Short & Sweet

Noach: Building Upward

Noach was the first person that the Torah tells us made a ????. But what is the point of a ????? Why can’t a Korban be brought on bare ground?

R’ Shamshon Rafael Hirsh has a fascinating explanation. Some people think that God can only be found in nature, and that they must retreat from society to connect to the divine.

But that is not what we believe. We believe that the best way to connect to Hashem is by building a society that reflects His will, by incorporating the divine into every aspect of our lives.

That idea, explains R’ Hirsh, is symbolized by a ????. A ???? must be attached to the ground, but we need to make it by putting stones together. This represents using human activity to elevate the earth towards the divine.

After the world was destroyed in the Mabul, Noach built the first ????. This was an attempt to rededicate the world to its original mission – to be a place where people are constantly striving to build higher, to create an elevated society that connects us to our Creator.

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Vayeira: We’ll Show Them

After Avraham’s bris milah, Hashem made sure the weather was extra hot so that no guests would bother Avraham. Yet not only did Avraham not find the lack of passerby in need to be a relief, but it actually bothered him so much that Hashem had to send Malachim to serve as Avraham’s “guests”.

But why did it bother Avraham that he had no guests? If there is nobody in need, shouldn’t that be celebrated rather than mourned?

R’ Shlomo Heiman, the first Rosh Yeshiva of Torah V’Daas, offers an incredible explanation. Avraham was born into a world where helping others was not valued, and his goal was to change that. It bothered Avraham that he had no chessed to engage in, since he sought to set an example for the world about the importance of chessed.

Said R’ Shlomo Heiman, in our own lives we should always seek to do Mitzvos loudly and proudly, with a particular emphasis on those Mitzvos that many people may not be aware of or sufficiently value.

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Chayei Sarah: Appropriate Jewelry

As soon as Rivka proved her giving nature by giving Eliezer’s camels to drink, Eliezer gave her two two bracelets that weighed ten shekel. Rashi explains that this represented the two Luchos and the ???? ?????? that they contained. Simply understood, Eliezer was telling Rivka that she passed the test, and that her children would be the ?? ????? who would receive the Torah.

However, R’ Elimelech Kohn saw a deeper message here, based upon a teaching of R’ Yisroel Salanter. R’ Yisroel Salanter was asked, why are Middos not more prominently featured among the Mitzvos of the Torah? He answered that the Middos are a prerequisite for the Torah – one who acts terribly and keeps the Mitzvos is like ??? ??? ??? ????, placing a gold ring on the nose of a pig.

We can now understand the sequence of the events of our Parsha. Eliezer first ascertained that Rivka had good Middos, and only then gave her the jewelry that symbolized the Torah. Only once he knew of her sterling character traits was it possible to adorn and beautify her with the Torah.

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Toldos: Together Forever

The Ramban writes that the three wells that Yitzchak dug symbolizes the three ??? ?????? that will be built. Just as the first two wells were made unusable by the Pilishtim, so too were the first two ??? ?????? destroyed; and just as the third well was the one that lasted, so too will the third ??? ????? last forever.

The Ramban elaborates on this point by finding hints in the names of the wells to what went right or wrong. The first well is referred to as ??? and the second is referred to as ???? as a way of hinting to the infighting that was all too prevalent in the days of the first and second ??? ?????, while the third is referred to ?????? to hint that at time, Hashem will widen the boundaries of our land, since there will be no infighting.

The Chida finds another allusion in the Pesukim to the point of the Ramban. When the servants of Yitzchak dug the first two wells, the Passuk uses the word ??????, which is the plural form of “and they dug”. However, when it came to the digging of third well, the Passuk uses ??????, the singular form of the word. This is because only when all of the Jewish people act together as one can we build the third Beis HaMikdosh, for that is the only way it can last forever.

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Vayeitzi: Always Thankful

The Gemora famously tells us that nobody properly thanked Hashem until Leah named her son Yehuda after the phrase ???? ???? ?? ??, this time I will thank Hashem. Many have asked, what was so special about Leah’s thanks?

R’ Shimon Schwab explains that to appreciate the greatness of Leah’s statement, we need to look at the whole story. Leah had named her previous three sons after hope that her sons would change the way her husband saw her: ?? ??? ?????? ????, ???? ???? ????. However, those prayers went unanswered; Yaakov continues to view Rachel as his primary wife, not Leah.

Yet instead of despairing that she did not get what she truly wanted, Leah chose to thank Hashem for what He had given her. Thanking Hashem is easy when you get what you want; to thank Hashem for all He does even when don’t get what you want is what Leah is praised for.

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Vayishlach: No Right to Rule

In 1970, R’ Hutner was on a plane which was hijacked by PLO terrorists. After he was released from captivity, he made the following point:

The heads of the tribes of Esav are referred to in this weeks Parsha with honorary ????, which Chazal tells us denotes ?????. However, the heads of tribes of Yishmael are referred to with the lesser honorific of ??????. Why is that?

R’ Hutner explained that this difference in titles is due to an inherent difference between the nations. Regarding Esav, Hashem says: ????? ????? ???? ?? ?? ???? – I have given Mount Sair to Esav as an inheritance. But regarding Yishmael, Hashem told Avraham: ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???, ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ????; drive out this maidservant and her son, for the son of this maidservant will not inherit. Yishmael was never intended to rule any particular place; any position of authority that they get is therefore inherently temporary.

Since Yishmael is never truly settled in a place of their own, they attempt to compensate by stealing Eretz Yisroel from us. Esav, on the other hand, truly rules their own lands; they therefore have less interest in taking what is ours.

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Mikeitz: Selective Hearing

After hearing Yosef interpret his dreams, Paroh was incredibly impressed. He remarked to his servants: ????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??, “Have we ever found such a man, that the spirit of G-d is with him?”Paroh immediately appointed Yosef to run the country.

And yet, points out R’ Dovid Povarsky, Paroh had a very different reaction when he was approached by even more impressive agents of Hashem. Rather than just interpret dreams, Moshe and Ahron performed actual miracles in front of Paroh. Yet instead of being impressed at their connection to the Divine, Paroh scoffed: ?? ?? ??? ???? ?????, “Who is G-d that I should listen to His word?” Why did Paroh have such a different reaction?

R’ Dovid Povarsky explains that the difference lay not in the messenger, but in the message. Yosef instructed Paroh how to save his kingdom through the upcoming years of famine. Moshe, on the other hand, commanded Paroh to let the slaves go, which would negatively impact the economy of Mitzrayim.

It is easy to be impressed by holy people and to listen to divine messages when we clearly see how they are to our benefit. The true test comes when their message seems to go against our interests. Will we be like Paroh and reject any that seems inconvenient, or will we listen anyway?

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Vayechi: Understanding Ourselves

Right before he died, Yaakov rebuked Reuven for moving the bed of Yaakov. And yet, points out the Alter of Kelm, Yaakov did not focus on the ???? ?????, the actual misdeed. Instead, Yaakov started with the character trait that had led Reuven astray: ??? ????, you were impulsive and quick to act like water. This is why Reuven lost the ?????; somebody who acts impulsively cannot be king.

This teaches us how we can best engage in introspection. It pays to not just look at what we did wrong, but to look upstream and figure out what drove us to do what we did. Once we figure out our own “why”, we can work on redirecting those motivations to bring us to better places.

A story of Rav Dessler, who was a talmid of Kelm, illustrates this point:

When R’ Moshe Shapiro studied in Ponovezh, he slept in the house of Rav Dessler. One night, Rav Dessler spotted him reading secular poetry. Rather than telling him that poetry is ???? ???? or the like, Rav Dessler suggested that the young Moshe Shapiro try learning Mahral instead. Rav Dessler understood what was motivating him to read poetry, and helped him channel that appreciation for cryptic and poetic literature into something incredibly constructive.

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Shemos: Always With You

When Hashem first spoke to Moshe He did so ???? ????, from a lowly bush. Yet when Hashem told Moshe the ???? ?????? the Torah writes that He spoke ?? ?????, from the heavens. Why is that?

We tend to think Hashem as being up in the heavens, removed from our comprehension. And when it comes to Torah, that is indeed the proper attitude to take – Hashem and His wisdom are beyond human understanding.

Yet at the same time, Hashem also appears in the lowly bush. Rashi explains that Hashem that this demonstrates that no matter hard the going gets, Hashem is always with us in our struggles. Hashem is not just up in the heavens; He is with us in everything we do.

The very first Rema in Shulchan Aruch famously emphasizes the importance of incorporating Hashem into every aspect of our lives: ????? ?’ ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ??????, “Putting Hashem in front of our eyes constantly is great principle in the Torah and among the attributes of the righteous who go with Hashem.”

The same idea is found in the ???? ??????, a Sefer written by R’ Yosef Kairo about his correspondence with a Malach. The Malach constantly exhorts him: ??? ????? ???????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???????? ????? ??, “Do not separate your mind for any me second, rather it should always be attached to Me.”

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Of all the 613 Mitzvos, why is it that Kiddush HaChodesh, the sanctifying of the new moon, is the first Mitzva in the Torah?

The Chida answers that this Mitzva alludes to why the Jewish people were chosen to receive Hashem’s Torah and Mitzvos. The Medrash writes that Hashem did not choose the Jewish people because they keep the Mitzvos or because they praise Hashem; other nations do that just as well. Rather, Hashem chose us because we are ?????? ?????, we “make ourselves small”. We do not attribute our successes to ourselves; instead, we see all that we have as being a reflection of Hashem’s kindness towards us.

This idea is alluded to in the Mitzva of Kiddush HaChodesh. Just as the moon grows smaller after it has reached its peak, so too do we “make ourselves small” by attributing our physical and spiritual successes to Hashem.

Therefore, writes the Chida, somebody who becomes haughty due to their elevated spiritual status is making a fatal mistake. If somebody performs all of the Mitzvos, yet their spiritual success leaves them with an inflated ego, they have forfeited the very characteristic trait that made Hashem choose us.

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Yisro: Allowing Others to Grow

When Yisro saw Moshe spending all day answering the Shailos of Bnei Yisroel, he expressed disapproval. He rhetorically asked Moshe: ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???, “What is this that you are doing to the people?!”

The common interpretation of this Passuk is that Yisro was concerned that his son-in-law was overexerting himself by trying to answer all the questions that were brought before him, and that Moshe would eventually wear himself out.

However, R’ Dovid Feinstein suggests another explanation. It is telling that Yisro does not ask, “What are you doing to yourself?” but rather, “What are you doing to the people?” Yisro was concerned that by making himself the sole Halachic authority to whom all the Jews had to come with their problems, Moshe was preventing other gifted Jews from realizing their own potential.

It is as if Yisro was saying, “If you keep on like this, everyone will think that you are the only person capable of being a judge, since you’re the only one who has learned directly from Hashem. No one else will ever bother to try to become a Halachic authority if all of the questions go to you. Even though no one can be just like you, you shouldn’t rob them of the opportunity to become all that they can be.”

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<strng>Terumah: Menorah – Effort & Illumination

The Meforshim tell us that the Menorah symbolizes the Torah. However, this seems puzzling – doesn’t the Aron already symbolize the Torah? The Aron holds the luchos and the first Sefer Torah that Moshe wrote. What additional aspect of the Torah does the Menorah convey?

This can be answered based on the words of the Chida, who writes that the Menorah symbolizes the ???? ???? ??.

Perhaps this is why the Menorah has six branches, to represent the ??? ???? ???? that form the bedrock of all of ???? ?????. (Perhaps the middle flame which all the others face represents ???? ??, which the Gemora tells us the ??? ????? depend on.)

R’ Shamshon Refoel Hirsch has a novel explanation for why we may not enter the ???? ??????. It is to stress that the Torah which the Aron represents is beyond human comprehension; our job is to accept it as the ??? ??, and try to live our lives accordingly.

The Menorah, however, is the opposite. In order for the light of Menorah to shine, the ashes must be cleaned out, the wicks must be prepared, and the Kohen Gadol must light the flame. When it comes to ???? ???? ??, the effort we invest is what allows the light of the Torah to shine forth.

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Purim/Ki Sisa: ?????? ???

The Gemora finds a hint to Mordechai in this week’s Parsha: One of the ingredients of the ????? is ?? ????, which is translated by Onkeles as ???? ???? – which sounds like Mordechai. Obviously, Chazal mean to convey something deeper than a cute pun – but what?

R’ Menashe Klein and the ???? ??? point out that according to the Rambam, ?? ???? is musk made from a non-kosher animal. The Raavad is incredulous that anything from a non-kosher animal could be used for a Korban, and insists that ?? ???? must be from a plant.

But that, opine R’ Menashe Klein and the ???? ???, is exactly the point. Even though musk naturally smells bad, it can be turned into a fragrant scent; and although it comes from a non-kosher animal, we can turn it into part of the ?????.

This beautifully represents the ?????? ??? that epitomized Mordechai. Through our actions, we can turn even the most bitter of situations into something amazing.

Perhaps there is another hint to this in the word ?? ????. It may refer to going from ?? – the bitter, to ???? – freedom. Mordechai led us from the brink of total destruction to a physical and spiritual renaissance – ???? ????? ???????.

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Pekudei: Wrought like Copper

The Medrash tells us that the three metals used for the Mishkan symbolize the three Avos. Avraham and Yitzchak are represented by gold and silver, just as these precious metals need to be purified, so too were they purified by the test Akeidah.

More difficult to understand is what the Medrash says about Yaakov. He is compared to copper, since at the end of the time Yaakov spent with Lavan he remarks ?????, which literally means “I learned.” Since that word is similar to ????, copper, the Medrash says Yaakov is represented by copper. How are we to understand this?

R’ Dovid Kagan explains that while gold and silver are purified in a great fire, copper is different. Copper has no moment when it emerges as a new metal; instead it must be wrought slowly and steadily, day in and day out, for it to become something.

Avraham and Yitzchak went through momentous tests that purified them. Yaakov, on the other hand, was changed by no single moment. Yaakov was shaped by the daily grind of life. Yaakov spent 22 years with Lavan, yet managed to remain unaffected by him.

There are times our lives are shaped by the big decisions we make when we know we are at a crossroads. But more often, who we are is shaped by what we do, slowly, steadily, day and day out.

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Tzav: Chametz vs Matza

The Torah tells us that the Mincha of the Kohanim must be Matza, and may not be made of Chametz. Why is that?

The Kli Yakar explains that Chametz, which rises, symbolizes being haughty and full of oneself. Matza, on the other hand, is a lowly bread which symbolizes humility. When the Kohanim bring their Korban, they are to emphasize their complete submission to Hashem, so they bring only Matza and no Chametz.

This is also why we eat Matza on Pesach. Hashem chose us to be His ?? ????? because of our humility and our willingness to subjugate ourselves to Him. Even the smallest amount of Chometz is prohibited, because even the smallest amount of haughtiness will ruin our spiritual stature.

Explains the Kli Yakar, this is why we needed to go to Mitzrayim in the first place. Being slaves in Mitzrayim taught us how to completely submit ourselves – once we have experienced that, we were now to use that ability to become ???? ??.

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Shemini: Eating in Two Worlds

The Torah tells us that the signs of a kosher animal are that it has split hooves and chews it cud.

Rabbeinu Ephraim sees in this a hint to what differentiates the Jewish people.

The split hooves represent two different worlds. The Jewish people do not only exist in this physical world; we will continue on and inherit the world to come.

This idea is also expressed by the chewing of the cud. Everything we do in this world, we will get reward for in the world to come.

What we do here is not the end; it is just the beginning.

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Acharei Mos: Eating Right

One of the very first things that the Torah tells us about the Korban Shelamim is that it must be eaten in two days; any part of the Korban that is left over past two days must be burned rather than eaten. Why is that?

R’ Yonasan Eibshutz explains that the Korban Shelamim is fundamentally different than other Korbanos. Most Korbanos atone for the Nefesh, the soul that has sinned. The Shelamim, however, is to rectify the ??? ?????, the desire of the flesh. By eating the Shelamim near the Beis HaMikdosh ?????? ????? ??????, one can reset how they approach physicality.

However, the Torah did not want one to eat from the Shelamim excessively. The point of the Shelamim is to reset our attitude towards physicality, and overindulging in eating would undermine that message. Therefore, the Torah allowed us to eat from the Shelamim for only two days.

R’ Yonasan Eibshutz then adds that really we should have been given only one day to eat the Shelamim, just as every other Korban must be eaten within one day. However, it would not have been appropriate for a person to eat the Shelamim on Friday, and then eat regular meat for Shabbos. Therefore, the Torah allowed us two days to eat the Shelamim.

Perhaps we can suggest that there is a particular connection between Shabbos and the Shelamim. Just as the Shelamim is supposed to recalibrate our relationship with physicality, Shabbos can do much the same. On Shabbos, we eat and we drink; but we do so ?????? ??????, in a way that brings us closer to Hashem rather the opposite.

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<strong->Behar: All For the Boss

The Vilna Goan makes a cryptic comment on this week’s Parsha. He writes that there two types of people who eat for free: One is a relative who gets a free meal due to his relationship with the host, and the other is a worker who gets lunch from his employer while he is on the job. Based on the Gemora, the Vilna Goan writes that the ???? of Yovel, when we eat without working the land, is compared to a worker rather than a relative. How are we to understand this?

R’ Ahron Lopiansky explains that we normally think of Bitachon as simply relying on Hashem. In this conception, since Hashem has told us that He is ???? ??? ??? ??? (????? ???, ??), we are merely relying on Him to do as He said He would.

However, there is a deeper form of Bitachon that the Vilna Goan is alluding to here. Imagine a company that has a particularly valuable and committed employee. If this company is smart, they will do everything in their power to ensure all of the employee’s needs are taken care of. This is because an employee will be able to perform the most for the company if they have what they need to succeed.

This goes to the heart of our relationship with Hashem. We should not come to Hashem asking only for a handout based on our relationship with Him; that would be akin to asking for a free meal from a relative. Rather, we are to approach Hashem as a worker. When everything we do is really for Him, we rely on Hashem to provide us with what we need to get the job done.

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Beha’aloscha: ??? ??????

The ???? writes that the four Degalim, the encampments in which the Shevatim traveled, represents four aspects of Avodas Hashem – Torah, Teshuva, Tefilah, and Chessed. He writes that the Degel of Ephraim, composed of the Shevatim of Ephraim, Menashe, and Binyomim, represents Tefilah.

Perhaps we can suggest that the names of the ????? of each Shevet hint to one of the three types of Tefila that we include in our ????? ????. They are: ???, the first three bravhos of praise of Hashem; ????, requests from Hashem, and finally ?????, thanking Hashem.

The ???? of Binyomin was ????? ?? ??????. The first half of the first name is ???, which can be a hint to the first Bracha of Avos. The second half of the first name is ??; Din is related to Gevurah, which is the subject of the second Bracha. The second name can be split into two words, ?? and ????. The word ?? means a troop or battalion, and in the Piyutim many Melachim together are referred to as a ????. Perhaps this hints to the fact that the Melachim are ?????, all answer together, when we say ????? as sort of the third Bracha which is about ?????.

The ???? of Ephraim was ?????? ?? ??????. Perhaps this hints that ???, my G-d, is ???, listening to my requests. This is ??? ???, the glory of my nation, as the Torah tells us in Devarim: ????? ????????? ???????? ??????????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ????? ????????? ????????????????? ???????, “For who is a great nation that has Hashem close to them, like Hashem our G-d is whenever we call out to Him?”

The ???? of Menashe was ?????? ?? ??????. This can hint to the last section of ?????. The first name can be read as ???? ??, Hashem has given (???) to me. The second name can be read as ??? ???, the Rock (Hashem, who is called ???) has redeemed me.

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Korach: Blossoming vs Acquiring

To prove Korach wrong, Hashem told Moshe to place a stick from each Shevet before the Mishkan. Miraculously, only Ahron’s stick blossomed.

Yet the Ramban points out that this miracle does not seem to refute the arguments of Korach. Korach’s fight was against Ahron becoming the Kohen Gadol, not against Shevet Levi. If so, how does the sprouting of the stick that represented Shevet Levi show that Korach was wrong?

R’ Ahron Lopiansky explains there are two ways people pursue greatness. One is by looking inward and asking: What strengths do I have, and what am I uniquely suited to produce?

The other is by looking outward. This is hinted in Chazal’s phrase ???? ?????, Korach’s eye led him astray. His ambitions were based not on his own strengths, but on what he saw in Ahron.

This is why Ahron’s blossoming stick was such a fitting sign. The Torah emphasizes its natural growth: ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ????? – it sprouted, budded, and produced almonds. The almonds weren’t placed on it; they emerged from within. This symbolized the answer to Korach: Spiritual growth must be produced from what we have within ourselves.

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