Dvar Torah for Parshas Ki Sisa

How low can you sink when you have reached the highest level man has ever known, that is the question from this week’s parshah. Only forty days after hearing and accepting the Aseres Hadibros at Har Sinai, the Bnei Yisrael built an idol in the form of a calf and called it their new god, even though one of the very mitzvos they had heard at the mountain was to not serve any other god other than Hashem. What caused them to fall this far and who was responsible for it are questions that all the Meforshim discuss. The bottom line is, this sin, known as the עגל הזהב the Golden Calf, almost led to the destruction of the entire Jewish Nation. Only through much teshuvah and intervention on Moshe’s part did Hashem lift that decree. May that chapter of Jewish History be kept closed.

At the end of this week’s parshah, after Moshe davens on behalf of Bnei Yisrael and receives a new set of Luchos (tablets- Moshe broke the first set when he came down from Har Sinai and saw the Jews celebrating the עגל), Hashem reiterates the prohibition of serving idols, known in Hebrew as אֱלֹהֵי מַסֵּכָה (literally, “molten gods”). He then proceeds to give Moshe what looks like the most random list of mitzvos you could think of. For the next nine pesukim he tells Moshe the mitzvos of Pesach, bringing a first-born cow or sheep as a sacrifice, redeeming a first-born donkey and bringing the replacement as a sacrifice, Shabbos (with Shmittah included), Shavuos, Succos, the obligation to visit the Beis Hamikdash three times a year, the prohibition of chametz on Pesach, the bringing of the Bichurim (first fruits) on Shavous, and cooking milk with meat. It is easy to think of a reason why Pesach, Shavuos and Succos would be together, but why here? And what about the rest of the mitzvos listed, what connection do they have to each other?

The Seforno explains that אֱלֹהֵי מַסֵּכָה are used by people who want to live in the moment. He doesn’t explain the idea further, but I think the explanation is like this; a person builds an Avodah Zarah (idol) in order to connect to the power of a celestial being (i.e. sun, moon, stars)   which he believes will help him. However, he can only connect to that being while it is in “power”. For example, a person would only be able to channel the power of the stars at night. What the Seforno means by “living in the moment” is that a person who serves idols uses the power of something in order to get help now from something that can only help him now, as opposed to Hashem who is always around and ready to help us at any second of the day. The Seforno explains that these mitzvos are examples of how we have our own power to “live in the moment”. All these mitzvos have a specific time of year in which they are applicable and through them, every time throughout the entire year has its own time when Hashem set up a mitzvah to help you.

Pesach falls at the beginning of the Jewish year at the beginning of the spring season and is a blessing for the entire season. It is also when we are judged on how much grain we will have over the year. That time of year is also the time when the animals give birth, therefore, the mitzvah of bringing and redeeming the first-born animals is written here.

The Seforno explains that the mitzvos are listed in order of how they were given to Bnei Yisrael, therefore, Shabbos, which was given right after they left Mitzrayim, is listed next. Shabbos is a blessing for every day of the week, for if you keep Shabbos, your business during the six days of the week will be blessed. Also included in the pasuk here by Shabbos is the mitzvah of Shmittah for which the same principle applies, if you keep Shmittah, the other six years of farming will be blessed.

The next time of year is the harvest time which comes out at the same time as Shavuos. The grain sits in the fields till the time of gathering which is Succos time. These two mitzvos are listed back-to-back as they are the next two in the year timeline (and they were given together).

The mitzvah of visiting the Beis Hamikdash three times a year serves as an introduction for the last three. Each of the last three mitzvos are specific to one of the Chagim (Holidays [when you visit the Beis Hamikdash]). The first two are obvious; not eating chametz on Pesach and bringing the first fruits on Shavuos are mentioned in other places in the Torah. But what is the connection between the prohibition of milk and meat and Succos? The issur (prohibition) of eating milk and meat together is written as “לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ” “Do not cook a goat in its mother’s milk”. Succos is the time of goats (because the tithe of animals is done right before Succos and you end up bringing the tithe to the Beis Hamikdash to give to the Kohanim on Succos), therefore, the Torah lists this issur specifically by Succos in order to make sure you are extra careful about this aveirah.

After this explanation from the Seforno, the answer to our question is clear. After Bnei Yisrael decided to serve Avodah Zarah, Hashem shows them how it is such a futile activity. The only “advantage” of it is to gain something at this moment. Hashem gives us a list of mitzvos right then to show how the Torah has the same features and better since the God that we are davening to isn’t constricted to the moment. In fact, he has no moment! Why would you even bother to try idol worshipping after that!

Let us all take these words to heart and realize for ourselves the power of the mitzvos that we were given. Even if we aren’t serving Avodah Zarah per se, there are still other things we can work on to appreciate what the mitzvos really mean and not just view them as laws which we have to keep. They are in fact shining beacons placed by Hashem along our path in life to guide us and to give us the greatest experience possible.      

Shabbat Shalom!



AIMeM

Dvar Torah for Parshas Tetzaveh

Parshas Tetzaveh continues with Hashem’s commanding of Moshe on the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and its utensils. This week’s parshah deals specifically with the Kohanim’s clothing and duties. These were the final details Moshe had to learn before the actual construction of the Mishkan could begin.

There is however, one object mentioned in this week’s parshah which seems to be written out of order. The last ten pesukim of the parshah deal with the building of the מזבח הזהב, the Golden Mizbe’ach (Alter), which was placed in the Kodesh and was used for the Ketores, the twice daily incense offering brought in the Mishkan and later the Beis Hamikdash. The question is why is the Mizbe’ach mentioned over here? Shouldn’t it be discussed in Parshas Terumah along with the other utensils which are placed inside the Kodesh, i.e. the Menorah, the Aron and the Shulchan?

The Ohr HaChaim answers simply that only the utensils which were also used in the Beis Hamikdash were mentioned together in Parshas Terumah. However, the Golden Mizbe’ach from the Mishkan was replaced in the Beis Hamikdash by one of solid gold as opposed to the original which was gold- covered wood.  

The Ramban and the Seforno say a similar idea which the Seforno takes even further. The point of the other utensils (and the entire Mishkan building for that matter) was to allow the Shechinah to rest in the Mishkan amongst the people. This was not the purpose of the מזבח הזהב. The laws and responsibilities of the Kohanim along with their korbanos, which are discussed in this week’s parshah, are to show how the Shechinah was resting in the Mishkan. This also was not the purpose of the מזבח הזהב. Rather, the purpose of the מזבח הזהב was once Hashem’s Shechinah was resting in the Mishkan, the Kohanim lit the Ketores once in the morning and once at night in order to give kavod to Hashem so that the korbanos should be accepted eagerly. This is why the Mizbe’ach is written at the end, because it was the last step between the Mishkan being just a beautiful building and a connection between us and Hashem. It was the final necessity for Hashem to be able to bring his presence into this world. Because of that, it is listed separate from everything else.

May we all see the day when we bring the Ketores and with that have our korbanos and tefillos answered by Hashem.

Shabbat Shalom!

and remember AIMeM!!!!!

No Dvar Torah This Week

Sorry but due to scheduling conflicts, I did not have time to write a dvar torah this week. If anyone is interested,  I was planning on writing over the Mizrachi on Rashi perek 25 pasuk 31 on the making of the Menorah. Check it out!
Shabbat Shalom!

Dvar Torah for Parshas Mishpatim

Even though it does not seem that way, Parshas Mishpatim is really a continuation of last week’s parshah. While last week was more of an introduction to the Torah with the Ten Commandments, this week’s parshah deals with the more nitty-gritty ideas. While not as dramatic, these are the laws which make up the day-to-day problems Rabbanim have to deal with.

The first topic of this week’s parshah, however, does not fit in this category. We start off by discussing the sale, purchase, and treatment of a Jewish slave by another Jew. There are two instances where a person is sold as a slave, either where a person steals and has no money to pay back, in that case Beis Din sells him to pay back his debt, or he is destitute and sells himself to support his family. In both of these cases, the sale is valid for six years after which he is free to go home. During his time as a slave, his owner must provide for him and his family, and cannot pleasure himself with anything which the slave does not have as well. The owner has the benefit of giving the slave a gentile slave to marry and the owner keeps any offspring.

If after six years the slave decides he enjoys his comfortable life in slavery with his master and his gentile wife and children, he is able to stay as a slave until the next Yovel (50 year cycle). However, this is not what we prefer. If he decides to stay a slave, we take him to Beis Din and by the doorpost, pierce his ear. Rashi explains the reason for this in perek 21 pasuk 6, “ומה ראה אזן להרצע מכל שאר אברים שבגוף, אמר רבי יוחנן בן זכאי (קדושין כב ע"ב) אזן זאת ששמעה על הר סיני לא תגנוב, והלך וגנב, תרצע. ואם מוכר עצמו, אזן ששמעה על הר סיני (ויקרא כה נה) כי לי בני ישראל עבדים, והלך וקנה אדון לעצמו, תרצע” “Why do we pierce the ear as opposed to any other body part? Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai says, this ear which heard by Har Sinai ‘Do not steal’, and stole, pierce it. This ear which heard by Har Sinai ‘For the Bnei Yisrael are servants to me (and not other humans)’, and went and bought himself another master, pierce it.”

The Maharal in his sefer on Rashi, Gur Aryeh, makes sense this difficult explanation in Rashi. First off, if the reason for our piercing him is because of his becoming a slave, how come we pierce his ear at the end of his servitude? Shouldn’t we pierce it right after he is sold? He says a chiddush that the slave is not considered to have acquired another master until he has decided to remain a slave. While he has a time limit of six years, it is not considered as that he has a second master besides for Hashem. After he becomes a slave till Yovel, however, it is considered as if he has a second master since a period of fifty years is considered “forever” in halachah and now he will forever have two masters. Therefore, he is not punished until after the six years.

Another question on this Rashi is that if the piercing is done because he stole, what is more significant about stealing that we pierce his ear for it more than any other sin? He answers simply that you will only be punished with piercing for sins that lead to slavery. This leads into his last and biggest question which is that at the end of the day, what is the connection between his theft and this piercing? Even if you say that theft potentially leads to slavery, that is only the first six years! He is pierced for staying a slave afterwards! So really his punishment should only be for “ואם מוכר עצמו, אזן ששמעה על הר סיני (ויקרא כה נה) כי לי בני ישראל עבדים, והלך וקנה אדון לעצמו, תרצע” “This ear which heard by Har Sinai ‘For the Bnei Yisrael are servants to me (and not other humans)’, and went and bought himself another master, pierce it.”, and have nothing to do with the fact that he stole?

The Gur Aryeh explains with another chiddush. The gemarah in Kiddushin explains based on the pasuk here (See 21:6) that in order for a slave to be able to stay longer in slavery, and as a result have his ear pierced, he must love his master and his gentile wife and children provided to him by his master (the gemarah explains that he does not get pierced if his master did not give him a wife). The Gur Aryeh says that it is a given to us that even before he starts his servitude, that he will love all of these people. Therefore, the real reason why he is still a slave is his theft which led him to this point. So when Rashi explains that he has his ear pierced because of his act of stealing, even though it is his decision after six years to stay a slave that results in his piercing, the real cause is his theft six years earlier which put him in this situation.    

Shabbat Shalom!

Dvar Torah for Parshas Yisro

Parshas Yisro contains the most important event in World History, the Giving of the Torah. No event has had as big an impact on the Jewish nation and the world at large as Matan Torah. The Torah is the blueprint as well as the sustaining influence for creation; its being given over to mortal man is to give him the keys to the entire universe. How lucky we are that it was given to us!

The Torah describes the scene at Matan Torah in a way that’s impossible to imagine. The mountain on which the Torah was given, Har Sinai, was smoking, there was lightning and thunder and a mighty shofar blast could be heard for miles around. To top it off, Hashem himself “spoke” out the Ten Commandments, leading the nation to run away, faint, or, in some cases, die from fear. Chazal say that the entire world heard the Torah being given, such was the effect it had on the world physically and spiritually.

The lightning and thunder had an extra miracle to them. For the first and only time in history, thunder could be seen and lightning could be heard! With all these amazing and awesome miracles happening at the same time, Bnei Yisrael were unable to take this all in. As a result, they asked Moshe to say the commandments himself instead of hearing them directly from Hashem. As it says in the pasuk, “וְכָל הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק” “And the entire nation could see the sounds and the flames, the sound of the shofar and the smoking mountain; the people saw and they moved and stood from afar” (20:15).

The Meforshim (commentators) have different ways of explaining what it means that the sounds were visible. Some say that the use of the adjective of sight is to symbolize a deeper understanding by the people of what it meant to see Hashem. Some explain that it is simply referring to what caused the noises.

The Kli Yakar comes to explain this point and to also ask two more questions. First, how come the pasuk has to say twice that the nation could see the sounds? Also, the next pasuk states that after the Jews had been scared by the entire scene, “וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה” “And they said to Moshe, ‘you speak to us and we shall hear…” (20:16), that Moshe should tell them the rest of the Torah and not Hashem. How come they had to say “and we shall hear”, isn’t that obvious?

He explains that each time Hashem spoke one of the commandments, the speech itself was so real, that the words themselves were floating in the air in front of them! He brings a proof that this is possible from the gemarah in Chagigah (14a) that everything Hashem says turns into a malach (angel) to do his bidding, this is because everything that comes out of Hashem’s mouth becomes a new creation. So too by the commandments, when they were brought into the physical world directly from Hashem, even through speech they became physical. He uses this to explain a different gemarah in Pesachim (87b) which says that when Moshe broke the first Luchos, the letters flew into the air and later came down onto the second set of Luchos when they were built. How else could this be unless there was something actually physical about the letters! So what it means when Bnei Yisrael saw the sounds is that they saw the physical speech of Hashem as it came out of his mouth.

Now, a person’s sense of sight is more powerful than his sense of hearing. Therefore, when Bnei Yisrael ran away in fear of Hashem’s presence, their thought was that even if they couldn’t hear Hashem (they could still hear the thunder and the shofar), they would still be able to see what he was saying. However, after a short time, they realized that they were wrong to run away from this amazing display of Hashem’s glory, and they decided to come back. But, since they were still scared of Hashem’s “voice”, they asked Moshe to take over saying the commandments. That is why it says “and we shall hear”, that even if they would no longer see the dibros (commandments) since Hashem was no longer speaking, at least they would hear them.

May we all be zoche to fulfill the Torah with all its Mitzvos and opportunities!

Shabbat Shalom!     

Dvar Torah for Parshas Beshalach

Parshas Beshalach starts a new chapter in Jewish History, one where the nation’s faith in Hashem is built, their entire existence is dependent on clear miracles, and the Nation of Israel is formed. This all starts in this week’s parshah with the first of several major miracles Krias Yam Suf, the Splitting of the Red Sea. It continues throughout the parshah with the sweetening of the waters at Marah, the man (manna), Moshe hitting the rock to draw out water, and the Jew’s victory over Amalek in battle. However, before all this, we must first see how the Jews left Egypt, or more specifically, how they prepared themselves for the way ahead.

The Kli Yakar comments on a very interesting choice of words in the first few pesukim in the parshah. The parshah starts off, “וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת הָעָם וְלֹא נָחָם אֱ־לֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא כִּי אָמַר אֱ־לֹהִים פֶּן יִנָּחֵם הָעָם…” “And it happened when Paroh sent (out) the nation that God did not lead them towards the land of the Philistines, because it was near, for God said, ‘perhaps the nation will reconsider…” (13:17). The next pasuk says, “וַיַּסֵּב אֱ־לֹהִים אֶת הָעָם” “And God led the people around…” We see in these three places that the Jews are referred to as the common noun “nation”. However, later on in the same pasuk, we see them referred to as the pronoun. As it says, “…וַחֲמֻשִׁים עָלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם” “…and the Children of Israel went up armed from Egypt”(13:18).

The Kli Yakar asks several questions based on these pesukim. First off, how come the Jews are referred to as “the nation” the first three times in the parshah and the fourth time they are called the Children of Israel? For his next questions, he brings a midrash that when it says that they were armed, it means that they were each armed with five different weapons of war. Why did they need weapons? Weren’t they the Jewish people watched over and protected by an all-powerful and mighty God? Even if you want to say that a person must do his part to succeed on a natural level and what the person does not accomplish, the miracle will, still, how come we need to know how many weapons they each had? Lastly, these people had been slaves for their entire lives. They had no idea how to fight with real weapons! The best thing for them to do would have been to find some good, sturdy clubs and fight with those?

He answers these questions by understanding why the Jews had to have the miracle Krias Yam Suf and travel through the desert in the first place. He explains first off that the midrash is not referring to five weapons of war, but rather the five books of the Torah as the word “חֲמֻשִׁים”, armed, is related to the word חמש, five. He explains that when B’nei Yisrael left Egypt, they were not worthy of receiving the Torah, only after experiencing Krias Yam Suf and the journey through the desert did they reach that level. What exactly was lacking? We see after they crossed the Red Sea, the pasuk states, “וַיַּאֲמִינוּ בַּי־הֹוָ־ה וּבְמֹשֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ” “And they believed in God and Moshe his servant” (14:31). It’s obvious that they could not accept the Torah if they did not believe fully in Hashem or his messengers. That’s why they needed the miracle of the Yam Suf. Another trait necessary before accepting the Torah is to rid yourself of your materialistic needs. This was accomplished through the manna, which was literally nothing more than fried dough (though its potential was enormous). A nation which could survive on nothing but that had clearly taken this character trait to heart. The rest of the miracles in the desert just added on to their level of emunah (belief in God).

Furthermore, the only thing which separates the Jewish People from the rest of the world is that we have the Torah. Yes, we’ve had some really great people as ancestors, but at the end of the day, without the Torah, we are just another nation. This is the reason why the parshah opens with B’nei Yisrael being referred to as the “nation”, as long as we didn’t have our “weapons”, we were no different than anyone else. We needed the Torah before we could be anything special. Therefore, “וַיַּסֵּב אֱ־לֹהִים אֶת הָעָם” “And God led the people around…”, he led them back around towards the Yam Suf in order to start the process of strengthening our belief in order for us to accept the Torah. Only then are we referred to as בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, even before the pasuk ends! But we still hadn’t accepted the Torah, how can the pasuk say we were armed? The answer is that as soon as we had begun the process of accepting the Torah by trusting in Hashem and following him into the desolate wilderness, we already had the Torah’s protection over us.

We can all take something very important from this. Even if it seems to us as if we don’t trust in Hashem like we should or we don’t keep everything the Torah says to keep, it does not take much work to come back! All it takes is to start the process. Once you start, the Torah’s influence will already be on you, making it easy to come all the way back to where you should be. Because only with the Torah are we worthy of being called B’nei Yisrael as opposed to being like everyone else.

Shabbat Shalom!        

No Dvar Torah This Week

Sorry, but due to scheduling conflicts there is no dvar torah for this week, Parshas Bo. We will return, b'ezras Hashem, next week for PArshas B'Shalach