Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat vaYakhel Pekudei Volume VII/Number 22 (309) 27 Adar 5753/March 20, 1993 From the juxtaposition of the construction of the Mishkan and the laws of Shabbat (which occurs in both this week's and last week's Parashot), Chazal learn that building the Mishkan or Bet haMikdash is not permitted on Shabbat. Why, asks R' Binyamin Zilber, shlita (noted "Posek" in Bnei Brak) would one think that the Mishkan could be built on Shabbat? What is the connection between the two? Chazal say that from the time the world was created, Hashem "pined" for the time when He would reside on earth. The Tabernacle is called "Mishkan haEdut" (38:21) because it is testimony ("Edut") that Hashem can be found amongst His people. Shabbat is also an Edut; it testifies to the Creation, and hence to the fact that men's souls come from Hashem. Both the Mishkan and Shabbat thus represent the bond between Hashem and the Jews. There is, however, a contrast between them. The Mishkan is the place that we have made for Hashem; we built it using 39 types of labors. Those same 39 labors are what is prohibited on Shabbat; Shabbat is the "place" that Hashem has made for us. (Berit Olam, Ma'amar Shabbat v'haMikdash) ************************************ Rashi (38:8) records that when the Mishkan was constructed, many women brought their mirrors to be used in decorating the Tabernacle. Moshe refused to accept them, feeling that items associated with vanity had no place in the Mishkan. Hashem corrected him, however, explaining that when Jewish men in Egypt had despaired of the redemption, their wives had used those same mirrors to beautify themselves and entice their husbands. This, in turn, led to the birth of the millions of Jews who left Egypt. We learn several lessons from this story, says R' Zalman Rotberg, shlita. First, we can be inspired by the faith of these women; even in the darkness of exile, they were taking steps to further the process of redemption. Also, we see that such steps are desirable. (Tuv Da'at p.58) ************************************ Chazal say that Hashem built the world with one hand (see Yeshayahu 48:13), but constructed the Mishkan with two (see Sh'mot 15:17). It is interesting to note, says R' Shlomo Goren, shlita, that the expression, "And Hashem said," appears nine times in the story of Creation, while the similar expression, "As Hashem commanded," appears 18 (i.e. 2 X 9) times in Parashat Pekudei (which describes the actual construction of the Mishkan). From a Halachic perspective, our Shabbat is a rest from the construction of the Mishkan, not from Creation, says R' Goren. How so? Because the 39 labors which are prohibited on Shabbat are those which were used in building the Mishkan. Only 35 of them, however, were used in creating the world. (That calculation is made as follows: The whole world is Hashem's and He is above the concept of space, so He cannot perform the labor of carrying from private space to public space. Of the remaining 38 labors, one (i.e. separating) is counted in three distinct forms (i.e. "Borer", "Meraked" and "Zoreh") and another is counted twice (see Yerushalmi Shabbat 7:32), all based on how these labors were used in the Mishkan. Thus, another three labors (i.e. 3-1 and 2-1) must be subtracted from the 38 to describe the pre-Mishkan period.) Kabbalists note that the paragraph of "vaYechulu" which describes Hashem's rest from creation has 35 words. (Torat haShabbat v'haMo'ed) ************************************ P A R A S H A T H A C H O D E S H The Torah says, "This month (i.e. Nisan) is to you the first month." Chazal state: "To you" -- not to the gentiles. Therefore, if one dates a contract by the years of the king's reign, if it is a king from the house of David, a new year should be counted each Nisan. If it is another king, each new year should be counted from Tishrei. Says R' Shlomo Yosef Zevin, zatzal (1890-1978; member of Israael's Supreme Rabbinical Court and editor of the Talmudic Encyclopedia): A king is, by definition, a person who has no superior. Thus, when King David was fleeing from his rebellious son Avshalom, he (David) did not have the Halachic status of a king; he feared Avshalom, and was thus Avshalom's inferior. (It is in this sense that all Jews are commanded to be kings, for Jews should fear no one -- except, of course, Hashem.) The difference between a king of the house of David and other kings is that the former are most concerned with what is above them (i.e. Hashem), while the latter are most concerned with what is below them (i.e. their subjects). Only a king like David has the courage to say (Tehilim 22:7), "I am a worm, not a man; an embarrassment to man, shamed by the nation." (Similarly, we say in our prayers, "May my soul be like dust before all.") Nisan is the month when Hashem's majesty is revealed through the miracles of Pesach. Tishrei is the time when the world's creation is celebrated; the "natural" phenomena of that creation often mask G-d's greatness. Each month is therefore appropriate as the anniversary of the respective king -- Nisan for the king who is awed by G-d's grandeur; Tishrei, for he who is not. (l'Torah u'l'Mo'adim p.345) ************************************ P E S A C H It is customary for the first-born to fast on the day before Pesach in commemoration of their not being killed in the plague of the first-born. Some say that the fast actually commemorates the salvation; other say that the Jewish first-born themselves fasted on the day before the plague, praying that they would merit the protection which Hashem had promised. According to this view, our fast commemorates that fast day. According to the first explanation, notes R' Zvi Pesach Frank, zatzal (1873-1960; Chief Rabbi of Yerushalayim), the fast should actually be observed on the first day of Pesach, for the miracle which it commemorates occurred on the Seder night. However, fasting is prohibited on Yom Tov, so the observance was moved to the day before Pesach. The first explanation is, however, difficult to understand. Why should we celebrate! According to the second explanation, however, the fast of the first-born is exactly like Ta'anit Esther: we fast because our ancestors did. What is the practical difference between the two explanations? It is customary for the father of a minor first-born to fast in the child's stead. Must a father fast if his wife has given birth to their first-born after midnight on Erev Pesach? According to the first explanation, the fast on Erev Pesach takes the place of a fast on the first day of Pesach. If that child had been born after midnight on the first day of Pesach, he would not be affected because the plague would have already taken place at midnight. So now, too, the father need not fast. According to the second explanation, however, the father must fast, for the fast of Erev Pesach was in preparation for the plague which was to occur the following night. (Mikra'ei Kodesh Pesach II p.80) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: T'vul Yom 4:4-5 O.C. 569:2-570:2 Nedarim 33 Yerushalmi - Demai 3 Rambam Ch/Day: Hilchot Kiddush Hachodesh - Chapter 19 3 Chs/Day: Hilchot Tumat Met - Chapters 9-11 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:P107; Su:P107; M:P107; Tu:P107; W:P107; Th:P107,P113; F:P113 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this weeks Hamaayan is sponsored by: Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Taragin in memory of Mr. Asriel Taragin ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible