Shalom Friends;
This week, our Parshat HaShavua — Terumah is being co-sponsored by Rabbi Tully and Hindy Bryks of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated Lilui Nishmas for Hindi’s Father, Moshe Zev ben Yosef, z”l, and anonymously dedicated for Hatslucha to children of the Ramat Beit Shemesh community. Both co-sponsors dedicate for the safety of the Chayalim, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Bryks family and our anonymous co-sponsor, many thanks for your sponsorship and continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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Rabbi Herschel Reichman provides commentary on our Parshat Terumah in his Sefer, “Living the Chassidic Legacy, Lessons based on Shem Mishmuel” (Volume 1, page 268) :
The Mitzvah of building the Mishkan dominates the second half of Sefer Shemos. The Mishkan is the place where Hashem’s Shechina rested. Rashi and Rambam disagree about how to understand the timing of events leading up to the commandment to build the Mishkan.
According to the simple reading of the Torah, the Mitzvah to build the Mishkan was given right away at Har Sinai, the day that Moshe Rabbeinu concluded the bris to keep the Torah. This was most probably the same day that the Asseret HaDivrot and Parshat Mishpatim were taught to B’nei Yisrael. Then the… eigel occurred while Moshe was on top of Har Sinai. The aftermath of the eigel was followed by the people’s punishment, Moshe’s tefillot on behalf of B’nei Yisrael, the resolution of the situation, and then the renewal of the Mitzvah of building the Mishkan. This is the way the Ramban and Zohar understand the order of events.
The Shem Mishmuel (Translated to English by Rabbi Zvi Belovski, Parshat Terumah, pg. 169-170) cites R’ Shimon and comments;
“These are the three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of Kehunah and the crown of Malchut. But the crown of a good name is greater than them all.” (Shem Mishmuel citing R’ Shimon on Pirkei Avos 4:13)
Three of the four primary objects in the Holiest part of the Beit HaMikdash had crowns, that is golden rims decorating them. The Ark of the Covenant [the Aron containing the two tablets given by Hashem to Moshe corresponds to Torah], the Golden Altar [the Mizbeiyach on which the Kohanim offered the incense corresponds to the Kehunah] and the Golden Table [the Shulchan on which the special bread was placed which corresponds to Malchut] all had rims. (Shem Mishmuel citing Rashi on Sefer Shemos, Perek 25, posuk 11, Perek 30, posuk 3, and Perek 25, posuk 24)
The Medrash tells us that the Menorah, which had no crown, corresponds to the crown of a good name. (Shem Mishmuel citing Bamidbar Rabbah 14:9)
Each of these three gifts to Klal Yisrael — Torah, Malchut and Kehunah — need special attention to ensure that they are only used for holy, rather than self-seeking purposes [or self-serving, i.e. arrogance, feelings of superiority, or overrating oneself as king]. The crowns on the Aron, the Shulchan and the Mizbeiyach represent this constant need.
However, the Menorah, … [representing] the good name attained by every member of Klal Yisrael, has no rim. The brightly burning lamps of the Menorah shine forth with the glow of Hashem’s Light, which can be received and internalized by all who seek it. There is no potential bad associated with this pure Divine influence, only good for those who are prepared for it. Thus, the Menorah, alone among the vessels in the Beit HaMikdash, has no golden rim.
This author cites Rabbi Mordechai Katz, from his sefer, “Lilmode U’Lamed” (p. 81-82) in a Parshat Hashevua (Parshat Mishpatim). Rabbi Katz cites from Yerushalmi Bava Metzia (Perek 2, Choshen Mishpat 266) a story about Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach which sets a standard for Jewish sincerity and a good name in his dealing with with others and with Hashem:
It seems that one day Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach needed to purchase a donkey for traveling. He purchased the donkey from an Arab. At that time, neither he nor the Arab noticed that the donkey bore a small package in it’s saddle.
Sometime later, a student of the Rabbi found the package and opened it. He was amazed by it’s contents. Rabbi Katz writes that the dialogue between Rabbi Ben Shetach and his student, and the story’s conclusion went something like this:
“It’s a diamond, Rebbe… A perfect diamond. It must be worth an enormous amount. Sell it and you’ll never want for money. Imagine all of the Mitzvot you will be able to do with the new-found money.”
Rabbi Ben Shetach shook his head and responded “I may be able to perform many Mitzvot with the money … but they will never cancel the demerit that will be mine if I keep property which is not mine. No, I will return the diamond to its rightful owner, the Arab.”
But the student responded, “why not keep the diamond? The Arab will never know of his loss.” Rabbi Ben Shetach responded, “But Hashem will know what I have done. I did not earn the diamond and so it is not mine.”
Rabbi Ben Shetach was as good as his word and returned the diamond to the astonished Arab. “I don’t believe that anyone could be that honest” said the Arab. “The Jews must have wonderful laws. Blessed be the G’d of Rabbi Shimon Ben Shetach.”
Rabbi Ben Shetach’s strict adherence to Mishpatim, to common decency to his fellow man created a great Kiddush Hashem and should serve as an example for all to follow, to fulfill all of Hashem’s Mitzvot with equal zeal.
The Shem Mishmuel notes (page 172) :
In the wilderness, Klal Yisrael lived on a miraculous plane — they ate the mon, …which produced absolutely no waste, drank water from the well of Miriam, and lived in the presence of the Divine pillars of cloud and fire. In these circumstances, they already experienced life beyond the norm and did not need their center of worship to be anything other than a focus for Hashem’s presence. Thus their Mishkan was… — a place where Hashem was manifest… — the absolute lack of distractions and spiritual dangers. Since they lived such miraculous lives, their Mishkan was automatically a Mikdash — a place which was different from any other.
Once Klal Yisrael entered the Land, all of these miracles stopped. They worked the Land and lived more normal lives. Of necessity, they became involved with the physical world and were therefore at some risk of falling into materialistic lifestyles. They thus needed a place of religious focus which was different and separated from normal physical life, to remind them that successful lives as Jews takes place beyond the material. So they required a Mikdash, a place of exceptional holiness which enabled a primarily agricultural nation to fulfill their spiritual potential… This concern for the dangers inherent in the more worldly lifestyle of the post-desert generations… remind us to use our powers for G’dly, rather than self-oriented, pursuits.
…The greatest Kedusha is achieved in the arena where there is danger, but it is overcome and utilized for G’dliness. As such, the Eretz Yisrael lifestyle is the ideal one, despite the potential dangers inherent within it. This means that the Beit HaMikdash was the greatest expression of Klal Yisrael’s spirituality. Thus, when they entered the land, they worked toward the day when they would build a Mikdash to replace the Mishkan, which only had a temporary role to play.
The point this author makes is that words and deeds and motivations that match, are just and uplifted, as in “a good name.” This relates to questioning the moral and halachic adequacy [noun: sufficiency for a particular purpose] of the highest levels of Israel’s IDF high command echelons toward both to their subordinates as well as toward kol Am Yisrael relating to events leading up to 7 October, the conduct of this Milchamat Shel Torah, as well the current governing coalition’s handling of the current “ceasefire” — aka Hudna, and submission to the will of the United States resulting in the division of Gaza rather than the eradication of Hamas and Gaza terror units, as well as the recent appointment by the president of Qatar and Turkey to a council for “post-war” Gaza “recovery.”
What is meant here relates to the hubris [noun: excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance] of top generals, with their distorted ideological agendas, demeaning the border guards who repeatedly reported on the preparations, the tunnel-building and training of the barbarous terrorist animals in the days leading up to the savage, murderous attacks of 7 October and the seizing of hundreds of Jewish and foreign hostages. In several cases, commanders threatened their subordinates, the border guards, with legal proceedings if another word of warning was spoken. Take note that among those either murdered or taken hostage by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and their “innocent” Gazan civilian buddies were young women who were border guards.
May our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May we see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May we see our Chayalim totally eradicate Hamas, Islamic Jihad, those so-called “civilians(sic)” who collaborated on 7 October, as well as Hezbollah, the Houthies, the Mullahs of Iran and all their terror accomplices B’Yad Hashem and mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his sixth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recoveries of the remains of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos and Chodesh Tov!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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