Today's Learning Chullin 3:7-4:1 O.C. 477:2-478:2 Sponsored by Bechorot 44 Sylvia Friedman & family in memory of father Leibel Zysman a"h & husband Reuben Friedman a"h Alan & Paula Goldman in memory of Sam W. Goldman a"h Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Tetzaveh Vol. XI, No. 20 (503), 15 Adar I 5757, February 22, 1997 Much of this week's parashah is devoted to the bigdei kehunah/the priestly garments. The Torah (Shemot 28:2) states that these garments were to be "lekavod u'letifaret"/"For honor and beauty." Rav Aharon Soloveitchik shlita observes: "At first blush it appears that nothing could be more alien to the spirit of the Torah than the duo of honor and beauty. Is not the pursuance of honor a factor conducive to man's ruin? [See Avot 4:21]" Similarly, Mishlei says, "Beauty is vanity"! He explains as follows: The Torah is teaching us that honor and beauty do have a place in our lives. Honor is a destructive force if it stems from selfishness and if it tends to negate one's granting honor and recognition to others. However, honoring all people on account of the image of G-d inherent within them is essential to one's spiritual personality. Beauty, as well, plays a significant role in Jewish life, as one can see from the meticulous care with which every detail of the Bet Hamikdash was executed [or, in the parashot with which we presently are involved, the mishkan]. Additionally, Rav Soloveitchik writes in the name of the Vilna Gaon: Why would the Torah mention the beauty of Sarah, Rivkah, and Rachel if beauty was not to be valued? Rather, the beauty which is vanity, as Mishlei states, is only beauty which is uncoupled from morality. [This is alluded to in the end of the verse in Mishlei: "A G-d-fearing woman, she is praiseworthy." When is beauty vain? When it is not coupled with fear of G-d.] (The Warmth and the Light) ************************************ Parashat Tetzaveh In Halachah This parashah contains seven of the Torah's 613 mitzvot. They are: (#98) to set-up lights in the Bet Hamikdash; (#99) that the kohanim should wear the priestly garments; (#100) that the choshen should never be separated from the ephod; (#101) not to tear the jackets of the kohanim; (#102) to eat the meat of the sin offerings (both the chatat and asham); (#103) to offer-up the ketoret/incense; and (#104) not to sacrifice anything on the golden (i.e., the inner) altar. (Sefer Hachinuch) "They shall take for you pure, pressed olive oil for illumination . . ." (27:20) The gemara (Shabbat 21a) states: Any oil which cannot be used for Shabbat candles, cannot be used in the Bet Hamikdash. Rabbi Akiva Eiger z"l asks: What is the meaning of this statement? The Torah states that only olive oil may be used in the Bet Hamikdash! Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook z"l answers as follows: There is a discussion in the gemara whether the menorah must be made of gold. One view says that it must be, for the Torah says the menorah should be gold. The other opinion says that it need not be made of gold. Rather, the Torah means that if the menorah is made of gold, it should be made according to the design described in the Torah; if it is not made of gold, then it need not have that particular design. The reason for this opinion is the rule found in the Talmud that none of the Temple laws are mandatory unless the Torah states them twice. (Thus, the menorah which the Chashmonaim lit and on which the Chanukah miracle occurred consisted of seven iron spits standing side-by-side.) So, too, Rabbi Akiva Eiger's question may be answered by saying that the use of olive oil is not mandatory. Rather, our verse is teaching that if you use olive oil it should be pure. If you use another oil, it need not be as pure. (Tov Ro'ee) The Ba'al Haturim observes that Moshe's name is not mentioned in this entire parashah. From here we learn that a person should not curse himself, even conditionally. When Hashem threatened to destroy the Jewish people after the sin of the golden calf, Moshe said (Shemot 32:32 -- in next week's parashah), "And now, if You would but forgive their sin; but if not, erase me from Your book which You have written." Hashem did forgive the Jewish people, but He nevertheless erased Moshe's name from part of the Book. [This is the only parashah in the books of Shemot, Vayikra and Bemidbar in which Moshe is not mentioned. It is interesting to note that this parashah