your land, your birthplace, and your parental
home to the land that I will show you." Hashem shrouded Avraham's
destination in obscurity. The commentaries explain that this obscurity was
an essential part of his challenge.
As we move along the road of life, we often feel unsure of our ultimate
destination. Each stage of our lives is fraught with worry. Will we find our
bashert? Will we be blessed with children? Will we be able to raise them
properly? Will we be able to provide for our families? Will we marry off
our children? Will we succeed in our career goals? The list goes on and
on.
Even when things seem to be as clear as day, our goals often seems to be
shifting. When we finally conquer the peak and momentarily enjoy the
plateau, there invariably looms another peak up ahead whose summit is in
the clouds.
The pillar of cloud that led the Jewish people throughout the wilderness at
each stage of their journey symbolizes the ever-shifting end point that
tends to elude us we make our way through life's vicissitudes. Just as the
Jewish people continued traveling into a cloud and the cloud itself kept
moving forward, so in life we need to stay on course and keep moving
forward, even if our ultimate destination appears blurred or elusive.
At times we are beset with a mist of darkness and long for sunlight. We
sometimes feel a clammy feeling welling within us, urging us to abandon
our spiritual struggles. We are unmotivated. We feel overwhelmed and
paralyzed. Life's challenges seem overwhelming.
At times like these we need to allow ourselves to be led by the "pillar of
fire," our internal spiritual compass that will lead us in the right direction.
We follow our instincts-not our emotional, impulsive instincts, but the
voice of conscience and the whispering of our soul. This thought is
embodied in the pillar of fire that led the Jewish people at night through
their sojourn in the wilderness.
I fondly treasure memories of the close relationship I merited to have with
the great Reb Sholom Noach Berzovsky, the Nesivas Sholom of blessed
memory. He was a giant of spirit, always bursting with an optimistic and
positive approach to life although he was extremely frail, thin and of a
physically diminutive stature. I once asked him, "Rebbe you are so weak
and you suffer physical ailments. How do you always seem to display such
strength and youthful vigor?"
I recall the smile that broke out on his face as he told me, "Naftali, I
always feel that I am simply a sack of bones with a neshama that is
moving me along. I long gave up on relying on my body to propel me
forward in life."
The pillar of fire, our neshamos, that connects us to our heavenly source
can also serve as our spiritual guide as we move into life's uncharted
waters, urging us to press on and not to surrender to fear. Knowing
Hashem is with us, illuminating the darkness and lighting the way forward,
infuses us with strength.
The more we internalize the message of the pillar of cloud and fire, the
more it will fortify us with reassurance and confidence in our life's path,
ensuring that we realize its ultimate, blissful destination.
Wishing you a wonderful Shabbo, Rabbi Naftali Reich
To Support Project Genesis- Torah.org Legacy, Copyright &copy 2014 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org. Rabbi Reich is on the faculty of the
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Rabbi Mordechai Rhine
Rabbi's Message
Do You Know How To Clap?
Clapping is a skill that is useful throughout life. As children we clap with
delight. As adults we clap to express admiration for a job well done. But
clapping comes in a most personal form as well. Clapping is the joining of
two dimensions that seem to oppose. The first expectation of them
28 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
converging on each other is conflict and disarray. But when these two
forces come together correctly they produce a noteworthy sound.
In this week's parsha we read of the partnership between Bitzalel of the
tribe of Yehudah, and Oholiav of the tribe of Dan. The Torah is quite
emphatic that the Mishkan can only be properly built through the
partnership of these two great people, representing their tribes. Yehudah is
the tribe of royalty; Dan is the humble tribe that takes in the downtrodden.
By working together they were able to produce a Mishkan.
Picture the scene of Bitzalel and Oholiav working on a design. Certain
things were Halacha. These they certainly observed meticulously. But
there were aspects of the design that were left to the artisan's discretion.
Each person had his own perception of the proper way to honor Hashem.
Bitzalel coming from a background of royalty would perceive that the
Sanctuary should be built in a way that is bold and in the style of royalty,
while Oholiav might see a softer, more sensitive and subtle design, as
more in tune with the soft, and gentle voice of Hashem (Melochim 1,19:
11-12). Through partnership- by working through their perspectives- they
were able to achieve the monumental accomplishment of building a
Mishkan.
On the verse in Koheles (4:9), "Two are better than one," Rashi declares,
"For all things." And so it is that we indeed find partnerships of opposing
perspectives, whenever we encounter greatness.
Take Moshe and Ahron for example. These great brothers partnered in
leading the Jewish people during the critical, formative years. They are
described by our tradition as being quite different from one another. The
Talmud (Sanhedrin 6) tells us that Moshe's perspective was, "Let the law
pierce the mountain!" That is, "Regardless of the obstacles and objections:
Let the law be done." But Ahron was one who "loved peace and pursued
peace." When Ahron encountered conflict he strove to settle things
through compromise. It was when these two great partners blended their
perspectives together, that a legacy of both law and of kindness was
achieved.
Sometimes the two perspectives that need to be blended aren't external to
the person at all. On the one hand Jewish tradition teaches that a person
should emulate Moshe who said, "We are nothing." One the other hand we
are told that we should live with the awareness that we are very special.
We should say, "Because of me the world was created." People wonder,
"Isn't this a contradiction?" But, as one Rabbi explained, "Each person has
two pockets in his jacket. In one pocket is the statement that he is nothing,
and in the other pocket is the statement that the whole world was created
for him. The genius of successful living is to put the correct hand into the
correct pocket at the correct time." When someone offends our honor it
might be more appropriate to think of ourselves humbly as Moshe did.
When there is a need for action or kindness, we might well realize that all
was orchestrated for us to live up to the moment. The absolute reality of
our essence is the proper blending of these two perspectives.
Jewish scholarship is based on the awareness that it is by merging multiple
perspectives that we can produce accuracy. This explains why so much
study is Chavrusa based, focused on critical thinking. It is an effort to put
our own perspective up for a second opinion, and thereby refine it. The
Talmud (Baba Metziah 84) relates that Rabbi Yochanan became frustrated
when his Chavrusa simply agreed to his opinions without proposing any
objections. In contrast, Rabbi Yochanan was pleased that Reish Lakish
would raise objections to things that he said. One day Reish Lakish was
missing. Rabbi Yochanan expressed his disappointment by making a
motion of clapping with one hand, illustrating that clapping simply can't be
done with one hand (Talmud Yerushalmi Horyos 3:1).
No wonder that when one overcomes a challenge and reaches success
we clap. Adversity and a different perspective aren't obstacles to success.
Rather they are opportunities to learn how to clap, to blend the left with
the right, and polish the diamonds so that they will shine ever so brightly.
With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Mordechai Rhine is the Rav of Southeast Hebrew Congregation- Knesset Yehoshua in Silver Spring, MD. He is also the Director of
TEACH613, which promotes Torah and mitzvah education through classes and virtual media. Rabbi Rhine has received semicha from Rabbi Berel
Wein, and Rabbi Shmuel Meir Katz, and holds a Masters in Educational Leadership from Bellevue University. Rabbi Rhine's "Take Ten for Talmud"
ten minute audio program based on Daf Hayomi is available by free e-mail subscription. His book, "The Magic of Shabbos," and the Perek Shirah
Collection CD Series are available in Judaica stores, and through www.teach613.org. He can be contacted at RMRhine@teach613.org 2014, Rabbi
Mordechai Rhine and TEACH613TM

Rabbi Elyakim Rosenblatt
Yeshiva Kesser Torah
A Commentary Published by Yeshiva Kesser Torah of Queens
Vayakhel Pikudei: The Awesome Power of Toiling In Torah
"Betzalel the son of Uri, the son of Chur of the tribe of Yehuda made all
that Hashem had commanded Moshe.." (Shmos 38:22)"
The Midrash Rabbah(Bereshis 1:14) comments that the above posuk does not
state that Betzalel made the Mishkan in the manner that Moshe had
commanded him; rather, the posuk states, "Betzalel made the Mishkan in the
manner that Hashem commanded Moshe." This teaches us that even things
that Betzalel did not hear from Moshe, his opinion turned out to be in accord
with what was actually said to Moshe by Hashem on Har Sinai.
This Midrash seems to be saying that when Moshe descended from Har Sinai
and taught Betzalel the laws of building the Mishkan, he apparently omitted
some of these laws in his teachings. Betzalel, attentively listening to his
Rebbe, Moshe, expound upon the laws detailing how the Mishkan should be
built, had difficulty understanding Moshe's teachings as enunciated. He
perceived that Moshe must have omitted some of these laws. Betzalel's
comprehension turned out to be exactly as Hashem had taught Moshe. The
posuk, therefore does not state that Betzalel did all that Moshe had
commanded him, for, in reality, he did beyond that. He made the Mishkan as
Hashem Himself had commanded Moshe.
Let us envision this scenario. Moshe Rabbeinu descends from Har Sinai after
being taught by Hashem himself the laws pertaining to the construction of the
Mishkan. Betzalel, the faithful disciple of Moshe Rabbeinu, entrusted with the
holy task of building the Mishkan the sanctuary of Hashem, stands in awe,
listening attentively and intently to every single word uttered by his revered
Rebbe. Betzalel has questions on his Rebbe's teachings, and concludes that his
Rebbe, Moshe, must surely have omitted some information from his
teachings.
This is mystifying. How could Betzalel possibly come to such an incredible
conclusion that Moshe Rabbeinu, the great Rebbe of Klal Yisroel, omitted
something from his teachings? Surely this awesome setting whereby Moshe
Rabbeinu teaches Betzalel in the name of Hashem what he had just heard at
maamad har Sinai from Hashem Himself, should produce within Betzalels
psyche an inner drive and impetus to want to readily accept wholeheartedly
whatever Moshe Rabbeinu was saying. For example, if we study a difficult
Rambam which seems to contradict a Gemorah, how much toil and effort do
we exert to try to reconcile the Rambam with the Gemorah? Why do we do
this? For we know that the holy Rambam certainly knew the Gemorah, and
nevertheless, paskened something which seems to contradict the Gemorah.
This confidence in the Rambams correctness gives us the impetus and drive
to accept his words and to toil and reconcile them with the words of the
Gemorah. If this is true with the Rambam, then surely it is true in the case of
the great Rebbe of Klal Yisroel, Moshe Rabbeinu, who taught Betzalel in the
name of Hashem the laws of the Mishkan, what he had just heard from
Hashem Himself. Shouldn't Betzalel have within him the certitude and inner
drive to readily accept every word emanating from Moshe Rabbeinu's holy
mouth. Surely what Moshe Rabbeinu had taught was the halacha, and what he
did not teach was not the halacha. How, in all logic, could Betzalel possibly
conclude that his revered Rebbe omitted some information from his
teachings?
Furthermore, we find that, not only did Betzalel deduce that Moshe Rabbeinu
omitted something from his teachings, but he detected something even more
incredible. Rashi(1), in Parshas Pekudei, on our very Posuk, understands our
Midrash to be saying that Betzalel concluded the exact opposite of what
Moshe Rabbeinu had taught him. Moshe taught Betzalel to first make the
vessels of the Mishkan and then build the Mishkan itself, while Betzalel
understood that the Mishkan should be built before the vessels.
This is mystifying. Surely Betzalel must have had a strong urge and inner
desire to readily accept every holy word uttered by Moshe Rabbeinu in the
name of Hashem as halacha psuka - the absolute truth. How could Betzalel
possibly conclude that the truth was the opposite of what Moshe Rabbeinu
had taught him?
Perhaps the only manner in which we may fathom Betzalel's perception,
detecting what Moshe omitted, and even concluding the truth to be the
opposite of what Moshe had taught, is to assume that Betzalel was zoche to a
special Ruach HaKodesh and syata diShmaya. This enabled him to perceive
matters even beyond the teachings of his Rebbe, attaining knowledge directly
from the Creator Himself. This, in truth, might be implied in our Rashi which
states that Moshe remarked to Betzalel, "Betzel kel hayisa - in the shadow of
G-D have you been." If this is true, however, than there is absolutely nothing
that we can learn from this Shmuess to apply to ourselves, since we are not
anywhere near the level of Betzalel, and we do not have Ruach HaKodesh.
However, the Yefe Toar (a commentary on the Midrash Rabbah), has a rather
novel approach to our Midrash, from which much can be learned and applied
directly to our very own lives. He proves that the true meaning of our Midrash
is that Betzalel achieved his incredible abilities not through Ruach HaKodesh,
but rather through a natural process of reasoning, with iyun and yegiyah,
toiling and exerting efforts in order to comprehend the depth of his Rebbe's
teachings. Perhaps this interpretation too, may be implied in Moshe's words
"Betzel kel hayisa" - exerting yourself and toiling in the study of Torah has
elevated you and given you the insight and perception to be in total accord
with the commandment of the Creator, as if you were actually there together
with me, Moshe, in the shadow of G-D, both of us being taught by Hashem
Himself.
Thus, according to the Yefeh Toar, we see the awesome power that exists
within ameylus baTorah - toiling in Torah. Betzalel, stood in awe, listening to
the greatest Rebbe Klal Yisroel ever had, who taught him in the name of
Hashem the laws of the construction of the Mishkan. These laws Moshe
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 29
Rabainu had just heard from Hashem at Maamad Har Sinai; therefore he,
Betzalel, should surely have the impetus and inner certitude within him to
readily accept every word exactly as it was being taught. Surely within this
setting there existed within Betzalel a great psychological barrier to thinking
even one iota beyond his Rebbe's teachings. Nevertheless, through toiling to
grasp and comprehend the truth of his Rebbe's teachings, he saw that
difficulties and questions still remained. These questions brought about
different and opposite conclusions, which, indeed, were the ultimate truth.
Betzalel toiling in the holy words of his Rebbe's teachings, had the incredible
power to pierce through this great psychological barrier and to elevate
Himself beyond his Rebbe's teachings. Thus he was in total accord with what
Hashem had commanded Moshe at maamad har Sinai. This was not through
the medium of Ruach HaKodesh, but through the natural processes of
reasoning, with Iyun and yegiah baTorah, toiling and exerting efforts to
comprehend the depths of his Rebbe's teachings.
May we realize the tremendous opportunities that are available to us through
toiling and exerting all our efforts in comprehending the holy words of
Hashem's Torah. Literally, the Heavens are open to us. We are able to rise
above and beyond the teachings of our revered Rebbeim. We can attain the
ultimate knowledge of maamad har Sinai itself.
May we be zoche to dedicate and devote ourselves to the study of Hashem's
holy Torah. May we delve into its secrets and its beauties. May we be zocheh
to attain the highest and holiest of all levels - maamad har Sinai itself. Amen.
1. Rashi's source is the Gemorah Brachos 55a.
These weekly Parsha sheets are based on Shmuessin delivered at Yeshiva Kesser Torah by HaRav ElyakimG. Rosenblatt, Shlita, Rosh HaYeshiva. This Shmuess is
adapted from a Shmuess of Maran HaGaon HaRav Henach Leibowitz, ZTL. Yeshiva Kesser Torah, 72-11 Vleigh Place, Flushing, NY 11367. (718) 793-2890.
YeshivaKesserTorah@gmail.com. For other Shiurimby Harav Rosenblatt Shlita, login to YeshivaKesserTorah.org For telephone shiurimcall Kol Halashon at 718-
395-2440. press 1 1 30 for Shiruimand 1 4 32 for Chassidic Gems

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Covenant & Conversation
Pekudei - Celebrate
1 March, 2014 / 29 Adar Rishon, 5774
If leaders are to bring out the best in those they lead, they must give them
the chance to show they are capable of great things, and then they must
celebrate their achievements. That is what happens at a key moment
toward the end of our parsha, one that brings the book of Exodus to a
sublime conclusion after all the strife that has gone before.
The Israelites have finally completed the work of building the Tabernacle.
We then read:
So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The
Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses ... Moses
inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had
commanded. So Moses blessed them. (Ex. 39: 32, 43)
The passage sounds simple enough, but to the practised ear it recalls
another biblical text, from the end of the creation narrative in Genesis:
The heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. On the
seventh day God finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh
day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and
made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he
had done. (Gen. 2: 1-3)
Three key words appear in both passages: work, completed and
blessed. These verbal echoes are not accidental. They are how the Torah
signals intertextuality, that is, hinting that one law or story is to be read in
the context of another. In this case the Torah is emphasizing that Exodus
ends as Genesis began, with a work of creation. Note the difference as well
as the similarity. Genesis began with an act of Divine creation. Exodus
ends with an act of human creation.
The closer we examine the two texts, the more we see how intricately the
parallel has been constructed. The creation account in Genesis is tightly
organised around a series of sevens. There are seven days of creation. The
word good appears seven times, the word God thirty-five times, and
the word earth twenty-one times. The opening verse of Genesis contains
seven words, the second fourteen, and the three concluding verses 35
words. The complete text is 469 (767) words.
The account of the construction of the Tabernacle in Vayakhel-Pekudei is
similarly built around the number seven. The word heart appears seven
times in Exodus 35: 5-29, as Moses specifies the materials to be used in
the construction, and seven times again in 35: 34 - 36: 8, the description of
how the craftsmen Bezalel and Oholiav were to carry out the work. The
word terumah, contribution appears seven times in this section. In
chapter 39, describing the making of the priestly vestments, the phrase as
God commanded Moses occurs seven times. It occurs again seven times
in chapter 40.
A remarkable parallel is being drawn between Gods creation of the
universe and the Israelites creation of the Sanctuary. We now understand
what the Sanctuary represented. It was a micro-cosmos, a universe in
miniature, constructed with the same precision and wisdom as the
universe itself, a place of order as against the formlessness of the
wilderness and the ever-threatening chaos of the human heart. The
Sanctuary was a visible reminder of Gods presence within the camp, itself
a metaphor for Gods presence within the universe as a whole.
A large and fateful idea is taking shape. The Israelites, who have been
portrayed throughout much of Exodus as ungrateful and half-hearted, have
now been given the opportunity, after the sin of the golden calf, to show
that they are not irredeemable. They are capable of great things. They have
shown they can be creative. They have used their generosity and skill to
build a mini-universe. By this symbolic act they have shown they are
capable of becoming, in the potent rabbinic phrase, Gods partners in the
work of creation.
This was fundamental to their re-moralization and to their self-image as
the people of Gods covenant. Judaism does not take a low view of human
possibility. We do not believe we are tainted by original sin. We are not
incapable of moral grandeur. To the contrary, the very fact that we are in
the image of the Creator means that we uniquely among life forms
have the ability to be creative. As Israels first creative achievement
reached its culmination Moses blessed them, saying, according to the
sages, May it be Gods will that His presence rests in the work of your
hands.(1) Our potential greatness is that we can create structures,
relationships and lives that become homes for the Divine presence.
Blessing them and celebrating their achievement, Moses showed them
what they could be. That is potentially a life-changing experience. Here is
a contemporary example.
In 2001, shortly after 9/11, I received a letter from a woman in London
whose name I did not immediately recognise. The morning of the attack on
the World Trade Centre, I had been giving a lecture on ways of raising the
status of the teaching profession, and she had seen a report about it in the
press. This prompted her to write and remind me of a meeting we had had
eight years earlier.
She was then, in 1993, head-teacher of the school that was floundering.
She had heard some of my broadcasts, felt a kinship with what I had to
say, and thought that I might have the answer to her problem. I invited her,
together with two of her deputies, to our house. The story she told me was
this: morale within the school, among teachers, pupils and parents alike,
was at an all-time low. Parents had been withdrawing their children. The
student roll had fallen from 1000 children to 500. Examination results
were bad: only 8 per cent of students achieved high grades. It was clear
that unless something changed dramatically, the school would have to
close.
We talked for an hour or so on general themes: the school as community,
how to create an ethos, and so on. Suddenly, I realised that we were
thinking along the wrong lines. The problem she faced was practical, not
philosophical. I said: I want you to live one word celebrate. She turned
to me with a sigh: You dont understand we have nothing to celebrate.
Everything in the school is going wrong. In that case, I replied, find
something to celebrate. If a single student has done better this week than
last week, celebrate. If someone has a birthday, celebrate. If its Tuesday,
celebrate. She seemed unconvinced, but promised to give the idea a try.
Now, eight years later, she was writing to tell me what had happened since
then. Examination results at high grades had risen from 8 to 65 per cent.
The roll of pupils had risen from 500 to 1000. Saving the best news to last,
she added that she had just been made a Dame of the British Empire one
of the highest honours the Queen can bestow for her contribution to
education. She ended by saying that she just wanted me to know how one
word had changed the school and her life.
She was a wonderful teacher, and certainly did not need my advice. She
would have discovered the answer on her own anyway. But I was never in
any doubt that the strategy would succeed. We grow to fill other peoples
expectations of us. If they are low, we remain small. If they are high, we
walk tall.
The idea that each of us has a fixed quantum of intelligence, virtue,
academic ability, motivation and drive is absurd. Not all of us can paint
like Monet or compose like Mozart. But we each have gifts, capacities,
that can lie dormant a throughout life, until someone awakes them. We can
achieve heights of which we never thought ourselves capable. All it takes
is for us to meet someone who believes in us, challenges us, and then,
when we have responded to the challenge, blesses and celebrates our
achievements. That is what Moses did for the Israelites after the sin of the
golden calf. First he got them to create, and then he blessed them and their
creation with one of the simplest and most moving of all blessings, that the
Shekhinah should dwell in the work of their hands.
30 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
Celebration is an essential part of motivating. It turned a school around. In
an earlier age and in a more sacred context it turned the Israelites around.
When we celebrate the achievements of others, we change lives.
1. Sifre, Bamidbar, Pinhas, 143.
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 Pekudei
Moshe saw the entire work, and behold! They had accomplished it; as G-
d had commanded, so they had done. (39:43)
The term eved Hashem, servant of Hashem, is one which is not to be taken
lightly. Indeed, this is the appellation by which our quintessential leader
and Rebbe of all Klal Yisrael is identified: Moshe, eved Hashem. What is
the meaning of this unique term? In his commentary to the above pasuk,
Horav S. R. Hirsch, zl, writes, "Moshe inspected all of the work that had
been completed, and he observed that the work bore two distinct
characteristics, two hallmarks which stood out above the various other
attributes. First, Asu osah, "It was they who had done it." Every aspect of
the Mishkan's construction, from the most minute to the most preeminent,
bespoke the whole personality, the extreme devotion, the spontaneous
enthusiasm, and the strength and energies of the entire nation. They did it -
all of them, qualitatively as well as quantitatively. Every part of every
available Jew was involved in the construction of the Mishkan.
Second, Kaasher tzivah Hashem, kein asu, "As G-d had commanded, so
they had done." They subordinated all of their zeal and enthusiasm in its
sum total, as well as in every detail, completely to the commands of
Hashem. They made no attempt to introduce their own ideals, their own
chiddushim, original, innovative additions or omissions;. [The craftsmen
followed Hashem's guidelines to the letter of the law.] Rather, each and
every one of the craftsmen considered it his supreme accomplishment to
follow instructions, to execute with obedience, to act with scrupulous care
and precision - not his own ideas - but the ideas and commandments of
Hashem. This free-willed, joyous sense of obedience - reflected in both
freedom in obedience and obedience in freedom, meshed together -
renders one joyously aware of his own strength and ability, precisely by
subordinating his personality completely to the will of Hashem. Bateil
retzoncha mipnei retzono, "Nullify your will before His will": This is what
constitutes the most significant and critical characteristic of sublime moral
perfection in the deeds of a Jewish person. These two attributes
characterize a human being as unique and morally sublime. Indeed, this
person having achieved the pinnacle of service to the Almighty may now
be called an eved Hashem.
A servant of Hashem is one who lives a life of spiritual integrity in which
every aspect of his life's endeavor is for the purpose of - and guided by -
his spiritual dimension. An individual who exemplified this persona was
Horav Yechezkel Levenstein, zl, Mashgiach of pre-World War II Mir and
later Ponevez. A student of Kelm, he personified integrity and calm, and,
at the same time, intense service to Hashem. He possessed a spiritual
refinement which reflected his complete control over every action in his
daily endeavor.
In his eulogy for Rav Chatzkel, as he was lovingly and reverently called,
Horav Elazar M. Shach, zl, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevez, said, "I have never
known, as far as I could tell, a single person more honest than he was.
Even if he had lived five hundred years ago, during the era of the
Rishonim, he would have been considered pious. Throughout the years
that I knew him, there was never an instant that he searched for some
leniency. He always strove to do as much as possible and deal stringently
with himself - this is the meaning of the term chasid, pious."
In describing him, Horav Shlomo Lorincz, zl, writes that his entire bearing
and every aspect of his conduct bespoke his servitude to his Creator. He
invested superhuman energies into this service.
When the yeshivah students filed past him on Friday night to wish him
Gutt Shabbos, the Mashgiach accepted upon himself to respond to each
one of them with a sincere and heartfelt blessing that they truly enjoy a
Gutt Shabbos. One might ask: "So what?" Almost five hundred people
walked past him each Shabbos - Friday night and Shabbos day - and none
of them had any inkling that while they did so, he was channeling all of his
energy into fulfilling this undertaking. He took everything seriously.
If he managed to elevate the casual Gutt Shabbos that we all toss off
without a second thought into a Divine Service, it stands to reason that his
daily regimen must have been replete with hundreds, perhaps even
thousands, such undertakings. These spiritual efforts were not discernible
to the observer and no one knew about them, but they rendered every
movement he made a further link in his chain of service to Hashem. This
went on daily, from early morning (he rose at five o'clock) until midnight,
when he finally went to bed. He never slept during the day. This went on
throughout every day of his life.
Horav Zelik Epstein, zl, once remarked that to observe the Mashgiach was
to see a soldier standing at attention, ready to serve his commanding
officer. Rav Chatzkel was the consummate servant.
Moshe saw the entire work, and behold! They had done it as Hashem
had commanded, so had they done, and Moshe blessed them. (39:43)
The construction of the Mishkan was concluded: its various vessels and
utensils were completed; the Bigdei Kodesh, Holy (Priestly) Vestments,
were finished. They now brought it all before Moshe Rabbeinu to seek his
blessing. Everything had been executed according to the precise
instruction that he had given them. Moshe was impressed, and he gave
them his blessing. He said, "Yehi ratzon, May it be the will of Hashem,
that the Shechinah rest upon the work of your hands." One might think that
he has achieved success, but, without the blessing, Shechinah b'maasei
yedeichem, "The Divine Presence resting on the work of your hands,"
success is short-lived. Moshe then added another brachah, blessing, which
David Hamelech later incorporated in Sefer Tehillim (90:17), Vihi noam
Hashem Elokeinu aleinu, u'maasei yadeinu konena aleinu u'maasei
yadeinu coneneihu, "May the pleasantness of Hashem, our G-d, be upon
us; our handiwork, establish for us; our handiwork, establish it." What is
the meaning of having Hashem's Presence rest upon something which man
has constructed? We all want Hashem's blessing. What changes when
Hashem rests His Divine Presence upon something which we have
created?
In his commentary to Sefer Tehillim, the Malbim offers a powerful insight.
One who constructs a magnificent edifice has obviously transformed the
physical surroundings, adding beauty and creating pleasing scenery where,
quite possibly, the neighboring area had once been bleak and unappealing
to the eye. Regardless of the change he engendered in the physical
surroundings, he himself has not been changed one iota. Whatever he had
been prior to the construction of the edifice, he continues to be afterwards.
On the contrary, his ego may have expanded as a result of the acclaim that
he received. When a person achieves a milestone in Torah erudition-- he
has completed a tractate of Talmud, an order of Mishnayos, or simply
completed an area of learning upon which he had set his sights-- he has
thereby transformed himself. He is no longer the same individual that he
had been prior to the achievement. He is now a new person, having added
breadth and depth to his neshamah - something which he will carry with
him for the rest of his mortal life. This is what the pasuk underscores when
it uses the word aleinu, upon us: we ask that our handiwork not only be
pleasing to Hashem, but that it transform us into better, more spiritually-
correct Torah Jews.
I must add that in order for this spiritual transformation to occur, one must
act l'shem Shomayim, purely for the sake of Heaven. If, however, his
handiwork is part of a personal agenda, to promote either himself or his
cause, it is self-defeating. He is not acting for the mitzvah; rather, he is
manipulating the mitzvah for his own vested interests. As a result, he not
only does not elevate himself spiritually, but rather, he defers to his yetzer
hora, evil-inclination, by making use of a mitzvah for personal use.
In his A Vort from Rav Pam, Rabbi Sholom Smith quotes the Rosh
Yeshivah's insight into Moshe's first brachah. "May the Shechinah rest
upon the work of your hands." The "work of your hands" refers to the
Mishkan and its appurtenances. Is there any question that the Shechinah
will rest on such holy handiwork? These were two receptacles, replete
with kedushah, holiness. Moshe's brachah was superfluous concerning
them. The Rosh Yeshivah explains that Moshe was alluding to a far more
difficult task - one that regrettably eludes some of us. "One's hands" is a
reference to the mundane work of the individual's hands: his farm, his
field, his business, his individual area of professional endeavor. This is
where one spends the bulk of his waking hours, where he spends a good
part of his life. This is where the concern regarding spirituality becomes a
greater reality. Usually there is no problem, providing, of course, that one
earns his livelihood in accordance with Torah dictate, following all of the
halachic/ethical rules prescribed for the Torah Jew. In such an instance, the
Shechinah is "comfortable" resting in such a place, thereby bestowing
Divine blessing upon this individual's worldly endeavors. It is when one
skirts the law, when his dealings with his fellowman leave much to be
desired from an ethical and moral perspective, that Hashem's blessings are
not present.
Every person should aspire to be a klei kibul, receptacle worthy of
retaining Hashem's blessing. Torah ethics must be our guide in everything
that we do. Our moral compass must be determined by the values imparted
to us from the Torah. Anything short of Torah perspective leaves us open
to the challenges created by misguided embellishment.
Moshe did according to everything that Hashem commanded him, so he
did. (40:16)
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 31
The construction of the Mishkan was meticulously executed with perfect
order as instructed by Hashem. There was no concept of approximate size.
Everything was clearly delineated to Moshe Rabbeinu, and everything was
followed precisely as ordered. The Alter, zl, m'Kelm, Horav Simchah
Zissel Broide, quotes the Talmud Chullin 18a in which Chazal state, "If
there would be a blemish/imperfection in the Mizbayach (even) like (that
of) a hair breadth, it would abrogate the kedushah, sanctity, of the
Mikdash." As a result, none of the wondrous miracles that were manifest
on a regular basis in the Bais Hamikdash would have occurred. Were one
hairbreadth to be off -the entire Bais Hamikdash would no longer have
been worthy of being the receptacle of kedushah. Moshe Rabbeinu was
instructed to speak to the rock. Instead, he made a slight change: he struck
the rock. The consequences that resulted from that alteration meant that
the man who led us out of Egypt, who gave his life for the Jewish People,
could not enter Eretz Yisrael. This meant that we would be eventually
exiled from the Land, following the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash.
We have been dispersed throughout the world and slaughtered like cattle,
persecuted mercilessly and hounded wherever we were - all because of
that "slight change."
The Alter adds that one who lives with order in his life understands how to
act in his home, with his community, and with the world at large. The
individual has no room for error when it comes to seder, order. The
Malbim explains that the knowledge of order, knowing the reasons for
connections and divisions, the relationship and interaction of each part of a
whole to its neighbor, to the preceding and succeeding, is the essential
element of all knowledge and the root of all wisdom. In the realm of
educational studies, order is the key to unlocking many sealed
passageways. It permits the individual: to grasp and comprehend the
various issues in a debate; to understand the qualities, benefits and
demerits of an issue; and to have access to making a proper decision. In a
successful thought process, one first searches for the order, delineating
how everything is connected and what its relationship is to the next object
in position. This awareness gives the individual insight into what is the
true meaning of a subject and what motivates it; and also allows one to see
the matter both in its entirety and in its parts. Without order, we are unable
to really find a lasting solution for difficult problems. Order gives us the
ability to see, to think, to analyze, to solve. A mind in disarray is unable to
think through a subject successfully, because it does not really understand
it.
Seder, orderliness, was one of the watchwords of Kelm. It was another
aspect of the Alter's philosophy of education, which was based upon the
complex interplay of thought and action. Improper actions indicated faulty
thought. One's external and internal expressions are inextricably linked to
one another. By underscoring the need for external order, the Alter
believed one could, over time, give structure and order to the internal
thought process as well. A lack of external order reveals a cog in one's
internal thought process, indicating a lack of structure and methodology in
his thoughts. When the Alter visited his son in yeshivah, he first inspected
his son's room to ascertain that it was neat and tidy. Then he would greet
his son.
Each student in Kelm was assigned a specific place for his possessions,
and anyone whose possessions were not neatly arranged or were in the
wrong place would incur the aversion of the Alter. Originally, I thought
this was taking it too far, but when one analyzes it further, it is apparent
that in order to have a precise mind for Torah study, one's external actions
must be meticulously structured. This was the type of student the Alter
m'Kelm cultivated and developed.
A visitor once entered the Kelm bais hamedrash during one of the Alter's
shmuessen, ethical discourses. From the somber tone of the lecture, it
appeared that he was delivering a hesped, eulogy. Only midway through
the shmuess did the visitor realize that the Alter was not talking about any
deceased person. He was, in fact, addressing the fact that a student had
placed his galoshes upside down in its assigned compartment. To the
Alter, this was an infraction in seder and needed to be seriously addressed.
The visitor later reported that the Alter had delivered a hesped over an
incorrectly placed pair of galoshes.
The Alter writes: "We have spoken concerning the overriding significance
of adhering to seder. It goes so far that a person cannot live one moment
without shemiras ha'sedarim, meticulously adhering to order and structure.
One who does not do this misses out on everything."
The above gives us insight into the definition of a non-functioning person
and why so many distinguished people demand seder in every aspect of
their lives. Rav Moshe Pardo, zl, was such a person. First, a little
background on Rav Moshe Pardo. Moshe Pardo was a wealthy Jewish
businessman in Turkey. He also had a number of orchards near Bnei Brak.
This was before Bnei Brak became the bustling city that it is today. He had
one daughter, who was engaged to be married. A few weeks before her
wedding, she contracted meningitis, which caused her untimely demise.
Her father was heartbroken and inconsolable.
He was advised to speak with the Chazon Ish, who was the gadol hador,
preeminent Torah leader of the generation. The Chazon Ish and his
Rebbetzin had not been blessed with biological children. Rav Moshe told
the Chazon Ish that, with the passing of his only child, he had lost his
desire to live. "She died. I also want to die," he said.
With his piercing eyes, the Chazon Ish looked at him and said, "It is
prohibited for a believing Jew to think like that." He paused a moment and
then said, "I will tell you what. You give up your business, Pardo, and you
make a school for Sephardic girls. You will see what is taking place here
in Bnei Brak. The Sephardic girls are being destroyed. You make a school
here; sell some of your orchards and start; I promise you hundreds of
children and thousands of grandchildren!"
Rav Pardo accepted the Chazon Ish's advice, and, in 1952, he established
Or HaChaim Seminary for girls from kindergarten through high school.
The school addresses the needs of girls from disadvantaged homes, who
would otherwise probably find themselves on the street. Thus, they are
accorded a Jewish education and taught the skills required to earn a
livelihood. The school exists today with an enrollment of fifteen hundred
students. On the day that Rav Moshe related this story to Rabbi Berel
Wein, he pulled out a notebook from his pocket. In it, he had recorded the
name of every girl who had attended his school, what had happened with
her, and how many children she had. On that day, he told Rabbi Wein, his
4,000th grandchild had been born.
Now that we have his history, let me share one of his primary educational
maxims: "A rebbe/morah must be on time." Often when the bell rang, he
was found standing in the hall, indicating to his teachers that they were
late, that this had better not happen again. Many times, he would
emphasize that even a slight tardiness, a few moments, throws off the
balance of the class. When the teacher demonstrates a lack of organization,
the students immediately sense it. This creates an air of general instability
and deficiency within the entire school - all because one teacher has
arrived late.
The Torah is firmly entrenched in the concept of punctuality,
meticulousness and order. One who performs a prohibited labor on
Shabbos, one minute prior to sunset, is liable for the death penalty. If he
does so one minute later, he is, of course, exempt, since it has already
become a weekday. One minute spells the difference between life and
death. A hairbreadth determines whether an animal has been slaughtered
properly. One must slaughter rov, the majority. One hair breadth beyond
the halfway mark renders all the difference in the world. One drop of
water spells the difference between a mikveh which is kosher and one
which has less than forty saah of water, and thus, is not a mikveh. The
Machaneh Leviah, camp reserved for Shevet Levi, was separated from
Machaneh Shechinah, the holy camp, by one step. The list goes on.
One year, prior to the Yamim Tovim, High Holy Days, the school sent out
Shanah Tovah, Happy New Year, cards to its supporters. This mailing was
in gratitude of the past support, and a subtle reminder that the school was
still in need of funds. The school had a beautiful card printed, and the girls
were charged with folding the card, wrapping it in a gold ribbon, and
placing it in an envelope. As is usually the case, there was a group of girls
who took their work seriously and responded responsibly, folding the card
perfectly on the prepared crease and tying the ribbon exactly in the right
place. Another group of girls just folded the card and put on a ribbon in a
manner that showed they could care less. Rav Moshe praised the former
group of girls who had meticulously carried out his request. He relieved
the other group of girls of their cards and threw them away: "I cannot send
such a card to a supporter of the school. It conveys a bad message!"
When the girls complained and demanded a reason for his "putting down"
their work, he patiently explained the following: "I knew a man who, for
the most part, was in perfect health. He had one slight problem concerning
a facial nerve that every once in a while would twitch. As a result, he
made an involuntary response with his face every time the nerve twitched.
Is this so bad? After all, among tens of thousands of nerves in his face, one
nerve was 'loose.' Does this mean that something is wrong?"
When he saw the girls looking at him sympathetically, as if they did not
understand the point that he was trying to make, he stopped momentarily,
allowing his message to sink in, and continued. The heart is a pump which
pumps constantly from the moment a person is born until he takes his last
breath. Seventy, eighty, ninety years, without rest, it never stops pumping.
What tragedy would there be if it "took it easy" once in a while and
stopped a beat here and there? The person would go into cardiac arrest. He
might even die! Do you now understand that when perfection is required,
there can be no "second best" or "almost" or "not quite" or "most of the
time"? Everything in this world is placed by the Almighty in its perfect
place. It must function at an optimum level exactly as G-d wanted it to - or
else. If this is what is expected from inanimate objects, how much more so
from man?"
And it was, in the first month of the second year, on the first of the
month, the Mishkan was erected. (40:17)
32 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
Sefer Shemos is described by the Ramban as Sefer HaGeulah, the Book of
Redemption. All that is contained therein is geulah-related. From the very
beginning, when the Jews were enslaved by the Egyptians; to their
liberation; followed by the splitting of the Red Sea; and the receiving of
the Torah: all led up to the construction of the Mishkan for the purpose of
Hashroas HaShechinah, establishing a resting place for the Divine
Presence. Sefer Vayikra is where the avodah, ritual service, performed in
the Mishkan is mentioned. Therein the various Korbanos, sacrificial
offerings, are detailed. It is, therefore, surprising that Parashas Pikudei
concludes with the avodah that Moshe Rabbeinu executed in inaugurating
the Mishkan. Moshe had been the Kohen Gadol for a week as Aharon was
being invested with and prepared for the position. Should Moshe's avodah
not have been included in Sefer Vayikra - like all of the other ritual
services? Apparently, Moshe's use of the vessels is in some way connected
to the Geulah. How?
Horav Yisrael Belsky, Shlita, explains this based upon the Ramban's
comments in his introduction to Sefer Shemos. He writes: "The exile
cannot be considered to have ended until Klal Yisrael arrived at their place
and returned to the prominence of the Avos, Patriarchs. Once they
received the Torah, built the Mishkan, and Hashem's Presence dwelled
amongst them, they had been restored to the prominence achieved by the
Patriarchs. At this point, they had reached the spiritual plateau of - Elokai
alai ahaleihem, 'G-d was upon their tents' (Iyov 29:4), similar to the Avos
that are themselves the Merkavah, chariot, of Hashem; Klal Yisrael had
achieved full redemption. Thus, Sefer Shemos concludes with the
completion of the Mishkan, in which the Glory of Hashem was manifest."
Rav Belsky derives a fundamental principle of Yiddishkeit from the
Ramban's words. Hashroas HaShechinah was accomplished only through
the actual avodah. The power invested in the edifice and the holy utensils
was awe-inspiring, but sanctifying the utensils and erecting the Mishkan
only created the capacity for kedushah and a restoration of the Divine
Presence among Klal Yisrael. Without the avodah in full force -
everything else remains simply potential. Unless the kedushah is
actualized, the Divine Presence will not appear and there is no Geulah.
This is why it was necessary for Moshe to actualize the plausible kedushah
in the vessels of the Mishkan. In this manner, he created the spiritual
climate intrinsic to allowing Hashem's Glory to descend upon the
Mishkan.
Every Jew has the potential to engender incredible kedushah. Aptitude is a
wonderful asset, but if it does not translate into achievement, it becomes
the symbol of a wasted life spent wallowing in "what could have been." A
Jew must garner all of his strength to maximize his potential - especially in
the area of bringing his inherent kedushah to fruition. I say "especially,"
because if one truly focuses on his kedushah, everything else will follow.
It will all fit in. The converse does not always work. By drawing out our
potential, we are able to transform ourselves into a veritable Mishkan,
regarding which it says, V'Shochanti b'socham, "I will reside within them."
Va'ani Tefillah
Chazal teach that avodah b'lev, service of the heart, is a reference to
prayer. When a person vocalizes his prayers, he is putting words to the
emotions emanating from his heart. B'chol levavchem, "with all your
heart," implies that one is passionate in his prayer, applying profound
physical expression to the passion which he feels from within. Chazal
teach that when Rabbi Akiva prayed, he lost all sense of his surroundings;
his passionate prayer catalyzed such powerful movement that, if he was
placed in one end of the bais hamedrash, he would end up on the other
side. Apparently, the many involuntary body movements he made, such as
kneeling and bowing down, caused him to move about aimlessly.
The story is told that Horav Meshullam Igra, zl, would also daven with
such incredible intensity. As a result of his incredible devotion, he would
kneel, bow, run and jump all over the bais hamedrash. While his behavior
appeared somewhat erratic, it was not. This is the way he davened. Rav
Meshullam once visited a shul and observed a young man davening with
such intensity. Clearly, the man was acting out as "monkey see - monkey
do," copying Rav Meshullum's style of davening, thus making a fool of
himself. The gaon approached him and said, "I daven with great kavanah,
devotion, but, out of nowhere, I simply lose control of myself. The reason
for this is that my mind is filled with so much Torah that I receive subtle
questions concerning Tosfos, the Rishonim and Acharonim, all attempting
to engage me in Talmudic discourse. Thus, I move around erratically. This
is the only way that I can concentrate on my davening.
Are you so involved in Torah study that it becomes increasingly difficult
to break away?"
Dedicated l'zechus ul'refuah sheleima for Chaya Yaffe bas Rochel
shetichye
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Rabbi Dovid Seigel
Haftorah
Parshas Pekudei Shekalim - Kings II : 12
This week's haftorah, read in conjunction with Parshas Sh'kalim, deals
with the collection of funds for the Bais Hamikdash. Before King
Yehoash's reign, the Bais Hamikdash was seriously neglected and much
repair work was necessary to restore it to its original splendor. When the
righteous King Yehoash came into power, he immediately instructed the
kohanim to collect the nescessary funds. After their unsuccessful attempt
in achieving this goal he personally spearheaded the collection and
received an overwhelming response.
The reason for this terrible neglect is explained in Divrei Hayomim (2:23)
wherein the wicked Queen Atalya and her sons are blamed for the
deteriorated condition of the Bais Hamikdash. The royal family severely
mistreated the holiest structure in the world by carelessly roaming inside
it, bringing much damage to its interior walls and structure. Although the
Jewish people consistently donated funds to repair the Bais Hamikdash,the
wicked sovereign repeatedly misappropriated them. Instead of using them
for the Bais Hamikdash, she channeled them to further her idolatrous
practices. After the pious Yehoash came to power, he removed idolatry
from the royal family and faithfully applied the collected funds to their
intended usage. After many years of neglect, the Bais Hamikdash was
finally restored to its previous glory.
The pattern in this haftorah is reminiscent of the Jewish people's formative
stages as a nation. This week's maftir reading alludes to the Jewish
people's comeback after abusing their financial resources, resulting in their
most shameful plunge in history. (see Daas Z'kainim S'hmos 30:13).
Moments before the Jewish people miraculously left Egypt, Hashem
rewarded them with abundant wealth. Hashem effected a change of heart
in the ruthless Egyptian slave drivers and they generously showered the
Jewish people with gifts and wealth. However, the Jewish people did not
properly appreciate Hashem's unbelievable favor and became influenced
by their newly gained wealth and power. During very trying and desperate
moments, their newly gained sense of control heavily influenced them.
Instead of turning to Hashem for assistance, they applied their wealth and
golden ornaments towards securing their own destiny and produced the
Golden Calf. Hashem severely responded to this grave offens e and the
Jewish people sincerely repented to Hashem. Hashem then granted them
opportunity to rectify their sin by inviting them to participate in the
erection of the Mishkan. They learned their lesson well and generously
applied their money to a most appropriate cause, the construction of
Hashem's magnificent sanctuary. Hashem recognized their new approach
to wealth and its potential good and deemed them worthy of His Divine
Presence for the next thousand years.
The reading of Parshas Sh'kalim and its accompanying haftorah are a most
befitting introduction to our month of Adar. We read in Megillas Esther
(3:9), that the wicked Haman offered the king an impressive ten thousand
silver blocks in attampt to purchase the Jewish people from the wicked
King Achashveirosh. Haman intended to use his wealth to influence the
king to grant him permission to destroy the entire Jewish nation. However,
Chazal teach us that Haman's efforts were preempted by the the Jewish
people's annual donation during the month of Adar to the Bais Hamikdash
. By no coincidence, Hashem instructed the Jewish people to annually
donate this exact sum - ten thousand silver blocks - to His treasury for
sacrifices in the Bais Hamikdash. Hashem said, "Let the Jewish nation's
sacrificial donation of ten thousand blocks preempt Haman's attempt to
influence the king with his ten thousand blocks" (see Mesichta Megilla
13b).
The meaning of this seems to be that the Jewish people's annual donation
demonstrated their proper understanding of wealth and its power. They
allocated their wealth to the most worthy of causes and eagerly donated
annually - without fail - ten thousand blocks of silver to Hashem and the
Bais Hamikdash. This perfect approach to wealth and its positive values
protected them from Haman's financial influence on the king. The Jewish
people understood the true value of wealth and were not personally
influenced by its potential ills. Therefore, they were not subject to
Haman's financial influence and his powerful seductive approach to the
king could not determine their fate. Eventually, the king would and did see
through Haman's madness for power and all Haman's power and financial
influence were of no avail.
To Support Project Genesis- Torah.org Haftorah, Copyright &copy 2014 by Rabbi Dovid Siegel and Torah.org. The author is Rosh Kollel of Kollel
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Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
Ohr Somayach Torah Weekly
Overview
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 33
The Book of Shmot concludes with this Parsha. After finishing all the
different parts, vessels and garments used in the Mishkan, Moshe gives a
complete accounting and enumeration of all the contributions and of the
various clothing and vessels which had been fashioned. Bnei Yisrael bring
everything to Moshe. He inspects the handiwork and notes that everything
was made according to G-ds specifications. Moshe blesses the people. G-
d speaks to Moshe and tells him that the Mishkan should be set up on the
first day of the first month, i.e., Nissan. He also tells Moshe the order of
assembly for the Mishkan and its vessels. Moshe does everything in the
prescribed manner. When the Mishkan is finally complete with every
vessel in its place, a cloud descends upon it, indicating that G-d's glory
was resting there. Whenever the cloud moved away from the Mishkan,
Bnei Yisrael would follow it. At night the cloud was replaced by a pillar of
fire.
Insights
Whiter Than White
"These are the accounts" (38:21)
Try and open a bank account today in a foreign country and youll find
yourself wading through a set of forms guarding against an extremely
dangerous and unattractive denizen of deep-water banking the money
launderer.
The money launderer is a thriving, but hardly new species. For example,
the Vatican faces a legal landmine that has been quietly wending its way
through the American federal court system since 1999.
In November of that year, Ukrainian Holocaust survivors, later joined by
Serb and Jewish plaintiffs, filed a class action lawsuit against the Vatican
Bank, a Croatian right-wing political organization and the Franciscan
Order, alleging complicity in the laundering of Nazi World War 2 loot,
including the proceeds of genocide from several Croatian-run
concentration camps where upwards of 500,000 Serbs, Jews and others
were killed between 1941 and 1945.
The Vatican Bank has claimed sovereign immunity to the lawsuit,
declaring that it is an arm of the Holy See.
According to a 1998 report issued by the US State Department, the Nazi
Croatian Treasury was illicitly transferred to the Vatican Bank and other
banks after the end of World War 2.
The Vatican has repeatedly denied any Franciscan participation in war
crimes or the disappearance of the Croatian Treasury, yet it has refused to
open its wartime records to substantiate its denial.
In this weeks Torah portion, Moshe presents a complete accounting of all
the donations to the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Not only did Moshe give an
accounting, but he gave his calculations to Aharons son, Itamar, so that
Itamar could check his math.
G-d called Moshe "trustworthy" (Bamidbar 12:7). Why then did Moshe
need to make a public accounting in front of all the people?
Moshe had overheard remarks such as "Ben Amrams (Moshes) neck is
getting pretty fat lately." "No wonder. Hes in charge of all that money for
the Mishkan!"
Certainly, these remarks were only made by lowlifes. The Jewish People
as a whole trusted Moshe but they were puzzled about Moshes sudden
wealth. They didnt know that G-d had let Moshe keep the fragments of
sapphire left over from the hewing of the second Tablets. These splinters
of sapphire made Moshe extremely wealthy.
Moshe was scrupulous to a T with the donations he received for the
Mishkan, but nevertheless he gave an accounting because he didnt want to
be suspected falsely of doing a little laundering on the side.
From Moshe, our Teacher, we can learn that its not enough for us to do
the right thing, but we must also be seen to do the right thing.
Source: based on the Midrash
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Rabbi Ben Zion Sobel
Torah MiTzion
Pikudei
"And they brought the Tabernacle to Moshe, the Tent and all its utensils -
its hooks, its planks, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets" (Shemos 39:33).
The Midrash, on this verse, brings a passage from Mishlei (31:25) "And
she shall rejoice at the time to come." This is interpreted to mean, "All the
reward of the righteous is prepared for them in the world-to-come."
To enforce this claim, the Midrash proceeds to tell a story:
Rabbi Avahu was dying and he saw a vision of all the good which was
prepared for him for the world-to-come. He was overjoyed and exclaimed,
"All this is for Avahu? (He then quoted the passage) 'And I said, "I have
labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing, and in futility"; yet
surely my judgment is with Hashem, and my work with my G-d'
(Yesha'ayahu 49:4)" (Midrash Shemos Rabbah 52:3).
This story is very strange indeed. How could Rabbi Avahu think that he
had labored in vain? Surely he believed, all of his life, that Hashem
rewards one for his good deeds, and surely he knew that he had learned
Torah and performed many mitzvahs in his lifetime. Had he merely
expressed surprise at the amount of good prepared for him, we would have
understood. For no one but Hashem knows the real value of a mitzvah and
even the wise will be surprised to see how much they will be afforded in
the world-to-come.
But for Rabbi Avahu to make a statement that he thought he had labored in
vain, how can we possibly fathom that?
Perhaps the clue to proper comprehension of this enigma lies in analyzing
the relationship of this story to the above verse: "And they brought the
Tabernacle to Moshe" etc. For the style of Chazal in the Midrash is to
always bring ideas and stories which are linked to that particular passage
in the Torah. Here, however, there does not seem to be any connection.
But Rashi in Chumash, on this very sentence, brings the words of the
Sages in the Midrash Tanchuma (Pikudei 11) which, perhaps, shed light on
the parashah.
And they brought the Tabernacle to Moshe etc., for they themselves were
unable to erect it; Because Moshe had done no work in building the
Tabernacle, the Holy One, Blessed be He, left its erection to him; for
nobody was able to set it up because of the weight of the boards which no
human strength was capable of setting up on end; Moshe, however,
succeeded in placing it in position. Moshe said to the Holy One, Blessed
be He, "How is its erection possible by human beings?" Hashem answered
him, "You just work with your hands. It will appear that you are erecting
it, but in fact it will set itself on end and rise of its own accord." That is
why Scripture says, "The Tabernacle was erected," since it was actually
erected by itself.
In this Midrash, we learn a very important basic element of Judaism. Even
if one does not succeed in finishing a mitzvah, if it was not his fault and he
did all that was in his power to do, he is credited as if he had done it and it
is called on his name. Although Moshe could not possibly put up the
Mishkan, and it was erected by itself, the Torah writes (Shemos 40:18),
"And Moshe erected the Tabernacle."
We find the same idea concerning the construction of the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem. King Dovid wanted very much to build it but Hashem told him
that he cannot since he was a warrior, who fought the battles of Hashem
with the enemies of Israel, and the Beis Hamikdash was intended to be a
House of Peace which could only be built by a man of peace, King
Shlomo, Dovid's son.
However, Dovid's desire to build the House of Hashem was so great that
he did everything he possibly could to prepare the construction of the
Temple. He gathered together all of the material needed, including all of
the gold, silver and precious stones which he acquired in battle and from
donations which he encouraged. He also prepared all of the plans for its
erection, down to the minutest details. The only thing left for Shlomo to do
was the actual assembly itself. Therefore, even though Shlomo actually
built the Temple, it is called on Dovid's name as it says (Tehillim 30:1), A
Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of Dovid (Midrash
Bemidbar Rabbah 12:9).
