Blog: Rabbi David Etengoff: Parashat HaShavuah

4/22/2018

Parshiot Acharei Mot - Kedoshim 5778, 2018: "The Community and Holiness"

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4/15/2018

Parshiot Tazria-Metzora 5778, 2018: "Tumah and Taharah Today"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha, Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

Our parshiot focus on the halachot of tumah and taharah (The Laws of Ritual Purity and Impurity). As is widely known, these are some of the most complex subjects in the Torah. An entire section of the Mishnah is entitled “Taharot” (“Purities”), and page after page of the Talmud discusses the intricacies of this fundamental area of Jewish law. Unfortunately, however, very few people today, regardless of their level of intellectual acumen and scholarly achievement, have mastered this area of study. This lack of mastery was noted as early as the 12th century by the Rambam (Maimonides), in his paradigm-changing work, Commentary on the Mishnah:

And you know that today, because of the multiplication of our sins, that if you were to encounter the leaders of the yeshivot throughout the Jewish people, and all the more so, those of the various synagogues, you would find that this entire subject remains difficult for them. This is the case, [even though] there are many explicit Torah verses and Mishnaic passages [that discuss this area of Halacha] and sources that are even clearer and simpler than these works. (Introduction to Mishnah Kalim, ed. Rabbi Yosef David Kapach, p. 22, translation my own)

Perhaps the challenges we face when encountering tumah and taharah stem from the inherent nature of these laws. The best-known example of this category of commandments is the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer), which the Torah introduces with the famous words: “This is the statute (chukat) of the Torah which the L-rd commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.’” (Sefer Bamidbar 19:2, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) We immediately note that the Torah uses the term, “chukat,” which informs us that the Parah Adumah is a chok, a statute, in contrast to the prohibition of murder, for example, that is a mishpat. The Rambam defined the main difference between these classes of mitzvot in the following manner:

The mishpatim are those commandments wherein their rationale is revealed and the value that obtains as a result of their performance is manifest in this world. For example: the prohibitions of stealing and murder, and the obligation to honor one’s father and mother. [In contrast,] the chukim are those commandments whose rationale is unknown. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Meilah 8:8, translation and brackets my own)

By definition, as chukim, the rationale of tumah and taharah is unknown. Yet, there is more at stake here than our failure to discover the underlying basis of this area of Halacha; in actuality, there are no rationally-conceived principles as to why something renders an object or person tamei (ritually impure) or tahor (ritually pure). These are not physical processes; rather, the consequent changes in status are brought about through the absolute will of Hashem. The following Midrash sheds light on this matter:

[Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai’s students] said to him: “You dismissed the [the question of the non-Jewish inquirer regarding tumah and taharah] with a reed [i.e. in a simplistic manner,] yet, how will you respond to us regarding the same inquiry?” He said to them: “The dead person does not [in some physical manner] render [a person or an object] ritually impure, and neither does water bring about ritual purity [in a physical fashion,] rather, both of these effectuate [these] changes based solely upon the edict of the Omnipresent One (gezeirato shel Hamakom). For the Holy One blessed be He declared: ‘A statute I have proclaimed! A prohibition I have declared! And you have no permission to violate my edict.’” (Pesikta Rabbatai, Ish Shalom edition, Piska 14, Parah, translation and brackets my own)

It appears that the Rambam was strongly influenced by this midrashic passage, and utilized it as the underpinning for the following halachic decision:

It is a clear and explicit concept that the various forms of tumah and taharah are a divine decree of the Torah. They are not in the class of those matters wherein man can use his intellect to make determinations. [Instead,] they are in the category known as chukim. So, too, when it comes to the instance of immersion in a ritual bath (mikvah) to remove ritual impurity – it is in the category of chukim. This is the case since ritual impurity is neither dirt nor bodily excretions that will be removed by the water – rather, the purification process is a divine decree of the Torah – and the entire matter is dependent upon one’s intention (kavanat halev) [and not just the physical immersion] … (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Mikvaot 11:12, this, and the next translation and underling, my own)

At this juncture, the Rambam provides us with a startling philosophic and spiritual tour de force. In relatively few words, he enables us to gain a deep insight into the elusive world of tumah and taharah and its meaning for our time:

Nonetheless, the Torah provides a hint of understanding [of tumah and taharah]: Just like an individual with the proper intention to purify himself once he immerses himself becomes ritually pure, even though nothing new has been created in his body, so too, one who has the intention to purify his soul from spiritual impurities such as wicked and evil thoughts, since he has made a heartfelt decision to remove himself from those shameful ideas, will be able to bring his soul back to the waters of pure and unsullied thought … May Hashem in His great mercy purify us from all inadvertent and purposeful sins, and from all manner and variety of guilt. (Ibid.)

In my view, the Rambam is teaching us that the ultimate purpose of the body of law focusing upon tumah and taharah is to serve as a model for how we can engender substantive change in ourselves, in order to become better than who we are today. The laws of tumah and taharah, therefore, offer the greatest hope known to the Jewish people, the hope that Hashem will help us return to Him in spiritual purity so that we may glorify His Name in the world. As Rabbi Akiva taught us so long ago:

Joyous are you O’ Jewish people, before Whom are you purified, and Who purifies you? Your Father in Heaven. As the texts state: “And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you will be clean; (mayim tehorim u’tahrtem) from all your impurities and from all your abominations will I cleanse you,” (Sefer Yechezkel 36:25) and “The L-rd is the source of the hopes of Israel (mikvei Yisrael) …” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 17:13, Mishnah Yoma 8:9, translation my own)

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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4/8/2018

Parashat Shemini 5778, 2018: "Nadav and Avihu Revisited"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, and HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

The tragic death of Aharon’s eldest sons, Nadav and Avihu, is the most powerful dramatic moment of this week’s parasha:

And Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the L-rd foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. And fire went forth from before the L-rd and consumed them, and they died before the L-rd. (Sefer Shemot 10:1-2, this and all Bible translations, The Judaic Press Complete Tanach)

