Parsha Minute

Provided by Ben Gruen

In this week’s parsha, K’lal Yisroel receives instructions on how to build the Mishkan.
The outside structure of the mishkan consisted of the יריעת, the cloth which served as a roof for the mishkan, and of the קרשים, the beams, which supported the mishkan.
There were 2 layers of the יריעת – the top consisted of 5 יריעת sewn to another 5 יריעת and the second layer, which was on top of the first layer, consisted of 11 יריעת 5 :יריעת sewn to another 6 יריעת.

Why did Hashem not instruct K’lal Yisroel to make the יריעת from one big piece? Why did there need to be 2 sections sewn one to another?

The בעל הטורים explains that the 2 sections of the bottom set of יריעת represented the 2 לוחות, which were given as 5 דברות corresponding to the other 5 דברות.
The Shem Meshmuel adds that according to the בעל הטורים, we can explain why the second layer consisted of 5 יריעת sewn to another 6. Since the first layer represented the לוחות, it makes sense that the second layer represented the second layer of תורה – the 5 יריעת represented the חמשה חמשי תורה and 6 יריעת represented the ששה סדרי משנה.

Generally, one builds a roof after the walls, not before. However, Hashem instructed K’lal Yisroel about the יריעת before the קרשים. Why? According to this explanation, it makes sense. Just like Hashem commanded K’lal Yisroel concerning the ארון before the other כלים, since the ארון represents תורה, which is of primal importance, so too the instruction of the יריעת came before the קרשים.

In this weeks Parsha we have another component introduced about Matan Tora, possibly the most famous words mentioned by Klal Yisroel, Naseh Venishma. There is a question raised by the meforshim, Klal Yisroel already said Naseh, on the second day, so why was it necessary to repeat it again and also what is the addition of naseh venishma. The Brisker Rav explains that the Targum adds that Nishma although commonly translated as, we will hear, actually means we will accept upon ourselves. He explains that there were in fact two critical things that took place at Matan Torah one being the acceptance to do the Mitzvos and the second the fact that we entered into a Bris with Hashem. This explains the Brisker Rav are the two responses of Klal Yisroel, one being the acceptance to do and that says the Brisker Rav was only necessary to accept to do because the question was for them to accept the MItzvos. However in Parshas Mishpatim when Klal Yisroel were now being introduced to a new facet of their connection to Hashem they were now entering a Bris with Hashem to become one with Hashem and accept anything that will be asked of them, this requires a special addition of Kabala an acceptance for an everlasting bond, this was the addition of Naseh Venishma.

The Pasuk says that Yisro was amazed at the fact that Hashem punished the Mitzrim for all the evil they did.  The Pasuk uses a Lashon of Zadu which Rashi explains to mean evil done against Klal Yisroel. The Targum explains that the Lashon of Zadu, means everything they thought to do against Klal Yisroel. Meaning they were exacted with punishment for all their thoughts as well. The Brisker Rav comments and explains that a Goy is punished for an evil thought even without an action. He says that the actions that were done were known to all, however the plans and thoughts to do even more to klal Yisroel was only known to the advisors of Mitzrayim. Chazal tell us that Yisro was one of the advisors who was in charge of all that was done to klal Yisroel. Therefore it was specifically Yisro who was able to see the Yad Hashem, in a way that no one else could. He had the ability to see the Mida Keneged Mida even for the thoughts as well. This is the stress of the passuk that says that Yisro was able to recognize Hashem because of all the punishment he brought on Mitzrayim.

פרשת בשלח

(ט”ו:כ”ו)

ויאמר אם שמע תשמע לקול ה’ אלקיך וגו’… כל המחלה אשר שמתי במצרים לא אשים עליך כי אני ה’ רופאיך

Hashem tells Klal Yisreol, if you will listen to my voice and observe all my commandments, then any of the diseases that I placed upon mitzrayim I will not place on you, for I am Hashem, your Healer.

The obvious question is, if Hashem says that He will not place upon us any diseases, then why does He end off stating that he is our Healer?

The Nachlas Yaakov answers with a beautiful pshat. A doctor sometimes needs to inflict pain onto his patient while doing a procedure which also seems harmful to the body. Were someone to do the same to his enemy it would be considered barbaric, but when the doctor does it, the patient understands that is for his good, for it’s a necessary component to his very healing.

Hashem tells us, that if we will follow in His ways, He will always be considered to us as a Healer. Even if He strikes us with pain and suffering, it is always for our good. Unlike, the diseases he brought upon Mitzrayim which were intended to bring them suffering, any troubles He will bring upon us will be a part of our healing process, the atonement for our sins.

In Parshas Sh’mos the Torah introduces משה רבינו to us for the very first time. We know from חז”ל that there was a tremendous difference between the level of נבואה which Moshe merited in contrast to that of all other נביאים. The level of Moshe’s נבואה is compared by חז”ל to one who views something through an אספקלריא המאירה, a clear pane of glass, whereas the נבואה of all other נביאים is compared to one who views something through a אספקלריא שאינה מאירה, a clouded pane of glass. The Rambam in יד החזקה goes to great lengths to explain the tremendous difference in clarity of Moshe’s נבואה in contrast to that of all other נביאים. What was the unique aspect of משה רבינו that was the cause of this marked difference? The Rambam explains in his introduction to מסכת אבות that there are two basic realms of human perfection, intellectual perfection and character perfection. Intellectual perfection is the straightening of the individual’s intellect enabling it to comprehend the deepest concepts within reach of the human mind. Character perfection is the perfection of the individual’s personality. The Rambam explains that all נביאים needed to have attained complete intellectual perfection before being capable of receiving נבואה, yet they did not need to have achieved complete character perfection in order to merit נבואה. A נביא had to possess exemplary character but did not necessarily need to be of perfect character. The Rambam explains that all other נביאים had extremely slight faults in their character. These very slight faults created a certain clouding of their נבואה. Moshe though, was the only נביא who attained total perfection not only in his intellect but also in his character, leaving his נבואה completely untainted and clear. The Chazon Ish writes that the same is true with regards to the wisdom of Torah. The more refined one’s character is, the clearer his understanding of the Torah will be. The striving for understanding of הקב”ה and His Torah must always be accompanied by an equal striving for perfection of one’s character.

By Rabbi Eliyahu Heller

The commentators explain that this Parsha is stumah, closed. This is because through Yaakov’s death the eyes and hearts of the Jews were closed shut because of the pain of enslavement. As long as Yaakov was alive, the light of his wisdom and clarity could not be diffused. Yaakov was, by his very essence, the guardian and protector of his family’s purity and holiness.

It was only when Yaakov passed on that his children fell into the luring trap of Egyptian bondage. It almost seemed as if Yaakov’s death marked the end of his legacy, the end of a family that was holy and exalted from the rest. The Jews plummeted spiritually and were beaten physically.

Yet it was precisely the pain and suffering of Mitzrayim that purified the Jews to be molded into the chosen nation, worthy of coming face to face with Hashem and receive His Torah.

It was the physical, emotional and spiritual growing pains of Mitzrayim that had the most profound impact on the shaping of our unique identity.

The message is clear; sometimes it is when we lose our safety net, when we are placed in difficult and unbearable situations that we are given the opportunity to shape our destiny and cement our forebears legacy.

True and lasting growth is scary, painful, and often messy work that we are usually confronted with when we are alone and vulnerable.

In the words of the Midrash, “When are the words of Torah implanted in a person? When his Rebbe is gathered from the world. For as long as his Rebbe is alive he says- whenever I need, My Rebbe is here in front of me and I will ask him. (It is only) When his Rebbe dies he toils day and night to maintain his Torah knowledge, for he knows that he has no one to ask.”

While one must always strive to have a Rebbe and seek out his guidance, it is likely that we will be confronted at some point in our lives with the challenge to “become a man in a place where there are no men.” How we choose to respond will be from the most defining moments of our lives.

In this weeks parsha we learn that Yosef sent the “Agalos, calves,” to  Yakov after which  the pasuk  says that Yakov was calmed as he know realized that Yosef was still  in  his original  state of ruchniyus.  The reason for this was because the calves that were sent were to  remind Yakov of the last sugya they  were learnig which  was the parsha of egla arufa,  this was the symbol in  sending the calves. However the Das Zekinim  says that the word agalos is translated not as calves but rather as wagons and that they  were learning the parsha of the chanukas hamishkan  in which  the pasuk  says that the nesim  brought the wagons.  However one can  ask  what is the significance of them  learning the parsha of the chanukas hanesim  that parsha seemingly  is unrelated to  the tora the avos learnt and kept. 

One can  possibly  suggest that their learning about the chanukas hamizbeach  wasn’t  just to  learn  about the story of the future, rather it was to  give Yosef a message and lesson that even  in galus one can  reach  the highest levels of hashras hashechina just like the nesim  when they  dedicated the mishkan. Yakov knew that Yosef was destined to  a life of galus,  and wanted to  teach  him that even  in galus if we want to  connect ourselves to  the shechina we can,  and truly reach  the madreiga of the nesim  at the time of chanukas hamishkan. 

Reb  Chaim  Volozhin  writes that now that we don’t have a Beis hamikdosh,  the only  way we can  achieve that level n is through  limud hatora,  may  we all  be zoche in  our lives,  even  within  a long and difficult galus to  hashras hashechina.

On Chanuka we are celebrating two seemingly different inyanim. On the one hand the gemara tells us that the yom tov of chanuka is to commerate the miracle of the pach shemen, however when looking at other midrashim and rishonim it would seem that there is a focus on the chanukas habayis, the rededication of the beis hamikdosh. We therefore read the krias hatora of the chanukas habayis to commerate that inyan as well. However there are Rishonim that take this point a step further and hold the name of the yom tov of chanuka is to rememeber the chanukas habayis this would indicate that this is the primary significance of the day not just something to remember. How does that work with the Gemara in Shabbos that is clear that it is to remember the pach shemen. The Maharsha says on the gemara in Shabbos that you have to say that there are in fact two components to the yom tov, there are the days of chanuka that are for the chanukas hamizbeach and there is the mitzva of the menora to remember the pach shemen.

This still requires further explanation because on other yomim tovim the mitzvos of the day parallel the day itself like matza on Pesach or a lulav on succos. However on Chanuka how does the lighting of the menorah resemble the chanukas hamizbeich. The answer could possibly be that the inyan of the Yevanim were to be against the unique relationship klal Yisroel has with hashem and especially the special level of shechina that resides within klal Yisroel more than the rest of the nations. The idea of shechina residing in klal yisroel is symbolized in the menora as the gemara says in Shabbos that it was the symbol of the shechina residing in Klal Yisroel. Therefore the nes of the pach hashemen in effect symbolized the highest level of the shechina residing in klal Yisroel. The idea of shechina residing within klal Yisroel was the purpose of the Mishkan. It therefore makes sense that the neiros were the vehicle with which to inaugurate the mizbeich to show that the shechina dwells within klal Yisroel.
With this we understand that the commeration of the chanukas hamizbeich is actually through the lighting the menorah, and that the nes of the pach hashemen was the ultimate display of hashem wanting his shechina to be within klal Yisroel to a point where there was a nes to make sure it wouldn’t stop for even one day. A Freilichin Chanuka.

By Rabbi Binyamin Lifshutz
Valley Village Community Kollel

The connection between this week’s haftorah and parshas vayeishev is plain. In the parsha Yoseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, and the haftorah begins with the navi Amos delivering Hashem’s message of rebuke for the commission of four sins by the Jewish people. The fourth is a reference to that sale, described as the “sale of a righteous one for monetary compensation and a pauper for a pair of shoes.”

However, there may be another, less obvious connection between our parsha and the theme of the haftorah.                                                                                     

Rabbeinu Osher (ro”sh) asks why Yoseph would antagonize his brothers by relating his dreams, knowing the hateful reaction it would elicit.  He answers that these were no ordinary dreams. In fact, they were no less than prophetic visions. Yoseph was therefore obligated to share his dreams because a navi who withholds the message which has been revealed to him for the purpose of retelling, is liable to be punished by death.

In the haftorah Hashem says: “I have raised prophets from among your sons… and you instructed the prophets saying do not prophesy.” The haftorah continues by stressing the importance of nevuah and following it’s dictates and ends with a message for the navi on the imperative for him to share his prophecy and not keep it to himself. In light of the words of the ro”sh, this dynamic was manifest in our parsha as well with the prophecy of Yoseph and the refusal of the brothers to accept his revelations.

The haftorah concludes with a dramatic declaration, in line with this theme and with Yoseph’s insistence on sharing his dreams, “A lion has roared, who fears not, Hashem Elokim has spoken, who will not prophesy.” May we merit the return of prophecy speedily in our days.

By Rabbi Shlomo Linden
Valley Village Community Kollel

In Parshas Vayishlach, Perek 32, Passuk 25, it says “Vayivaser Yaakov levado, vayei’aveik ish imo.”  Rashi cites the interpretation in Chullin 91a that Yaakov forgot some pachim ketanim, small jugs, and returned to retrieve them even though he was putting himself in danger.  Chazal derive from here that “to the righteous, their money is dearer to them than their bodies.”  Since they earn every penny diligently and honestly it is precious to them.  This gemarah needs an explanation. Why is their money dearer to them than their lives?

Perhaps we can understand the gemarah based on a principle taught by the Chafetz Chaim.  The Ponovezher Rav relates that while he and R’ Elchanan Wasserman were learning in the Kollel in Radin, they wanted to look something up in a specific sefer.  Since this sefer is quoted in the Mishnah Berurah, they figured the Chafetz Chaim must own it, and they went to ask him for it.  To their astonishment the Chafetz Chaim told them that he doesn’t own this sefer as well as many other sefarim that he quotes.  Every time he needs a sefer he borrows it.  Noticing their surprise, he explains that in fact he is not upset by the sefarim that he doesn’t have; rather he’s bothered by the sefarim he does have.  Instead of learning sefarim and putting them in his head so to speak, he has applied effort and money to have them sit on his bookshelf.  It was the lack of Torah learning that he felt was worth agonizing over.

Based on this, the Chafetz Chaim explains a gemarah in Gittin 47a.   The gemarah states that when Reish Lakish passed away, he left a small amount of spices to his heirs.  Nevertheless he applied to himself the passuk “veazvu le’achairim cheilam,” “And they leave for others their wealth.”  This passuk is referring to foolish people who gather a lot of wealth they have no use for, and it ends up going to others.  The obvious question is why is he agonizing over leaving over an inheritance, especially when it is such a small amount?  The answer is that once he realized he won’t be using the spices, he regretted the fact that he wasted the time and effort needed to acquire them, while he could have been learning Torah.  He calculated how to spend every minute of his life and only invested in what was necessary to live in this world.

Now we can understand what Chazal say, “To the righteous their money is dearer to them than their bodies.”  They didn’t put any effort or time into creating their bodies, rather they received them as a gift.   This is as opposed to their money for which they invested lots of time and effort, but only to the point of what they needed to serve Hashem.  A tzaddik values his time to such an extent that spending time acquiring items that aren’t an absolute necessity is considered a waste!

The real value of the money is the time spent acquiring it.  Every minute is dear and precious and not to be wasted on unnecessary pursuits.  We can learn from here to appreciate every minute we have in this world, and the responsibility to use it wisely, learning more Torah and keeping Hashem’s mitzvos to the best of our abilities.

Have a Wonderful Shabbos!