Perhaps this is what astounded Rabbi Avahu. He was not at all surprised to
see that he was being rewarded for the mitzvahs which he had performed;
this is one of the tenets of our faith. But Chazal brought the story on this
particular passage to indicate that he noticed that he was being rewarded
for many things which he had not fulfilled, about which he had thought he
had toiled in vain. Even for these, Hashem pays in full, just for the effort
one extended to try to accomplish them.
And certainly Hashem pays much more for those mitzvahs which we did
fulfill with a lot of effort, than He does for those we fulfill with a minimal
amount of exertion. This is expressed by the Sages who taught (Avos
5:22), "According to the toil is the reward."
So let's learn from this week's parashah not to avoid the effort involved in
doing mitzvahs and learning Torah. And when the day of reward comes
we'll be happy to see how much is prepared for us, even for those which
we couldn't fulfill, if we tried our best.
Chazak, chazak venischazak.
Shema Yisrael Torah Network info@shemayisrael.com http://www.shemayisrael.com Jerusalem, Israel 732-370-3344

Rabbi Doniel Staum
Stam Torah
Parshas Pekudei 5774 - Parshas ShekalimMay It Be Thy Will
Erev Rosh Chodesh Adar I I
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal
Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside
the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American
complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it
took to catch them. The fisherman replied that it had only taken him a little
while.
34 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
The American asked why he didnt stay out longer to catch more fish. The
Mexican answered that he had enough to support his family's immediate
needs.
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my
children, take siesta with my wife, and stroll into the village each evening
where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy
life."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You
should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat.
With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, and
with time you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your
catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually
opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and
distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and
move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your
expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" The
American replied, "15-20 years." "But what then?"
The American laughed, That's the best part. When the time is right you
would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and
become very rich; you would make millions."
"Millions?! Then what?"
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal
fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids,
take siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where
you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
The labor involved in the construction of the Mishkan was arduous, but
finally it stood complete. Moshe saw the entire work; and behold! they
had done it as G-d had commanded, so they had done! And Moshe blessed
them.(1) Rashi, citing the Medrash, quotes the blessing that Moshe gave
them, May it be the will that the
Divine Presence rest upon your handiwork. Moshe concluded his blessing
by stating the verse May the pleasantness of my Lord, our G-d, be upon
us our handiwork may He establish for us; our handiwork may He
establish.(2)
Kesav Sofer questions the diction of the blessing. When G-d began
teaching Moshe about the construction of the Mishkan, He explained the
purpose, They shall make a Sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell
among them.(3) If the purpose of the Mishkan was so that the Divine
Presence could rest there, what was Moshes added blessing? If the Divine
Presence did not rest there the whole effort would have been a futile
endeavor! Was Moshes blessing no more than a message of hope that
everything work out as planned?
Furthermore, when one begins a blessing with the words, - May it
be the will the next words invariably are, Hashem, our G-d, thus
reading, May it be the Will of Hashem, our G-d What did Moshe
mean May it be the will? Whose will was he referring to?
The verse in Divrei Hayamim(4) quotes the words of Dovid Hamelechs
instruction to his son and successor, Shlomo, about the materials he
prepared for the construction of the Bais Hamikdash. With all of my
strength I have prepared for the House of my G-d, the gold for [things to
be made] of gold, and the silver for silver, and the copper for copper.
The wording seems superfluous. Why does Dovid say that he prepared
gold for gold, silver for silver, and copper for copper, and not merely
that he prepared gold, silver, and copper?
When G-d originally instructed Moshe to solicit contributions for the
Mishkan from the nation, He stated, Let them take for Me a portion.
Rashi explains that the term for Me indicates that the contributions
should be purely for the sake of G-ds Name.
Kesav Sofer notes that when one donates money or resources he may be
doing so to increase his prestige and honor. He may be motivated by the
knowledge that he will be lauded and praised for his magnanimity.
One who contributes with such underhanded motivation essentially does
not give gold for gold. Rather, he gives gold for the sake of honor and to
see his name on plaques. For this reason, even one who loves money and
wealth may be able to donate great amounts of money to charity. In his
mind it is an investment. Some people buy goods and merchandise, while
he buys glory and a prestigious reputation.
For the construction of the Mishkan, G-d demanded donations that were
offered for no ulterior motive other than for the sake of glorifying His
Name. Those who donated gold to the Mishkan had to do so solely for the
construction of the golden vessels. Giving to the Mishkan required inner
strength to overcome ones natural selfish love of money and material
possessions. There was no personal glory to be gained from the donation,
only the benefit of knowing that one had a share in the construction of the
House of G-d.
When Moshe blessed the Mishkan by stating that G-d should rest His
Divine Presence there, he was not invoking the Will of G-d. Rather, he
was referring to the will of the people. Moshe was conveying to them
that the sanctity and merit of the Mishkan was dependent on their desire
and will to sanctify the Name of G-d and to perform His Service
altruistically. Moshe was saying to the people, May it be your will that
the Divine Presence rest upon your handiwork. It is essentially in your
hands. If you desire it and strive for it then G-d will surely fulfill His Word
that, They shall make a Sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among
them.
The first of the four special Torah portions read during the weeks prior to
Pesach is Parshas Shekalim. The portion discusses the mandatory
contribution of a half-shekel to the Temple treasury by every male over the
age of twenty.
The first collection of the half-shekel was done in the desert. There is a
prohibition to count Jews directly. In order to reach a consensus the nation
was called upon to each contribute a half-shekel. The half-shekels
represented the population of the nation. The shekalim were then used for
the construction and upkeep of the Mishkan.
This shall they give everyone who passes through the consensus a
half shekel of the sacred shekelThe wealthy shall not increase and the
destitute shall not decrease from half a shekel to give the portion of
Hashem, to atone for your souls.(5)
The equal contribution of the nation symbolized the necessity for unity
and harmony in their pursuit of national goals. Passing through the
consensus in the same manner, i.e. contributing the same amount,
represented the need for every individual to give up his selfish personal
interests for the sake of enhancing national welfare.
The unity also accorded the nation atonement and forgiveness. When the
masses join together, the unification alone is an incredible merit for the
entire nation.
While the Bais Hamikdash stood, each year the entire nation was required
to donate a half-shekel to cover the cost of the daily public offerings. The
law demands that all sacrifices be purchased from money collected for that
year. The fiscal year for public offerings began and concluded in the
month of Nissan. Therefore, the Rabbi's ordained that the portion of the
Torah describing the first giving of the half-Shekel be read on the Shabbos
of or before Rosh Chodesh Adar, one month before the half-shekel was
due this served as a reminder that the due date for the obligatory donation
of a half-shekel was imminent. In exile, we read the Torah portion as a
reminder of the events that transpired at the juncture of the year when the
Bais Hamikdash was standing.
The half-shekel served as a reminder that ultimately we are a people with a
collective responsibility to utilize all of our assets and resources for the
Service of G-d, which includes caring for all His elite Children.
Our Sages relate that the merit which enabled us to triumph over Haman
and his nefarious plot was unity. Queen Esther demanded of Mordechai,
Go, assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan, and fast for me Then
I will go into the king though its unlawful; and if I perish, I perish.(6) It
was not only with the merit of penitence, fasting, and prayer with which
Esther sanguinely enter into the chambers of Achashveirosh. It was also
with the merit of the assembly of all the Jews together!
Unity is not limited to feelings and lofty thoughts. It also includes
resources and physical abilities. This is part of the reason why giving gifts
to the poor is one of the mitzvos of Purim(7). On Purim when we were
saved because of our selfless unity - we must demonstrate that our money
is not merely for retirement funds, luxurious vacations, and self-
pampering. Go, assemble all the Jews includes being cognizant of the
plight of our brethren and seeking to assist them in whatever manner we
are able.
Every human being has desires and things that he wants. Where theres a
will theres a way. The question is what the way we are seeking is and
does that way include the needs of others?
May it be the will
Gold for gold and silver for silver
1. 39:43
2. Tehillim 90:17
3. 25:8
4. I, 29:2
5. Shemos 30:12-16
6. Esther 4:16
7. Matanos Laevyonim
Parsha Growth Spurts
Parshas Pekudei/Shekalim 5774
These are the reckonings of the Mishkan reckoned at Moshes
bidding. (Shemos 38:21)
The Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 51:4) relates that there were unscrupulous
Jews who accused Moshe of taking materials donated to the Mishkan for
personal use. To prove his integrity, as soon as the Mishkan was
completed, Moshe made a thorough reckoning all of the donated materials
utilized for the Mishkan, and publicized it.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 35
Oznayim LaTorah notes that in regards to the Eigel which was also
constructed out of donated materials, there was no such demand for a
reckoning of how the money had been utilized.
This attitude has remained part of Klal Yisroel throughout the generations.
Whenever a collection is made for holy and worthy causes, there is always
a demand that the record books of the charity be made public. Yet when
money is amassed for sinful causes there is no demand to see how the
money is used.
In the heart of a Jew there is a deeply embedded desire to fulfill the
bidding of his Creator. When a Jew donates money to tzedakah he wants to
ensure that what he has given is truly being used for holy causes.
However, when a Jew gives money for the proverbial Eigel, deep inside
him his heart mourns for his iniquitous donation. In such a case, he
subconsciously wishes that his money not be used for its intended purpose,
and therefore there is no demand to see the books.
A hundred sockets for a hundred talents, a talent per socket.
(Shemos 38:27)
Chiddushei Harim writes that just as the Mishkan contained a hundred
sockets as the foundation of the exterior structure of the Mishkan, so is a
Jew required to recite a hundred berachos every day to support and sustain
the foundation of kedushas Yisroel. The word oden (socket) is similar to
the word adon (master). By reciting berachos we testify and engrain within
ourselves that Hashem is the Master of all of creation.
Chiddushei Harim concludes that the hundred berachos a Jew recites daily
serves as the foundation of the Mishkan, which resides within his heart and
soul.
Gemara (Menachos 43b) relates that it was Dovid Hamelech who enacted
that a hundred berachos be recited daily.
Rav Shimshon Pincus ztl explained that the Avos enacted that a tefillah
should be recited at specific points of the day. Avrohom enacted that one
start his day with tefilla, Yitzchok enacted that one remind himself about
Hashem in the middle of the day, and Yaakov enacted that one complete
his day with tefilla.
The enactment of Dovid Hamelech was to ensure that a Jew connect and
thank Hashem throughout his day, not just at specific times. In the words
of Rambam (Berachos 1:3) The sages enacted (the recitation of) many
berachos, so he will remember his Creator constantly.
When you raise up the heads of Bnei Yisroel according to their
numbers this shall they give a half-shekel of the sacred shekel
(Shemos 30:12-13; Parshas Shekalim)
Why does the pasuk use an expression of when you raise up and not
when you count? Also, in what way did the giving of a half-shekel serve
as atonement for the cheit haeigel?
Rav Nissan Alpert ztl (Limudei Nissan) explained that even though only a
minority of the nation was actively involved in the cheit haeigel (i.e. the
Eiruv Rav), the rest of the nation was held culpable because they failed to
protest. The reason they didnt protest was out of a mistaken sense of
humility. Each individual rationalized that because he wasnt a leader or a
prince, he had no right to assert himself over anyone else. That passivity,
enabled the Eiruv Rav to create the eigel unhindered.
To counter that mistaken humility, every Jew was instructed to donate the
same amount - a half-shekel to the Mishkan. Moshe and Aharon gave the
exact same amount as every other individual Jew. This symbolized that
every Jew counts and has leadership qualities, and must rise to the
occasion when the situation demands it. This counting raised the heads of
every Jew because it infused them with a sense of mission and
responsibility. On the other hand, the mandated amount was only a half-
shekel to remind them that there is a balance. A Jew must rise to the
occasion when necessary, but he must not forget that he is only a part of a
greater whole.
Sources: Rav Pincus quoted in pesicha of Sefer Pesach Halacha (Rav
Yechiel Kibovitz)
Rabbis Musings (& Amusings)
Erev Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Pekudei/Shekalim
28 Adar 5774/February 28, 2014
I havent received one of them in some time, but for a number of years I
must have received five of them a day. It was those pesky emails which
contained either a joke, an attempted inspirational thought, or some silly
message, which concluded with a command that you forward the email to
ten other people: Dont break the chain! it would demand. Or it would
say Now that you have finished reading this, you have a choice. You can
either do nothing with this (as in you can go back to do your work, pay
attention to your family, or some other more worthwhile endeavor) or you
can forward this to ten friends and brighten their day, by showing them
you care!
The sheer guilt involved was overwhelming for many of those who had my
email address on their contact list, and I would receive many of these
emails. I will be bold enough to say that I almost never forwarded those
emails or text messages. Thats right; I was the trend-breaker. If I thought
it was a worthwhile message I might send it to a few people who I thought
might be interested, albeit without the insistence that they not break the
chain.
My favorite of that genre of insipid emails were the ones that promised
that you would receive a dollar for every person that you forwarded the
email to. It was even better when the heading on top read This one is not
a joke! It would then contain some elaborate story about why all you
needed was the forward button and a dream to become an instant
millionaire. I would often email the sender of one of those emails to please
let me know when they received their first bag of money. As far as I know,
no one ever received a penny for forwarding, and spam senders had all the
email addresses they could have wanted.
I was thinking about this because this week, with the help of Hashem, I
have concluded my personal study of Seder Zeraim, the first of the six
Orders of Mishnayos. When I was in the kollel of Yeshiva Shaarei Torah
over a decade ago, there was an elderly gentleman named Rabbi Yosef
Solomon zl, who learned with us each morning. Rabbi Solomon was a
retired educator and businessman, and he learned with one of my friends,
as if he was just another yeshiva student.
Rabbi Solomon would often encourage us to learn a Mishna or two a day,
and have our own study of Mishnayos. At one point I decided to follow his
advice and took up the study. Since then I have completed the entire six
orders of Mishnayos, and now am 1/6 of the way through my second
cycle. I only learn a Mishna or two a day, and generally not for more than
5-10 minutes, but it adds up quickly. Artscroll has completed their
commentary on all six orders, so there is a great English resource
available.
Every time I complete another tractate or order it is another load of
spiritual points delivered to Rabbi Solomon in his place in Gan Eden. I
am sure I am not the only one who was inspired by his advice to
commence the study.
Its been said that if it is customary to learn Mishnayos in someones
memory, isnt it far more worthwhile to learn Mishnayos while one is still
living?
So I invite anyone to forward not necessarily this brilliant writing but
this idea. Beginning your own study will not only grant you a feeling of
accomplishment and growth in many areas of Torah, but it will also grant
me some spiritual points for influencing you. That, in turn, will grant
Rabbi Solomon additional spiritual points for influencing me, which will
then grant spiritual points to whoever influenced him
By the way, this idea is of course not limited to Mishna study. Anytime a
person influences another person to further his/her own growth, they have
forwarded a timeless message, which ensures for themselves a continuous
chain of growth.
So pass it on, and dont break the chain!
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos, Good Chodesh,
R Dani and Chani Staum
720 Union Road New Hempstead, NY 10977 (845) 362-2425
Rabbi Berel Wein
A Sad, Sad World
There is a well-known anecdote/legend that circulates in the
Mussar/yeshiva circles about a young yeshiva student who left the yeshiva
world and its environment to find his fortune in far distant fields. At the
time that he left the yeshiva he had a beard and dressed modestly as was
his Jewish tradition.
A decade later he met by chance on the street the head of his former
yeshiva. The former student now was completely clean-shaven and dressed
in the most modern and fashionable garb of the time. Nevertheless, the old
mentor recognized his former student and engaged him in conversation.
He innocently asked him: Since I am not a man of the world and you
obviously are, would you please answer a few questions that I have about
the outside society? Are most people happy or depressed? Are most people
satisfied with their wealth or do they consider themselves to be poor? Are
most people psychologically well adjusted or are they anxious and
sometimes almost insane?
And finally, are most people physically healthy or are they afflicted with
disease, discomfort and some sort of illness?" The student was taken aback
by this conversation but he dutifully replied: Master, I must admit the
truth to you. Most people are not happy, they do not consider themselves
wealthy no matter how much money they have, many psychologists and
therapists are doing a thriving business because a great deal of the world is
dysfunctional and even somewhat crazy, and those that are sick and ill, in
pain and in anxiety, far outnumber those who consider themselves
completely healthy, normal and well-adjusted. To which the mentor
commented: So for such a sad, depressed, sick, poor world you removed
your beard?!
In our daily prayers we state: That we should not toil for emptiness and
nothingness nor should we have been born to be confused and depressed.
36 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
Judaism does not negate the outside world. It is a practical religion that
deals with life as it is and does not make unrealistic demands upon its
adherents.
So even though the outside world may be one of poverty, mental strain,
physical pain and suffering and constant frustration; that is the world that
we live in. We are not to shut ourselves in lonely solitude and become
hermits. But, as I have often pointed out in these columns, Judaism is
always a religion of balance.
And the balance here is not to allow us to remove our beard, so to speak,
because of the pressures of the outside world and our desire to conform to
its current standards and political correctness.
Like hundreds of millions, if not even billions of others. I own a cell
phone. I rarely use it and for most of the time it is in the off mode. I do so
purposely because I still value human conversation face-to-face. My
grandchildren all text they cannot spell correctly and many times are
flustered when having to actually communicate with another human being
on a personal and face-to-face basis.
The outside world tells me that I am a Neanderthal, a relic of a long past
era. Maybe so, but I am not willing to shave my beard on this issue. It
represents to me a very advanced technological world that is innately sad,
poor, disconnected and in very many cases very dysfunctional.
Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Congo, Zimbabwe, Bosnia, North Korea and a host of other countries on
the globe are not pleasant places to currently be in. In fact, large parts of
the world and of its billions of people are enveloped in sadness, violence,
injustice and death.
If one does not have principles and beliefs that transcend current events
and the present situation of the outside world then one is doomed to this
constant feeling of depression, tension and enormous frustration. The
Torah gave us a set of principles and beliefs in order to be able to live in
such an uncomfortable world and yet have a feeling of satisfaction and
accomplishment.
The Torah promised us eternal life and unending memory. The Torah deals
with the myriad details of daily life and weaves them together into a
tapestry of meaningful and satisfying values. The sadness of the outside
world can be somewhat ameliorated by a sense of serenity and
accomplishment in our inner world. Prayer, study, charity, good thoughts
and good behavior are all part of building our inner world and allowing us
to successfully deal with that most difficult and sad outer world. This is a
daily lesson that should never be ignored.
Shabat 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
Pekudei
One of the many new but somehow always temporary buzzwords that are
so beloved in our current society is transparency. In our current world's
lexicon this word has substituted for what earlier in my life our teachers
used to call accountability. No matter, the idea is the same; namely, that
when it comes to public funds and positions one is held to be responsible
to the nth degree for what occurs under one's aegis and watch.
In a project of such magnitude as creating the Tabernacle/Mishkan from
scratch, making and collecting the necessary funds and materials, paying
the workers and overseeing the construction, it is likely that it will be
difficult to account for every agurah involved. Yet we see in this weeks
parsha that Moshe in fact did so.
The Midrash tells us that in the original accounting of receipts and
expenditures, Moshe was off by one thousand shekels. Since it is likely
that the value of the Tabernacle/Mishkan ran into millions of shekels one
would think that being off by less than one percent regarding a project and
budget of this magnitude could easily be overlooked and certainly
forgiven.
However, the necessity for transparency and accountability when it comes
to public funds is so vital that Moshe cannot let the matter pass. He
searches and searches and finally is able to successfully account for the
previously missing one thousand shekels. This sets the standard of the
Torah when it comes to public charitable funds. Excellent accounting
methods must be put into place to guarantee public trust and to prevent any
misuse or slipshod handling of funds donated for the public good and/or
holy purposes.
Money can be a terrible thing, especially when one's ego allows one the
liberty to see ones self as all-powerful and exceedingly self-righteous.
Handling public funds or being in a highly respected public position
creates great temptations. The basest acts of malfeasance and even
thievery can be rationalized and excused for one's self.
This has been so from the beginning of time, and as we are well aware, in
our generation and present leadership, both religious and political are all
prone to succumb to this temptation. Yet we are also aware that there are
not enough police and prosecutors in the world to completely overcome
this human weakness of temptation and monetary corruption.
It is interesting to note that in First Temple times when the Temple
building was to be refurbished, the King had to forego any strict
accounting of the funds collected by the priests for that purpose. He rather,
almost ruefully, had to rely on the trustworthiness of the priests themselves
in the hope that no public funds would be siphoned off into private coffers.
The great lesson here is that honesty and probity is created from within
and not from without. We need police and law enforcement in order to
have a livable society. But without the self-discipline of honesty and the
realization that the Lord holds us accountable for every one of our
activities and for every agorah of public funds that passes through our
fingers - we are accountable for every bit of behavior in public service
there can be no complete victory over the temptations of wealth and office.
Perhaps that is one of the reasons for all of the detail and accounting that
fill this final parsha of the book of Shemot/Exodus.
Let us be strong and strengthen others!
Shabat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein
U.S. Office 386 Route 59 Monsey, NY 10952 845-368-1425 | 800-499-WEIN (9346) Fax: 845-368-1528 Questions? info@jewishdestiny.com Israel
Office P.O. Box 23671 Jerusalem, Israel 91236 052-833-9560 Fax: 02-586-8536 Questions? scubac@netvision.net.il RabbiWein.com 2009 The
Destiny Foundation

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb-OU
Person in the Parsha
Pikudei: Above Suspicion February 24, 2014
I have written and lectured extensively on the topic of Jewish leadership. I
have frequently indicated that I consider Moses our teacher, Moshe
Rabbeinu, a role model for those who would be leaders.
Once, after a lecture on just this topic, I opened the floor to a question-
and-answer session. I have always found such sessions useful and
instructive. The questions that are raised by the audience are often quite
provocative, raising unanticipated issues.
On this particular occasion, a gentleman in the audience raised a question
which encouraged me to think long and hard. He asked, Rabbi, can you
recall a moment in your own career when Moses example influenced your
leadership behavior? What specific lesson did you learn from Moses?
At first, a number of possibilities came to mind. After all, Moses was a
teacher, an advocate for the people, a person who came to the aid of the
oppressed, a selfless person. Surely there are many aspects of Moses life
that I have tried, however inadequately, to emulate.
But after some introspection, I recalled one specific incident and shared it
with the audience. I told them that the one time I most consciously
followed Moses example was the time when I was entrusted with some
Chanukah gelt.
When I was a child, I remember fondly how my grandfather would gather
all of his grandchildren around the Chanukah menorah, have us line up in
order of our ages, and distribute to each of us a silver dollar, Chanukah
gelt. Many still practice this custom, although I suspect that nowadays far
more than a silver dollar is distributed.
One year, back when I was the rabbi of my former synagogue, I received a
phone call from a gentleman just a few days before Chanukah. This
gentleman was one of the influential trustees of a major charitable
foundation. I had interacted with him many times with regard to proposals
I submitted to the foundation for grants to community institutions. He
typically studied these proposals very assiduously and asked very
demanding questions of me about these proposals. He would say, There is
much that I find worthwhile in your proposal. My tendency to be generous
inclines me to grant you the funds you request, but I cannot be generous
with someone elses money.
He voted against almost every proposal that I submitted.
One year, just a few days before Chanukah, he called. At that point, none
of my proposals for charity was even under consideration. I was surprised
by his call and even more surprised when he asked me to lunch that very
day.
We met at a local restaurant and chatted about all sorts of things for the
better part of an hour. Finally, he asked me if I knew what Chanukah gelt
was. He himself had fond memories of the Jewish customs he had
experienced in his childhood.
When I assured him that I knew very well what Chanukah gelt was, he
withdrew an envelope from his pocket and said, Here is a check for
Chanukah gelt. I know that you control a discretionary charity fund and
Id like you to deposit this check in that fund for the use of truly needy
families.
Of course, I thanked him profusely for the donation. I did not think it was
proper to open the envelope in his presence, so I didnt open it until I
returned to my car. I was astonished to find that the sum was easily equal
to the yearly salary of most of the members of my congregation. When I
looked at check more carefully, I noted that he had made out the check to
me personally, and not to my discretionary fund.
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 37
I cannot deny that I immediately heard the loud voice of temptation. But,
along with that voice, another voice was heard, and it uttered nothing other
than the first verse of this weeks Torah portion, Parshat Pekudei, (Exodus
38:21-40:38): These are the records of the Tabernaclewhich were
drawn up at Moses biddingunder the direction of Itamar son of Aaron
the Priest.
The people had contributed vast amounts of silver and gold and other
precious materials for the construction of the Tabernacle. Moses, and only
Moses, was in charge. He was, in the words of the Midrash, a gizbar, the
comptroller of those funds. Technically, he was accountable to no one. He
did not have to make a reckoning, and he certainly did not have to invite
another person into the process.
But our verse tells us that he not only initiated a reckoning, but he invited
his nephew, Itamar, to hold him to account. He insisted upon full
accountability for every bit of the material collected.
Midrash Rabbah comments, making use of other biblical verses: A
dependable man will receive many blessings, but one in a hurry to get rich
will not go unpunished (Proverbs 28:20). Moses was a dependable man,
as is written, Not so with my servant Moses; he is trusted throughout my
household (Numbers 12:7). He alone was the gizbar, yet he invited others
to perform the accountingour verse does not read, These are the records
which were drawn up by Moses, but rather, These are the records which
were drawn up at Moses bidding. Moses asked to be held accountable,
and did what he could to be assured that he would be held accountable.
Getting back to that cold pre-Chanukah afternoon, I am proud to say that
my conscience prevailed. It was in the days before cell phones, but I
immediately went to the nearest phone booth and called my Itamar, a
respected member of my congregation. I told him that I held this
magnanimous gift in my hands and wanted him to know about it. I asked
him to form a small committee which would decide exactly how to
distribute the Chanukah gelt to those who needed it the most. Until
today, we jokingly refer to that committee as the Itamar committee.
The commentary known as Torah Temimah, written by the early-20th-
century rabbi, Rabbi Baruch Epstein, opens his remarks on this weeks
parsha with a citation from an earlier halachic authority known as Bach:
Although a trustee of charity who has proven himself trustworthy need
not be scrutinized, it is, nevertheless, advisable that he give a full
reckoning of his collections and distributions, as did Moses our teacher.
Long after the incident with the Chanukah gelt, I came upon this astute
remark in the book The Transparent Society by David Brin: When it
comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for
themselves and the latter for everyone else.
Not so with Moses. He demanded accountability for himself, and so
should we all.
Rabbi Pinchas Winston
Perceptions
Parshas Pekudei - Money: What Do YOU Do With It
This is the accounting of the Mishkan . . . (Shemos 38:21)
In a normal Jewish leap year we would have read the Haftarah for this
weeks parshah about the dedication of the Temple in Shlomo HaMelechs
time, connected to the parshah in an obvious way. And, even though
Motzei Shabbos is Rosh Chodesh, which usually would have meant that
we read the Haftarah from I Shmuel 20:18-42, since it mentions Erev Rosh
Chodesh, we dont read that Haftarah either. This is because Shabbos itself
is Parashas Shekalim, the first of the four special Maftirs that we read
either before or after Purim, so instead we read the Haftarah for this
special parshah found in II Melachim 12:1-17.
First a summary of the parshah. We begin with an accounting of all of the
materials donated and used in the construction of the Mishkan. As the
Talmud states, even Moshe Rabbeinu was not above suspicion, though
obviously that had more to do with the people who suspected him than
Moshe himself. Accountability is necessary even, or especially, when
doing the work of God.
After that, Moshe Rabbeinu inspected the quality of the work to make sure
everything was according to specification. After all, it was God they had to
please not just any flesh-and-blood leader. The Shechinah was meant to
dwell in the Mishkan but only if it was spiritually perfect, which it was,
and therefore Moshe Rabbeinu approved. There is very little room for
fudging, if any at all, when it comes to building a house for God, including
within us.
Finally, the parshah concludes with the highlight, not just of the parshah,
not just of the entire Torah, but of history itself. By the end of the
parshahGods glory fills the Mishkan, vindicating the Jewish nation in the
ultimate way possible from the episode of the golden calf. Happy is the
person upon whom the Divine Presence dwells.
That was the parshah. As for the special Maftir for Parashas Shekalim, we
read the section from Parashas Ki Sisa about the mitzvah of the Half-
Shekel piece that every Jew was supposed to give to the Temple once a
year. It was given in advance of the month of Adar for the sake of
purchasing community sacrifices as part of the Temple service.
Thus, though it is not actually connected to this weeks parshah, it is a
fitting end to it. Pekuday itself is an accounting of how the donations given
in Ki Sisa were used for the construction of the Mishkan, a good lead-in to
the special Haftarah for Parashas Shekalim.
The Haftarah is about Yehoash HaMelech, who became king of the
Kingdom of Yehudah at the age of seven years and ruled for 40 years
before being struck down by rebellious servants. However, what we read
only covers how he was a righteous king who saw to the upkeep of the
Temple, which had fallen into disrepair. He made sure that the monies
donated to the Temple were used to pay the craftsman hired to make the
repairs.
So, everything has to do with money for either the Mishkan or the Temple,
and the appropriation of the funds. This might seem to have little to do
with Purim coming up, except for the fact that the giving of the Half-
Shekel was considered to be the cure in advance of the illness. As the
Talmud explains, Haman bought the right from Achashveros to destroy the
Jewish people, and he might have been successful had the Jewish people
not already given their Half-Shekel in Moshe Rabbeinus time.
Money is a major theme of Purim. It is one of the few holidays that
specifically has a mitzvah of giving tzedakah, Metanos LEvyonim. After
all, Purim is about getting back to the real you, about stripping away the
layers of facade and personna that may have been built up over the years
covering up the essence of you are. As mentioned in the past, we drink
wine to neutralize our bodies so that we can act more like the souls we are
in essence, at least on Purim.
As the Talmud states, there are three ways that a person reveals his true
nature: his cup, his money, and his temper. Being drunk is not an excuse to
lose oneself and what one says and does when he has had something to lift
his spirit says a lot about what is actually going on inside of him.
You dont have to be rich to have a charitable nature, and you dont have
to give a lot to be considered generous. The quality of ones giving is not
determined by how much he gives but by how much he wants to give.
There are people who can only afford to give small amounts but it is clear
by the way they give it that, if they could, they would give very
generously.
Likewise, how quickly one gets angry in a situation and how angrily he
responds to it is also a tell-tale sign of more than just his temperament. It
is, more importantly, a sign of how a person reads situations, and
specifically, the Divine Providence of a situation. Even a person with a
propensity to become angry does not when he realizes that what is
happening to him is a function of the will of God.
In this case something is definitely lost in the translation. The Hebrew
words for each of the three are identical except for their middle letters. In
other words, each word begins with a Chof and ends with a Samech, but
the middle letter of each is different, being Yud-Vav-Ayin, whose
gematria is 10+6+70, or 86. This just happens to be the gematria of Elokim
(with the Heh), the Name of God that refers to His hidden hand.
The point? Whether were talking about a person and his money, how he
deals with strong drink or difficult situations, there is a common
denominator to all of them: Elokim. When a person finds himself in a
situation that is financially taxing, inebriating, or emotionally stressful, is
he blinded to the hand of God or made more acutely aware of it? Does he
become more spiritually sensitive or less so?
How can one tell?
There is a great story in Tanach that most people are aware of though they
probably do not look at it in this way. It is such an important lesson about
life, which is probably why so many people overlook it. The Satan lost the
battle in this one and he sure is not going to let others build on his failure
to achieve spiritual success.
The story is about Iyov, or Job, the righteous man who went from riches to
rags overnight. He had everything and everything going for him until God
wagered a bet that Iyov would stand strong in his faith even should he lose
it all. After that, the Satan preceded to bring calamity after calamity to
Iyov until he lost everything he held dear, including his wife and family.
What made it even more difficult for Iyov, and everyone else who knew
him, was that he had been fully righteous. If anyone had been deserving of
Gods blessing it had been Iyov, and yet God seemed to treat him like he
was the worst of the worse, inflicting personal tragedy upon personal
tragedy.
Iyovs response:
And he said, From my mothers womb I emerged naked, and I will return
there naked. God gave and God took; may the Name of God be blessed.
(Iyov 1:21)
Iyovs brave statement was more than simply an affirmation of his faith in
his Father-in-Heaven, and His just approach to life. It was a reminder to
everyone, probably including himself, of our relationship to our blessings
in life, as if to say, no matter how hard we work to accomplish what we do
in life, we are entitled to nothing. Everything in life is a gift from God, a
loan that can be recalled at any time for reasons we may or may not
understand. There is no such thing as entitlement.
From Iyov, that may have been obvious. But from looking at the rest of the
world throughout the rest of history, it is much less so. History is filled
with terrible conflict and bloody wars that have resulted, all in the name of
entitlement. The basis of all of it has usually been someones belief that he
38 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
had something coming to him, and he became angry at another who denied
it to him.
That was certainly Kayins belief, though God did try and straighten him
out:
God said to Kayin, Why are you annoyed, and why has your countenance
fallen? Is it not so that if you improve, it will be forgiven you? If you do
not improve, however, at the entrance, sin is lying, and to you is its
longing, but you can rule over it. (Bereishis 4:6-7)
The message? Hevel could not take anything from Kayin that was meant
for him because nothing is ever really meant for anyone of us. Rather,
we can earn something by showing God that we are worthy of the
blessing He wants to give to us. Even then other factors may play a role in
whether or not we get the object of our desires, though we may not be
aware of them.
The Maharal points out in Nesivas HaTorah that Torah, like water, only
flows to the lowest point, which in this case means to the humblest of
people. He explains that if a person assumes his own greatness then God
will bring him down in some way. After that he can rebuild himself with
humility and becoming worthy of Torah greatness.
This is really true in all aspects of life, not just with respect to Torah. Our
money may seem to be ours. We may feel justified in saying what we do
while in a state of inebriation. We might think that we are perfectly in our
right to get angry when things do not go as we planned. But that is only
when one comes from a sense of entitlement, and with such an attitude one
does not build Mishkans, one destroys them. We are given what we have
to better serve God, not our own self-interests.
Chazak!
Text Copyright 2014 by Rabbi Pinchas Winston and Torah.org.
HaRav Shlomo Wolbe Ztl
Bais Hamussar
Pikudei
Please Daven for the complete and immediate Refuah of the child Faiga
Zissel bas Zlata Tzippora, B'soch Sh'ar Cholei Yisroel.
The first Rashi in Pekudei explains why there is yet another parsha dealing
with the Mishkan and its keilim. This parsha enumerates all the donations
and shows how all the money was used. Rav Wolbe (Shiurei Chumash)
cites the Medrash (Shemos Rabba 51, 1) which explains the pasuk
(Mishlei 28, 20), "An honest man will increase blessing" as referring to
Moshe. Moshe was able to account for every donation given toward the
building of the Mishkan down to the last penny. Due to his unwavering
integrity, the money he was entrusted with benefitted from Hashem's
blessing, and it was exactly sufficient for the needs of the Mishkan.
Moreover, the Medrash continues, when Moshe would count the yearly
donations to the Mishkan he would wear a special garment that had no
pockets thereby leaving no room for suspicion.
It is interesting to note that just as Sefer Shemos ends with the monetary
integrity of Moshe Rabbeinu, likewise, it begins with the monetary
integrity of his mother Yocheved. When Moshe was three months old and
his mother could no longer hide him, she put him in a bassinet and placed
it in the reeds on the banks of the river. The Torah tells us that the bassinet
was made out of gomeh - cane. Being that Yocheved was trying to protect
her son, it would have made more sense to build the bassinet out of strong
sturdy cedar wood as opposed to cheap soft cane. The Gemara (Sotah 12a)
infers from this incident that righteous people show more care regarding
their money than they show regarding their bodies!