Chazal (our Sages may their memory be blessed) suggest a number of reasons as to why Nadav and Avihu “died before the L-rd.” Midrash after Midrash offers its differing analysis of the improper behaviors that led to Nadav and Avihu’s downfall. I believe that the sheer number of views reflects a fundamental disquietude amongst Chazal regarding the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. After all, the following Midrashic passages teaches us that they were greater than both their father and Moshe:

Rav Yitzchak began: “Your words were found and I ‘embraced’ them, and Your word was to me a joy and a rejoicing of my heart, for Your name was called upon me, O L-rd G-d of Hosts.” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 15:16) Rav Shmuel bar Nachman said: “This statement was said to Moshe at Mount Sinai, and he did not understand it until events [i.e. the death of Nadav and Avihu] unfolded before him. Moshe said to Aharon: ‘My brother, at Sinai it was told to me that I would one day sanctify this house [the Mishkan], and that I would do this together with a great man. I initially thought that perhaps this house would be made holy either through my efforts or yours. Now [subsequent to the death of Nadav and Avihu,] I realize that your two sons are greater than both you and myself.’” (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, Vilna edition, Parashat Shemini 12:2, translation and brackets my own)

Rav Shmuel Bornsztain zatzal (1855-1926), the second Sochatchover rebbe and author of the celebrated homiletic work on the Torah, Shem Mishmuel, asks the following question based upon our Midrash: “How is it possible that these incredibly holy individuals [i.e. Nadav and Avihu] …erred so egregiously?” (Shem Mishmuel, Sefer Vayikra, Parashat Shemini, 1911, s.v. vayikachu, this and the following translations and brackets my own) His answer focuses upon Nadav and Avihu’s underlying thought process and consequent misguided motivation to offer aish zarah (foreign fire) before Hashem:

It is possible to answer our question by suggesting that their rationale was based upon the following statement of Chazal: “That very day [upon which the Mishkan was erected] was as great a joy before the Holy One Blessed be He as the day upon which the Heavens and earth were created.” (Talmud Bavli, Megillah 10b) They, therefore, thought that the time had arrived for the ultimate universal perfection of the world (tikun klali) – just as it will be in the Messianic future when everything [good] will be universally accepted and in the state of perfection. At that time, there will be no zarut (nothing foreign), and consequently, there will no longer be an exclusive need for aish kodesh (holy fire).

In sum, Nadav and Avihu acted based upon the following formula: the joy of the creation of the world = the elation of the inauguration of the Mishkan = the ultimate perfection of the world. Unfortunately, however, the overwhelming bliss experienced at the investiture of the Mishkan did not signal the “ultimate universal improvement of the world,” i.e., the onset of Messianic times, and the world remained in its imperfect state. Consequently, the Torah’s requirement for aish kodesh, and the concomitant prohibition of aish zarah, remained in effect.

My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, is in accord with Rav Bornsztain’s analysis, as we find his explication of our passage:

On the day of their installation, wearing their priestly vestments, they were overcome by ecstasy and by the need to express their emotions. The incense that they burned was identical to that which their father, Aharon, had offered. But there is one significant difference. Aharon was obeying G-d’s will, while Nadav and Avihu performed an action that G-d had not commanded. (This, and the following quotations are from Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David editor, pages 223-226)

The Rav zatzal utilized this explanation in the course of his presentation of the authentic Torah approach to serving Hashem. The Jewish way “requires us to fashion our lives according to G-d’s discipline, as illustrated by the word ve-tzivanu (and He has commanded us).” Moreover, “the reason we perform the mitzvah is our absolute surrender to G-d’s will.” Surrender, therefore, is the crucial foundation for our ultimately transforming the mitzvah into “a profound spiritual experience that encompasses our entire being.” The Rav illustrated this idea by examining the nature of tefilah (prayer):

Prayer begins as an obligatory, even compelled act, with rigid requirements of time, location, and behavior. We are particularly aware of this during the winter or in inclement weather when we must venture out into the cold for minyan early in the morning and at night. However, as we progress in our relationship to prayer, we feel the rewards of intimate communion with G-d.

Rav Soloveitchik further developed the idea of the commandment-spiritual experience nexus in the following brief exploration of matzah on the Seder night and fasting on Yom Kippur:

The eating of matzah on Seder night is initially a response to G-d’s command, “On this night you shall eat matzah.” [Sefer Shemot 12:18] As the evening evolves, however, eating the matzah becomes an act of love for G-d. Likewise, Yom Kippur begins with total surrender to the will of G-d, but as it progresses, we move toward a joyful catharsis. (Brackets my own)

In the Rav’s view, the Jewish approach toward serving Hashem “consists of two steps: obedience to G-d’s command and discovering the spiritual treasures inherent in it.” He underscores this point in his summation of Nadav and Abihu’s sin and subsequent punishment:

Therefore, the transgression of Nadav and Avihu, whom the Torah describes as sanctified, was that “they offered a strange fire concerning which they had not been commanded.” The divine command and our discipline in obeying that command are the only healthy routes to religious inspiration. Any deviation, especially by tzaddikim (righteous individuals) is unacceptable and ultimately doomed to failure. (Underlining and parentheses my own)

With Hashem’s help, may we grow in our authentic commitment and spiritual connection to His Torah, and may we be zocheh (merit) to fulfill the words recited each and every morning in the Shacharit service: “Happy are we! How goodly is our portion, and how pleasant is our lot, and how beautiful our heritage!” V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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4/2/2018

The Seventh Day of Pesach 5778, 2018: “This is My G-d and I Will Extol Him”

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

The first 21 verses of the 15th chapter of Sefer Shemot are known as “the Shira,” the song of joy and exultation that was sung by our forebears after they crossed the Sea of Reeds. It is one of the most often recited passages in the Torah based upon its prominent placement at the end of the Pesukei d’Zimrah (Verses of Song) section of the morning prayers, and its choice as the dramatic Torah reading for the Seventh Day of Pesach. One would think that our familiarity with this celebrated passage would lead to a clear understanding of its content. Yet, due to its poetic language and metaphoric images, its meaning remains elusive and difficult to comprehend.

One such example of the Shira’s complexity is the phrase, “nora tehilot.” Popular English translations render it in the following manner: “too awesome for praise” (ArtScroll Tanach), “too awesome for praises” (The Judaica Press Complete Tanach), and “awesome in praise” (Rav Aryeh Kaplan zatzal, The Living Torah). The first two translations seem to follow Rashi’s (1040-1105) explication of our term, “[You are] too awesome for [one] to recite Your praises, lest they fall short, as it is written (Sefer Tehillim 65:2): ‘Silence is praise to You.’” (Rashi and Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Rashi’s approach to our expression is quite reminiscent of a passage found in Talmud Bavli, Brachot 33b:

A certain [individual] went down [to lead the prayers] in the presence of R. Chanina and said, O’ G-d, the great, mighty, awesome, majestic, powerful, awful, strong, fearless, sure and honored. He [R. Chanina] waited until he had finished, and when he had finished he said to him, “Have you concluded all the praise of your Master? Why would I [or anyone else] want all this? Even with these three that we do say [the great, mighty and awesome G-d,] had not Moses our Master mentioned them in the Torah [Sefer Devarim 10:17] and had not the Men of the Great Assembly come and inserted them in the Tefilah [i.e. Shemoneh Esrai], we would not have been able to mention them, and you say all these and still go on! (Translation, The Soncino Talmud with my brackets and extensive emendations)

The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-12-4) summarizes the essential intent of Rabbi Chanina’s words in the following halachic decision:

Also, a person should not be profuse in his mention of adjectives describing G-d, and say: “The great, mighty, awesome, powerful, courageous, and strong G-d,” for it is impossible for man to express the totality of His praises. Instead, one should mention [only] the praises that were mentioned by Moses, of blessed memory. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefilah 9:7, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)

In sum, the approaches of Rashi, the Talmud, the Rambam, and the first two translators mentioned earlier focus upon our fundamental inability to effectively praise our Creator. Moreover, the expression, “great, mighty and awesome G-d,” is permissible in our Tefilot solely because Moses utilized these terms in Sefer Devarim, and they were included by the Men of the Great Assembly in their formulation of the Shemoneh Esrai.

Rav Aryeh Kaplan’s translation of nora tehilot, “awesome in praise,” takes an entirely different tact than that of the previous sources. Instead of emphasizing our incapacity to properly proclaim the glory of Hashem, Rav Kaplan recognizes that man, too, has a role to play in extolling Him. I believe that this approach is in consonance with the following midrashic passage from the 42nd chapter of Pirkei d’ Rabbi Eliezer:

Nora tehilah (singular form) is not written here. Instead, the Torah writes, “nora tehilot” (plural form). [It is written in the plural form to teach us that] the Ministering Angels praise You in the Heavenly Heights, whereas, the Jewish people offer praises in the terrestrial sphere. [Regarding the Jewish people’s role in exalting Hashem,] the text, therefore, writes (Sefer Tehillim 22:4): “But You are holy; You await the praises of Israel.” (Translation and brackets my own)

I believe that the Midrash, and Rav Kaplan’s translation of nora tehilot, are very spiritually edifying. They focus on the positive nature of the relationship that obtains between Hashem and the Jewish people. It is a unique relationship, for as King David emphasizes in this verse from Sefer Tehillim, Hashem in all His uncountable glory waits for us to praise Him – something that He does in regard to no other nation. True, as the other sources stress, we can never truly begin to recognize Hashem’s greatness and awesome status. Nonetheless, He longs for our songs of praise just as much, if not more, than the praises of the Ministering Angels.

May this Seventh Day of Passover be one wherein we, as individuals and as a nation, sing heartfelt praises to our Creator, and once again proclaim as a united people: “…this is my G-d, and I will extol Him, the G-d of my father, and I will exalt Him.” (Sefer Shemot 15:2) V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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3/25/2018

Pesach 5778, 2018: "The Wise Son’s Question and Answer"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, HaRav Raphael ben HaRav Ephraim, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

The narrative of the Four Sons is one of the highlights of the Maggid (Telling) section of the Haggadah. Contemporary versions of this work formulate the first two questions in this manner:

What does the wise [son] say? “What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the L-rd our G-d commanded you (etchem)?” …What does the wicked [son] say? “What is this worship to you (lachem)?” To you and not to him. And since he excluded himself from the collective, he denied a principle [of the Jewish faith] ... (https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/2127 with my underlining, bolding and emendations)

An endless sea of ink has been spilt in an attempt to elucidate the differences between the wise son’s use of “etchem” and the wicked son’s use of “lachem,” since both terms may readily be translated as “you.” While the examination of the distinctions that obtain between these two questions is surely a significant endeavor, it takes focus away from the meaning of the wise son’s inquiry - which deserves to be studied in its own right.

One of the major thinkers to focus upon the singular import of the wise son’s question was the great Chasidic master, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev zatzal (1740-1810), known as both “the Berdichever” after his location, and “the Kedushat Levi” after the name of his most famous work. He maintains that in order to fully comprehend the wise son’s question, we must first understand the defining characteristics of matzah and chametz (leavened products). To achieve this goal, he conceptually contrasts the nature of these substances:

Behold, the word “matzah” and its essence teaches us about the creation of the world, i.e. that it was created completely new, out of absolute nothingness, and brought forth from total emptiness. … The intrinsic nature of chametz is that of something that is old, in stark contrast to matzah, which, by definition, represents that which is new. (Kedushat Levi, Sefer Vayikra, Drasha on Pesach, this and the following translations, parentheses and brackets my own)

The Berdichever deepens his analysis of the inner meaning of matzah by emphasizing Hashem’s roles as Creator of the Universe and Redeemer of our nation from Egyptian bondage:

Our Creator is teaching us through the mitzvah of matzah that there is a Creator of the Universe, and that each day, and each moment, He creates the world anew as is His desire. This is just like what He did in the Exodus from Egypt when He acted in an amazing manner that defied the laws of nature, since each one of the Ten Plagues violated the laws of nature.

Next, the Berdichever teaches us that the recognition of Hashem as the Creator and Redeemer leads us to profoundly spiritual heights:

When we know all of this with crystal clarity, then we will never move our hands and legs to do anything other than that which leads to the honor of His Name may He be blessed and exalted. Moreover, we will then be drawn to hold Him in awe and achieve the highest level of awe in His regard, “on account that He is the Master and the Ruler.” (Zohar, Volume I, 11:2) Then, too, we will love Him with the most powerful love [that is humanly possible] – when we recognize that He, may He be blessed, loves us with an eternal love.

Based upon this trenchant analysis, the Berdichever now explicates the deepest depths of the wise son’s question:

This, then is the [meaning inherent in] the wise son’s question, “What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments that the L-rd our G-d commanded you?” Is it not enough [the wise son might add] that we have the mitzvah of matzah? Behold, from it alone we learn to fear and love the honored, great and awesome Name of Hashem! Therefore, of what need are the testimonies, statutes and judgments [when our ultimate spiritual goals have already been achieved through the mitzvah of matzah]?

We are now in a better position to understand the Haggadah’s answer to the wise son: “Accordingly, you will say to him, as per the laws of the Pesach offering, ‘We may not eat an afikoman [a dessert or other foods eaten after the meal] after [we are finished eating] the Pesach offering.’” At first glance, this seems to have little to do with the wise son’s question. Based upon the Berdichever’s analysis of the mitzvah of matzah, however, we can recognize that it is the perfect response. According to the Berdichever, when the wise son asserts, “from it [the mitzvah of matzah] alone we learn to fear and love the honored, great and awesome Name of Hashem,” we must inform him that while this is surely necessary, it is insufficient. Judaism is far more than the pursuit of such ideals, since their inner meaning must be concretized in practical actions in order to bring kedushah (holiness) into the world. How is this achieved? Precisely through the performance of “the testimonies, statutes and judgments” that the L-rd our G-d commanded us – including, the law of not eating an afikoman after we have eaten the korban Pesach (Passover offering). In sum, the wise son needs to know that as crucial as the attainment of spiritual heights may be, they must ever be built upon the heartfelt performance of action-based mitzvot.

This Pesach, may we be zocheh (merit) to redouble our efforts to strengthen our relationship with Hashem through the performance of His mitzvot. Then may we be deserving to be true sons and daughters of Hashem; as the Torah states in Sefer Devarim: “You are children of the L-rd, your G-d…” V’chane yihi ratzon.

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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3/18/2018

Parashat Tzav – Shabbat Hagadol 5778, 2018: "Pesach and the Future Redemption"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

This Shabbat is popularly known as “Shabbat Hagadol” – the Great Shabbat. In many ways, this appellation urges us to focus upon the meaning of geulah (redemption), since it is juxtaposed to Pesach – the preeminent Festival of Redemption. The Mishnaic sage, Rabbi Yehoshua, teaches us a profound lesson concerning the inextricable relationship that obtains between Pesach and the future redemption of the Jewish people: “Rabbi Yehoshua said: ‘In Nissan [the month of the Exodus] the world was created, the Patriarchs, including Isaac, were born and passed away…and in Nissan we were redeemed and will be redeemed in the future.’” (Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 11a, translation and brackets my own)

The connection between the historical Exodus and the future geulah provides a compelling rationale for Chazal’s (our Sages of blessed memory) choice of the last chapter in Sefer Malachi as the haftarah (reading from the Prophets) for this Shabbat. The following famous passage is contained therein:

Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers… (Sefer Malachi 3:23-24, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

The Mishnaic sage, Rabbi Yehuda, as quoted in the Aggadic work, Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, underscores the singular role that Elijah the prophet will play in enabling the fulfillment of Judaism's messianic vision. He notes that the ultimate redemption of our people will take place if, and only if, the Jewish people undertake the teshuvah (repentance) process:

Rabbi Yehudah said: “If the Jewish people do not do teshuvah, then they will not be redeemed… In addition, the Jewish people will never perform teshuvah gedolah (great repentance) until the arrival of Eliyahu, may he be remembered for good. As it states in the in the text: ‘Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers…’ Blessed are You Hashem Who desires [the Jewish people] to do teshuvah.” (Chapter 43, translation and brackets my own)

Rabbi Yehudah differentiates between the terms teshuvah and teshuvah gedolah. The first is within the grasp of the Jewish people if we have the desire to do so, whereas the second is unattainable “until the arrival of Eliyahu, may he be remembered for good.”

In my view, Sefer Hoshea provides us with an approach to understanding the content of these two terms, and the reason as to why Eliyahu’s intervention is vital for the attainment of teshuvah gedolah:

Return (shuva) O’ Israel unto (od) the L-rd your G-d for you have stumbled in your sin. Take words with yourselves and return to (el) the L-rd. Say, “You shall forgive all iniquity and teach us [the] good [way], and let us render [for] bulls [the offering of] our lips.” (14:2-3).

A careful reading reveals that the first pasuk employs the preposition “od,” whereas the second utilizes “el” in reference to the teshuvah process. The Malbim (Rabbi Meïr Leibush ben Jehiel Michel Weiser, 1809-1878) notes that the word “od” in 14:2 signifies a sense of richuk (distance) between two objects or entities, in this instance, between G-d and the Jewish people:

The word “od” connotes the idea that Hashem stood far away from them [i.e. the Jewish people], and that they needed to walk toward Him until they came near to Him, unto the place wherein He was to be found. This means that they had to reject their earlier sins, feel remorseful for what they had done in the past, namely, they had erred in multiple ways, both inadvertently and through reasons beyond their control, and that they now must seek out the proper path to return unto Hashem. (Translation, brackets and underlining my own)

According to the Malbim, when Hoshea states, “Return O’ Israel unto (od) the L-rd your
G-d,” he is teaching us that Hashem was distant from our ancestors, and that it was necessary to make every conceivable effort to close the gaping chasm that separated us from Him. This, then, was the absolute mandate of that particular historical moment that continues to inspire us until our own time.

The second verse, wherein the idea of returning to Hashem is referenced by the term “el,” is an entirely different matter. For the Malbim, “el” refers to returning to Hashem out of love and devotion – teshuvah m’ahavah, rather than as a result of fear of punishment:

The second reference of “return to (el) the L-rd,” encapsulates the notion of teshuvah based upon love. In this case, our purposive sins will not only be thought of as being inadvertent in nature; rather, they will be thought of as being meritorious acts. Thus, the forgiveness that our forefathers obtained from Hashem was on account of their sins being viewed as acts beyond their control, i.e. accidental acts, or errors – therefore, the forgiveness that they received was a result of their merits and righteousness being added to the divine equation (sh’yikachu emahem l’dvar zechut alyehem) … As a result, Hashem saw that after our ancestors grievously sinned, they returned to His service in order to love Him – with their complete minds and hearts – and no longer from fear of punishment… (Underlining my own)

Thus, according to the Malbim, Hoshea provides us with a roadmap for returning to Hashem. that is comprised of two different possible routes. In my estimation, these approaches correspond to the expressions “teshuvah” and “teshuvah gedolah” that are found in the previously referenced words of Rabbi Yehuda. Teshuvah, based on our essential human need to positively reset our relationship with Hashem, is something that we are capable of attaining on our own. This is the case, since most of us can recognize that we have sinned and that this has driven a wedge between ourselves and our Creator. In contrast, teshuvah gedolah, when viewed through the prism of teshuvah m’ahavah, is an entirely different matter, as its goal is to advance our connection with the Almighty based upon our love and devotion for Him. As we have seen, Malachi, in this week’s haftorah, teaches us that teshuvah m’ahavah requires a spiritual mentor to help us grasp its overwhelming import so that we may actualize it in our lives. Clearly, this guide is none other than the prophet Eliyahu: “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the L-rd, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers.”

May the time come soon, and in our days, when the words we recite in the Harachaman section of Birkat Hamazon will be fully realized, heralding the ultimate redemption of our people: “The compassionate One! May He send us Elijah, the Prophet – he is remembered for good – to proclaim to us good tidings, salvations, and consolations.” (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur). V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher v’Sameach!

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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3/12/2018

Parashat Vayikra 5778, 2018: "Korbanot and Spiritual Devotion"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

The laws regarding the korbanot (sacrifices) are one of the major themes of Sefer Vayikra. The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) discusses their underlying reasoning in two well-known passages found in his philosophic magnum opus, The Guide of the Perplexed:
His wisdom, may He be exalted, and His gracious ruse, which is manifest in regard to all His creatures, did not require that He give us a Law prescribing the rejection, abandonment, and abolition of all these kinds of worship [practiced by the surrounding nations] … Therefore He, may He be exalted, suffered the above-mentioned kinds of worship to remain, but transferred them from created or imaginary and unreal things to His own name… (The Guide of the Perplexed, III:32, vol. II, p. 526, translation and notes, Dr. Shlomo Pines, underlining and bolding my own)

The second section in this work that discusses korbanot appears in III:46. In this passage, Maimonides maintains that the entire sacrificial service is, in reality, a negative response to delegitimize the practices of the surrounding idol-worshipping nations who forbade the offering of sheep (Egyptians), goats (Sabians), and oxen (all nations of the time):

Thus it was in order to efface the traces of these incorrect opinions [i.e. forbidding the offering of sheep, goats, and oxen] that we have been ordered by the Law to offer in sacrifices only these three species of quadrupeds: “When a man from [among] you brings a sacrifice to the L-rd; from animals, from cattle or from the flock you shall bring your sacrifice.” (Sefer Vayikra 1:2) … Thus wrong opinions, which are diseases of the human soul, are cured by their contrary found at the other extreme. (Ibid. , pp. 581-582, brackets and underlining my own)

In sum, the Rambam maintained that the korbanot were included in the Torah as a concession to normative behaviors known to our forebears, and to negate the erroneous opinions of the Egyptians, Sabians and other nations of the Middle East. In essence, this is a causally- and historically-based analysis of this class of mitzvot. Little wonder, then, that nearly every classic meforash (Torah analyst) roundly rejects this approach.

The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) is one of the most celebrated Torah thinkers to repudiate Maimonides’ position. In his Commentary on the Torah (Sefer Vayikra 1:9), he states that the Rambam’s words concerning this matter are nothing other than patent nonsense (divrei havai). Even more significantly, on the substantive level, Nachmanides turns the Rambam’s historically-based position on its head:

Behold when Noah and his three sons went out of the Ark, there were no Chaldeans and Egyptians in existence. Nevertheless, he offered korbanot that were pleasing to Hashem, concerning which it is stated: “And the L-rd smelled the pleasant aroma, and the L-rd said to Himself, ‘I will no longer curse the earth because of man…’ (Sefer Bereishit 8:21) Able, [who preceded Noah,] also brought a sacrifice from the first born and best of his flock. [Once again, Hashem’s response was completely positive]: “And the L-rd turned to Abel and to his offering.” (Sefer Bereishit 4:4) And, it must be noted, there was not even the remotest thought of idol worship in the world at that time! (Commentary on the Torah, translations, brackets and underlining my own; Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining and brackets my own).

The Ramban concludes this part of his argument with the powerful words: “And G-d forbid that one would even think that the sole purpose and ultimate value of the korbanot is to negate the notion of idol worship in the minds of the foolish!”

