Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Ki Tisah Volume VI/Number 21 (255) 18 Adar I 5752/February 22, 1992 Parasha Overview This week's Parasha begins with several more commandments related to the Mishkan, and then tells the story of the Golden Calf. The Parasha also contains a number of other Mitzvot, including Shabbat, the major holidays, and the prohibition of mixing meat and milk. The Haftara (Ashkenazim read Melachim I 18:1-39; Sephardim - 20 - 39; Yemenites - 1-46) tells the famous story of the prophet Eliyahu's challenge to the idol worshippers: each side would build an altar and pray that its diety send fire down from heaven. The one that answered - not surprisingly, it was Eliyahu's G-d - would be proven to be the true G-d. The Gemara (Berachot 31b-32a) lists several prophets who spoke accusingly to Hashem, among them Moshe and Eliyahu. The latter's statement is described in our Haftara (verse 37): "You [Hashem] have turned [Bnei Yisrael's] hearts away [from You]." You, Hashem, said Eliyahu, are partially to blame for Bnei Yisrael's sins. Similarly, Moshe said (according to the Gemara), "You [Hashem] are at fault for the Golden Calf, for You are the One who gave Bnei Yisrael all of that gold." R' Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin ("Netziv") writes that the underlying idea in these prophetess' complaints was that Hashem confuses us by hiding His love. Though at the time of the Exodus Hashem did make His tie to us very obvious, for the most part it is hidden. This allows us to fall under the influence of nature and materialism, and thus, to sin. (Metiv Shir) On the verse in Shir Hashirim (5:8), "If you find my Beloved [Hashem], tell Him that I [Bnei Yisrael] pine for His love," Netziv writes that one consequence of Hashem's hiding His love for us is that we are often not aware of the miracles that He performs for us. For example, on the verse in our Parasha (34:24), "No person will covet your land when you arise to appear before Hashem," The Talmud Yerushalmi (Peah, ch.3) tells a story of two brothers whose gentile neighbors coveted their land. The brothers nevertheless went to Yerushalayim at the appointed time, and their property was not touched in their absence; unbeknownst to them, Hashem sent two angels to impersonate them and protect their homes. It was the neighbors who first realized that a miracle had occurred, while its beneficiaries knew nothing of it. Another consequence of Hashem's hiding His love is the widespread question: "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This too, say Chazal (Berachot 7a), is alluded to in our Parasha (33:13). According to many commentaries, both Bnei Yisrael's mistake in making the Golden Calf and Hashem's purpose in commanding that the Mishkan be built come from the ideas expressed above. Bnei Yisrael had no intention of worshipping an idol; they thought that Moshe was dead, and with him, Hashem's closeness to Bnei Yisrael was gone. The Calf was simply a misguided attempt to renew that "tangible" manifestation of Hashem's love which Bnei Yisrael had seen in Moshe. Similarly, writes the Sforno, the purpose of the Mishkan was to provide a place where Bnei Yisrael could be aware of Hashem's presence. Before the Golden Calf was built, there was no Mitzvah of building a Mishkan; Hashem would have revealed Himself in any place where someone would call out to Him. Bnei Yisrael's mistake revealed, however, that they needed a more tangible focus for their service of Hashem. ************************************ The first two "Aliyot" of Ki Tisah make up a disproportionally long part of the Parasha. This is in accordance with the Halacha (Magen Avraham O.C. 138:4) that a blind or lame man should not be called up to read a section dealing with blind or lame people. Similarly, only a Levi can be called to read the story of the Golden Calf, for only the Levi'im were (as a group) completely innocent of that sin. (Siach Sarfei Kodesh) ************************************ "The wealthy shall not give more..." (30:15) This is one of the best kept Mitzvot in the Torah. (Iturei Torah) ************************************ "Behold I have chosen by name Bezalel...." (31:2) The Gemara states that Bezalel (the chief craftsman of the Mishkan) was thirteen years old at the time. Why is this significant? Firstly, because, like writing Tefilin or a Sefer Torah, building the Mishkan required "L'shmah" - the intention to perform the Mitzvah. A boy under the age of 13, however, is legally incapable of having the proper intentions. Also, the Halacha is that a craftsman owns the improvements which he makes in the raw materials (i.e. he has a mechanic's lien) until he is paid or otherwise releases the lien. The Mishkan was, however, required to be public property, and a child is legally incapable of releasing his liens. (R' Velvel Brisker) ************************************ "Remember this... I [Hashem] will expel the Canaanites..." (34:11) A command to remember a promise implies that its fulfillment is quite distant. Remember this, says Hashem. Before Mashiach comes, such fear will descend upon those who are squatting on the land of Israel, that they will all pick up and leave, thus making room for the "Ingathering of the Exiles." ("Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh") ************************************ "And Hashem passed before Moshe, and He called out.." (34:6). Rabbi Yochanan said, "If this verse had not said it, we could never say such a thing. However, this verse teaches us that Hashem acted like one who leads the prayers and taught Moshe how to pray. He told Moshe, 'Whenever Bnei Yisrael sin, let them observe this order [a reference to the "13 Attributes of Mercy"], and I will forgive them'." (Rosh Hashana 17b) ************************************ This prayer is different from all other prayers, which begin with praise of Hashem but then go on to make specific requests. The "13 Attributes of Mercy" consist solely of praise of Hashem. This can be understood in light of Ralbag's explanation of the mechanics of prayer: One cannot achieve through prayer anything that Hashem is not theoretically willing to do anyway. This is the meaning of the verse in our Parasha, "I will give to whom I will give, and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy" (33:19). In short, Hashem is unchanging. Prayer changes the one who prays, thus making him a worthy recipient of Hashem's gifts, in general, and that which he is now seeking, in particular. When a person prays, he elevates himself, and thereby become worthy of Hashem's close attention. (Peirush Al Hatorah, p.115b "Hato'elet Hashlishi) The very reason for man's creation is so that he may study Hashem's ways and become close to Him. As Ralbag notes, one who does so is worthy of Hashem's intervention in his life. What better way is there to achieve understanding of Hashem than by reciting and meditating upon these "13 Attributes"? They are, after all, the answer to Moshe's request, "Show me Your ways and I will know You" (33:13). One who perfects this prayer will be answered and his needs fulfilled, even if his prayer does not specify those needs. (R' Y. Hamburger: Sha'arei Rachamim) ************************************ R' Chaim Shmuelevitz -- Part II R' Chaim was known for both breadth of his knowledge and the organization with which that knowledge was stored in his memory. His method of Talmud study, also, was characterized by a process of dissection and organization. Within any subject, he would search for a central theme on which he would concentrate. Once he had identified that key point of any "Sugya" (Talmudic subsection), he knew that the other arguments in the Sugya were only incarnations of general Talmudic principles which could be reworded and applied elsewhere in the Talmud. He "discovered" thousands of such principles, and he constantly toiled to integrate every new principle into everything that he had already learned. Similarly, every work that R' Chaim studied was incorporated into his vast store of knowledge. If he began a lecture, as he was wont to do, with the statement, "On this subject there are sixteen (or any other number of) sources to consider," it was unlikely that his students would find a seventeenth. Among the younger students, it became a sport to ask questions designed solely to test the breadth of his knowledge. R' Chaim taught that just as each modern-day sage (e.g. R' Chaim Brisker or R' Shimon Shkop) had his unique style of learning, so each Talmudic sage had his own style. Thus, Rambam, in his Mishnah commentary Avot 3:19) was able to write, "This statement is worthy of R' Akiva." Furthermore, said R' Chaim, every "Seder" (one of the six divisions) of the Talmud has its unique approach. Thus we find in Baba Metziah 109b (in the Seder of "Nezikin") that Rav Ashi told a student, "Ask me this question when we get to 'Kodshim'," the Shitah Mekubetzet explains, said R' Chaim, that the approach which was necessary to answer that student's question was one which was appropriate to Kodshim, not to Nezikin. The relevant style and approach always had to be taken into account if one was to achieve complete understanding of a subject under study. (Based on R' Reuven Grossman, The Rosh Yeshiva) TO BE CONTINUED ************************************ Daily Mishnah Kelim 20:6-7 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Daily Halacha Orach Chaim (Mishnah Berura) 349:5-350:2 (Learn three paragraphs each day) Daf Yomi Rosh Hashana 22 (Learn two sides of a page each day) Shmirat Halashon: L.H. 3:5-6 or Guard Your Tongue: "Rechilut" 1:7-10 Rambam Chapter/Day: Hilchot Zechiyah v'Matanah - Chapter 6 3 Chapters/Day: Hilchot Shemitah v'Yovel - Chapters 3-5 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:N223,P134,P141,N230,N231; Su:P140,P136,P137,N224-N226 M:P138,N227,P139; Tu:N169,N170,P183,N228,P20; W:N79-N80 Th:P21; F:P22,N67,P35,N83,N84 ************************************ SPECIAL GIFT OFFER For a limited time only, all Hamaayan sponsors will receive free of charge (upon request) a diskette copy of all of last year's issues of Hamaayan. Sponsorships begin at $18.00