What do Chazal mean? Why do the righteous care so much about their
monetary possessions? They are so careful with their money because every
penny was earned honestly (ibid.). They don't steal and they don't cheat
and therefore every dollar they receive is Heavenly ordained. If Hashem
decided to entrust them with the money then obviously it was given to
them for a purpose. Yocheved was extremely careful how she earned her
money and therefore she was extremely careful how she used her money.
She determined that a bassinet made out cane would suffice, and therefore,
she did not want to use heaven sent money on an unnecessary expensive
material.
To a certain extent many of us have lost this sensitivity toward money. We
might forget something somewhere and decide that it is simply not worth
going back for it. If Yaakov Avinu felt it imperative to expend the effort to
retrieve some small bottles, shouldn't we at least be careful with expensive
items that were forgotten? After all, if this is the money that Hashem has
entrusted us with, we should do our best to protect it.
If one is careless with his money, says Rav Wolbe, sometimes it might be
an indication that it was not earned honestly and therefore he doesn't
appreciate the money as having come from Hashem. If we realize that our
money was given to us to be used in our avodas Hashem, it might
revolutionize the way we spend our money!
Maaseh Rav
"People who live without any thought and contemplation have much
falsehood fabricated in their decisions. Yet, there is one way to climb out
of this negative tendency and that's called "Shikul Had'as" (weighing all
the sides prior to deciding).
This (Shikul Had'as), was from the positive qualities that we constantly
witnessed by the Mashgiach z"l. There was never a second void of Shikul
Had'as in all the years that we knew him. The habit by us ordinary people
of making decisions by impulse was completely foreign to the Mashgiach
z"l."
(From the Hesped of Rabbi Wolbe z"l by Rabbi Reuven Loichter Shlit"a -
a close Talmid)
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 19 - King Shlomo
Before David dies, he appoints as king his son Shlomo, who is 12 years old at
the time, with these words:
"I go the way of all the earth. You shall be strong, therefore, and show yourself
a man, and keep the charge of the L-rd your G-d to walk in His ways, to keep
His statutes and His commandments and His testimonies. As it is written in the
Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn."
(1 Melachim 2:2-3)
This classic blessing is what today a boy receives on the day of his Bar
Mitzvah. It restates the cardinal rule that has guided the Jewish people from the
time of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai: in order to prosper just keep the
Torah.
Shortly after Shlomo is anointed king, HaShem appears to him in a dream in
which He invites Shlomo to make a request for himself. Shlomo answers:
"I am but a small child ... Give therefore your servant an understanding heart
to judge your people..."
His request pleases HaShem who tells him:
"Because you have not requested riches and honor but only that which would
benefit all the people, I will give you not only an understanding heart like none
other before or after you ... but also riches and honor like no other king in your
days."(1 Melachim 3:7-13)
Born in 848 BCE, Shlomo dies at age 52 in 796 BCE, ruling as king for 40
years -- the best years in all of Israel's history. He is known as chacham mi'kol
ha'adam, "wisest of all the men." The Bible relates that kings from all over the
world came to hear his wisdom, which included not only Torah wisdom, but
also wisdom in secular knowledge and science.
His fame spread through all the surrounding nations. He composed 3,000
parables, and 1,005 poems. He discoursed about trees, from the cedars of
Lebanon to the hyssop that grows from the wall. He also discoursed about
animals, birds, creeping things and fish. Men of all nations came to hear
Shlomo's wisdom, as did all the kings of the earth who had heard of his
wisdom. (1 Melachim 5:11-14)
The Temple
The crowning achievement of Shlomo's reign is the building of the Temple
which his father, King David, had dreamt about.
As we learned in the last installment in this series, King David brought the Ark
of the Covenant up to Jerusalem's Mount Moriah -- "the gate of heaven" -- but
because he had been a warrior who had blood on his hands, he was not
permitted by HaShem to erect the Temple. However, this is left for his son to
accomplish, which he does.
The Bible devotes several chapters to the construction of this most important
building to the nation of Israel -- the place of communion between the Jewish
people and HaShem. It tells that the entire Temple both inside and outside,
including floors and doors were overlaid with gold. Besides this there were
bronze structures such as columns, an immersion tank, and basins. The
magnificent structure took seven years to build.
When it is finished, Shlomo dedicates the Temple:
"Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less
this house that I have built? Yet have regard for the prayer of Your servant,
and for his supplication, O L-rd my G-d, to listen to the cry and to the prayer,
which Your servant prays before You today; that Your eyes may be open
toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You have said, 'My
name shall be there,' that You may listen to the prayer ... of your people Israel
..." (1 Melachim 8:27-29)
The Pinnacle
This is the pinnacle of Jewish history. Everyone is united. Their neighbors
don't bother the Jews -- in fact, they come to learn from the Jews. There is
peace and prosperity.
This is as good as it gets for Israel. This is the zenith. So why doesn't this
golden age last?
Shlomo makes one big mistake. He takes too many wives. In fact, he has 700
wives and 300 concubines.
If we go back to the Book of Devarim where the idea that Jews would one day
want a king is first discussed, Moshe warns that the king should not have too
many horses or too many wives (Devarim 17:17). The great Torah
commentator Rashi tells us that this means no more than 18, and that King
David had only six. So we see that Shlomo goes overboard a little bit.
This happens because at this time in history there were only two reasons for
marriage among nobility -- to create offspring and to make political alliances.
The Middle East in Shlomo's time is made up of many city-states and all the
kings of these city-states want to send their daughters to marry King Shlomo
and in this way form an alliance with him.
That sounds good, but why is it wrong?
The Torah gives us the answer:
In his old age, his wives turned away Shlomo's heart after other gods. (1
Melachim 11:4-5).
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 39
This, of course, does not mean that King Shlomo became an idolater, but the
Bible uses these harsh words because he did not prevent his wives from
carrying on their idolatrous practices. As a king, he is held responsible for the
actions of those under his influence.
One of the greatest leaders of the Jewish people, a man on his spiritual level --
who wrote the Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim), the Book of Ecclesiastes
(Koheles), and the Book of Proverbs (Mishlei) -- must be suffering eternal pain
in heaven knowing what has been written about him in the Torah.
The Torah ends Shlomo's story relating that HaShem was angry with him and
told him:
"Since you are guilty of this, and you have not kept My covenant and My laws
... I will tear the kingdom away from you ... But I will not do this in your time,
for the sake of your father David. Instead, I will tear it away from your son ... I
will give your son one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake
of Jerusalem, which I have chosen." (1 Melachim 11:9-13)
It is clear from this how much HaShem loved King David and how completely
He had forgiven him for his faults. It is also clear that hard times are coming
for the Jewish people as the kingdom of Israel is about to be torn in half. Next:
North And South
Author Biography: Rabbi Ken Spiro is originally from New Rochelle,NY. He graduated from Vasser College with a BA in Russian Language and
Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has Rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem and a
Masters Degree in History from The Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of
Tourism. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five children where he works as a senior lecturer and researcher on Aish HaTorah outreach
programs. This article can also be read at: http://www.aish.com/literacy/jewishhistory/Crash_Course_in_Jewish_History_Part_19_-
_King_Shlomo.asp Copyright 2001 Aish.com - http://www.aish.com

Aish.Com - Rabbi Noach Weinberg ZTL
48 Ways to Wisdom
Way #19 Minimize Sleep
You go to wake up your roommate at 7 a.m. He grunts, "Thanks, I'm up."
You return five minutes later to find him sound asleep. You shake him
again, "Get up already!" Half-opening his eyes, he says, "Yah, yah," and
drops right back to sleep.
Has this ever happened to you? Unfortunately, it's a fairly accurate
description of the way most of us lead our lives. We may say, "I can't
afford to waste time anymore. This is it! I'm going to start applying
myself." An hour later you've forgotten the whole thing. You went back to
sleep.
"Bi-miut Shayna" literally means "minimizing sleep." The desire for living
is the struggle against sleep. On a deeper level, it's about waking up to life.
Staying alert is a constant struggle in life. We have insights. We make
resolutions. But will we stay awake for more than a moment?
The Purpose Of Sleep
Of course, sleep has a positive aspect in that our bodies need it to function.
Sleep gives you a chance to become re-energized. It unravels tension and
allows you to heal, both physically and emotionally.
Never treat sleep as an end unto itself. Don't look at sleep as the reward for
a hard day's work. Look at sleep as a way to recharge your batteries for a
new day of growth.
Don't sleep longer than necessary, and don't "love sleep." If you love
sleep, you'll yearn to get more of it and wind up sleeping your life away.
The best way to take advantage of sleep's recuperative powers is by
napping. When you find yourself stymied, take a 20-minute nap. Any
longer than that and it's a struggle to regain momentum.
Find the right balance. In general, sleep as little as necessary. Fight the
desire for comfort. Minimize sleep -- and maximize awareness.
The Thrill Of Living
Sleep can be a mirage. The proof is that when you're full of excitement
and energy, you simply can't sleep. Did you ever wake up at 4 a.m. to
climb a mountain before sunrise? You're not sleepy. You're awake and
bubbling with excitement, freshness, zing!
If life is a bore, you feel more like sleeping. Someone who loves life
doesn't want to go to sleep at night. He just keeps on going until he falls
asleep -- then jumps out of bed the next morning like a lion.
Children are a perfect example. From the moment a baby opens his eyes,
he's up like a shot. "Another day ... new adventures ... so much to discover
... so much to experience ... waaaah!!!! Take me out of my crib!"
And did ever try putting a baby to sleep? No way! He's afraid of missing
all the excitement.
To capture this zest for living, you need to focus on the deeper purpose
and meaning of life. Look for fascinating, fulfilling activities. Learn how
to create joy in living, instead of just "waiting for it to happen." You are
excited. You are looking forward to a new day. You are fully alert.
Why do adults often crave sleep? Responsibilities weigh us down. We
want to crawl into bed and hide under the sheets just to get a breather.
Underneath it all, do you think it is good to be alive? Or are you trying to
escape from the struggle of life? If being alive is good, then sleep is an
escape.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Fit sleep into your schedule, don't schedule your day around sleep. Work
out logically how much sleep you need to function well. Are you getting
more than you need? Keep a record of your sleep patterns for one month,
and calculate the average. Unless you make a conscious decision of how
much you need, you're just drowsing along.
Drowsiness is not being alive. It robs you of existence.
The Rambam writes that eight hours sleep is maximum, unless you are
sick. If you train yourself to sleep less, so much the better. You'll have
more conscious time to accomplish, learn, and become wiser. The Vilna
Gaon, the greatest rabbi of the last 500 years, would sleep only four 30-
minute intervals each day -- a total of two hours of sleep each 24-hour
period.
Don't be afraid of sleeping "less than average." A person can actually be in
peak physical condition with a minimum amount of sleep. Military recruits
are sometimes kept on a regimen of two or three hours of sleep per night.
You don't hear them say, "I'm getting delirious ... My bones are dissolving
... I'm going crazy!" And when they finish boot camp, they're in tip-top
physical shape!
Techniques For Less Sleep
There are various techniques to keep yourself awake. Stand instead of sit,
or put your feet in cold water or on the cold floor. My father would only
allow himself to sleep in a bed one night a week, on Friday night.
In the times of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the High Priest stayed
awake the entire night of Yom Kippur by doing push-ups. Exercise of any
sort will keep your body and mind energized.
Push yourself to get less sleep. Don't be afraid. You won't die. What's the
worst that can happen? You'll get tired and fall asleep!
Early in the morning try coaxing your body out of bed: "C'mon. Let's get
up! Otherwise we're going to miss today's awesome experience of [fill in
the blank]."
A cozy body has difficulty getting up in the morning. Just throwing off the
covers can rouse you out of bed. Some people even sleep on the floor,
because a person doesn't cling to the hard floor the way he clings to a
cushy bed.
Each morning when you wake up, rethink, revise and reevaluate what
happened yesterday. Learn from your mistakes. Anticipate a fresh start.
You'll be more excited to be awake.
The Second Wind
Were you ever involved in an absorbing project and stayed up all night?
Though you began to feel tired, you forced yourself to go on. Eventually
you got a second wind, a point when your mind became clear, refreshed
and alert again.
The second wind only comes when we are deeply involved in a activity.
Those who are bored just fall asleep...
To harness the power of "second wind," learn how to throw yourself into
things. When I was a student, we would challenge each other to stay up all
Thursday night studying. Try picking such an activity for yourself. It's a
proving ground, a test area, for how to struggle against sleep.
Avoid The "Zombie Life"
The struggle against drowsiness and fatigue is the struggle for meaning.
You can go through an entire lifetime and at the same time be unconscious
to much of the world around you. Don't walk, talk, or eat like a semi-
conscious person. Stay alert.
We use just a fraction of our potential. When we are excited about a
project, our creative juices and mental faculties are awake. Fight
drowsiness. Pay attention to what you're doing at all times.
Watch out for zombie-ism. Don't walk around with "nothing" going though
your head. Sometimes you are waiting in line at the supermarket and your
head is completely dead, without a thought in your mind. Shake your head
to stay awake. Pump yourself: What am I doing? Where am I going? And
why am I going there?
In Judaism, our basic drive is to gain clarity. "Wake up" to the purpose of
your life. Let go of illusions about fame, romance, etc. Don't get the shock
of a cold bath when you graduate college and find out that not everyone
automatically becomes a stock-optioned executive.
You want greatness. You want to be good. You want to help humanity.
What are you going to do about it? Tackle the big issues and get real
answers. Ask yourself: "What am I living for, and what do I want to do
with the rest of my life?"
Don't just think about tomorrow or next year, but do a long-range forecast:
What do I want inscribed on my tombstone? Will it say that I graduated
college, made a million dollars, and owned a large house? Or will it say
that I helped and cared for humanity?
Figure out the pleasure of being alive. If your ideals are high and far-
reaching, you're not going to want to sleep away your life. You don't want
to quit this game of living. You want to be great. Recognize that. Sure,
living is a struggle. But boy, is it exciting!
You Can Change
We all have moments of awareness, an immediate recognition of "a-
haaaaa." You hear something that makes sense. You have a first crack of
light -- an insight, a truth, a moment of recognition that life can be
beautiful. This is the pleasure of learning wisdom. The light bulb goes on,
and as far as that idea is concerned, you've been asleep until now. It's an
exhilarating sensation of waking up.
We can have such moments of clarity ... and then fall asleep again. You
may finish reading this and say, "Yes, that's a good point. I should think
this through and make a plan. After all, greater awareness in life is
something I'm interested in."
These thoughts are flittering through your mind. But as soon as you close
the book, it's back to sleep.
When you have an insight, capture it. Like the time you were driving a car
and felt drowsy. You fell asleep for a moment and veered off the road.
40 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
You caught yourself and for that moment you were wide awake. You
remember that adrenalin shock. You are not going to let it happen again.
When you gain a moment of clarity, immediately make a decision. Decide
that you can change, that things can be different. "This is important and I
am going to think more about this."
The Jewish term for spiritual awakening is "teshuva," which means to
straighten out. Look at the damage your mistakes have caused, and
consider how you've lost out as a result.
No matter how old you are, you can change. You can find truth and act on
it at any age.
Recognize that waking up is your battle. Now go out there and win.
Why Is "Minimizing Sleep" ("Waking Up") An Ingredient In
Wisdom?
The struggle of life is the struggle to be awake.
Decide that life is good. Otherwise you'll go to sleep.
Get the maximum out of your body. But don't torture it either!
Don't miss out on life's opportunities and pleasures by oversleeping.
Watch out for "zombie-ism." Don't walk around devoid of thoughts in
your head.
Too much sleep dulls the mind.
Tiredness is a habit. Break it.
Unless we take practical steps to stay awake, sleep is going to overcome
us.
Whenever you learn something new, wake up to the recognition that
you were partially asleep before.
If you learn how to live with joy, sleep vanishes.
In the "final sleep," what do you want inscribed?
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. Chicago Kollel Parsha Encounters page 40
2. Chicago Kollel Halacha Encounters page 40
3. Rabbi Mordecai Kamenetzky Parsha Parables page 41
4. Rabbi Label Lam Dvar Torah page 41
5. NCYI Weekly Dvar Torah page 42



Chicago Community Kollel
Parsha Encounters
Parshas Vayakhel - The AngerThe Dangers of Anger
By Rabbi Asher Weiss
A Project Of Chicago Community Kollel
This years Parsha Encounters is dedicated in honor of Mr.& Mrs. Nachy Shabat by their
family upon their receiving the inaugural Rebbetzin Zucker Torah vChesed Award
The pasuk says Lo sivaru eish bechol mosh-voseichem beyom
haShabbos. Based on the wording of the pasuk, the Zohar concludes that
there is a specific issur against getting angry on Shabbos; the fire
mentioned in the pasuk al-ludes to the fire of anger.
Of course, anger is forbidden at all times. The Gemara (Nedarim 22a) tells
us that one who becomes angry is considered to have been oveid avodah
zarah, leaving himself susceptible to the rule of all types of purgatory.
Anger is incredibly damaging, causing a person to lose control over
himself, and become vulnerable to evil (see Ms Shabbos 105a).
What differentiates this additional issur against anger on Shabbos from the
general issur? Rabbi Shimshon Pincus explains that there are times when
one may use the attribute of anger posi-tively to rebuke and direct family
members in the ways of Torah (provided that one doesnt lose control of
himself but only expresses the anger outwardly, kindling a small fire
within himself). The Zohar is referring to this type of anger, which is
forbidden on Shabbos because Shabbos is a day of complete rest and
tranquil-ity. Shabbos must remain pure and free of all fires because it is
the source of all of the kedushah for the entire week.
Rav Pincus shares another crucial lesson relat-ing to anger. The Gemara
Nedarim (ibid) states: Anyone who becomes angry, let it be known that
he has more sins than merits, as taught in Mishlei: Master of anger, many
sins. The Ramban (Laws of Teshuvah: Chapter 5, 1-2) writes that one
whose merits are greater than his sins is a tzaddik , while one whose sins
are more numerous than his merits is a rasha. A person whose sins
outnumber his merits is susceptible to death.
Though these are frightening words, Rav Pin-cus stresses that one never
knows what his balance is in Heaven with respect to this issue. If one
becomes angry on the spur of the mo-ment, he should take the opportunity
to repent not only for his display of anger but for all of his sins, and will
then merit a pleasant, long life. May we all be saved from the dangers of
misplaced anger, and use the power of anger only to increase kavod
shamayim and ahavas Hashem.
Rabbi Weiss is a full-time member of the kollel.
Chicago Community Kollel
Halacha Encounters
Yichud
By Rabbi Yisroel Langer
What is Yichud?
It is forbidden for a man and woman who are not married to each other to
be together in a secluded area. This is known as the prohibition of
yichud. According to most Rishonim if one is in seclusion with a
woman that the Torah prohibits him from marrying (ex: a married woman,
or ones mother-in-law), or a woman who is a niddah (other than his
wife), there would be an issur dorysa of yichud. Otherwise, it would be
prohibited mdrabanan. The reason that the Torah prohibited yichud is to
prevent one from engaging in immoral conduct. Therefore, in the case of
ones own child or grandchild, since there is no fear of any immoral
conduct, yichud would be permitted. Regarding a sister with a brother,
yichud is permitted on a temporary basis.(1) All other relatives are
forbidden to be in a yichud situation with each other. Even for an old
man to be in a state of yichud with a young girl or vice-versa is strictly
forbidden. If one were in a state of yichud and no immoral conduct took
place, one has still violated the prohibition of yichud. In this weeks
Halacha Encounters we will discuss a few common yichud situations and
how one should deal with them. Like many areas in halacha, the laws of
yichud have many details and are too complex to discuss in a short article.
Therefore if one has a situation at home or at work that may be in
violation of yichud, a sheilah should be asked.
Yichud in a Car
Hagaon R Moshe Feinstein ZTL(2) discusses whether there is a problem
of yichud while driving in a car. Rav Moshe rules that although people
can see into the car, since the driver can easily drive off the road into a
secluded area it is a problem of yichud. However, if it is a pressing
circumstance, R Moshe rules that one may be lenient.(3) Many poskim
do not agree with R Moshe in this matter and permit a woman to be alone
in a car with a man. These poskim hold that we are not concerned that the
driver will drive into a secluded area. Therefore as long as people can see
into the car (if the windows are tinted it is sufficient that people can see
through the windshield) and one is not on a deserted road there is no
problem of yichud inside a car. (Some poskim define a deserted road as a
road in which a car will not pass you within a time span of 10-15
minutes.)
Elevators
The poskim(4) say that if a man and woman go into a locked room
together even for one moment they have violated the prohibition of
yichud. However, if there is a realistic possibility that forces beyond their
control could open the door within a short time span(5) from the
beginning of the yichud, then it is not prohibited. (Ex: a man is in a
private meeting with a woman at work. If it is possible for another person
to open the door and enter during the meeting then it is not yichud.) Based
on the above rules it would usually be permitted for a man and a woman
to be in an elevator together. Even if the elevator ride will last a few
minutes, since the elevator car can be opened by waiting passengers on
any of the floors, it is permitted. Some poskim question whether a man
and a woman can be alone in an elevator together if the elevator has a stop
switch since the man can stop the elevators in between floors. HaGaon R
Shlomo Zalman Auerbach permits this as long as the man does not pull
the switch.(6) Some poskim say lechatchilah a man and a woman should
never be alone in an elevator even one without a stop switch.(7)
Plumbers and Electricians
A very common yichud sheilah is when a woman is home alone and is
having a workman (plumber or electrician) doing work inside the house.
There are a number of different heterim that the poskim advise people to
use. If there are at least two men (at least one of them cannot be classified
as a parutz(8) immoral person) then yichud is permitted. Two women,
however, would not permit yichud with a male worker, while three
women is questionable. Many poskim are lenient in extenuating
circumstances and permit three women to be with a man (during awake
hours).
If a woman is married and her husband is in the same city as she is, most
Rishonim hold that the wife can be in a situation of yichud with another
man. This is known as the heter of baalah bir. (Rashi is of the opinion
that baalah bir is not a permitted method of yichud and some poskim
hold that lechatchilah one should be machmir like this opinion). The
poskim disagree as to the rationale of this heter. The Chazon Ish
understands that the heter of baalah bir is based on a womans
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 41
instinctive sense of fear of being unfaithful to her husband when he is in
the same city as she is. Accordingly, even if a woman is certain that her
husband will not be home for a while (ex: she just got off the phone with
him and he is still at the office), it is still permitted for her to be in a
yichud situation with another man.
However, most poskim understand the rationale of the heter of baalah
bir based on the wifes fear of being caught or discovered by her husband
as being unfaithful. Accordingly this heter of baalah bir can only be
implemented if it is possible(9) for a husband to walk into his house
within a short time span(10) of his wifes yichud with the workman. The
Chachmos Adam holds that if a husband gives permission for his wife to
be with another man (which is the case regarding a workman in the
house), there is no heter of baalah bir. The poskim argue whether one
needs to be machmir like this opinion.11 If one is very friendly with the
worker (ex: he is a cousin) according to all opinions the heter of baalah
bir doesnt exist.
In summary, the heter of baalah bir is not always applicable, and even
when it is, some poskim hold that it is not a heter lechatchila. The poskim
offer another solution to allow yichud with a worker known as pesach
posuach leaving the door open to a public thoroughfare. There is a
machlokes amongst the poskim whether it is sufficient to leave the door to
ones house unlocked or if one must actually leave the door opened. In
todays times, where in many circles it is highly unlikely for people to
enter into another persons house without having the door opened for
them, even according to the lenient opinion, one should have the door
slightly ajar in order to permit yichud(12). The heter of pesach posuach
is not applicable late at night when people are not in the streets.
Another heter is for a woman to have a child who is at least five(13) years
old with her. A child would not do an immoral act and therefore the
woman would be embarrassed to do anything in front of the child. If the
child present is a girl (even her own daughter) it is permitted to have
yichud until the girl is twelve.(14) Once the girl is twelve then it is a
situation of two women and one man together in the house, which is not
permitted. (Note: It is permitted for a man to have yichud with a woman
(twelve years old) and a girl (5-12), but for a man to be alone with just a
girl who is at least three years old is prohibited.) If the above heter is not
available the woman can give a key to a neighbor and instruct the
neighbor to pop in during the time when there will be yichud. (Note:
The neighbor has to be a legitimate threat to coming in. If he has been
given the key in the past and never shows up, one cannot rely on him for
this heter.) As mentioned earlier, the laws of yichud are complex, and
each situation is different from another. Therefore, if one has a sheilah, he
should not rely on something written in Halacha Encounters, but should
ask a Rav what to do. In the zechus of guarding the law of yichud may we
merit to add more kedushah into our lives.
1. HaGaon R Moshe Feinstein ZTL explains this to mean the amount of
time that a guest would typically stay over at ones house (a few days).
Igros Moshe E.H. Volume 4 Siman 65:11.
2. Igros Moshe ibid
3. R Moshes example of a pressing circumstance is if a woman would be
insulted if one did not drive her.
4. See HaGaon R Shlomo Zalman Auerbachs haskama to the sefer Dvar
Halacha.
5. The poskim argue as to the exact length of the time span. The Dvar
Halacha quotes an opinion that holds 35 seconds. The Minchas Yitzchak
is lenient up until 5 minutes. Most poskim hold that it is about 2-3
minutes.
6. See Divrei Sofrim 22:1 in Birur Halacha shedavar zeh
7. Minchas Yitzchok volume 4 responsa 94.
8. The poskim disagree how to classify somebody as a parutz. Many of
the gedolei poskim (including R Dovid Zucker shlita) define a parutz as
anyone who exposes himself to immodesty on television, movies, internet
or publications.
9. HaGaon R Moshe Feinstein ztl (ibid) differentiates between an
employee who most likely will not come home during his working hours,
in which case there is no heter of baalah bir during those hours, and a
self-employed person.
10. see footnote 5
11. The Chofetz Chaim in his sefer Nidchei Yisroel quotes the Chachmos
Adam as halacha. HaGaon R Moshe Feinstein ztl (ibid) says that
lechatchilah one should be machmir like this opinion. However, others are
lenient. See Dvar Halacha 7:3, and Toras Yichud 7:3:5 who quotes
HaGaon R Yoseph Shalom Eliyashiv ztl as being lenient.
12. See Toras Yichud 8:5:6, this is the psak of R Dovid Zucker.
13. This is the opinion of R Dovid Zucker and other Gedolei poskim.
Hagaon R Moshe Feinsten (quoted in Children in Halacha) holds the
child must be seven.
14. Some poskim say only until 9.
Rabbi Langer is a full-time member of the kollel.
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
Parsha Parables
Parshas Vayakhel 5774 - The Heart of Giving
Dedicated in memory of Elliot Eckstein " ' '
'
In this week's portion Moshe gathers the folk and charges them with the
great task of contributing to and building the Mishkan. Indeed the people
respond and contribute the required materials in abundance. They bring
gold, silver and copper; blue-, purple- and red-dyed wool; goat hair, spun
linen, animal skins, wood, olive oil, herbs and precious stones.
But the Torah uses an interesting expression: "Every man whose heart
uplifted him came, and everyone whose spirit inspired him to generosity
brought the offering of Hashem (ie. the gold and silver etc.) for the work
of the Mishkan Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the holy
garments." (Exodus 35:21).
What does it mean" whose heart uplifted him came, and everyone whose
spirit inspired him to generosity brought the offering"? Of course if they
gave they had a spirit of inspiration with an uplifted heart they gave. Why
not say, Many people gave the offering. What's this about uplifted hearts
and inspired spirits?
The Story
Rabbi Paysach Krohn tells the story of a Max Rabinowitz, a fictitious
name given to a real person. Mr. Rabinowitz was an extremely wealthy
Jew who lived in Denver, Colorado. Max gave charity, but the level of his
giving was nowhere near his capacity. Thus, as much as Rav Myer
Schwab, Dean of the Bais Yaakov School in Denver would push,
somehow the most Max gave was paltry compared to what he could have
easily have given. Rabbi Schwab knew that Max was getting on in years
and one day he would realize the importance of giving
tzedaka. In fact at one point Max had called the Rabbi to administer the
last rites and asked him to say viduy with him.
Max did not pass on that evening but a short while later an emergency call
came one morning and Rabbi Schwab was beckoned personally by Max to
come to his deathbed, "Please come now," pleaded Max, "by this
afternoon, it may be too late."
Once again, Rabbi Schwab heeded the call. When Rabbi Schwab arrived
Max reminisced softly to him about a Maggid who came to his town and
declared that tzedaka t'atzil memaves. So before I go," explained Max, "I
have prepared two checks: One for the Bais Yaakov and the other for the
Yeshiva Toras Chaim. Please remove them from the drawer and deliver
them."
When Rabbi Schwab looked at the checks, he was in shock. There were
two checks written for $500 each. "Max," pleaded Rabbi Schwab, "you
have the opportunity to acquire a share in Olam Habah as you never did
before. Our Bais Yaakov is housed in trailers and we desperately need a
building. Please, Max, give us $50,000 and we will put your name on the
building as an eternal memorial. You will be helping hundreds of girls
who are the future mothers of Klal Yisrael." Max thought long and hard.
Finally, he said in Yiddish. "Glaib mer, mine hartz vill, und mine kup
farshteit, uber de hahnt luzt nisht. -My heart wants and my head
understands, but my hand does not let."
Max passed away along with the opportunity to do with his hand, what he
wanted with his heart.
The Message
The Torah is telling us a very important point. Many people have the
desire, that "spirit of inspiration with an uplifted heart" to give, but
somehow they never make it to the end game. The heart wants but the
hand does not let. The Mishkan campaign was unique in this aspect;
everyone who wanted to give and had a spirit of inspiration to give, ended
up giving. Throughout our history there were lots of people who had the
spirit, heart and means, but didn't deliver. It's not enough to give with your
heart you need to give with your hand.
Good Shabbos 2014 Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
Rabbi Label Lam
Dvar Torah
Parshas Vayakhel: The Secret of Shabbos Delight
Moshe called the whole community of the Children of Israel to assemble,
and he said to them: "These are the things that Hashem commanded to
make: Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall
sanctity, a day of complete rest to Hashem; whoever performs work on it
[this day] shall be put to death. You shall not kindle fire in any of your
dwelling places on the Sabbath day." (Shemos 35:1-3)
Why did the Torah single out not kindling a fire on Shabbos as the
representative of all the other Malachos of Shabbos?
Now let us pause and appreciate the necessity for an Oral Torah. Anyone
familiar with the observance of Shabbos already knows that there are 39
fundamental forbidden activities on the Holy Shabbos and yet the only
42 ":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc
one mentioned explicitly here is not to light a fire. If we did not have an
Oral Torah then how would we know what not to do to preserve Shabbos?
This is a problem not only native to Shabbos but it is also true of every
Mitzvah in the Torah. There is not one law that can be performed in its
entirety based only on the information provided in the written text of
Torah.
Lets take a simple one that every decent person can agree upon: Dont
kill! OK, as intelligent western thinkers we can have an all-night debate
about when life begins and when life ends and never come to a
conclusion. What one person would define as euthanasia another would
call murder. What one would call family planning another would
identify as murder. The Torah had to have had some quantifiable
definition of else how can the Sanhedrin be charged with carrying out an
execution for murder if the boundaries are unclear?
The same holds true of Shabbos. Here we have the Torah spelling out
clearly, ; whoever performs work (Malacha) on it [this day] shall be put
to death. Well, what is Malacha-work? Where is it spelled out clear
enough to provide a warning to one who would trample the garden of
Shabbos? Can it be capricious or vague and yet worthy of death.
Dont think that no one ever tried to manage living a Torah life without
the assistance and guidance of an Oral Law. It has been attempted many
times over the millennium. Take the Karaites for example. The movement
started in Babylonia in about the 9th century, not long after the sealing of
the Talmud. The Name Kara-ites, comes from the term for verse, or
text, as it is read. They sought to dispute the adherents to the Oral Torah
and therefore they attempted to hold tenaciously to the written Torah as it
is spelled out and without any assistance from the Talmud.
Certainly their intentions, deep down, were to make life easy and to
relieve themselves from the burden of Hallacha. This provided a universe
of leniencies and no doubt it was attractive to many, but for how long? Six
days! When it came to Shabbos they found themselves in a stuck place.
While Torah Law allows a person to set up a guarded fire prior to Shabbos
and to light Shabbos candles before the onset of Shabbos, the Karaites had
to remain loyal to the one forbidden act mentioned explicitly in the text. It
is actually a Rabbinical requirement for a Jewish household to have
candles lit for the Shabbos. It is a necessary to have delicacies and even
hot food, namely cholent. The Prophet calls the Shabbos, delight-
(Oneg) and it is!
The Karaite Shabbos was not so pleasurable. They needed to sit in the
dark and in the cold. The Talmud tells us that a blind man has less
pleasure from his food. It seems that psychologically, a great deal of the
joy of eating is in the anticipation, hence the great culinary emphasis on
colorful presentations. It must not be so much fun to not be able to see
what you are eating or what might be crawling on what you are eating at
night. Oy!
It is stated, So the Children of Israel should observe the Shabbos, to
make the Shabbos throughout their generations as an everlasting
covenant. (Shemos 31:16) How is it to remain an everlasting covenant
from generation to generation in the cold and the dark? That just might be
one reason the Torah mentioned only fire as a forbidden act, to
extinguish those who would lose the secret of Shabbos delight!
DvarTorah, Copyright 2007 by Rabbi Label Lam and Torah.org.

National Council of Young Israel
Weekly Dvar Torah
The Real Test
By Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Goodman,
Rabbi Emeritus,Young Israel of Far Rockaway, NY
Regarding this weeks parasha, Rashi tells us the great convocation of
Klal Yisrael took place on the morning after Yom HaKippurim. There are
many commentaries concerning this fact and its significance:
1. Several m'forshim (commentaries) emphasize the point that it is not
what we practice on the Day of Atonement that counts most (of course,
during Yom Kippur, most Jews pray and repent and strive to become like
Angels). The real test is what they do during the rest of the year.
2. The Pninim Yekarim develops an intricate thesis: When the Torah
compliments Moshe as being the greatest anav (most modest) of all
humans, it spells the word anav without the yud. This led certain
m'forshim to conclude that, in later history, there was indeed one
exception: Shmuel HaNavi who is recorded as having gone from town to
town all over Israel to judge the people where they resided, while Moshe
would summon the people to gather to him when he wished to speak to
them. But now the question arises: why indeed did the humble Moshe not
do as Shmuel did? The answer given is: we are taught in the Talmud
(Ksubos, 17) that a king may not forego his honor. Hence, while Shmuel,
being a prophet, could yield in this matter, Moshe who was seen as King
(Va Y'hi BiShurun Melech) could not.
On the other hand, we find that in one instance Moshe did go to the people
(and the Sidra is titled by that verb, VaYelech Moshe!) We must answer
that since on that day Moshe died, and since Koheles states , Ain Shilton
B'yom Hamavet there is no power on the day of death Moshe was
no longer viewed as king on that day. However, after the transgression of
the Golden Calf, G-d told Moshe Lech Rade which the Midrash says
means go down from your high status. Thus, Moshe was no longer seen
as king. So, why did he not then go to the people? To answer this question
our Chazal stated that the gathering in this chapter took place the
morning after Yom Kippur the day they were entirely forgiven. Thus,
Moshe was restored to his prior status as king and could not forego this
honor. And so, the verse correctly states VaYakhel Mosheh Moshe
gathered the nation!
The Sidra begins with the laws of Shabbat. We are told: for six days
work should be done, but on the seventh day, it should be holy unto you
(lachem).
In the Ten Commandments, (Aseres HaDibros) the expression is six days
you shall work... Various Chassidic Rebbes are said to have made this
observation: The Aseres HaDibros speak to all Jews of all generations. It
is therefore quite appropriate that we should be told to do work, for this is
the standard life pattern for the vast majority. Since we are busy all week,
the Sabbath is truly holy unto G-d to separate it from the busy work week.
However, the generation of the desert did not work at all; each day they
were fed the manna, their clothes never aged, and HaShem's cloud
hovered over them constantly. All their basic necessities were properly
taken care of. Their main occupation, therefore, was to come to Moshe to
hear him expound the Torah. Like Talmidai Chachamim in later ages,
they were told that in order to make the Shabbos different from the
weekdays, their Mitzvah for Shabbos was to enjoy better food and drink.
This then is the deeper meaning of our verse. It speaks to those who have
the blessing of not having to work themselves, just like the midbar (desert)
generation For six days the work shall be done (implying by others).
Thus, such people spend the week by studying Torah and performing
other Mitzvohs. So how will Shabbos be different? The seventh day will
be lachem (holy) for you. And through the Oneg Shabbos of special food
to mark Shabbos, it will be different from the rest of the week.
Studying the Mishkan. Rabbainu Bachaya strongly encourages us to
study, as deeply as possible, the entire system of the Mishkan (the
Tabernacle), the dimensions of all its vessels, etc. for there is great
advantage in this pursuit. He states that whether or not we reach the higher
plane of discovering some of the secret meanings in these items and their
measurements, or even if we determine little more than the mathematical
computations involved, in the zchus (merit) that we show such dedicated
interest in the Mishkan, G-d will restore it to us. This is the deeper
meaning of the daily Psalm that we read on Mondays (Psalm 48), which
concludes with these verses: Surround Zion, count its towers, note
carefully its courtyards (meaning, study well its dimensions...for what
purpose?...so that the day will come that you can say: This is G-d, our G-
d and the Shechinah will once again be present and felt in the rebuilt
Mikdash)
The Women's Contribution. The opening chapter emphasizes the work of
the women, who wove the materials needed for the Mishkan. The phrase
each woman who was wise of heart, wove with her hands... offered Rav
Shlomo Kluger an opportunity for a Halachic analysis: The Talmud
(Kesubos, 59) teaches that, while by the original Halacha the work/wages
of a married woman is her property, the Rabbis instituted that, in return
for the husband's providing all her basic necessities of food, clothing and
shelter, his wifes earnings go to him. On this basis, Rav rules that any
woman has the right to declare, I waive my rights to his provisions for
me and I wish to keep my earnings for myself.
While in the desert, the men did not provide their wives with any of these
basic needs, all of which came from G-d, so the labor of the women
(called maasei yadeha in the Talmud), certainly remained their own. This
is the special emphasis in our verse: each woman who was wise of heart
(she knew the Halacha that in this situation her labor belonged to her)
wove with her hands (hands that belonged exclusively to her).
Shabbat Shalom
The Weekly Sidra - Vayakhel
By Rabbi Moshe Greebel
Associate Member, Young I srael Council of Rabbis, Belmar, NJ
While atomic clocks measure time to the closest hundredth trillions of a
second, they are nonetheless, still technically imperfect. That is, with all mans
technological and scientific breakthrough, the concepts of perfection or
flawlessness seem not to be within the realm of human capability, as is
illustrated by the Mishna in Bchoros 17a, which speaks of the first born of
Tahor (spiritually clean) cattle being given to a Kohain:
":\D "po trcdk trcd ihc 43
That you shall set apart to HaShem all that opens the matrix, and every
firstling that comes of a beast which you have; the males shall be HaShems.
(Shmos 13:12)
And now, for the Mishna:
A ewe which never before had given birth, bore two males, and both heads
came forth simultaneously. Rabbi Yossi HaGlili says, Both belong to the
Kohain, for Scripture states, The males shall be HaShems..
The Mishna continues:
.. Whereas the Chachamim (scholars) say, It is impossible to ascertain
exactly (if both heads came forth simultaneously). One remains with the
Yisroel, and the other is for the Kohain..
Having made our point of It is impossible to ascertain exactly in physical
matters, we will stop at this point in the Mishna. Working our way further to
17b, the Gemarah attempts to prove that man is in fact, capable of reaching
perfection:
Come and hear. (Proof that man can reach perfection can be adduced) from
the measurements of the vessels (of the Mishkan- Tabernacle) and from the
measurements of the altar.!
That is, since the Torah lays down very specific and exact measurements for
the Mishkan and these vessels, apparently it is humanly possible to be precise.
Yet, the Gemarah attacks this supposition:
.. It is different there, since the Divine Law said, Do it, and in whatever
manner you are able to do it, it will be satisfactory..
Basically, even though the Torah is very precise, man is still not obligated to
attain physical perfection. And, however close he comes to perfection is
considered adequate.
Now, while all this may be very remarkable, what exactly has it to do with this
weeks Sidra? For an answer to this, we turn to the Brisker Rav, Rav Yitzchak
Zev Halevi Soloveitchik (1887- 1959) of blessed memory, who began by
posing the following.
It is well known that when it comes to words, the Torah is metaphorically very
stingy, considering the slightest redundancy as verbiage. A seemingly extra
word, or even letter, appearing in the Torah is immediately addressed by the
Gemarah in an attempt to interpret this phenomena. Basically speaking,
superfluous seeming words or letters in the Torah raise the flags for closer
inspection.
Now then, in the earlier Sidra of Trumah, the vessels, curtains, covers, and
various constructions of the Mishkan are all listed in great and exact detail.
Yet, when we come to this weeks Sidra, all these precise details are literally
repeated. Concerning the Mishkan then, would it not have been more effective
for this weeks Sidra to simply state, And, the Bnai Yisroel did as they were
commanded, instead of listing all these details yet another time?
The answer to this inquiry, expounded Rav Yitzchak Zev Halevi, shows the
immense devotion of the Bnai Yisroel to HaShem. The seemingly
superfluous writing of the already mentioned details of the Mishkan and its
vessels illustrates that through their complete dedication and commitment to
HaShem Yisborach, the Bnai Yisroel miraculously ascended beyond normal
human capability to the point of perfection in the construction of the Mishkan
and its vessels. That, concluded Rav Yitzchak Zev Halevi, is why the Torah
went out of its way to list all the exact details once again in this weeks Sidra,
to underscore that immense love of the Bnai Yisroel for HaShem, which led
to the miraculous achievement of perfection.
To be certain, as per our Rabbanim of blessed memory, there were many more
miracles that took place in the 2,488 years from creation to the death of Moshe
Rabbeinu than are openly written of in the Torah. And, this miraculous
achievement of perfection in the construction of the Mishkan and its vessels is
most assuredly one of them.
Looking a little deeper into this matter, it may be possible to say that what is
considered the boundary of human possibility may not be what it seems. For,
as we have just seen with regard to the construction of the Mishkan and its
vessels, there are times when man is capable of going beyond his expected
capabilities.
While certain endeavors may appear in our minds to be very daunting and
more than our abilities will bear, at times, we might be quite capable of
exceeding even our very own expectations. What is important nevertheless, is
1) to fervently seek Siyata DiShmaya, Divine assistance in everything we do,
and 2) to always give it our best effort.
In the Zohar HaKadosh of Braishis I, 195b we are told the following:
.. That is, the whole world and all its works depend only on the will of
man.
So strong is this will of man, that all corporeal matter in the universe is subject
to it. And, since almost nothing stands in the way of mans will, it is our
obligation as adherents to the Torah, to continuously aspire to higher and more
noble levels of being in this exercise called life.
For all intensive purposes, the state of absolute perfection is not available to
us. Unlike our ancestors, we are not sufficiently deserving of such miracles.
Yet, this in no way precludes that we G-d forbid, cease in our efforts to reach
as high as possible in the areas of Limud HaTorah (Torah study), Kiyum
HaMitzvos (Mitzvah observance), and the development of proper and ethical
Midos (character). It is as the Mishna in Avos 2-16 instructs:
He (Rabbi Tarfon) would say, It is not incumbent upon you to complete the
work (Limud HaTorah, Kiyum HaMitzvos, and development of Midos to
perfection), but, neither are you a man at total liberty to refrain from it.
The earths horizon is nothing more than an imaginary line, which recedes the
closer we seem to approach it. So too is the state of perfection an imaginary
boundary. Yet, much more significant for Torah Jews than attaining such
miraculous levels, is the constant strive and drive for improvement in all ours
ways. May all our actions be LShaim Shamayim (for the sake of heaven), and
may we be the recipients of Siyata DiShmaya in all our endeavors.
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
Torah Insights Vayakhel: Learn to Forget
By: Rabbi Dov Shapiro,Certified Mohel
Associate Member, Young Israel Council of Rabbis, New Hempstead, NY
In a somewhat enigmatic expression, John F. Kennedy is quoted as having said
Forgive your enemies but never forget their names. His exact intention (if he
actually uttered those words) is unclear. Some understand his to have meant
that while forgiving, dont trust your enemy enough to give him the
opportunity to wrong you a second time. Others think he meant that while a
human being can forgive, we lack the ability to totally forgive to appoint
where we can actually forget that a certain person tormented us.
In this weeks parsha Moshe instructs the Jews regarding the building of the
mishkan. After describing the list of supplies they would require, and the items
that were to be constructed, Moshe informed that Betzalel Ben Uri Ben Chur
had been specifically named by Hashem to be the one to construct the mishkan
and its keilim. (Shmos 35:30)
The Daas Zkeinim elaborates on this posuk and explains that Moshe initially
thought that Hashem had wanted him to build the entire mishkan. So Hashem
clarified that he had selected Betzalel because f his familys history. The
function of the mishkan was to provide a kapara (atonement) for the Jews sin
of building an egel. In the events leading up to the making of the egel,
Betzalels grandfather Chur had attempted to prevent the Jews from building
the egel. Not only did he fail, but he was killed by the Jews for his
interference. Hashem decided that since Chur had lost his life in trying to
prevent the egel, his efforts should be completed by his grandson Chur who
would construct a kapara for the sin that his grandfather had sacrificed his life
to try to prevent.
This choice, notwithstanding the above rationale, seems difficult to
comprehend. The kapara was primarily intended for the Jews who had
worshipped the egel. In order for the kapara to be effective, it was necessary
for the mishkan to be built with the intention of serving as a kapara for those
Jews. It would seem that Betzalel would likely feel anger and resentment
towards those people who had murdered his grandfather. This anger would
like ly inpair his ability to create the vehicle which would facilitate atonement
for those that had caused his grandfathers death. He should be disqualified
dus to his conflict of interest?!
Chazal tell us that when the mishkans useful life ended, it was hidden but,
unlike the two batei mikdash, it was never destroyed. Chazal tell us that it was
impervious to destruction because its construction was completed with the
highest level,of purity in though and intention. SO apparently Betzalal
delivered. Not only did he construct an exquisite work of art, he built it with
the purest of motivations and feelings. This included not only the service that
oit would be used for, but also its underlying function, to serve as a kapara
fopr the Jewish people.
The Torah commands us Lo Sikom Vlo Sitor Es Bnei Amecha Do not
take revenge and do not harbor a grudge against your fellow Jew. (Vayikra
19:18) Not only are we commanded not to act out of revenge, we are also
expected to totally eradicate the grudge from within our hearts, to purify our
emotional psyche of any feeling of resentment or bitterness to the person who
wronged us. Upon reflection this is a very difficult task. Yet the Torah
demands it of each of us. Not only of the great tzadikim of previous
generations, but of every one of us. Every Jew has the ability to delop within
himself that capacity for love and forgiveness that he can completely expunge
the antipathy towards his enemies from his heart and mind.
Betzalels performance is a prime manifestation of that awesome capacity.
When he was selected to build the mishkan, he realized the awesome
responsibility being placed on his shoulders. He understood that he had been
chosen to provide a kapara for people who had no only sinned but had
wronged him and his family. They had murdered his grandfather for trying to
stop their sin, and now he was being called upon to provide them with a
kapara. He also recognized that for the kapara to be effective, it would have to
designed and built with pure intentions. Perhaps even more challenging than
the work that the construction entailed, was the complete removal of any anger
from his heart, and more beautiful than the glorious edifice he created, was the
fountain of love that he implanted in his own heart. I would suggest that
perhaps it was only Betzalel as Churs grandson who would be able to atone
for the Jews sin by totally forgiving them for what they had done to his
family.
Betzalel succeeded magnificently, and although we no longer have his
physical mishkan, the lesson his behavior set lives on as an example of how to
react when someone wrongs us. Although we dont have the opportunity to
build a mishkan today, we have countless opportunities to emulate his great
accomplishment. If we reflect on the battle that took place inside Betalels
heart before he lifted his hammer and chisel, we learn that we have the ability
to bring Hashems presence back into our midst. Because Betzalel taught us
that is it possible to not only forgive your enemies, but also to forget their
names.
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.

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As this contains Divrei Torah and partial Pesukim, it should be treated with proper respect, both during and after use
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IMPORTANCE OF ....
The Mishna (Shekalim 1:4) states that Kohanim and women are
two groups who were not obligated in the donation of Machatzis
HaShekel, which was used to fund communal Korbanos. R Akiva
Eiger (Teshuvos 1:9) derives from here that since women did not
contribute to the Korbanos fund, they did not participate in
communal Korbanos, and as such, they are not obligated in the
Tefilah of Musaf. (See Mishna Berurah 106:4 at the end who cites
a Machlokes regarding this) The Acharonim point out several
difficulties with this position of R Akiva Eiger. How can one say
that women do not participate in communal Korbanos ? Do not
these Korbanos provide a Kaparah for all of Bnei Yisroel, women
included ? Does not the Biur Halachah (47:14) state that women
must recite Birchos HaTorah each day because they are obligated
to say Parshas HaKorbanos. If women need not daven Musaf
because they dont contribute, perhaps Kohanim should also not
daven Musaf. One could distinguish between women and
Kohanim, noting that Kohanim still participated in the offering of
the Korbanos, even if they did not contribute to them. The Kehilas
Yaakov (Zevachim 4) elaborates on this, characterizing the
obligation of Machatzis HaShekel as consisting of 2 parts: 1) The
obligation to donate; and 2) The obligation to be concerned with
the offering of communal Korbanos. Women are exempt from
both obligations, therefore they are exempt from Musaf. Kohanim
are only exempt from the donation, but are still obligated to be
concerned with the offerings. Thus, if suddenly there was no
money left to fund the Korbanos, and only Kohanim had money,
they would be obligated to spend their money to provide
Korbanos. They therefore remain obligated to daven Musaf.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
If one sues someone and Beis Din obligates the defendant to
swear an oath, if the plaintiff knows that he will swear falsely,
must he withdraw to prevent that false oath ?
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK:
(For Pikuach Nefesh, what is better: 1 active aveirah or several passive ?)
The Rambam (ihaseunv hkuxp 2:11) rules like R Yehoshua, who
says (Zevachim 80a) that if the blood of a Korban requiring 4
sprinkles was accidentally mixed with blood requiring 1 sprinkle,
it is better to apply all of the mixture with 1 sprinkle, even if one
will transgress grd, kc passively thereby, since that is better than
doing 4 sprinkles, which would be an active ;hxu, kc.
DIN'S CORNER:
One may not read on Shabbos to the light of a fuel-fed candle, for
fear he may tilt the candle to improve the feed of fuel, and thereby
improve the light. If two people are reading together, it is
permitted for each, since one will watch the other, but they must
be reading the same thing. If one wishes to read and he instructs
another to watch him, that is also sufficient to permit him to read.
Ones wife is also eligible to act as a watcher. (MB 275:6-11)
DID YOU KNOW THAT ....
The Gemara (Kidushin 70a) relates that when R Yehudah saw R
Nachman building a fence, he pointed out that Shmuel had stated
it was forbidden for a person of stature and leadership in the
community to engage in physical labor before 3 people. R
Nachman replied that he was only building a small portion of a
Maakeh, which is a mitzvah. The Rishonim explain that the ruxht
is based on the avoidance of iuhzc, where such an cuaj ost should
have had someone willing to do the work for him, and to maintain
a position of respect in the eyes of those who look up to him. If he
is engaged in a mitzvah, the potential for iuhzc would not be an
issue, especially if we apply the rule that ujukacn r,uh uc vumn.
How then is such a person to provide vxbrp for his family ? The
Rema (suh 246:21) states that it has been commonplace for a Rav
to be supported by the members of his community, so he would
not have to go to work and bring about iuhzc, which implies that
even for vxbrp he may not work. Yet, the Rambam (Avos 4:5)
considers taking money from the community to be a Chilul
HaShem, and insists that everyone go to work. What then is an
cuaj ost prohibited from doing ? Any labor not for the sake of
vxbrp. The Yaavetz suggests that their Machlokes may be over the
concept of whether htr hkc vghsh knowledge without actually
seeing, is considering knowledge. Thus, if people know that the
Rav goes to work every day, even if they dont actually see him, is
that knowledge that creates a potential for iuhzc ? The Rambam
held that it does not, as the Gemara describes the various
vocations of Tannaim and Amoraim (shepherds, butchers, well-
diggers etc..), and the Rambam himself practiced medicine, while
those who disagree with the Rambam would hold that knowing
that the Rav works, without seeing him, also creates iuhzc. The
converse of this trcx may explain how it was that Moshe
practiced constructing the Mishkan during the 7 days of ohtukhn in
front of Bnei Yisroel. Since it was humanly impossible for him to
lift and arrange the beams himself, the knowledge that it was done
via a xb removed Moshes labor from iuhzc.
A Lesson Can Be Learned From:
The Brisker Rav once went for a walk in Yerushalayim, accompanied by
R' Chaim Solomon. As they were walking along, a man came up to them
and, sticking his hand in their faces, loudly demanded "Tzedaka !
Tzedaka !" The Brisker Rav stood still and did not make a move to give
him anything. The man repeated himself again, and this time R' Chaim
Solomon began fishing in his pocket for some coins. The Brisker Rav
quickly motioned to R' Chaim to stop. When the man finally left them,
the Brisker Rav explained to R' Chaim that Shlomo HaMelech informs us
in a Posuk in Mishlei (18:23): ,uzg vbgh rhagu ar rcsh ohbubj, - the
poor man speaks supplications but a wealthy man speaks brazenly.
Since this man spoke in such a fashion with such an attitude, it is a sure
sign that he has a lot of money.
P.S. Sholosh Seudos sponsored by the Sternberg family.