HaMaayan/The Torah Spring
                      Edited by Shlomo Katz

                        Parashat Terumah
                    Volume V, Number 18 (204)
                 2 Adar 5751 / February 16, 1991

                        Parasha Overview

   This Parasha describes the design and construction of the
Mishkan (Tabernacle), and the Midrash teaches that it was taught to
Moshe at the moment that Bnei Yisrael said, "Na'aseh V'Nishmah" -
"We will observe the Torah and study it."  What is the meaning of
this Midrash?
   Chazal teach that G-d always creates the "cure" before the
"plague".  (E.g. before Haman came to power, Esther was made the
queen.)  When Bnei Yisrael accepted the Torah, they received a
potential source of blessing, but a potential plague, as well, for
the Torah demands retribution from those who sin against it.  G-d
therefore gave us the Mishkan - even before the rest of the Torah -
 so that we would have a place to atone for our sins.  (Binat
Nevonim quoting Divrei Yosef)

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   "Speak to Bnei Yisrael and they shall bring Terumah (donations)
to Me... And they shall make a sanctuary for Me and I shall dwell
among them."  (Sh'mot 25:2,8)
   Two ways to learn about G-d are described in the Midrash by
means of a parable:  Before a young couple is married, the groom-
to-be is usually a regular visitor in his future father-in-law's
house.  After the marriage, however, when the father-in-law wants
to see the young couple, he visits them in their house.  "So too,"
says the Midrash, "before the Torah was given, 'Moshe went up to G-
d' (Sh'mot 19:3) - he visited Hashem on His territory, so-to-speak
- while afterwards it says, 'They shall make Me a sanctuary and I
shall dwell among them'."
   R' Zvi Elimelech of Dinov, in his Torah commentary Igra
D'Kallah, elaborates on this theme.  Before the Torah was given,
people who sought G-d had no choice but to "go to Him."  For
example, Avraham had to infer G-d's existence from his observation
of nature, just as a person who sees a controlled fire [e.g. in an
oven] knows that someone lit that fire and is constantly stoking
the coals.  Moshe, too, before receiving the Torah, had to rely on
his intellect to learn about G-d.
   Today we have it easier.  G-d has given us the Torah, the
blueprint of creation, the source of all knowledge, and we need
only look in the Torah to learn all we desire to know about G-d. 
This is one basis of Rabbinic opposition to philosophy: 
Speculation is appropriate for one who has no better means of
learning the truth.  We, however, have the Torah; G-d has come to
dwell among us.
                         (quoted in Torat Bnei Yissaschar, p.178)

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   "They shall bring Terumah to Me."  (Sh'mot 25:2)
   On this verse the Midrash comments:  "Therefore, it says (Divrei
HaYamim I 29:11), 'Yours, G-d is greatness and strength'."  What is
the connection between these two verses?
   R' Yonatan Eyebschutz explains that we, Bnei Yisrael, are
Hashem's bride.  The Torah is our marriage certificate, and the
Terumah demanded by this verse is the "Kessef Kiddushin" (The
"betrothal money" - today we use a ring).  However, this presents
a problem:  How could Yisrael, the bride, give the "ring" to
Hashem, the groom, when the Halacha requires the opposite, i.e.
that the groom give the "Kessef" to the bride?
   The answer is found in the Talmudic passage which states that if
the groom is so distinguished that people feel honored when he
accepts their gifts, then the bride may give the "Kessef" to the
groom.  In such a case, it is not money which seals the marriage,
but rather the value of the honor that the bride feels when her
gift is accepted.  This is the intention of the Midrash:  How could
Yisrael, the bride give gifts to the groom, rather than vice versa? 
The answer is:  G-d is great and strong.  It is an honor to give
Him gifts.

                                 (Midrash Yehonatan, section 108)

   Reminder:  As always, nothing in HaMaayan should be relied upon
in practice.  All Halachic questions should be referred to a
competent Rabbi.

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                 "Kallah", "Pirka", and "Sidra"
                     Forums for Torah Study

   [Organized study in the Talmudic, Savoraic, and Geonic periods
(approx. 250-1000) occurred within three frameworks:  "Kallah",
"Pirkah", and "Sidrah".  This week we examine the first of these. 
The following is adapted, with permission of the publisher, from
Artscroll's History of the Jewish People:  From Yavneh to
Pumbedisa, pp. 238-239, and is a loose translation of an account
>from 10th century Baghdad.]
   The scholars gather together and come from all their places of
settlement for the Kallah months ("Yarchei Kallah"), which are Elul
in the summer and Adar in the winter.  During the five months
between the Yarchei Kallah, each of the scholars has diligently
studied at home the tractate announced by the Rosh Yeshiva at the
end of the previous Kallah.  In Adar he would say, "We will explain
such and such tractate in Elul," and likewise in Elul he would
announce, "We will study such and such tractate in Adar."  The
scholars come and sit before the heads of the Yeshivot in Adar and
Elul, and the Rosh Yeshiva supervises their study and tests them.
   [Ed. Note:  R' Yaakov Emden offers the above as the intent of
the Gemara (Eruvin 53a) which states, "Thee people of Yehuda
(Judaea) revealed their tractate, and their learning was therefore
preserved;  The people of Galil (Galilee) did not reveal their
tractate and their learning was lost."  Where the Rosh Yeshiva gave
advance notice of what he would teach, the students could prepare,
and therefore retained what they learned.  Without preparation,
however, their retention was lessened.]
   This is the order in which they sit.  The Rosh Yeshiva sits at
the head, and in front of him are ten scholars sitting, facing the
Rosh Yeshiva, in what is known as the "Darra Kamma" - "First Row". 
Of these ten, seven are "Rashei Kallah" - "Heads of the Assembly" -
 and three are "Chaverim" - "Associate Members".  Each of the
Rashei Kallah is in charge of ten judges of the 71-member
Sanhedrin, the Rosh Yeshiva being the 71st member.  The seventy
judges who comprise the Sanhedrin are in the seven rows in front of
the Rosh Yeshiva.  The rest of the disciples sit behind them
without any fixed place.  But in the seven rows comprising the
Sanhedrin, each one has a fixed place.  Even if one of the members
of the seven rows is greater in wisdom than another, he may not sit
in the other's place.  However, they do increase his stipend
because of his wisdom.  [The travelling and living expenses of
these scholars were paid by the Yeshivot.]
   The actual studies are conducted as follows:  The Rosh Yeshiva
sits, and the first row propounds the Talmud before him, while the
remaining rows listen in silence.  When they reach a section
requiring comment, they discuss it among themselves while the Rosh
Yeshiva listens and considers their words.  Then he announces his
decision on the disputed point, and all are silent for they know
that he has considered their viewpoints on the issue.  When he
finishes announcing the resolution of all the disputed questions,
he lectures about and interprets the tractate they had studied -
each in his own home - during that term.  In the process, he
clarifies what the scholars had disagreed about.  Sometimes he asks
them the interpretation of laws.  Having received permission, each
one speaks according to his wisdom.  When everything is fully
clarified, one of the scholars in the first row rises and lectures
on the topic until everyone, from the least to the greatest,
understands.  Then the rest of the disciples closely examine the
topic, analyze it, and reach a full and complete understanding of
it.  Thus they do all month long.
   In the fourth week, the whole Sanhedrin and all the disciples
are called to assemble, and the Rosh Yeshiva examines them and
questions them and tests them until he discovers who are the more
accomplished scholars.  When he notices one who has not completely
mastered the tractate, he is harsh towards him, diminishes his
stipend, rebukes him, indicates those areas in which he has been
careless and negligent in learning, and warns him that if he
repeats his poor performance once more and does not apply himself
to his studies, his stipend may be completely cut off.  Thereafter,
that scholar would apply himself so that he would sharpen his wits
and diligently apply himself so that he would not make any mistakes
before the Rosh Yeshiva regarding a matter of Halacha.
   As for "She'elot" (Halachic queries) that had been sent to the
Rosh Yeshiva, the process of answering them was as follows:  One
person reads to the assembled scholars all of the questions that
reached the Rosh Yeshiva that day of the Kallah, and the Rosh
Yeshiva grants the scholars permission to answer.  Out of deference
to him, they refuse, until he insists.  Then everyone voices his
opinion in accordance with his knowledge and understanding, and
they raise objections and find solutions, debating and arguing each
point and studying it very thoroughly.  The Rosh Yeshiva hears
their discussions and considers all the points they raise until the
truth become clear to him, at which point he dictates his reply to
one of the scribes.  At the end of the month, all the questions and
answers are read in front of the whole assemblage and are signed by
the Rosh Yeshiva.  Afterwards, the replies are sent to those who
brought the queries, and the stipends for the expenses of the
scholars are distributed.  [Here ends the description from Baghdad. 
Note:  The dates found of extant responsa from the Geonic period
demonstrate that urgent queries received by the Rosh Yeshiva were
responded to immediately, at all times of year.]
   The earliest reference to a Kallah may be the statement in
Ketubot (106a):  "When sages would leave Rav's Yeshiva, 1,200
[permanent] students would remain."  This is assumed to refer to
the end of each Kallah period.  (History of the Jewish People,
p.144)  The students who remained constituted the "Metivta"
(Aramaic for "Yeshiva").  They studied in groups and listened to
daily lectures from the Rosh Yeshiva.  (See Iggeret R' Sherira
Gaon)


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