Today's Learning Chullin 8:3-4 O.C. 493:2-4 Sponsored by Bechorot 58 Elaine & Jerry Taragin in memory of Asriel Taragin a"h The Broder Family in honor of Hillel's bar mitzvah Vayakhel-Shekalim Vol. XI, No. 22 (505), 29 Adar I 5757, March 8, 1997 This week's and next week's parashot describe the construction of the mishkan and its vessels. The content of these parashot is virtually identical to that of Terumah and Tetzaveh, except that those earlier parashot contain G-d's commands and these later parashot describe their implementation. What purpose does this repetition serve? Rav "Velvel Brisker" z"l explains as follows: There is a question in the gemara (Bechorot 17b) called "efshar le'tzamtzem," i.e., whether it is possible to measure anything precisely. Is it possible for any two events to happen at precisely the same time or for any two objects to be precisely the same size? For example, if an ewe gives birth to twins, is it possible that they would both be the bechor? The gemara attempts to answer this question by noting Hashem's command that the mishkan and each of its vessels be of a certain size. Presumably, then, it is possible to measure precisely. No, the gemara says, G-d just meant that man should do the best that he can, but there is no proof from here that precise measurement is possible. The purpose of our parashah, says Rav Velvel, is to teach that although man could not have measured the mishkan and its vessels precisely, they did in fact turn out exactly right. (Chiddushei HaGriz) ************************************ Parashat Vayakhel In Halachah This parashah contains one of the Torah's 613 mitzvot, i.e., the mitzvah that the court should not execute a convict on Shabbat. (Sefer Hachinuch) According to Rambam, the same prohibition would preclude bet din from carrying out corporal punishment on Shabbat. (Hil. Shabbat 24:7) "Everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring . . ." (35:5) Rambam writes: "One who makes the type of vow called a "neder" or the type of vow called a "nedavah" is not obligated to fulfill his vow unless his lips and his heart were in agreement. How so? If one meant to say, 'I will bring an olah,' but instead he said, 'I will bring a shelamim,' he is obligated in neither. "However, if a person made a vow in his heart but said nothing, he is obligated to fulfill his vow. How so? If one said in his heart, 'I will bring an olah,' he is obligated to do so, as it is written, 'Everyone whose heart motivates him shall bring'." (Hil. Ma'aseh Hakorbanot 14:12) "Every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands." (35:26) Rambam writes: "Which tasks a wife must perform in the house depends on local custom. If it is customary for a wife to weave, she should weave. If it is customary for a wife to embroider, she should embroider. If it is customary for a wife to spin flax or wool, she should spin flax or wool. "However, if it is not customary for wives to do any of these things, she need not do them, with the exception of spinning wool - - not flax, because it could be harmful to the mouth and lips, but wool, which is a trade unique to woman, as it is written, 'Every wise-hearted woman spun with her hands'." (Hil. Ishut 21:1) ************************************ From the humor of our sages . . . "And the seventh day will be holy to you." (35:2) Rav Avraham of Sochatchov (noted posek and chassidic rebbe) once traveled to a resort in Germany. The local "enlightened" rabbi saw Rav Avraham's shtreimel and asked derisively, "Why are you wearing a fur hat in the summer?" "True, it is summer now," responded Rav Avraham, "but Shabbat here is very cold." "Every man and woman whose heart motivated them to bring for all of the work that Hashem had commanded la'asot. . ." (35:29) The word "la'asot" frequently is translated "to do" or "to make," but it also can mean "to cause others to do." Rav Eliezer Dovid Grunwald z"l explains the above verse in that light, as follows: Each of Bnei Yisrael wanted to participate in "all of the work that Hashem had commanded" as part of the mishkan's construction, but that, of course, was impossible. Each donation that was given had to go to a specific cause, and some people could not afford to give more. However, by causing others to donate to the best of their abilities, one could take part in a larger share of the construction. (Keren Le'Dovid) ************************************ "He gave him (Bezalel) the ability to teach, he and Ohaliav . . ." (35:34) Should not the Torah have said simply: "He gave him (Bezalel) and Ohaliav the ability to teach"? Rav Moshe Grunwald z"l answers as follows: Just as when you pour from one vessel into another the receiving vessel must be lower than the other, so one can learn from another person only if the student humbles himself before the teacher. The ironic result of this is that a haughty teacher cannot teach, for the haughtiness also passes to the student and makes him unable to learn. Why was Bezalel able to teach? the Torah says. Because he always felt that "he and Ohaliav" were a team, even that he (Bezalel) was secondary. (Arugas Habosem) ************************************ THE MONTH OF ADAR Kabbalists teach that the month of Adar is alluded to in the verse (Bereishit 49:11): "He will tie his donkey to the vine; to the vine branch his donkey's foal." Rav Yaakov Yechezkiyah Grunwald z"l explains as follows: Adar is a month of joy. Joy must lead to teshuvah/repentance, in particular, repentance motivated by love for G-d. This is indeed what happened at the original Purim time, when the Torah, which had been accepted in Moshe's time out of fear, was accepted anew out of love (see Shabbat 88). The Bnei Yissaschar says that repentance motivated by love for G-d is like a grape. If you extract the juice of any fruit, that juice has a less "important" berachah than the fruit itself did. Not so grapes, whose berachah is "ha'etz," but whose juice has the berachah of "hagefen." So, too, when one's repentance is motivated by love for G-d, one's sins are raised to a higher level and actually are counted a merits. [Thus, repentance out of love is represented in the verse as one who ties his "donkey" (an allusion to man's lowest nature) to a vine.] The above pasuk continues: "He will launder his garments in wine," alluding to the fact that one's "clothes" which are sullied by sin should be washed in the joy of Adar. Then we will be "white- toothed from milk," as the following verse says, for white alludes to cleanliness and purity. (Vayaged Yaakov) ************************************ Rav Yaakov Yechezkiyah Grunwald z"l died 2 Adar 5701 (1941) Rav Yaakov Yechezkiyah was a member of one of the most distinguished families of Hungarian Jewry. His father, Rav Moshe Grunwald, was rabbi of Chust and headed a major yeshiva. Rav Moshe is better known by his works, each entitled Arugas Habosem. Rav Moshe's brother, Rav Eliezer Dovid Grunwald, was rabbi of several towns, including Viso and Satmar. (He is not to be confused with the Satmar Rebbe.) Rav Eliezer Dovid, known as the Keren Le'Dovid, also headed an important yeshiva. Rav Y.Y. studied under his father until his marriage. In a letter to Rav Y.Y. shortly thereafter, the Arugas Habosem outlined a course of study for his son: Concentrate on halachic authorities (including Shulchan Aruch, Bet Yosef, the Shulchan Aruch of Rav Shneur Zalman, and the Chavas Da'as), and, if possible, study the related Talmudic sections in depth; study at least one daf/page of gemara every day with just Rashi's commentary, beginning at the beginning and continuing in order until completion; and study a chapter of Tanach/Bible every day, as well as major commentaries on the weekly parashah. Combining halachic studies with the study of Talmud was commonplace in Hungarian yeshivot, including the yeshivot which Rav Y.Y.'s himself would head. In 1929, Rav Y.Y. was chosen as rabbi of Papa, Hungary (known to Jews as "Pupa"). Within a short time, the yeshiva which he established there numbered 300 students. The sound of Torah never stopped, as students studied in shifts round the clock. Rav Y.Y. himself was in the bet midrash at all hours as well. (The yeshiva also had a cafeteria, unusual in those days.) On Friday night, the yeshiva students would come to Rav Y.Y.'s table for kiddush, hurry out to eat, and then return to his table for Divrei Torah, singing and dancing. At seudah shlishit, Rav Y.Y.'s son would choose a passage of midrash at random and Rav Y.Y. would expound on it. Over time, Rav Y.Y.'s rabbinate took on many trappings of a chassidic court; although Rav Y.Y.'s father was not born into a chassidic family, he had gravitated towards the Shiniva and Belzer Rebbes and had taken his son on his many visits to those rebbes. Thus, Rav Y.Y.'s yeshiva became known as a place where one could obtain a solid Torah education and absorb the spirit of chassidut. Indeed, today, Pupa is a full-fledged chassidic court in its own right, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Rav Y.Y.'s son, Rav Yosef Grunwald, settled in 1951. Divrei Torah from Rav Y.Y., his father, and his uncle appear on page 3. Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible