Today's Learning Eruvin 1:7-8 O.C. 3:4-6 Sponsored by Bava Kama 87 Mr. & Mrs. Jacob Edeson Yerushalmi-- and family Eruvin 48 on their son Nathan's birthday and their grandson Ian Hillel's first birthday HAMAAYAN/THE TORAH SPRING Edited by Shlomo Kaz PARASHAT NASO Vol. VIII, No. 32 (362), 11 Sivan 5754, May 21, 1994 In this week's parasha we read of the commandment that the kohanim should bless the Jewish people. The berachah which the kohanim say before performing that mitzvah is, "Asher kedishanu b'kedushato shel Aharon. . . ." þ "Blessed are You Hashem . . . Who has sanctified us with Aharon's sanctity. . . ." Just as the greatness of the Jewish people is not a product only of their deeds, writes Rav Yaakov Moshe Charlap zatz'l, but is primarily inherited (indeed, our good deeds are possible because of our lineage), so the sanctity of the kohanim is inherited. One who denies this principle denies the fundamentals of Judaism. This was Korach's mistake. As we will read in three weeks, Korach said, "All Jews are holy." He maintained that anyone who prepared himself could be a kohen. Moshe replied, "In the morning Hashem will show who is His." Just as Hashem established clear boundaries in time, so He created boundaries in lineage and between different people's (and groups of people's) missions on Earth. (Mei Marom XIII p.129) ************************************ "The kohen shall inscribe these curses on a scroll and erase it into the bitter waters." (5:23) The curses referred to are the verses of this parasha, including the Name of G-d. The gemara (Sukkah 53b) observes that, although it generally is forbidden to erase G-d's Name, Hashem says, "Let My Name be erased if it will bring about peace between husband and wife." Rav Yosef Ze'ev Lipovitz zatz'l (1889-1962) writes that this is one of several laws of the Torah which shows us how much Hashem values man. We see this also in the incident in the beginning of Parashat Vayera in which Hashem appears to Avraham, and Avraham says to Him (see Rashi there), "Please wait here while I go to welcome my guests." In Megilat Ruth (read on Shavuot) we find that Boaz greeted his workers, "G-d be with you." They responded, "G-d bless you." Rav Lipovitz notes that we take these greetings for granted, but Chazal say that it was Boaz who introduced them. While this use of Hashem's Name might appear to be demeaning to Hashem, Boaz learned from the sources cited above that this is not so. To the contrary, feeling such closeness to Hashem elevates man. (Nachalat Yosef: Megilat Ruth p. 63) ************************************ "All the days of his abstinence [from wine] for the sake of Hashem, he shall not come near a dead person." (6:6) The Ba'al haTurim explains the reason that a nazir must distance himself from corpses: Because the shechinah may rest on him due to his vow [giving him ruach hakodesh], but people may say that he is communicating with the dead. It is terrifying, says Rav Leib Chasman zatz'l, to realize what the Ba'al haTurim is teaching us. Who is the nazir? Probably, he or she is a person who was born with a predisposition towards holiness. He or she probably grew up in an atmosphere of holiness and rose from level to level before taking the ultimate step of taking the vow of abstinence from wine. Nevertheless, it is possible even for such a person to fall off of his "pedestal," even to the point that one could suspect him of divining with the bones of a corpse (a Torah prohibition for which the punishment is death). (Ohr Yahel II p.117) ************************************ At the conclusion of the parasha we read that the princes of each of the twelve tribes brought sacrifices to the mishkan on the first twelve days of its existence. One prince brought his sacrifice on each day. Each of the twelve sacrifices was identical to each of the others. Which of the princes, then, performed the most noble act? Some might say that it was the first, as all of the others merely imitated him. No, say the commentaries, it was the second! Why? Because, if the second prince had brought a different sacrifice, it would appear as if he were trying to outdo the first. As a result, each of the remaining ten princes also would try to outdo all of those who came before him. No, the second prince decided, he would make it "socially" acceptable to make exactly the same "simchah" (which bringing a sacrifice is) as other people had made. (heard from Rav Yissochor Frand shlita) ************************************ When the Torah describes the sacrifices brought by the twelve nesi'im (princes), it first lists the details of each þ even though they were identical þ and then summarizes the total number of animals and implements brought to the mishkan. Ramban explains that the sacrifices are totalled up to show that Hashem regarded them all equally. Why, however, are they also set out separately? Rav Shneur Kotler, zatz'lexplains as follows: Each of the nesi'im independently originated the idea of bringing a sacrifice to the mishkan. Furthermore, each one had a different kavanah (spiritual intention) in bringing his korban. Incredibly, though, each one brought the identical sacrifice! Even though individuals have different backgrounds and serve Hashem with different intentions, says Rav Kotler, if their ultimate goal is the same--that Hashem's will be done--then the means that they use will be similar. [This is in contrast to those who believe that, because people are different, each needs his own "Torah" and his own way of serving Hashem.] Rav Kotler offers an additional insight into the sacrifices of the nesi'im: Chazal say that when Moshe solicited donations for the mishkan, the princes did not contribute. They said, "We will hold back, and we will make up whatever is lacking." As it turned out, nothing was lacking and the nesi'im did not get their chance to contribute. Therefore, when the mishkan was dedicated, the nesi'im hurried to be the first to bring sacrifices. Since this story, with its implied criticism of the nesi'im, is recorded by Chazal it must mean that the princes erred in some way in their logic. How so? Rav Kotler explains based on the opening verses of Parashat Terumah. There Hashem first tells Moshe to solicit donations from Bnei Yisrael and afterwards tells him to build the mishkan. Shouldn't the purpose of the donations have been identified before the donations were solicited? asks Rav Kotler. However, the Torah is teaching that there was no fixed amount of donations required for the mishkan. Rather, the mishkan would be as simple or as ornate as Bnei Yisrael were moved to make it. It follows, says Rav Kotler, that the nesi'im could not make up the donations that were lacking because, by definition, nothing could be lacking. (Noam Siach) ************************************ Yehuda born 15 Sivan 2195 (2566 B.C.E.) died 15 Sivan 2314 (2447 B.C.E.) Yehuda was the fourth son of Yaakov and Leah. Leah derived his name from the statement, "This time I will thank ('odeh') G-d ('Y- h')." Leah knew prophetically that Yaakov's four wives would bear 12 sons, and she thanked Hashem for giving her more than one-fourth of them. Chazal say that Leah was the first person who ever thanked Hashem. This is not to be taken literally, but rather means that Leah did more than simply thank Hashem; she acknowledged having more than her share, more than what she rightfully "deserved." (The lesson is that one should feel this way about everything Hashem gives him.) Yehuda had five sons, two of whom died childless. His primary heir was Peretz, an ancestor of Nachshon ben Aminadav (the nasi of Yehuda mentioned in this week's parasha), Kalev ben Yefuneh (one of the spies that Moshe sent to Eretz Yisrael), and Boaz, Naomi, and Elimelech whose story is told in Megilat Ruth. King David was also a descendant of Peretz. The Midrash Shocher Tov (Ch. 18) relates that when Yitzchak died, Yaakov and Esav entered the Me'arat haMachpelah to bury him. Yaakov was crying uncontrollably and his sons waited outside so that he would not be embarrassed. Seeing that they were alone, Esav tried to kill Yaakov, but Yehuda sensed what was happening and entered the cave. He then killed Esav by stabbing him in the back. Why did he attack Esav from the rear? Because Esav's face resembled Yaakov's. Chazal say that ten measures of bravery were sent down to the world and Yehuda took nine of them. ************************************ DONATIONS TO HAMAAYAN ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE