Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Parshas Vayakel



In this week's Parsha, the Torah discusses the building of the Kiyor, the copper basin: .
 38-8 the Torah says,“He made
the basin out of copper
and its base out of copper…

Rashi quotes the Midrash Tanchuma, who says,

“The daughters of Israel possessed mirrors into which they would look when

adorning themselves. Even those they did not withhold from bringing as a contribution for the mishkon. However, Moshe found them repulsive since their purpose is to incite the evil inclination. G-d said to him: Accept [them], for these are dearer to me than everything else because through them the women raised huge multitudes in Egypt. When their husbands were exhausted from their crushing labor they (the women) would go and bring them food and drink and feed them. They would then take the mirrors and each one would look at herself and her husband in the mirror, and entice him with words, saying, "See! I am more beautiful than you," thereby awakening their husbands' desire and they would cohabit with them. They conceived and gave birth there. As is stated: "Under the apple-tree did I arouse you." That is the intent of what is said: "By the mirrors of the ..." The wash-basin was made out of them for it serves to bring about peace between a man and his wife, by giving to drink from the waters inside it to anyone whose husband expressed jealousy and she, nevertheless, concealed herself [with another man] You can know yourself that these were actual mirrors, for it is stated: "The total copper donation was seventy kikar, etc. and he made from it, etc." whereas the wash-basin and its base are not mentioned there. Hence you have learned that the copper of the wash-basin was not from the donated copper. Thus did Rabbi Tanchuma explain it.”

What was the nature of the argument between Moshe and Hashem? Moshe argued that look what the mirrors were used for. G-d responded look at the motivation.”

The Siforno comments (8-8)

“The Kiyor was made out of the mirrors of those women who parted with them and gave them to the Mishkan. By so doing they demonstrated their willingness to give up these beauty aids, which they considered of relatively little value, and instead committed them to the service of Hashem.

What was the theory of the women? And why did they specifically give them to the Mishkan to be used for the service of Hashem?

My father, Rabbi Shalom Richter, suggested that in order to truly accept the Torah we need to be subservient to Hakadosh Baruch Hu without the interference of our own egos. The expressions of the ego are a distraction for complete Kabalas Ol Shamayim. These women focused themselves and their energies in the endeavor of Yidias Hashem and Yidias Hatorah. They truly sanctified the name of G-d and used this opportunity to be exclusively focused on attaining the greatest possible level of spirituality. The Kiyor was made out of the mirrors, because this is a pre-requisite to serving G-d in life but also in the Beis Hamikdash. The ability and desire to commit oneself to exclusively the service of G-d is a necessary pre-requisite to Avodas Hashem.

The Kiyor which represents the kohein prepairing himself for Avodas Hamikdash (kidush yadayim v’raglayim) was also a standing testimony and message to all of Klal Yisrael about their own dedication to Avodas Hashem and the qualities that are necessary to engage in the pursuit.

good shabbos

If you have anything to add, thoughts, or ideas on the dvar torah feel free to leave a comment!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Parshas Ki Sisah #2

The first verse in this weeks parsha reads,

"When you take the count of the B'nei Yisrael

to determine their numbers, each man shall give

an atonement pledge for his soul to Ad-noy,

when you count them.

Thus there will be no plague among them

when you count them."

"Shall give" give in Hebrew is

ונתנו.
The Ba'al Haturim points out that this Hebrew word is a palindrome.

Shall give is referring to the Nation of Israel giving charity for the building of the Mishkan. The Ba’al Haturim explains that the Torah is teaching us that giving Tzedakah is advantageous for both the receiver and for the giver. The receiver is gaining because he getting money to survive. The giver is also gaining because when he gives he is growing as a person. He is recognizing where all of his money is coming from and what great things can be accomplished with the gifts that G-d gives to us.

The Sefer Hachinuch asks, why does G-d make sure that every human being has money and can sustain and support himself and his family? Why is it that G-d makes some people poor?

He answers, that a large part and purpose of giving charity is to help the giver grow as a person. Therefore, one reason that G-d made people poor was for the giver.

The Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, says an adage which highlights the points from above.

He says,

More than what the giver does for the receiver; the receiver does for the giver.”

We must take this lesson to heart. That by us giving charity we are not only helping our fellow man, but we are also improving ourselves and becoming better people.

 
                  

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Ki Sisah


In perek 31 pasuk 2-17 the Torah highlights the importance of keeping the Shabbos and the covenant between the bnei Yisrael and Hashem. Rashi on pasuk 13 says that we should not think that the building of the mishkan would overrides the interestsof Shabbos.

Why would bnei Yisrael have a hava amina (any original reason to think) that banyan hamishkan would override Shabbos? Isn’t it clear that Shabbos is asur b’milacha. What would be the matir?

The Ramban in the end of Parshas Bo says that there are two components to the Mitzvah of belief of the existence of Hashem.

Belief in: A) Hashgacha Pratis

B) Brias Ha’olam

My father, Rabbi Shalom Richter, suggested that the concept of hashgacha is reflected in the ebb and flow of the dynamic relationship that we have with hakadosh baruch hu. The fixed relationship that Hashem has with his world is reflected in brias haolam, the creation of the world. Therefore, on the one hand the intensity of hashgacha could be most prominently experienced by the hashra’as hashchina. On the other hand, the vastness of Hashem’s universe can be predominated by the rules of nature and universals of the natural world. This concept is discussed by the Rambam in the second perek of hilchos yesodei hatorah halachos 1-5.

The hava amina maintained that we should operate with the experiential hashgacha pratis of the dynamic relationship with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. This should procede the maintenance of the universals because of the experiential nature.

The maskna is that first and foremost knowledge of Hahsem must initially exhaust itself in the concepts of the universals and then it must carry over in the hashgacha pratis.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Parshas Titzaveh


The end of this weeks parsha has a description of the Mizbeach Hakitores.

The kitores created a beautiful aroma in the mishkan and beis hamikdash. The gemarah in Yoma says that the smell was so special that the women of Yerushalayim did not need to put on perfume!

However, the kitores did not only helped beautify the inside of the mishkan, but also helped one after they visited the mikdash. Smell is a very strong sense. Do you still remember how your grandmother’s cookies smelled? Do you remember what erev shabboss smelled like in your mother’s house?

Perhaps the kitores was also supposed to take the experience that we had inside the beis hamikdash and bring it outside into our everyday lives. When one left the mishkan or mikdash the smell of the kitores went with them when they left and helped them remember the experience and closeness to Hashem that they felt on their visit.

May we be zocheh to take the experience of the mitzvos that we do and take them with us wherever we go.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Parshas Terumah #1


The chumash tells us that the Aron had a “aer zahav”, a golden crown. Rashi comments that this golden crown represents the Kesser shel Torah, the crown of Torah.

The Rambam in perek aleph of Hilchos Talmud torah says that there are three kesarim; the Keser Torah, the Keser Kehunah , and the Keser Malchus.

The common thread of all three of these Kesarim is that they are all things that the one who has it is born with. A Kohen is a kohen because he is from shevet Levi. A melech becomes a melech because his father was the king. A Jew is usually also born a a Jew and therefore keeps the Torah. The Rambam says about the Torah, “kol mi sheyirtzeh yavo viyitol.”_________________________________________________.

What Keser means is that it is not enough to just be born into a position. You must be transformed as a huaman being based on your position. A Kohen is born as a kohen, but it is not simply enough to perform the avodah. Akohen must let the avodah that he does make him into a new Gavrah. The same is true by a King. A melech is the person who represents klal Yisrael. Therefore it is not enough for him to just act like a regular king. Rather, he must have the realiation that being the king requires being the model Yid and he therefore must change into a new Gavrah based on his role as king. This same idea is also true by Torah. It is not enough to just keep the mitzvos and dvar Hashem. Rather, Shmiras HaTorah V’mitzvos must create a new Gavrah.

The Aron is in the holiest part of the Mishkon and Beis Hamikdash. And it is this message that the Aron teaches us. That it is not enough for us to keep the Mitzvos, but that keeping the Mitzvos must create a new type of Gzvrah.

Perhaphs this is also peshat in the Rashi that says the Kiyor represents the Keser Malchus. The Kohanim are the spiritual malachim of Klal Yisrael. There positions and responsibilities must create a new Gavrah. The Kohanim were reminded this every morning with the first thing that he did. He would realize that the avodah he would be doing for the rest of the day is supposed to change him as a human being.

(Maybe this is the reason why the Kiyor was mirrors. It was for the Kohanim in the begging of the day to realize that the avodah for the rest of the day is supposed to create a new type of Gavrah. This message was drilled home by the Kohanim seeing there refoection. They were realizing that the avodah is going to change the Gavrah that they see. Just like the Kiyor purified the kohanim’s hands and feet for the days Avodah, so to the avodah will purify them as people and change their personalities.)

Parshas Terumah #2


In this weeks’ Parsha the Bnei Yisrael use Atzei Shitim to build the structure of the Mishkan and the Aron Kodesh. The Midrash, qouted by Rashi, says that Yaakov Avinu had went to Avraham before he wen't down to Mitzrayim and got Atzei Shitim. Then Yaakov planted them on his way down to Mitzrayim for the Bnei Yisrael to build the Mishkan with after avdus Mitzrayim.

What is the midrash teaching us or shedding light into. What does Yaakov going and getting the Atzei shittim to plant from Avraham? Why was it neccasary for Yaakov to plant these trees on the way down to Mitzrayim? Why were they used for the building of the Mishkan? And why were they specifically used to make the structure of the Mishkan and the Aran Kodesh?

Perhaphs this Midrash is shedding light into the Emunah and mindset of the Bnei Yisrael now and all the way back to the Avos. Yaakov went down to Mitzrayim with a cerain realization. He went down with the realization that the hardships in Mitzrayim were really all leading up to the building of the Mishkan which represents our avodas Hashem and our close relationship with Hashem. The bitachon of Yaakov Avinu was unreal. Peraphs the reason that Yaakov got the atzei shittim from Avraham Avinu is that Avraham Avinu is the beggining of a people who believe in Hshem and is also the one who spread Torah to many others. The Midrash is shedding light into the fact that Avraham, Yaakov, and all of Klal Yisrael realized that Hashem had a plan and that the reason the we went down to Mitzrayim was to lead to the building of the Mishkan, Bnei Yisrael performing the mitvos and, and us living our lives as Torah Jews.

These trees had also been growing in the desert for years. So if ou want to understand this Midrash in its literal sense, one can say that the trees were something that Klal Yisrael could liik at at slooaves and remember that we are going to get out and that we are here based on a larger plan of Hshem which will lead to us being Ovdei Hshem.

The Aron housed the Luchos Habris which were acceoted at Har Sinia. Har sinia was a crucial step of Bnei Yisrael transforming into ovdie Hashem and highlights the goal of Bnei Yisrael going down to Mitzrayim, to get the Torah.The walls of the Mishkan represent the lasting relationship that we have with Hashem. The Mishkon was a place for all of Klal Yisrael to go and to form closer relationships with Hashem.

Yaakov went down to Mitzraim and brought down a vision and a great amount of bitachon. The vision and realization of Bnei Yisrael that they were going down to Mitzrayim for a porpuse and goal of getting the torah and becoming very close to Hashem, was kept by all of Klal Yisrael throughout the shibud Mitzrayim.