Like the Ramban, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, strongly rejected the Rambam’s approach to the rationalization of the mitzvot as presented in The Guide of the Perplexed. As we have seen in the case of korbanot, the Rambam focused upon the “how” question, (i.e. “How did sacrifices come to be?”) when analyzing this class of commandments. The Rav vigorously repudiated this entire methodology:

Judging Maimonides’ undertaking retrospectively, one must admit that the master whose thought shaped Jewish ideology for centuries to come did not succeed in making his interpretation of the commandments prevalent in our world perspective. While we recognize his opinions on more complicated problems such as prophecy, teleology and creation, we completely ignore most of his rational notions regarding the commandments. The reluctance on the part of the Jewish homo religiosus [religious person] to accept Maimonidean rationalistic ideas is not ascribable to any agnostic tendencies, but to the incontrovertible fact that such explanations neither edify nor inspire the religious consciousness. They are essentially, if not entirely, valueless for the religious interests we have most at heart. … If rationalization is guided by the “how” question and by the principle of objectification then it is detrimental to religious thought. (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, The Halakhic Mind: An Essay on Jewish Tradition and Modern Thought, pp. 92 and 98, brackets and underlining my own)

In Rabbi Soloveitchik’s view, both in regard to the korbanot and other aspects of Jewish practice, the Rambam’s suggestion of historical bases for the mitzvot detracts from the holiness and uniqueness of the Torah’s revelation at Mount Sinai. In the Rav’s estimation, only interpretations of the Torah and mitzvot that “edify and inspire the religious consciousnes” will enable us to grow closer to our Creator. This idea corresponds to Rav Soloveitchik’s emphasis on the ultimate importance of devekut Hashem (cleaving to Hashem) that is so prominently presented in his favorite work, “U’vikashtem Misham” (And From There He Will Search for You). Clearly, for the Rav, only spiritually-inspired individuals will seek to extend their hands to their Creator with the expectation this gesture will be returned in kind.

May the Beit Hamikdash be rebuilt soon and in our days, and may we once again offer the korbanot with our entire beings, in love and spiritual devotion to the Almighty. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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3/4/2018

Parashiot Vayakel-Pekudei 5778, 2018: "Shabbat and Closeness to Hashem"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

Our parasha begins with the construction of the Mishkan (the portable Desert Sanctuary): “Moses called the whole community of the children of Israel to assemble, and he said to them: ‘These are the things that the L-rd commanded to make.’” (This, and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach) Our immediate expectation would be for the Torah to begin to list all of the details pursuant to building the Mishkan. This is the case, for example, in the beginning of Parashat Terumah wherein we find precisely this manner of presentation.

Our parasha, however, deviates from this approach. Instead of launching into a discussion of the constitutive elements of the Mishkan, the Torah “interrupts itself” with two verses that speak about the sanctity of Shabbat:

Six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have sanctity, a day of complete rest to the L-rd; whoever performs work thereon [on this day] shall be put to death. You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwelling places on the Sabbath day. (Sefer Shemot 35:2-3)

Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon the Mechilta, the halachic Midrash to Sefer Shemot, provides us with a rationale for the inclusion of these two seemingly incongruous pasukim: “Six days He [Moses] prefaced [the discussion of the details of] the work of the Mishkan with the warning to keep the Sabbath, denoting that it [i.e., the work of the Mishkan] does not supersede the Sabbath.” In sum, the Torah is teaching us that even the construction of Hashem’s dwelling place on earth must cease at the onset of this most consecrated of all days.

Each of us experiences Shabbat and its kedushah (holiness) in our own unique fashion. Many of us have a favorite Shabbat time. For some, it is the Friday evening meal that is preceded by Lecha Dodi in Shul, and ushered in amid the singing of Shalom Aleichem and Aishet Chail. For others, it is the morning Tefilah (Prayer) service in synagogue, and the Torah reading, followed by the second meal. Personally, I am most deeply affected by the final meal of the day, Seudat Shlishit, which, perhaps, is best viewed as the last bastion of kedushah that separates us from weekday activities and their attendant uncertainties and anxieties. Speaking very personally, it is the time when I most experience the neshamah yeteirah (the extra soul) that the holiness of Shabbat bestows upon us. The singing of Mizmor l’David (Psalm 23), Yedid Nefesh and the accompanying divrei Torah (Torah analyses) often transport me to my highest spiritual heights, and create a transformative moment that helps me strengthen my bonds Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

Many have suggested that Mizmor l’David, in particular, captures the ideal essence of the Jewish religious experience. It speaks of peace, serenity, and inner calm:

A song of David. The L-rd is my shepherd; I shall not want. He causes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even when I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff - they comfort me. You set a table before me in the presence of my adversaries; You anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. May only goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the L-rd for length of days.

My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, depicted the relationship that obtains between Seudat Shlishit and Psalm 23 in his seminal work, Halakhic Man:

…it is true that during the third Sabbath meal at dusk, as the day of rest declines and man’s soul yearns for its Creator and is afraid to depart from the realm of holiness whose name is Sabbath, into the dark and frightening, secular workaday week, we sing the psalm “The L-rd is my shepherd; I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters etc., and we believe with our entire hearts in the word of the psalmist. (Translation, Lawrence Kaplan, footnote 4, page 142)

In the Rav’s view, while this psalm describes the ultimate goal of peace and serenity for a religious being, the path leading to this destination: “…is not, at the outset, a refuge of grace and mercy.” In his estimation, the path of religion in general, and Judaism in particular, “…is not the royal road, but a narrow, twisting footway that threads its course along the steep mountain slope.” Judaism, when lived to its fullest, when approached with intellectual daring and candor, helps one navigate: “…the straits of inner oppositions, and incongruities, spiritual doubts and uncertainties.” Life, then, for the thinking religious Jew, may very well be a challenging journey filled with the trials and tribulations of a searching soul. Little wonder then, that we yearn for the ultimate tranquility portrayed by King David in Mizmor l’David, and that the psalm is sung during the waning hours of the seventh day when we are infused with the Shabbat’s singular holiness.

With the Almighty’s help, may we be zocheh to encounter the spiritually-transforming potential of Shabbat, and thereby achieve the closeness to Hashem we so strongly desire. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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2/25/2018

Parashat Ki Tisa 5778, 2018: "And the Schechinah Has Come Down For the Jewish People"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

Our parasha contains numerous themes. In my mind, however, it is preeminently associated with the Chet Haegel (the Sin of the Golden Calf). I am bothered to the depths of my being by the entire episode. After all, year after year we ask ourselves the same question: “How is it possible for our ancestors to have participated in this heinous activity?” Hashem had just taken them out of a house of bondage (Egypt) with unrivaled wonders and miracles. In addition, He had revealed Himself to the entire nation at both Kriat Yam Suf (the splitting of the Sea of Reeds) and Matan Torah (the Giving of the Torah) on Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai). The entire episode leaves us mystified. Indeed, it seems to defy rational understanding.

Although the people’s actions are very difficult to understand, Aharon’s actions were in some ways incomprehensible. In fact, a straightforward reading of the text appears to place him directly at the center of the sin:

Take the rings off the ears of your wives and children, replied Aaron. “Bring them to me.” He took [the rings] from the people, and had someone form [the gold] in a mold, casting it into a calf. [Some of the people began to] say, “This, Israel, is your god, who brought you out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw [this], he built an altar before [the calf]. Aaron made an announcement and said, “Tomorrow, there will be a festival to G-d.” (32:2, 4-5) (Translation, The Living Torah, Rav Aryeh Kaplan zatzal)

What did Aharon actually do?

·         He told the nation to donate gold and bring it to him.
·         He collected a great deal of gold from many of the people.
·         He had someone mold the gold into the form of a calf.
·         He built an altar in front of the Golden Calf.
·         He announced that there would be a festival to G-d the next day.

This certainly is not the behavior that we would have imagined from one of our greatest spiritual leaders, the first Kohen Gadol. We would hardly have expected him to accede to the people’s wishes – let alone, seemingly, encourage them!

Beyond question, Aharon clearly sinned. Therefore, the Midrash Tanchuma to Parashat Shemini (10) asks the following question:

The Torah states: “Take for yourself a bull-calf [as your sin offering, Sefer Vayikra 9:2]” – why does it not say a “par” (“mature bull”)? This comes to teach us that through [the golden] calf, the Priesthood was nearly wrested from your hands (elah al yedei aegel nitfakfak hakahunah b’yadecha), and via [this] calf the Priesthood is firmly established in your hands (u’b’aegel mitbasusah b’yadecha). (Translation my own)

Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon this Midrash, notes the following: “Take for yourself a bull-calf [This was] to inform [Aaron] that the Holy One, blessed is He, had granted him atonement through this calf for the incident involving the [golden] calf, which he had made.” (This, and the following Torah and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

The theme of Aharon’s sin, and consequent recognition of guilt, is presented in the halachic Midrash to Sefer Vayikra known as the Sifra (9:16). Rashi paraphrases this source in his commentary on Sefer Vayikra 9:23:

When Aaron saw that all the sacrifices had been offered and all the procedures had been performed, and yet the Shechinah [Divine Presence] had not descended for Israel, he was distressed. He said, “I know that the Holy One, blessed is He, is angry with me [because of my role in the Sin of the Golden Calf], and on my account the Shechinah has not descended for Israel.” So he said to Moses, “My brother Moses, is this what you have done to me that I have entered and been put to shame?” At once, Moses entered [the Tent of Meeting] with him, and they prayed for mercy. Then the Shechinah came down for Israel.

Almost all of the classic meforshim (Torah Commentators) agree that Aharon did something fundamentally wrong; where they disagree is in their interpretations of his actions. Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz (1550–1619) zatzal, known as the Kli Yakar after the title of his most famous and beloved work, begins his commentary to Sefer Vayikra 9:2 by noting that there are those who ask why, on the day of the establishment of the Mishkan (Portable Desert Sanctuary), Aharon brought the bull-calf as his sin offering, whereas the Jewish people brought their bull-calf as an olah (totally burnt offering, see Sefer Vayikra 9:3). In his explanation, he notes that there was a fundamental difference in how Aharon sinned, in contrast to the nation’s sin. He suggests that Aharon’s sin was one of action (kum v’aseh), rather than one of thought (machshavah):

This is the case since Aharon certainly had absolutely no intention of idol worship (Avodah Zarah); instead, the essence of his sin consisted of his action, i.e. he actively created the Golden Calf. As the Torah states: “Then the L-rd struck the people with a plague, because they had made the calf that Aaron had made.” (Sefer Shemot 32:35). Why does the Torah emphasize “the calf that Aaron had made?” This comes to teach us that Aharon’s only sin consisted in creating the Calf, rather than in any thought-based (machshavah) activity. This is why Aharon brought his bull-calf as a sin offering to bring about atonement for his action-based sin, whereas the Jewish people who sinned in both action and thought - since beyond question they intended to perform idol worship – brought their bull-calf as an olah as expiation for their additional thought-based sin. (Translation and emphasis my own.)

According to the Kli Yakar, Aharon’s violation was a sin of commission, of action, rather than one of thought. His mind remained pure from any thought or intention of idol worship. Yet, although his actions lacked a thought component, Aharon’s feelings of guilt were appropriate and representative of the gulf between G-d and himself that he had caused. Therefore he declared to Moshe, “I know that the Holy One, blessed is He, is angry with me [because of my role in the Sin of the Golden Calf], and on my account the Shechinah has not descended for Israel.” In order to remove the yawning chasm that separated Hashem from Aharon – and by extension, Hashem from the Jewish people - “Moses entered [the Tent of Meeting] with him, and they prayed for mercy. Then the Shechinah came down for Israel.” Moshe and Aharon prayed together to end the separation that had prevented the Divine Presence from dwelling amongst the Jewish people. By joining forces in prayer, they were able to close the gap that had separated Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) from their Creator.

We live in an age of Jewish fragmentation. There are seemingly impenetrable walls between Torah observant and not yet Torah observant Jews. Moreover, the Orthodox Jewish world itself is filled with often-warring factions, mistrust, and lack of respect for differing authentic halachic opinions. Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) identified such sinat chinam (baseless hatred) as the reason for the destruction of the second Beit Hamikdash (Talmud Bavli, Yoma 9a). This is a grievous sin, and we must not shy away from labeling it as such. Here, as well, we must emulate Moshe and Aharon; and join in prayer and as one united people. If we can do this, if we can close the breaches that separate and alienate us from one another, then we will be able to remove the distance that exists between Hashem and our nation.