is nearly always read in the week of Moshe's yahrzeit, 7 Adar. (This is not true this year. As was noted in other issues, this year has several unusual calendrical features.)] ************************************ "And you shall command Bnei Yisrael and they shall take for you pure, pressed olive oil for illumination . . ." (27:20) In what way was the oil for Moshe? Rav Yaakov Lorberbaum of Lissa (the "Nesivos") z"l explains that the action of each mitzvah causes a parallel event among the spiritual forces. Oil, a flowing liquid, parallels the flow of holiness from the heavenly spheres downward, and lighting the menorah lights the way of G-d which we must follow. Certainly, no one knew the way of G-d better than did Moshe, and no one was closer to the "light" than was Moshe. However, say Chazal, all of Moshe's greatness was in the merit of Bnei Yisrael. Thus, when they brought the oil, it was for Moshe. (Nachalat Yaakov) "Vecheishev afudato/The belt with which it is emplaced, asher alav/ which is on it, mimenu hu kema'asehu/shall be of the same workmanship . . ." (28:8) This verse may be translated literally: "And the importance which he places on the belt -- from him, like his deeds it will be." Rav Yosef Chaim of Baghdad z"l explains that clothes are a metaphor for children. For example, in Zechariah 3:3, Yehoshua Kohen Gadol is said to be wearing soiled clothes because his sons are married to non-Jewish women. This verse teaches, says Rav Yosef Chaim, that you may teach your children many lessons. You may rebuke them harshly. You may even hit them with a belt (as alluded to in our verse). However, the importance that your children attach to your rebuke will be in accordance with your deeds, i.e., they will look at whether you practice what you preach. (Od Yosef Chai) ************************************ From the humor of our sages . . . "Venishmah kolo/And his voice will be heard when he enters the Holy." (28:38) The word "venishmah" appears three times in Tanach: here; in the verse, "All that G-d has spoken na'aseh venishmah/we will do and we will listen"; and in the verse, "Venishmah pitgam hamelech/And the king's command was heard." It is said that these refer to three types of rabbis, as follows: "Na'aseh venishmah" refers to a rabbi who is appointed because he is learned and obeys the commandments. "Venishmah kolo" refers to a rabbi who is appointed because he is a fine orator. Finally, "venishmah pitgam hamelech" refers to a state-appointed rabbi. (Chiyuchah Shel Torah) ************************************ Rav Tzedakah Chuzein z"l born 5459 (1699) - died 5533 (1773) Rav Tzedakah is credited with beginning a spiritual revival which turned Baghdad into a thriving center of Torah, as it was until the middle of this century. Rav Tzedakah himself was born in Aleppo, Syria, where he studied under Rav Rephael Shlomo Laniado. In 1743, after a plague devastated Baghdad, the Jews of that city turned to Rav Laniado and requested that one of his students become their rabbi. Rav Laniado chose Rav Tzedakah. Because all of Rav Tzedakah's siblings had died in infancy, his parents gave him up to foster parents (presumably out of fear that they did not deserve children who would live). By age 15, Rav Tzedakah was already recognized as a posek/halachic authority and public speaker. Among the prominent rabbis who sought his opinion were Rav Shimon Hakohen Dwik and Rav Emanuel Chai Riki. In Baghdad, Rav Tzedakah rebuilt the community and vastly increased the numbers of those learning Torah. He also instituted certain practices which are followed among Baghdad's Jews to this day. Shortly before Rav Tzedakah's death, three of his five sons died in a cholera epidemic which struck Baghdad. One of his surviving sons was Rav Moshe Chuzein, a noted liturgical poet. Rav Tzedakah himself left behind numerous manuscripts covering halachah, aggadah, and chumash commentary, one of which was published in 1926 by Rav Yitzchak Nissim (later Chief Rabbi of Israel). Some of his manuscripts were stolen by highway-men when he sent his writings to his teacher in Aleppo. Rav Tzedakah's primary student, Rav Yaakov ben Yosef Harofeh, was the teacher of Rav Abdallah Somech, who was in turn the teacher of Rav Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, popularly known as the "Ben Ish Chai." (A dvar Torah from the latter appears inside.) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible