Thursday, March 23, 2017

Dvar Torah for Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei/Hachodesh

       Parshas Vayakhel-Pekudei details the collection of materials and subsequent construction of the Mishkan. For the most part, these parshiyos are a repeat of Parshiyos Terumah and Tetzaveh, however, throughout the construction process, there are many ideas slipped into the pesukim. I would like to share two such small ideas found in Parshas Vayakhel.
       When Moshe announced the materials needed for donations to the Mishkan, the response was overwhelming. Every person came with their arms full, to the point where Moshe had to command them to stop donating. “וַיְצַ֣ו משֶׁ֗ה וַיַּֽעֲבִ֨ירוּ ק֥וֹל בַּמַּֽחֲנֶה֘ לֵאמֹר֒ אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַל־יַֽעֲשׂוּ־ע֛וֹד מְלָאכָ֖ה לִתְרוּמַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיִּכָּלֵ֥א הָעָ֖ם מֵֽהָבִֽיא“Moshe commanded, and they proclaimed in the camp, saying, ‘Man and woman shall not do more work toward the portion of the Sanctuary!’ And the nation was held back from bringing” (Shemos 36:6). Many commentaries ask what was so bad about the nation bringing more than necessary? Let them bring until the Mishkan was finished, they could place the extra in storage; why did Moshe command the people to stop bringing?
       The Kli Yakar explains that Moshe understood that the Mishkan was a house for Hashem built by human beings, and it should be similar to the house Hashem built for humans, i.e. the world. The gemarah (Chagigah 12a) says that Hashem consciously stopped the creation of the world at the point where everything necessary for all of time had been created. There was nothing included in the original Creation which was extra or unnecessary. Therefore, the Mishkan had to be the same way, with nothing extra or unnecessary in its construction. So, the people had to stop donating.
       This is an amazing idea! Everything we have in this world has a purpose. Whether it be human, animal, vegetable, or mineral, everything has its place and purpose. This is an important idea to keep in mind as we live our lives.
       The second idea comes also from this topic, from Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky. He points out that originally, the Bnei Yisrael were only supposed to be in the desert for a few months, until they sinned and had to stay for forty years. They were actually supposed to enter Eretz Yisrael and begin construction of the Beis Hamikdash immediately. So the Mishkan was intended to be used only for year or two at the most. And yet, we see that there was no hesitation on the part of anyone to donate the most valuable of items towards its construction, so much so that Moshe had to tell them to stop bringing!
       Their intentions were clearly only to fulfill the mitzvah of “וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ”, to provide a resting place for the Shechinah among them. Even though this building would only be used for a short time, no one hesitated to provide their support, whether financially or physically, or their time. This is a true example of the famous statement of Chazal that we have no idea the true reward for any particular mitzvah, therefore, we must perform all mitzvos with the same effort and passion. The donators and workers on the Mishkan all knew this idea, and did not hesitate to give everything they had even for a mitzvah that they knew would be short-lived.

Chazak Chazak V’Nischazek!

Shabbat Shalom!  

Click here for last year's Divrei Torah for Parshas Vayakhel & Pekudei



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Friday, March 17, 2017

Dvar Torah for Parshas Ki Sisa

       Parshas Ki Sisa is a roller-coaster of a parsha, containing both spiritual highs and lows for Bnei Yisrael. The most famous event found in this week’s parsha is the spiritual low of the Eigel Hazahav, the Golden Calf, an event whose aftershocks are still felt nowadays. Each and every negative event that happens to us can be in some way ascribed to the events of the Eigel. Another well-known event in this week’s parsha is the collection of the Machatzis Hashekel, the half Shekel, which was used to count the members of Bnei Yisrael. The coins were subsequently used in the construction of the Mishkan, making it that every Jew was a piece of the holiest part of the world.
       I saw an interesting medrash this week that discusses these two episodes. The medrash points out that the two stories share a word which is the key to both the triumph of Bnei Yisrael by the Shekalim and their downfall by the Eigel. By the Shekalim the pasuk writes, “זֶ֣ה | יִתְּנ֗וּ כָּל־הָֽעֹבֵר֙ עַל־הַפְּקֻדִ֔ים מַֽחֲצִ֥ית הַשֶּׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ“This shall they give—everyone who passes through the census—a half shekel of the sacred shekel” (Shemos 30:13). And by the Eigel, the pasuk says, “וַיֹּֽאמְר֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ ק֣וּם | עֲשֵׂה־לָ֣נוּ אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר יֵֽלְכוּ֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ כִּי־זֶ֣ה | משֶׁ֣ה הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֶֽעֱלָ֨נוּ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לֹ֥א יָדַ֖עְנוּ מֶה־הָ֥יָה לֽוֹ“And they (the nation) said to him (Aharon), ‘Rise up, make for us gods that will go before us, for this man Moshe who brought us up from the lands of Egypt—we don’t know what became of him” (32:1). The common word, “זֶה”, is responsible for both their rise and fall in both of these stories. What is the meaning behind this?
       Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky explains like this. Whenever the word זֶה is used, it means that you completely understand what you are dealing with, so much so that it’s as if you could point at it and say “זֶה! This is it!” Perhaps the most famous example of this idea is by Krias Yam Suf when the nation said “זה א-לי ואנוהו”; the hand of Hashem was so clearly visible in the miracles taking place at the time that the entire nation completely understood that they were being saved in a supernatural manner. However, we see that it can also be a sign of a lack of respect.
       Moshe Rabbeinu reached levels that no one had reached before him and no one has reached since. He was able to speak to Hashem face to face, a manner that no human being could even physically survive, let alone be worthy of experiencing. But after just a few months of having him as their leader, this group of people felt that they understood Moshe completely. They exclaimed “זֶה!”, they were capable of pointing out everything Moshe was with a finger. If that was true, then of course they could expect to create a replacement for him, the Eigel, on their own. After all, Moshe was simply a man like everyone and anyone else! This of course was not true. It wasn’t even that they didn’t appreciate what Moshe had done for them, they just didn’t attempt to comprehend the specialness of their leader. Their attitude towards Moshe was why they created an idol and became the ultimate reason behind their downfall.
       However, the collection of the half shekel was exactly the opposite. Reb Yaakov quotes the Ramban that whenever a new ruler took control of a nation, he would have coins minted in his honor. As the currency would last past his reign, it would provide a lasting symbol of his rule after his passing. The Shekel coin was an invention of Moshe’s, which he created as a symbol of his new leadership over Bnei Yisrael. With his leadership came the gift and the authority of the Torah to the nation as well. By referring to this coin with זֶ֣ה, they were showing that they full understood, respected, and appreciated the role of the Torah in their lives.

Shabbat Shalom!    



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Friday, March 10, 2017

No New Dvar Torah this Week

Due to circumstances, there is no new Dvar Torah this week. Here are links for this week's Parshiyos, Tetzaveh and Zachor. And also a Dvar Torah for Purim.
We will return, b'ezrat Hashem, next week with a new dvar Torah and podcast.

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Friday, March 3, 2017

Dvar Torah for Parshas Terumah

       After receiving the Torah, the Bnei Yisrael obtained the ability to connect to Hashem on a much deeper level. Through the study of the Torah and keeping its laws, they could come closer to Hashem and build a relationship with Him. And with all that, they were now given the opportunity to build the Mishkan, which would house the Shechinah of Hashem in their midst. This was the central location that the whole nation would turn to as a place of worship and experiencing the Presence of Hashem in their lives.
       Beginning with this week’s parsha, Parshas Terumah, the next several parshiyos detail the construction of the Mishkan, including its structure, utensils, and everything else that went with it. This week, I would like to discuss the Aron, the Golden Ark. While we have discussed it in previous years, there is a specific idea I’d like to focus on which shows us the depth behind every detail of the Mishkan’s construction.
       “בְּטַבְּעֹת֙ הָֽאָרֹ֔ן יִֽהְי֖וּ הַבַּדִּ֑ים לֹ֥א יָסֻ֖רוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ“The staves shall remain in the rings of the Ark; they may not be removed from it” (Shemos 25:15). Like each of the major utensils of the Mishkan, the Aron had poles placed on its sides so it could be easily carried through the desert. However, unlike the other utensils, the pasuk tells us the poles of the Aron were never to be removed; Rashi says forever. This shows us that they were not simply for travel convenience. What was the true purpose behind these poles?
       There are several explanations in the commentaries which I will bring in chronological order. The first comes from the Da’as Zekeinim. The Aron was the holiest of all the utensils used in the service of Hashem. No one was allowed to look at it because of its extreme holiness. It was kept in a room called the Kodesh Hakedoshim, the Holy of Holies, in which no one was allowed to enter except for the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur; the holiest man on the holiest day of the year, and only after much preparation. When the nation traveled, it was kept under a covering before any of the movers went in to carry it out. It follows that Hashem didn’t want anyone needlessly touching or jostling the Aron; and the people probably were afraid to do much around it anyway! Therefore, the poles were to remain in place so that people didn’t have to physically handle the Aron more than necessary. They would pick it up when they left and put it down when they arrived with no extra actions needed.
       The second explanation comes from Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsh. He first mentions that as no one ever entered the Kodesh Hakedoshim, it was hard for the presence of the Ark to impact the nation since it was never seen! The poles helped solve this. Both in the Mishkan and later in the Beis Hamikdash, the poles would press against the curtain separating the Kodesh Hakedoshim from the adjoining room. Anyone who was outside the room could see the impression of the poles and remember that the Aron was inside the next room.
       He goes on to say another explanation. The Aron, Menorah, and Shulchan each symbolized a different idea benefiting the Jewish People. The Aron represented Torah. Rav Hirsh explains that the poles were kept in the Aron to show that the Torah can be transported to wherever the Jewish People go. While the Shulchan and Menorah represent material sustenance and intellectual clarity, those brachos are only complete when the nation resides in Eretz Yisrael. The bracha of Torah, however, is not bound to Eretz Yisrael and can be studied and used as a source of spirituality even when the nation resides in exile.
       (Chazal teach us that there is no comparison to the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, and I don’t believe Rav Hirsh is arguing on this point. There is a unique kedushah to Eretz Yisrael that allows Torah to be studied on an incredible level, unmatched anywhere else in the world. However, the connection to Torah is a personal one, unrelated to locale. This is unlike material and spiritual life which is only complete when living in Eretz Yisrael.)
       Finally, Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky explains based on a gemarah in Pesachim (53b) that whoever supports Torah learning will sit together with those who learn it in the World to Come. By telling us to never remove the poles, the supports of the Aron, Hashem is showing us that this is indeed true. The supports are one with the Aron itself and therefore remain connected to it forever.

Shabbat Shalom!  



There is no Podcast this week. Please click here to visit our full library of podcasts and find us on iTunes as well.

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