Today's Learning Yevamot 2:7-8 O.C. 139:2-4 Bava Batra 124 Yerushalmi-- Megillah 12 Ki Tisah Vol. IX, No. 21 (405), 18 Adar I 5755, February 18, 1995 In this week's parashah we continue to read about the construction of the mishkan and its utensils. In addition, we read about the sin of the Golden Calf. (It is interesting to note that the story of the Golden Calf is in the aliyah which is reserved for a levi. The levi'im were the only group which did not participate in the sin.) The construction of the mishkan "continues" in next week's parashah. Why is the Golden Calf sandwiched between two sections dealing with the mishkan instead of before or after? asks Rav Mendel Kaplan zatz'l. He explains as follows: People commonly wonder why Rosh Hashanah --the day of judgment-- precedes Yom Kippur--the day for reflection and repentance. Shouldn't repentance precede judgment? Rav Kaplan answers that we cannot reflect on our sins unless the fear of judgment has been instilled in us. Without this fear we might only remember how much we enjoyed our sins. Clearly there would be no repentance in such a case. Similarly, when we read of the Golden Calf, we are apt to wonder what the attraction to idolatry was, and we may be harmed by these thoughts. By sandwiching the story between two parts of the mishkan's construction, the Torah first lays a foundation of lofty thoughts before the story and then "distracts" us and elevates our thoughts after the story. (from the biography Reb Mendel and His Wisdom) ************************************ "When you take a census [literally: 'lift the heads'] of Bnei Yisrael according to their numbers each man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul. . ." (30:12) There are two paths to repentance, says Rav Baruch Hager zatz'l of Seret-Vizhnitz. One is that man is persecuted by an evil ruler like Haman who drives him back to Hashem. The other is that Hashem showers man with kindness and draws him closer by causing him to feel that he is unworthy of all that has been done for him. Clearly the latter is preferable to the former. This is the meaning of the verse, "When you lift the heads of Bnei Yisrael according to their numbers"--i.e., when Hashem gives each man all that he lacks--"each man shall give Hashem an atonement for his soul." (quoted in Kedosh Yisrael) ************************************ While Moshe was still on Har Sinai, Hashem told him that Bnei Yisrael had constructed an idol. Nevertheless, Moshe took the luchot (tablets) with him and descended from the mountain. Only when Moshe saw the people dancing around the Golden Calf did he break the luchot. Why? Rav Zalman Sorotzkin zatz'l explains that Moshe carried the luchot down from Har Sinai because he assumed that it was not too late to rehabilitate the people. However, when Moshe arrived at the camp he saw that thousands of people were dancing around the idol. They could not be saved. Moreover, the vast majority of the Jewish people were standing passively on the sidelines, not sinning actively, but acting as if compromise with the sinners was possible. It was for them that Moshe broke the luchot. It was to shake them out of their complacency and to drive home that there is no compromising between the Torah and a golden calf. (quoted in Seasons of the Soul) ************************************ "He said, 'I shall make all My goodness pass before you, and I shall call out with the Name Hashem before you. . ." (33:19) Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatz'l explains, based on Rambam, that "all My goodness" refers to showing Moshe all of creation. Hashem told Moshe, "I will show you everything that man can possibly fathom." Rav Soloveitchik calls this the wisdom of the mind. "Nevertheless," Hashem told Moshe, "knowing creation is not the end in itself. Rather, man must know to "call out with the Name Hashem." Rav Soloveitchik calls this the wisdom of the heart. The failure of modern society, says Rav Soloveitchik, is the gap between these two wisdoms. The wisdom of the mind is utilitarian. Thus, for example, it has no use for aged parents and does not care for them. The wisdom of the mind also cannot make distinctions which are not tangible--it cannot recognize the difference between Shabbat and the other six days of the week nor between Eretz Yisrael and any other plot of land. The wisdom of the heart is able to accept distinctions which it cannot see. This characteristic is found primarily in children, says Rav Soloveitchik, and it goes hand-in-hand with innocence ("temimut"). Adults should try to maintain this childlike quality. Also, a child appreciates his parents because they give him stability. Unlike many adults in our mobile society, a child instinctively understands the need to maintain a link to his roots. The above ideas are reflected in halachah, says Rav Soloveitchik. The law is that a plant which is still rooted in the ground is not defiled by contact with tum'ah. It is only when one's roots are severed that he is at risk of becoming defiled. (Yemei Zikaron p.115) ************************************ Rav Shmuel Engel zatz'l born Rosh Chodesh Iyar 5618 (1858) - died 19 Adar I 5695 (1935) Rav Shmuel Engel was a leading Galician posek of the period between the World Wars. In particular, he addressed numerous questions relating to agunot, and his rulings generally were upheld by his contemporaries. Rav Shmuel's responsa were published in eight volumes between 1905 and 1958. Rav Shmuel's father passed away when young Shmuel was six years old. Shmuel's mother, Esther, took the young boy to Rav Chaim of Sanz, who told him, "I will give you three pieces of advice: Do not study the vernacular [Polish], always pray from a siddur [rather than by heart], and always listen to your mother. King Shlomo was deemed worthy of kingship because he listened to his mother." Rav Shmuel was given the same description as the tanna, Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, i.e., "a cemented cistern which does not lose one drop [of what he has learned]." At 20, he was chosen as rabbi of Bilgoraj. He later served as rabbi of Dukla and Radomsyl, after which he is known. In Siftei Maharash, Rav Shmuel comments on the following verse in this week's parashah (31:13): "However, you must observe My Sabbaths, for it is a sign between Me and you for your generations." He explains that from this verse we can understand why saving a life takes precedence over keeping Shabbat. [In Chazal's words. "It is better to skip one Shabbat than to miss all future ones."] The explanation is as follows: The midrash says that every day has a match (e.g., Sunday- Wednesday; Monday-Thursday; etc.), but Shabbat's match is the Jewish people. Rav Engel explains that just as Man and Woman each has the inherent ability to produce offspring but there will be no offspring without a union of the two, so Shabbat and Bnei Yisrael each cannot display its intrinsic holiness without the other. In the Torah, the expression "However" always expresses limitation. The phrase, "However, you must observe My Sabbaths," means that there is a limit; some Sabbaths are not observed, i.e., when a Jew's life is endangered. Why? Because, "it is a sign between Me and you for your generations," i.e., Shabbat is only an effective sign of creation when the Jews observe it. Clearly then, one's connection to all future Shabbatot is too important to risk for the sake of keeping one Shabbat. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.