Today's Learning Yevamot 5:2-3 Sponsored by O.C. 147:4-6 Rabbi & Mrs. Samuel Bramson Bava Batra 138 in memory of Yerushalmi-- Noach Hellman ben Chaim Halevi Bramson A"H Megillah 26 and Frada Rychel bat Yaakov Bramson A"H Sharona, Yehuda, Moshe, Eliezer and Ze'ev Katz in honor of Shlomo's 30th birthday Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Pekudei Vol. IX, No. 23 (407), 2 Adar II 5755, March 4, 1995 The midrash says that when it came time to join together all of the mishkan's components, no one but Moshe could do so. The midrash explains that previously the wags amongst the Jews were saying, "How will the shechinah speak to Moshe in the mishkan which he did not build?" However, when only he could construct the mishkan, he had the last laugh (see Mishlei 31:25, which is interpreted by the midrash as referring to Moshe). The midrash concludes that Mishlei 31:29 also is speaking of Moshe when it says, "Many daughters did great things, but you were greater than all of them." [The Hebrew word for daughters is "banot" which is related to the word "livnot" ("to build"). Perhaps the midrash is reading the verse "Many builders did great things, but you were greater than all of them."] Rav Elya Meir Bloch zatz'l explains that the midrash is teaching us the importance of being accomplished in many different areas. Each of the artisans who worked on the mishkan was an expert in his field, whether he was a goldsmith, a weaver, a carpenter, etc. However, none of these people was able to see the big picture, i.e., to see how the many parts of the mishkan fit together. That only Moshe could do. (Peninei Da'at) ************************************ The commentators note that there are many differences between G- d's commands regarding the construction of the mishkan (as described in Parashat Terumah) and the way the construction was actually carried out (as described in this week's and last week's parashot). Most notable among these differences is the fact that despite Hashem's original command that the utensils of the mishkan--such as the aron (Ark), shulchan (Table), and menorah--be built before the mishkan itself, Bnei Yisrael in fact did the opposite. Commentators also note that despite the implication found in Parashat Terumah that Moshe himself was to build the mishkan, in Parashat Ki Tisah we read, "Behold, I [G-d] have called upon Betzalel [to build the mishkan]." Why did all of these changes occur? Rav Yehoshua Heller (Rabbi of Telz and Vilna in the mid-19th century) writes that the changes that occurred in the construction of the mishkan reflect a change that occurred in Bnei Yisrael themselves between the time that the building of the mishkan was commanded and the time that the construction took place. This change was the making of the Golden Calf and the resulting decline in Bnei Yisrael's spiritual level. Rav Heller explains as follows: There are two different levels in the service of Hashem, one of which is analogous to the period of a couple's engagement, and the other, to their marriage. The period of engagement is a time when love between the couple is first developing. During this period, the future bride and groom perform actions whose purpose is to further the growth of their love for each other. The period of marriage is different, for while the couple's love continues to grow, the husband and wife are already united by their earlier love for each other, and they now serve each other because of that love. So it is in the service of Hashem. On a "beginner's" level, a person does mitzvot in order to increase his love for G-d, while at a more advanced level, a person serves Hashem because he already loves Him. When Bnei Yisrael stood at Har Sinai, they achieved the highest level of service of Hashem, corresponding to the higher of the two levels described above. This is known as "The level of Adam before his sin," and is the level we will again attain in the days of mashiach. Had Bnei Yisrael not sinned, but remained on this level, Moshe would have entered Eretz Yisrael with them and he would have built the first--and only--bet hamikdash, one which would never have been destroyed. Unfortunately, Bnei Yisrael did sin, and they immediately fell to a lower level of service of G-d. They now had to work their way back up the ladder of service, always hoping to reach, but never quite reaching the level of Adam before his sin. They had to experience again the engagement period, to be "married" again only with the future arrival of mashiach. We continue this service, and its tools are the performance of mitzvot, the gifts that we--the bride--send to Hashem--the groom--during our engagement period. The mitzvah to build the mishkan originally was commanded before the sin of the Golden Calf, and Moshe was to build it, for he could invest it with the "spiritual power" to stand forever, just as Bnei Yisrael were to remain forever on the lofty level that they had achieved. When Bnei Yisrael sinned, however, the fate of the mishkan (and later the bet hamikdash) was sealed for eventual destruction. Now Moshe could not build it, and he was commanded to appoint Betzalel as overseer of the mishkan's construction. The order of the mishkan's construction changed as well. The utensils inside the mishkan--the aron, the menorah, and all the others--represent man's innermost desire to serve Hashem, whereas the outer covering (the "ohel"-"tent") represents the outer distractions which prevent man's innermost feelings from showing. Before the sin of the Golden Calf, Hashem commanded that the mishkan's internal utensils be built first, for on Bnei Yisrael's lofty level, their innermost feelings of love for G-d shone through brightly. After Bnei Yisrael sinned, however, G-d altered the plans, for just as Bnei Yisrael now had to toil to peel away the distractions which separated them from their loved one--Hashem--so Bnei Yisrael had to be separated from the internal utensils of the mishkan by the walls and roof of the ohel mo'ed. (Ohel Yehoshua: D'rush Aleph) ************************************ Rav Mordechai Yaffe zatz'l ("Ba'al Halevushim") born 5290 (1530) - died 3 Adar II 5372 (1612) Rav Mordechai is one of the most important poskim (halachic authorities) among Ashkenazic Jews. He is known as the "Ba'al Halevushim" or simply "The Levush," after his ten works. The names of each of those books are a taken from the description in Megillat Esther of the clothes (in Hebrew "levush") that Mordechai wore. Rav Mordechai's teachers were Rav Moshe Isserles ("Rema") and Rav Shlomo Luria ("Maharshal"). Rav Mordechai also was an accomplished kabbalist--some of the ten Levushim are kabbalistic works. His teacher in that subject was Rav Mattityahu Delacrot, who had studied under the great kabbalists of Italy. It has been said that Rav Mordechai best exemplified the teachings of his teacher Rema. Not only were they both important poskim, but they both wrote works on kabbalah and philosophy and attempted to synthesize the two fields. Rav Mordechai began writing his major halachic works at a young age, because he perceived the need for a concise halachic code. However, he desisted when he heard that Rav Yosef Karo (1488-1575) was writing the Shulchan Aruch for the same purpose. Only when that work was printed and Rav Mordechai saw that it omitted the Ashkenazic rulings on many subjects and also did not state the reasons for its rulings did Rav Mordechai resume his work. ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.