Parshas Tetzaveh:
These Divrei Torah are dedicated to a Refuah Shleimah Mi'heira to my great Rebbe, HARAV ELYAKIM GETZEL BEN LEAH.
The Sages Say:
‘To kindle the lamp(s) always.’ (Shemos 27:20)
Our Sages of blessed memory said: When they would light the Menorah, every courtyard in Yerushalayim would be illuminated by its light.
(Midrash Tanchuma Ch. 3)
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A Helpful Hint:
‘And you [Moshe Rabbeinu] shall command the Bnei Yisroel and they shall take to you olive oil -- pure, crushed (כתית) for lighting, to kindle the lamp(s) always.’ (Shemos 27:20)
The Baal HaTurim zt”l notes that כתית is made up of the letters ת"י (the numerical value of 410) and ת"כ (the numerical value of 420). This alludes to us, he explains, that for 410 years [the time that the first Beis HaMikdash stood for] and 420 years [the time that the second Beis HaMikdash stood for] the lighting of the Menorah [in the Beis HaMikdash] would be practiced.
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A “Lamdanishe” Insight:
‘And these are the Garments that they shall make: A Choshen, and an Ephod, and a Me’il, and a Kesones Tashbeitz, a Mitznefes, and an Avneit…’ (Shemos 28:4)
‘And you shall make a Tzitz of pure gold…’ (Shemos 28:36)
‘And make for them [Aharon and his sons] Linen Breeches…’ (Shemos 28:42)
Tells us the Gemara (Arachin 16a): Why is the portion dealing with the Bigdei Kehuna (Priestly Garments) near the portion dealing with Karbanos (offerings)? To tell you that just like offerings atone, so too the Bigdei Kehuna atone [for things].
The Kesones (Checkered Tunic) atones for spilling of blood (murder)... the Michnasayim (Breeches) atones for gilui arayos (immoral relations)... the Mitznefes (Turban) atones for haughtiness of spirit… the Avneit (Belt) atones for a [bad] thought of the heart (see Yerushalmi Yoma 7:3)… the Choshen (Breastplate) atones for [erroneous] judgements… the Ephod (Apron) atones for avodah zarah (idol worship)... the Me’il (Robe) atones for Lashon Hara (evil gossip)... the Tzitz (Headplate) atones for brazenness…
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Chassidishe Vort:
‘And you [Moshe Rabbeinu] shall command the Bnei Yisroel and they shall take to you olive oil -- pure, crushed for lighting…’ (Shemos 27:20)
Says Rashi HaKadosh (from Gemara Menachos 86a): [Crushed for lighting], but not crushed for Meal-offerings (למנחות).
In an interesting take on this all, Rebbe Yechiel Danziger zt”l (the first Alexander Rebbe) explains: When a “preacher” gives someone Mussar (like rebuke, in this case) -- trying to humble the person a little, they need to intend to only do it ‘for lighting’, i.e. to help to illuminate and show the person the proper path [that they should take], ‘and not for מנחות’ -- [מנחות, which has the same root as to lay down or rest, teaching us that] we must make sure to not give rebuke in order to bring the person down and make them feel lowly…
(Quoted in Maayanah Shel Torah)
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Mussar Message:
‘And you shall speak to all the wise of heart, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom…’ (Shemos 28:3)
The title “wise of heart” means a person who wants wisdom, and makes every effort to achieve it. If a person’s heart is like this, HaKadosh Baruch Hu will give them wisdom.
(Peninei HaTorah)
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Chazak V’ematz:
This week being the special Maftir of Parshas Zachor, I wanted to do an insight on one of its main topics: The erasing of Amalek, yemach shemo (may it’s name be obliterated): Towards the end of Parshas Beshalach, the Torah tells us about how Amalek waged war upon us. And the Torah relates that when Moshe Rabbeinu would raise his hand up, the Jews would be stronger -- but when he would lay his hand down, Amalek would be stronger.
Asks the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 3:8); was it then Moshe Rabbeinu’s hands that made the Jews win or lose? Rather, the Mishnah explains, it is to teach you that when the Jews looked to On High and subjected their hearts to our Father in Heaven, they prevailed. And when not, they fell.
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Many Chassidishe Masters note that the Gematria (numerical value) of the word עמלק (Amalek) is the same as that of ספק -- doubt. This teaches us, they explain, that Amalek tries to bring Sfeikus -- doubts, into our Emunah (faith), Rachmana Litzlan. (There are other proofs for this brought, as well).
And furthermore, many Rabbonim explain that another power of Amalek is Kerirus -- coldness. They tried to bring coldness to the Jews (see Rashi HaKadosh and many later Commentators).
But what does Amalek have to do with us nowadays? Numerous Gedolim tell us that Amalek represents the Yetzer Hara: We all have a personal war with Amalek. We can probably all testify to how many times the Yetzer Hara tries to attack us and engulf us in coldness and doubt (which go hand in hand), Rachmana Litzlan. I can tell you that it has done that to me. But what can we do if, Chas V’Shalom and Rachmana Litzlan, we fall into this trap -- or it even just attacks us with it?
The advice comes from what we quoted above: The way to beat our Yetzer Hara (A.K.A. Amalek) and coldness and doubt is just to turn Upwards to our Father in Heaven. Connecting to Him -- and even just lifting our hands to Him, I might add -- helps us to overcome all wars we might encounter in our lives. Our Father is always there, ready to help us. Just turn to Him.
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The Purim story -- the triumph of the Jews and the downfall of Haman yemach shemo; the triumph of good over evil -- is the defeat of Amalek (whom Haman was from). And so this time I believe, is a reminder of -- and an especially good time to think about -- our war versus Amalek in our own lives, and how to prevail, B’Ezras Hashem. May HaKadosh Baruch Hu help everyone to triumph always, Amein.
(Tal U’Matar)
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Maaseh B’Rabbi…
The following is a first-person account from the great Tzaddik (righteous person) and Holocaust survivor, Reb Yisroel Cohen shlit”a (or called Srulik in the following piece), related in his book, Destined to Survive:
“All the strain and nervous excitement had their effect on me. I had just suffered through a bad bout of typhus and several days of high fever. Falling back on my segment of board, I fell asleep.
When I woke up the next morning, I felt dizzy, and my head felt very heavy. My bones, protruding as they did from my emaciated body, scraped against the wooden plank, stinging painfully as the skin peeled off. But who could pay attention to such trivialities? After six years in the ghetto and in three concentration camps, one’s body adjusts, and suffering becomes the norm.
Nevertheless, the hunger pangs were constantly renewing themselves, and since a hungry person can hardly think of anything else but eating, I began to calculate how much time remained until noon, when the “hot soup” would arrive. (This was a lukewarm liquid in which a couple of pieces of potato occasionally would float.)
With my head down on the wooden board, near despair, I began to conjure up images from my past, of my life with my parents and my two sisters, Gittel and Mirel -- how I used to learn in the Gerer shtiebel and belonged to the circle of young boys. Mostly, I remembered my grandfather, Reb Herschel, who loved me dearly and to whom I was strongly attached, who used to take me, his only grandson, along whenever he went to the Gerer Rebbe. I relived the memory of my entering the room where the Rebbe was, and the deep impression left in my heart by the Rebbe’s eyes, eyes that overflowed with wisdom and love, eyes that penetrated the very depths of my soul. While still remembering this brilliant, imposing figure, I thought to myself, “Will I ever have the zechus (merit) to press myself into the crowd of chassidim gathering around the Rebbe, to frequent his beis medrash and learn from him how to be a chassid and a G-d-fearing person?”
“It’s time to daven, Srulik.”
My friend’s voice shook me from my reverie. Immediately, my pleasant memories vanished and once again I found myself in the pit of hell.
Half-dazed, I picked myself up and said, “Yes, of course. Let’s wash our hands and daven.”
A sudden thought struck me.
“But it’s Purim today! We have to organize a minyan -- maybe we’ll even remember a few pesukim of the Megillah!”
And, wonder of wonders! In that instant, I forgot my pain, my suffering, my hunger pangs. Summoning up all my remaining strength, I went to wash my hands and face and then to find some men to complete our minyan, and inform any of my acquaintances who would want to daven betzibbur (with a quorum). Perhaps I could even find someone else who could still recall a few more verses from the Megillah, so that we could fulfill as much as we could of the obligations that are remembered and kept from generation to generation.
And then, as if to show that G-d desires those mitzvos that Jews perform with true mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice), by some miracle a small Chumash Shemos was discovered with the complete Megillas Esther at the back. (Our friend, Itche Perelman, who was in the burial commando, had discovered it in one of the blocks.) Our elation was immeasurable! Such a find was awesome! It could only be a sign that our prayers had been received in Heaven and the redemption was about to begin. Excitement grew to a feverish pitch. Who remembered the hunger, who remembered the cold, the filth, the degradation? No one gave a thought to the dangers involved in organizing a minyan and reading the Megillah, if suddenly the Germans or a kapo would decide to drop into our hut. Even the irreligious ones… were filled with excitement at this great event.
“Who will read the Megillah?” the question was thrown.
The lot fell on me, for I had learned to become skilled as a baal korei (reader of the Torah) from the time I had been locked into the ghetto… And so, I found myself sitting on the edge of my piece of wooden plank, dressed in a camp uniform, a towel wrapped around my head in place of a yarmulke, reciting with my remaining strength, “and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews…” When I read aloud about Haman’s downfall, and that “The Jews had light and happiness, joy and honor,” the spark of hope deep inside every Jew’s heart ignited into a flaming torch. “Oy, Ribbono Shel Olam!” thought each person, “Make a wondrous miracle for us, too, as You did for our forefathers in those days, and we will also see the end of our enemies!”
When I finished, everyone cheered in relief. For a brief instant, the dreadful reality of the SS death camp was forgotten, the hunger and suffering were overlooked. Everyone realized that he was a Jew and a human being, and the savage atmosphere was transformed into a Purim atmosphere. And I, having exerted all my remaining energy in my reading of the Megillah, remained sitting almost without breathing, but with my spirit soaring.
When people’s actions are pleasing to Hashem, even their enemies are reconciled to them. Even the block elder, who usually strutted in with a cruel, arrogant demeanor and scowling face, allowed a smile to play on his lips as he entered that day, and handed out the soup without shouting or cursing at anyone who did not thrust out his can quickly enough. The ever-present jealousy turned into generosity, since instead of complaining as usual that someone else had received more potatoes, everyone cried out, “Let Srulik get a bigger portion of soup today!”
Instead of dwelling on the past, we began to dream about the future, with the hope that soon the German demon would inherit his own downfall, and that the end of Jewish suffering would arrive. And like a river overflowing its banks, its waters pouring out unchecked, so the festive atmosphere and the vision of redemption burst out of the broken hearts of the camp inmates, and, one mitzvah leading to another, more acts of heroism followed. Someone decided to forgo a small piece of yesterday’s bread, and offered it to his comrade instead. Another person donated a piece of potato, and these two “portions,” which only yesterday could have caused envy and hatred among friends, now became the means by which the inmates could return to what was written, “to fulfill the mitzvah of mishloach manos, one man to another.”
These precious mishloach manos were passed around from one to the other, until they finally landed on my lap. Everyone decided that I should be the one to keep them as payment for reading the Megillah. I thought to myself, “Ribbono Shel Olam! Behold Your great nation, that in one second can transform itself from the level of wild animals tearing at one another, to the level of courageous men, faithful Jews. And who is like you, Yisrael, a single nation of the earth?” With great emotion I turned to all present: “Yidden! Brothers in suffering! I don’t deserve this honor you have given me. We all have but one request from our Heavenly Father: L’shanah habaah biYerushalayim! Next year in Jerusalem!”
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A Gut Shabbos and a very Freilichen Purim to all!
