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BS”D
Volume 37, No. 20
11 Adar 5783
March 4, 2023
In this week’s
Parashah, Aharon and his sons are appointed to serve as Kohanim. Hashem
commands Moshe (28:1), “And you, bring Aharon your brother near to yourself
. . .” On this, Midrash Rabbah comments: Thus it is written (Tehilim
119:92), “Had your Torah not been my preoccupation, then I would have
perished in my affliction.” [Until here from the Midrash]
What is the
connection between our verse and that verse in Tehilim? R’ Moshe Shick z”l
(1805-1879; a leading rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva in Hungary) explains:
Pirkei Avot (1:2)
teaches that the world stands on three pillars: Torah study, Avodah / the
sacrificial offerings, and Gemilut Chassadim / performing acts of kindness.
Moshe Rabbeinu excelled in two of these–he taught Bnei Yisrael Torah and he
performed Chessed, looking out for Bnei Yisrael’s material needs. The third
pillar needed to keep the world going was not Moshe’s responsibility–it was
Aharon’s. Therefore, Hashem told Moshe, “And you,” who are responsible for
two of the three pillars, “bring Aharon your brother near to yourself.”
R’ Shick continues:
That is all very well when there is a Bet Hamikdash. However, when there is
no Temple, what becomes of the Avodah pillar? The Gemara (Menachot 110a)
answers that if one learns the laws of the sacrifices, it is as if he as
offered them. This is what the Midrash alludes to: Bring Aharon, the pillar
of Avodah close. And, when there is no Avodah in the literal sense, Torah
study takes its place. “Had your Torah not been my preoccupation, then I
would have perished in my affliction.” (Derashot
Maharam Shick No. 76)
********
“In the Ohel Mo’ed / Tent of Meeting, outside the
Parochet / Partition that is near the Edut / Testimonial-tablets, Aharon
and his sons shall arrange it from evening until morning, before Hashem . .
.” (27:21)
Here, the Ohel Mo’ed
is mentioned before the Parochet, but when the Menorah is discussed in
Parashat Emor (Vayikra 24:3), the order is reversed: “Outside the Parochet
of the Edut, in the Ohel Mo’ed, Aharon shall arrange it, from evening to
morning, before Hashem, continually . . .”
R’ Avraham Yitzchak
Hakohen Kook z”l (1865-1935; first Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael)
explains: Mitzvot can be divided into two categories–those that primarily
involve action and those that primarily involve the “heart.” [Examples of
the former include Lulav, Tefilin, and Tzitzit. Examples of the latter
include believing in, loving, and fearing Hashem]. When a Mitzvah primarily
involves action, one fulfills it on some level even if he does not have the
proper thoughts. However, a Mitzvah of the “heart” is not fulfilled without
using the intellect.
The Mishkan and Bet
Hamikdash each consisted of three areas: (1) the Chatzer or Azarah
outdoors, where nearly all of the physical activity relating to the sacrifices
took place; (2) the Kodesh Ha’kodashim / Holy of Holies, the innermost
sanctum where the Torah was stored; and (3) the in-between area, known as
the Kodesh or Heichal, where the Menorah, among other things, stood. R’
Kook writes: The Menorah was not placed in the Azarah, the place of action,
to teach us that physical Mitzvot are acceptable to Hashem even when they
are not coupled with the “light” of the intellect, which the Menorah
represents. On the other hand, the Menorah was not placed in the Kodesh
Ha’kodashim, because that would imply that the light of the intellect is
completely beyond the reach of, and irrelevant too, nearly all Jews.
Instead, it was placed halfway, in the in-between area–“In the Ohel Mo’ed,
outside the Parochet,” as our verse states.
That was from Bnei
Yisrael’s perspective, R’ Kook continues. But, from the perspective of
someone like Moshe Rabbeinu, whose intellect was completely attached to
Hashem, the Menorah could just as well have been inside the Kodesh
Ha’kodashim. Therefore, the Torah describes it also as being “Outside the
Parochet of the Edut, in the Ohel Mo’ed,” i.e., not in the Kodesh
Ha’kodashim, but not all the way outside either. (Me’orot Ha’Rayah: Chanukah
p.64)
********
“They shall make the vestments of Aharon, to
sanctify him to minister to Me.” (28:3)
Midrash Rabbah
derives from the verse (Tehilim 119:89), “Hashem exists forever; Your word
stands firm in heaven,” that the sanctity of the Kohanim is eternal. R’
Shmuel Wosner z”l (1913-2015; rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and a
leading Halachic authority) explains: The sanctity of the Kohanim is passed
down from generation to generation. Who is to say that it will always be
preserved? Therefore, Hashem says: Just as I decreed that there should be a
Heaven, so I am decreeing that the sanctity of the Kohanim will exist
eternally. (Tehilim
Shevet Ha’Levi)
********
“This is the Davar / thing that you shall do for
them to sanctify them to minister for Me . . .” (29:1)
Midrash Rabbah on
this verse states: The Jewish People say to Hashem, “Without Korbanot /
sacrificial offerings, how will we achieve atonement?”
Hashem answers: “I
want your Devarim / words, as it is written (Hoshea 14:3), ‘Take Devarim /
words with you and return to Hashem.’ ‘Devarim’ means Divrei Torah, as it
is written (Devarim 1:1), ‘These are the Devarim that Moshe spoke’.”
The Jewish People
reply: “What if we do not know words of Torah?”
Hashem responds: “Cry
and pray before me, and I will accept it. Is this not what I did when your
ancestors were subjugated in Egypt? Is this not what I did in the days of
the Shoftim / Judges? Is this not what I did in the days of the prophet
Shmuel? etc. I do not ask for Korbanot, only for Devarim / words [of
prayer].” [Until here from the Midrash]
R’ Chaim Friedlander
z”l (1923-1986; Mashgiach Ruchani of the Ponovezh Yeshiva) writes: The
importance of prayer is one of the key lessons of Megillat Esther, as well.
We read (Esther 4:1), “Mordechai learned of all that had been done, and
Mordechai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes. He went out
into the midst of the city, and he cried loudly and bitterly.” Mordechai’s
sackcloth with ashes and his crying were modes of prayer. Only after
beginning to pray did he communicate with Esther about a plan to defeat
Haman’s plot.
This is the opposite
of how we typically behave, R’ Friedlander observes. When we are in
trouble, we usually devise a plan to save ourselves, and then we pray that
our plan should succeed. That is not what Mordechai did. He understood that
Hashem often brings troubles upon us as a way of getting our attention when
we have become distant from Him. Hashem wants us to pray and return closer
to Him. Therefore, while Mordechai needed to engage in Hishtadlut / making
an effort to overturn the decree, he knew that the most important thing he
could do was to pray.
We read further
(Esther 4:4), “She sent garments to clothe Mordechai so that he might take
off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.” The Vilna Gaon (R’
Eliyahu z”l; 1720-1797) explains that Esther wanted Mordechai to remove his
sackcloth and enter the palace, so together they could devise a plan to
overturn the decree. Even for that purpose, Mordechai refused to interrupt
his prayers, for the reason just explained.
This explains, as
well, why Mordechai re-donned his sackcloth after Haman had led him through
the streets on Achasveirosh’s horse, R’ Friedlander writes. We sometimes
make the mistake of stopping to pray when we see that our troubles are
about to pass. But, if we understood that the purpose of troubles is to
reconnect us with Hashem, we would want to hold on to our new connection to
Him even after our troubles have passed. (Siftei Chaim: Mo’adim II p.179-181)
********
Parashat Zachor & Purim
“Moshe said to Yehoshua, ‘Choose people for us
and go do battle with Amalek . . .’” (Shmot 17:9–from the Torah reading for
Purim)
Rashi z”l comments on
the word “us”: “For me and for you.” Moshe placed Yehoshua on the same
level as himself. Our Sages derive from here the teaching: “Let your disciple’s
honor be as dear to you as your own.” [Until here from Rashi]
R’ Shmuel Yaakov
Borenstein z”l (1946-2017; Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Kiryat Melech in Bnei
Brak, Israel) asks: Why is this lesson taught in this context? Surely it is
not by chance.
He explains: Midrash
Rabbah refers to Amalek as a “Letz,” a scoffer and mocker. A Letz has the
ability to destroy a moment of inspiration. [Imagine, for example, hearing
an inspiring Derashah / sermon and resolving to act on the rabbi’s message,
only to have your enthusiasm cooled by a wisecrack from the person sitting
next to you.] That is what Amalek did. We read in the aftermath of Kri’at
Yam Suf / the Splitting of the Sea (Shmot 15:14-15), “Peoples heard–they
were agitated; terror gripped the dwellers of Philistia. Then the
chieftains of Edom were confounded, trembling gripped the powers of Moav,
all the dwellers of Canaan dissolved.” But not Amalek! Our Sages liken
Amalek to someone who jumps into a scalding bath; though he gets burnt, he
cools the water for others. Similarly, Amalek was defeated, but its attack
stripped the aura of invincibility from Bnei Yisrael, cooling off the fear
of G-d that had gripped all of the nations.
R’ Borenstein
continues: We read (18:1), “And Yitro heard,” and then he came to join Bnei
Yisrael. What did Yitro hear? Rashi writes: “Kri’at Yam Suf and the war of
Amalek.” R’ Borenstein explains: From the fact that Amalek was not moved by
Kri’at Yam Suf, Yitro understood how low a person can fall when he does not
have a connection to a Rebbe / spiritual mentor. Therefore, he came to
Moshe.
R’ Borenstein
concludes: The encounter with Amalek teaches us the importance of having a
mentor. Therefore, it is also an appropriate place to remind mentors of the
respect they should show their students. (Zot L’Yaakov: Megillat Esther p.131)
Our focus on “Shabbat” will resume iy”H after
Pesach.
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