Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Terumah Volume 23, No. 19 4 Adar 5769 February 28, 2009 Sponsored by The Katz family on the yahrzeit of Gitel bat Chaim Eliezer Hakohen Katz a"h Today's Learning: Keilim 3:5-6 O.C. 285:6-286:1 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Bava Kamma 62 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Kiddushin 26 King Shlomo writes in Mishlei (24:3-4), "Through wisdom, a house is built, and it is established through understanding; and through knowledge, its chambers become filled with all dear and pleasant treasures." R' Yehoshua ibn Shuiv z"l (Spain; early 14th century) explains: Taken at face value, these verses appear to teach that a person's material success in this world depends upon his knowledge and intelligence. However, such an interpretation is untenable, for it would put King Shlomo at odds both with his father's words and with his own words elsewhere. His father, King David, wrote (Tehilim 127:1), "If Hashem will not build the house, in vain do its builders labor on it." Other verses from Tehilim make the same point. Likewise, King Shlomo wrote (Kohelet 9:11), "The race does not go to the swift . . ." Rather, success comes not from knowledge, but from having G-d's help. Indeed, our own observations tell us that material success is not related to one's intelligence. Furthermore, our verse could not be referring to material success. King Shlomo would not have referred to material things as "dear and pleasant treasures." Rather, the "house" which is built with wisdom, understanding and knowledge is the world, as we read (Mishlei 3:19), "Hashem founded the earth with wisdom; He established the heavens with understanding; through His knowledge the depths were cleaved and the heavens dripped dew." Also, the Mishkan / Tabernacle, which is discussed in our parashah, was built with these attributes, as we read (Shmot 31:3), "I filled him [Bezalel] with the spirit of Elokim, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge." (Derashot ibn Shuiv) ******** "They shall make for Me a tabernacle, and I shall dwell amongst them." (25:8) Rabbi Asher Weiss shlita writes: According to RambaM z"l, this verse not only was a commandment to build the Tabernacle in the desert, it also is the source of the mitzvah to build the Bet Hamikdash. In RambaM's words, "He commanded us to build a house of avodah / service . . ." RambaM writes further that this mitzvah includes the commandment to build all of the utensils of the Temple, i.e., the menorah, the shulchan, the altar, etc. RambaN z"l disagrees with RambaM. He writes: The utensils are not part of the mitzvah of the Temple, but rather are a separate mitzvah. Therefore, if we made one without the other [i.e., the Bet Hamikdash without the utensils, or vice-versa], we would at least have performed one mitzvah. R' Weiss observes: RambaM's and RambaN's respective positions reflect their positions on another question--what is the purpose of the Bet Hamikdash? As noted above, RambaM considers the Bet Hamikdash to be a place of avodah. Naturally, therefore, making the utensils necessary for the avodah is part of the mitzvah of building the Temple. According to RambaN, however, the purpose of the Tabernacle and later the Bet Hamikdash was to recreate the revelation that occurred at Sinai. The service that took place in those structures was not the essence of the structures' existence. Therefore, making the utensils cannot be part of the same mitzvah. R' Weiss writes further: It might be argued that, according to RambaM, who considers making the utensils to be a detail of the mitzvah of building the Temple, one completely fails to fulfill the mitzvah if any of the utensils is missing. However, this is not necessarily so, for there are other instances in which a mitzvah is fulfilled even though some of the details of the mitzvah are lacking. For example, although, in the opinion of most authorities, we do not know how to make techelet for our tzitzit, we still are considered to have fulfilled the mitzvah of tzitzit by wearing white strings. (Minchat Asher) R' Pinchas Halevi Ish Horowitz z"l (18th century rabbi of Frankfurt, Germany; author of several widely used Talmud commentaries) writes that the entire construction of the aron alludes to the founding fathers and leaders of the Jewish people: The two keruvim allude to Avraham and Yitzchak. Two times the gematria of "keruv" (kaf-resh-vav-vet) equals 456, the gematria of "Avraham" and "Yitzchak." The aron itself alludes to Yaakov, who said (Bereishit 28:17): "How `nora' / awesome is this place." The letters of "nora" are the same letters that spell "aron." [Ed. note: In addition, Yaakov is the Patriarch most associated with Torah study, and the aron housed the Torah.] The four walls of the aron allude to the twelve tribes, which traveled in a four-sided formation. [Ed. note: In addition, the combined area of the four walls of the aron was 12 square amot.] The two poles for carrying the aron allude to the two leaders -- Moshe and Aharon. Finally, the Luchot Ha'berit / Tablets of the Covenant inside the aron allude to Yosef because a person who guards his morality, as Yosef did in the face of Mrs. Potiphar's seductions, is traditionally referred to as a "Guardian of the Berit." (Panim Yafot) ******** "You shall make two keruvim / cherubs of gold . . . (25:18) ". . . with their faces toward one another." (25:20) The Gemara (Sukkah 5b) states that the word "keruvim" is related to the Aramaic word for "baby," teaching that the keruvim were baby-faced. Regarding the second verse quoted above, the Ba'al Ha'turim z"l (14th century) explains that the keruvim faced each other "like two friends discussing a Torah topic." R' Meir Rubman z"l (Israel; 20th century) asks: Aren't these mixed metaphors? Babies don't discuss Torah topics with each other! He explains: Every person has hidden powers far in excess of his everyday abilities. These powers manifest themselves, for example, when a person is in danger. A person's powers are like a storekeeper's merchandise; a small amount is on display, and the rest is in the back room. Most people use only their "visible" powers, but a great person strives to use his hidden powers. This is because the typical person feels no need to strive for greatness, while a select few do. Indeed, this is one way to differentiate between a "regular" person and a great one. The lesson of the baby-faced keruvim who face each other like friends engaged in a Torah discussion is that every person, even if his powers are hidden like a baby's, can bring out his full potential and achieve greatness, just as a person who is engaged in a Torah discussion with his friend should use all of his intellectual powers to prove his point. (Zichron Meir) ******** "You shall make the planks of the Mishkan / Tabernacle of acacia wood, standing erect." (26:15) The midrash comments: Take from those acacia trees which were already standing for this purpose. Avraham had planted these trees in Be'er Sheva. When Yaakov went to Egypt, he transplanted the trees there. Then, before he died, he told his sons that Hashem would one day command that they build a Mishkan, and they should use these trees. Were there no suitable trees in Egypt? Why did the Patriarchs go to such trouble? R' Yaakov Kaminetsky z"l (died 1986) explains that the Patriarchs acted thus in order to raise the spirits of their descendants who would be enslaved in Egypt. It was not enough to promise the Jews that they would be redeemed; the groves of acacia trees that Yaakov planted in Egypt were a tangible reminder to the enslaved Jews that their eventual salvation was a reality. Similarly, R' Kamenetsky writes, this is one reason that the authors of the siddur included the order of the korbanot / sacrifices in the daily prayers. The more we are familiar with what took place in the Bet Hamikdash, the more real the eventual rebuilding of the Bet Hamikdash will be to us. (Emet Le'Yaakov) ******** This Week in History, Halachah, and Minhag 3 Adar: Construction of the second Bet Hamikdash was completed on this date. (Ezra 6:15) Motzai Shabbat: There is a custom dating back to the Sages of the Gemara that the congregation reads Megillat Esther in unison on the two Motzai Shabbatot before Purim--chapters 1-5 tonight and chapters 6-10 next week (Masechet Sofrim 14:18). In present times, this custom is observed by some Chernobyl, Skver and Rachmastrivka chassidim. (Luach Davar B'ito p.596) 7 Adar: Yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu. Some have the custom to fast on this day (Shulchan Aruch 580:2). R' Yehonatan Eyebschutz z"l (18th century) adds that one should repent on this day, for a fast day without repentance is meaningless (Ya'arot Devash II:9). This day is widely observed as a time to strengthen the chevra kadishah / burial society and honor its members. In Europe, it was customary in many communities for the rabbi to give a derashah on this day lasting several hours. These sermons are recorded in works such as the 18th century Ya'arot Devash and the 19th century Derashot Chatam Sofer, among others. 9 Adar: Some have the custom to fast on this day because, on this date, the two great academies Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai had their first halachic dispute. (Shulchan Aruch 580:2) This day is the 60th yahrzeit of R' Yechiel Michel Schlesinger z"l, founder of Yeshivat Kol Torah in Yerushalayim. Founded in 1939, Kol Torah was the first Ashkenazic yeshiva in which the official language of instruction was Hebrew.