Shabbat

A major theme of פרשת כי תשא is Shabbat. The subject comes up right in the middle of all of the instructions to build the Mishkan.

This teaches several Mitzvot. The building of the Mishkan does not take priority over Shabbat observance. The thirty-nine מלאכות are learned from the building of the Mishkan. And we learn that פיקוח נפש, danger to one’s life takes priority over Shabbat. We would violate Shabbat in order to save a life.

We are also taught that Shabbat is referred to as an אות, a sign of a bond ביני ובין בני ישראל, between Hashem and the Jewish people. Only ברית מילה and תפילין are referred to as אות.

This is the reason why we do not put on תפילין on Shabbat because we already have two אותות in place.

We learn from the words ביני וביניכם, that this special connection is limited to G-d and the Jewish people. This is why we say that a non-Jew who keeps Shabbat is חייב מיתה, deserves the death penalty.

Shabbat is clearly a major pillar of Judaism. It is largely responsible for the survival of the Jewish people during our long and bitter exile. It rejuvenated us and recharges the batteries. It helps give us a perspective on what is temporary and what is permanent, and what is truly important and what is not. Parshat כי תשא gives us pause to take a step and appreciate this sacred gift of Shabbat.

Wash Hands Before Prayer

Our Parsha gives us instructions as to how to make the copper כיור, wash basin. This was to be placed next to the entrance to the היכל, where Temple service was to take place.

The Kohanim needed to wash their hands and feet before engaging in their duties. The penalty for entering the sacred area unwashed, was מיתה בידי שמים, death by the Heavenly court,

The Gemara in ברכות tells us that we learn from here the obligation to wash our hands before prayer. The Rambam goes even a step further by saying that since prayer takes the place of sacrifices, we must wash our hands and FEET before praying שחרית.

The reason why he requires this only in the morning is because the Rambam believed that prayer once a day was a Torah commandment. The other prayers were rabbinically ordained.

Obviously, we do not hold like the Rambam concerning washing our feet, but it does show the reverence we are supposed to have before we engage in praying to Hashem.

מחצית השקל

Shavua Tov. Today’s Parsha, כי תשא, begins with the instructions to give the מחצית השקל, half shekel, to the Beit Hamikdash.

This served two purposes. One, was to have enough funds to pay for the operating costs of running the Temple. This included payment of public sacrifices, which allowed everyone to have a part in them. And two, the counting of the half shekel (26 shekels in today’s money), was a way of taking a census of the population.

The Torah tells us that if this Mitzva was observed properly, there would not be a נגף among בני ישראל.

The word נגף, comes from the מגיפה, meaning plague. (The Corona Pandemic is often referred to as a מגיפה.) One explanation of this protection from plague is that it is preferred to count items and not people to protect us from עין הרע.

But a more relevant explanation is to emphasize the power of Tzedaka, and connecting to Kedusha. Moshe Rabbeinu did not want the people to rely solely on him. He wanted the people to connect to Hashem and His sanctuary, by contributing towards its daily operation.

There is no doubt that we must realize that spiritual pursuits are what get us through difficulties and pandemics.

Sin of Golden Calf

This week we read of the tragic story of the חטא העגל, the sin of the Golden Calf. The description given by קול התורה and Rabbi Elie Munk is very striking.

He describes the atmosphere in the camp of Israel prior to the return of Moshe Rabbeinu from Mount Sinai. There were two distinct poles at that time. Because of the Eirav Rav, the mixed multitude, there was a strong pull towards evil. The demonic elements gave strength to these evil forces.

Those who trusted in Hashem, held fast to their beliefs. They would not allow these Satanic forces to influence them. In essence, the scene at חטא העגל, was a war between good and evil.

The sad part of the story is that the whole problem came about because of miscalculating Moshe’s return. And some worshipped the calf as an intermediary between them and Hashem. It was not outright idol worship as it was with the ערב רב.

The striking part of Rabbi Munk’s take of this incident, is that these forces of good and evil still exist in the world. We must learn to identify them and cleave to the good and distance ourselves from evil. We must follow the example of the Leviim and follow מי לה׳ אלי, whoever is for Hashem, be with me (Moshe).

Special Priestly Garments

The eight special garments worn by the כהן הגדול had magical qualities. Not only were they meant to atone for various sins, but they had a profound effect on the observer of these garments.

There is the famous meeting of Alexander the Great and Shimon Hatzaddik, which inspired the great conqueror to be kind to the Jews, (his dream of seeing the High Priest in his priestly garments came true). To this day, it is acceptable to give the name Alexander or Alexandra, in his memory.

But even for the common folk, seeing the ציץ, the headband that had the words קודש לה׳ on it, would cause a sinner to grow pale. It was a clash between holiness and purity against the impurity of a transgression.

The other garments did their share of atoning. The כתונת, the shirt like garment, atoned for bloodshed. The מכנסי בד, the trousers, atoned for sexual indiscretions. The אבנט, the hat, atoned for improper thoughts. The list continues so that each בגד had its corresponding atonement.

This helps us understand why one who was in a city of refuge, goes free upon the death of the כהן גדול. He was all about bringing forgiveness to the Jewish people. His death brought national forgiveness that allowed the accidental murderer to go free.

Touch Altar and Achieve Holiness

There is a Pasuk from פרשת תצוה that needs explanation. The Torah says, כל הנגע במזבח יקדש, that anything that touches the altar will be sanctified.

This refers to sacrifices that were disqualified because of a מום, blemish, that were no longer fit for a קרבן, but were offered on the מזבח inadvertently. These unfit sacrifices are nevertheless burned entirely on the מזבח and are considered sanctified.

This only applies to animals that would otherwise have been fit for a sacrifice. It does not apply to animals that are never fit for the altar such as those in the חיה (non-domesticated category such as deer and venison) category. Also included would be honey that is not permitted on the altar. These items would not be sanctified if offered on the מזבח. Hopefully, this clarifies an often misunderstood Pasuk in the Torah.

Psalm 22

Now that Purim is behind us with all of its unusual Halachot for this year, there is actually one item that was left out for those who observed פורים משולש, the three day Purim.

Normally, when Purim falls on a weekday, the Minhag in certain Ashkenazi synagogues, is to say Chapter 22 in תהילים instead of the שיר של יום, the regular psalm of the day. This custom is according to the גר״א, also known as the Vilna Gaon. If Purim falls on Shabbat, we read מזמור של ליום השבת as usual.

Psalm 22 speaks of איילת השחר, the darkness before the dawn. There is also the Pasuk, אנכי תולעת ולא איש, “I am a worm and not a man.” It teaches us both of our own human vulnerability. It also teaches that even when things so bleak and hopeless, as it did in the Purim story, salvation can always come. We must submit totally to G-d, and He can change things in a moment.

Hatred: A Dangerous Emotion

I have often said that hatred is a very negative emotion. It is true that we say in our Friday night prayers, אוהבי ה׳ שנאו רע, that those who love Hashem hate evil. However, we are certainly not supposed to obsess over how much we hate even our enemies. We celebrate Haman’s downfall on Purim, but nowhere is it written how much we hated him.

We destroy our enemies because we love our family and country. We do what must be done because it is right and necessary for our survival. It has nothing to do with hatred. (You can Google, “Hatred a wasted emotion,” and find an article I once wrote in the JPost.)

I was deeply disturbed by a discussion I had with a student I helped convert twenty years ago. He lives in America so I innocently asked him what kind of job he thought Biden was doing. He answered, “We need to put Donnie (Trump) in jail.” He went on to tell me that no Trump supporter is welcome in his home.

I told him that I guess this ends my twenty year relationship with him. I said that it’s sad that your vile hatred of Trump is more important than the Rebbe-Talmid relationship I thought we had. I also reminded him that such attitudes of intolerance and rage, were not the principles he learned from me. I made it clear that I regretted recommending him for Giyur.

I share this with you, because we must be so careful not to stray from Jewish principles. Loving every Jew is not always easy. It requires us to be accepting of every Jew even when they don’t share our own views. So much more is accomplished with love, much more than hatred.

Jewish Unity

Shavua Tov and Purim Sameach-

A major theme of Purim is Jewish unity. Haman convinced Achashveirosh that it was a good idea to annihilate the Jews because they were מפוזר ומפורד, “separated and scattered.”

To counteract this claim, the Jews needed to be united. The Gemara in מסכת מגילה claims that the placing of the royal signet ring on the finger of Haman, did more than the pleadings of forty eight male prophets and seven female prophets.

The Jewish people knew that they must repent and join together. Esther told Mordechai to כנוס את היהודים, to gather the Jews in prayer and repentance.

All of this explains why the Mitzvot of Purim include מתנות לאביונים, money for the poor, and משלוח מנות, the sending of gifts of food to one another.

We must never underestimate the power of Jewish Unity. When we have it, combined with faith in Hashem, no power on earth can harm us. Purim Sameach!

ונהפוך הוא

We are now beginning our extended Purim season. One of the messages of Purim is ישועת ה׳ כהרף עין, that Hashem’s salvation comes in a moment.

We see from the story in the Megillah how things can change so quickly.

Specifically, this is seen during the evening between Esther’s first and second party, when Achashveirosh was unable to sleep.

Haman came at exactly the right time when the king began to make sense of the situation at hand.

He suddenly realized that Mordechai and the Jews were his allies, and it was Haman who wanted to overthrow him.

The proof of his new suspicion was confirmed when he asked what should be done to one who wished to honor the king.

Haman, in his arrogance, asked for the king’s clothing and horse. That was all Achashveirosh needed to hear. And that was the moment of ונהפוך הוא, when everything changed.

This story should give us the strength to realize that we must never lose hope. If we put our trust in Hashem, we, too, can see His salvation in a moment.

Holy Ark

The most fascinating vessel in the Mishkan and Beit Hamikdash is the ארון קודש, the Holy Ark.

It is from the ארון between the כרובים, Cherubs, that the Divine Presence descends. It is the symbol of absolute holiness.

There is some debate as to whether the Torah that Moshe Rabbeinu wrote, was inside the ark, or was placed on a special shelf. It is agreed that the broken tablets as well as the second tablets received by Moshe, were placed in the ark.

The כרובים were quite magical. Although made of gold, the pure faces of a male and female child would either look at one another, or turn away. The same was true of the wings of the כרובים. At times, the wings of the two cherubs, would touch, and at other times, fold and be distant.

These wondrous movements, were to be indicators if Hashem was pleased with the Jewish people or not.

There was no ארון קודש in the second Temple. It was hidden somewhere in Jerusalem to this very day. It is told that only one or two people in each generation, know where the ark is hidden. If you think you are one of those people, you’re not!

What an amazing sight it will be, if we are blessed to see the actual ark of Shlomo Hamelech’s Temple.

Shaul-Shmuel

This year we have many oddities in the Jewish calendar. We had a Friday fast day on עשרה בטבת. We will have Erev Pesach on Shabbat. And we are about to experience a three day Purim, known as פורים משולש.

Because our Jerusalem Torah reading this Shabbat is for Purim, we will recite the identical Haftarah as the one we read last Shabbat.

There must be an important message regarding this particular Haftarah. Shmuel gave Shaul very specific orders to destroy Amalek. Shaul was weak and feared public opinion over following the words of the prophet.

What is extremely striking is the dialogue between Shmuel and Shaul. Shmuel appears to be expressing his great disappointment in Shaul. He truly loved him and had so much hope and faith in his potential. In exasperation Shmuel says, ולמה לא שמעת בקול ה׳, “And why didn’t you listen to the voice of Hashem?”

In other words, “You, Shaul, could have had it all. You only needed to fear G-d more than you feared man, and you would have achieved greatness. Your lack of faith and fear of man, will be your undoing.”

There is an obvious lesson in this tragedy. Greatness awaits us all if we will only trust in G-d.

תחש

One of the materials used to build the Mishkan was עורות תחשים, the skins of the תחש. It is not really clear what type of animal the תחש was. Some describe it as a kind of seal, while others a kind of goat.

There is also some debate as to whether the תחש was in the category of חיה, a non-domesticated animal, and therefore, forbidden as a קרבן, or, a בהמה, and sacrifice worthy.

We know it had to be a kosher animal. Otherwise, its skins would not be used to make curtains. It is assumed that it was around during the forty years in the desert, and ultimately became extinct. This assumption is made based on the fact that it was not enumerated among the kosher animals.

Like the שמיר that was a magical type of worm used to cut rock in Solomon’s Temple, Hashem made the תחש available to help complete the Mishkan.

When these magical animals had served their purpose, they no longer existed.

Accepting a Wayward Son

As a result of a Mishna in בבא בתרא, the question of disowning or sitting Shiva for a child marrying a non-Jew, came up.

The Mishna advised that a father should not take his son out of his will, if the son does not act in a proper manner. The Gemara is not exactly clear what that means, but marrying out would certainly qualify as behavior that would cause heartache to the father.

The most famous story of a father disowning his son was Rabbeinu Gershom, a little over a thousand years ago. His son had converted to another religion, which caused him to sit Shiva for him.

The ציץ אליעזר discussed this question and said that although this is only a Minhag, a custom, a two week mourning period is in order. The first week is to mourn for the body, and the second week, to mourn for the soul.

More contemporary authorities have written, that the situation has changed due to the plague of intermarriage that has deeply affected our people.

Therefore, it is no longer advised to abide by this Minhag, and we should leave the door open for our wayward children to come home.

This must be done with great care and diplomacy. We must never condone intermarriage, but at the same time, pray that our lost Jews return to Hashem.

The Power of צדקה

Shavua Tov. Today’s פרשת תרומה, emphasizes the importance of being generous and charitable. It also is meant to show the power of giving Tzedaka.

From the wording of the Torah, we see the importance of “how” to give. The Pasuk says that we are to collect donations from each person אשר ידבנו ליבו, that gives from the heart. Tzedaka loses its power when one gives begrudgingly. He must give it with the best of intentions.

We must also remember that צדקה תציל ממות, that charity saves one from death. Its power is so great that it is capable of changing Heavenly decrees in our favor. If צדקה can save us from death, it can also help us with other difficulties sent our way.

We should do our best to give what we can according to Halacha, and investigate that we be certain our funds go to very real, worthy charities. There truly is great joy in giving, as well as great protection.

תרומה ועמלק

This Shabbat we read both פרשת תרומה as well as פרשת זכור. There is a Pasuk in קהלת that describes how Hashem creates opposites in this world.

We first read תרומה that describes incredible generosity of the Jewish people in donating towards the Mishkan. Rav Elie Munk wrote how this was indicative of Jewish philanthropy throughout history. Jews work together to be sure that there is strong Jewish education, synagogues, Yeshivot, Mikvas, and helping the poor.

Contrast this generosity to Amalek that epitomized all that was evil. They would tear down and demoralize for no reason.

We must realize that there are two poles in this world. We must be aggressive towards staying to the side of good, the side of תרומה and distance ourselves from Amalek as represented by פרשת זכור.

Holiness and Kosher Food

Rav Shlomo Mann זצ״ל pointed out that the Torah begins with the words, ואנשי קדש תהיון לי, that you are meant to be holy men. This is followed by the prohibition against eating meat that is defined as טריפה.

This refers to a kosher animal slaughtered properly, but found to be diseased. We are commanded to discard this meat and give it to the dog.

Rav Mann views this as proof that what we put into our bodies, has an immediate effect on the level of holiness we can achieve.

The Tanya adds that it’s very easy to understand why a person has impure thoughts if he is consuming all kinds of impure animals and food. Such food is מטמטם את הלב, makes the heart foolish.

So we see that holiness is directly connected with the food we consume. Judaism brings one to holiness, provided that he follows Kashrut laws meticulously.

מדבר שקר תרחק

Among the various laws mentioned in פרשת משפטים, is the simple command, מדבר שקר תרחק, that we are to stay away from a false matter.

This is the source from which we learn the importance of being truthful in all matters. Not only are we not allowed to tell a lie, but we are also not allowed to even tell a “white” lie.

Rav Dovid Grossman of Migdal Or, quoted a humorous Gemara that told the story of a man married to a very contrary woman. Whenever he asked for something, she consistently gave him the opposite of what he asked.

Rather than argue with his wife, the husband began “asking” for the opposite of what he wanted, so that he ended up with what he really wanted in the first place!

For this, he was reprimanded, because he allowed himself to act in a deceitful manner. Such behavior on the husband’s part, also fell under the category of מדבר שקר תרחק.

Source for פיקוח נפש

The Gemara in מסכת יומא explains that we can learn the principle of פיקוח נפש דוחה שבת, that a situation of danger, overrides Shabbat observance, from the case of מחתרת.

The case of מחתרת, refers to the permission granted to shoot and kill a thief who breaks into your home at night when you are home. The assumption is that he is armed because he prepares himself if you wake up and catch him. This is not the case by a thief who breaks in during the day, who assumes you are not home. You may not kill him.

The Gemara says that in the מחתרת case where there is a doubt if the thief is coming for money or coming to physically harm, and although shedding blood is very serious, permission is granted to save yourself. Then certainly regarding Shabbat where one is very ill and in possible danger, that one may violate Shabbat in order to save that person.

This is a source for פיקוח נפש דוחה שבת.

עבד נרצע

The Torah speaks of the עבד עברי, the Hebrew slave, who is sold into slavery because he is found to be a thief. If the עבד decides that he likes his master and wants to remain as a slave, he becomes an עבד נרצע, a slave whose ear is pierced.

The reason for the ear piercing is explained in the Gemara in קידושין. This individual who heard the commandment on Mount Sinai not to steal, disobeyed that commandment.

The Gemara explains further that if he sells himself into slavery, he has violated the Pasuk that says כי לי בני ישראל עבדים, that we are meant to be servants of G-d and not servants of man. Because he didn’t listen, we piece his ear.

This case in the Torah is meant to serve as a reminder that we are to be careful to remain free men and not become imprisoned to our work, technology, or any obsession. The Rabbis tell us, אין לך בן חורין אלא מי שעוסק בתורה, the only true free man, is one who occupies himself with the study of Torah.