With the Almighty’s mercy and our heart-felt desire, may the time come soon when we will join together in prayer and proclaim as one, “The Schechinah has come down for Israel.” V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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2/18/2018

Parashat Tetzaveh, 5778, 2018: "Hashem in Our Midst"

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Rabbi David Etengoff

Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Chaim Mordechai Hakohen ben Natan Yitzchak, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Avraham Yechezkel ben Yaakov Halevy, Shayna Yehudit bat Avraham Manes and Rivka, the refuah shlaimah of Devorah bat Chana, Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, Yekutiel Yehudah ben Pessel Lifsha and Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.

The final five pasukim (verses) of Parashat Tetzaveh focus our attention on the underlying purpose of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting):
…at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before the L-rd, where I will arrange meetings with you (asher eva’ade lachem shamah), to speak to you there.

There I will make Myself known (v’no’adati shamah) to the children of Israel, and it will be sanctified by My glory.

I will sanctify (v’kidashti) the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and I will sanctify Aaron and his sons to serve Me [as kohanim].

I will dwell (v’shechanti) in the midst of the children of Israel and I will be their G-d.

They will know (v’yaidu) that I, the L-rd, am their G-d, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt in order that I may dwell in their midst; I am the L-rd, their G-d. (Sefer Shemot 29:42-46, this and all translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, with my emendations)

A careful reading of these verses provides us with an understanding of the Ohel Moed as a unique dwelling wherein Hashem revealed his Divine presence during meetings with the Jewish people. These encounters brought kedushah (holiness) to the Ohel Moed, and to the kohanim who served Him there. In addition, this passage continues a familiar theme that was introduced in Parashat Ki Tisa, “And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst,” (25:8) and adds the highly significant words, “and I will be their G-d.” The final pasuk informs us that the Ohel Moed served as the glory-filled place for the Almighty, from which He taught us that it was He, and none other, who redeemed us from the shackles of Egyptian servitude in order to dwell in our midst.

The Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush ben Yechiel Michel, 1809-1879), widely considered to be one of the greatest and most perceptive Tanach commentators, offers an enlightening analysis of our passage. In his view, these verses contain a number of core concepts regarding the singular import of our people’s worship in the Ohel Moed, and by extension, the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), as found in the words asher eva’ade lachem shamah, v’no’adati shamah, v’kidashti, v’shechanti and v’yaidu.

Our author begins by noting that the avodah (Temple service) generated “an unceasing flow of nevuah (prophecy) amongst our nation.” This idea, he maintains, is intimated by the phrase, “asher eva’ade lachem shamah,” and refers to “Hashem’s communications with Moses from between the cherubim that were shared with the Jewish people, [since] all communications were [ultimately] for the [sake of our] nation.” (Commentary on the Torah, this, and all translations, brackets and underlining my own)

The Malbim continues his analysis and interprets the expression, “v’no’adati shamah,” as referring to Hashem’s ongoing revelation to our nation during the course of the avodah. He suggests that this interpretation is buttressed by the following complementary pasuk from Sefer Vayikra: “And Moses said, ‘This is the thing the L-rd has commanded; do [i.e. the avodah,] and the glory of the L-rd will appear to you.” (9:6)

Next, our author explicates the term, “v’kidashti,” as connoting two crucial ideas:

The subject matter of this expression teaches us that through the avodah, the Ohel Moed and its vessels were sanctified, since it was the very place wherein the Temple service was undertaken; and Aharon and his sons – who were designated to serve in the holy priestly service - [performed their obligations]. This means that the avodah served a dual purpose: the sanctification of both the Ohel Moed and those who ministered therein [i.e. the kohanim].

According to the Malbim, the next term, “v’shechanti,” teaches us a vital notion regarding the eternal existential bond that links us to the Almighty: “As a result of the avodah in the Ohel Moed, Hashem’s presence became manifest amongst the entire people until He became their G-d, [precisely because He] placed His divinely revealed immanence amongst them.” In other words, the experience of the Schechinah (Hashem’s Presence) in the Ohel Moed was similar in kind to that which the Jewish people had encountered at Kriat Yam Suf (the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds). Our Sages teach us that the Holy One’s presence at the Yam Suf was so palpable that we proclaimed as one, “The Eternal's strength and His power were my salvation; this is my G-d, [i.e. we could “see and point to Him”] and I will extol Him, the G-d of my father, and I will exalt Him.” (Sefer Shemot 15:2, translation my own, analysis based upon the commentary of the Torah Temimah)

I believe that the Malbim’s explication of our final term, “v’yaidu,” is an intellectual tour de force in its presentation of the underlying rationale of the Ohel Moed:

For through this [i.e. the Ohel Moed and the avodah therein,] the people would acquire a crystal-clear knowledge that He is their G-d and the One that took them out of Egypt. The purpose of the Exodus, therefore, was none other than to dwell among them in order that they would become the spiritual chariot (i.e. G-d’s platform on earth) for His all-powerful immanence (shechinat uzo). Through this knowledge and understanding Hashem would be their G-d and strengthen the connection and the closeness between Himself and the Jewish people – His intimate nation [forevermore].

The Malbim’s final sentence is reminiscent of a well-known bracha that we recite each morning before the recitation of the Shema:

And You have brought us close to Your great Name forever in truth, to offer praiseful thanks to You, and proclaim Your Oneness with love. Blessed are You Hashem, Who chooses His people Israel with love. (Translation, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur)

With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may we ever be the spiritual chariots for His immanence in this world, so that we may experience His closeness amongst us in the newly rebuilt Beit Hamikdash soon and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org/ using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah, and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd

*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

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Parashat Tetzaveh, 5778, 2018: "Hashem in Our Midst"

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