​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, Shoshana Elka bat Etiel Dina and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The mitzvah of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) is found at the beginning of our parasha. Its purpose is to purify an individual who has become tamei (ritually impure) due to contact with a corpse. This commandment is intrinsically mystifying in nature since, in the course of its fulfillment to ritually purify tamei individuals, it simultaneously renders those performing the purification process ritually impure.
 
Sefer Melachim teaches us that Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon), the wisest man who ever lived, received the greatest da’at (native intelligence) from Hashem. Moreover, with G-d’s help and love, he acquired the most profound binah (insight into the interrelationship of things) that any man could ever achieve:

Give (therefore) Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this Your great people?” And the speech pleased the L-rd, that Solomon had asked this thing. And G-d said to him, “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life; neither have you asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked the life of your enemies; but have asked for yourself understanding to discern judgment. Behold, I have done according to your word; behold, I have given you a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like you before you, nor after you shall any arise like you.” (I:3:9-12, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Many sources suggest that Shlomo Hamelech sought to understand all of the mitzvot. Yet, even though he was blessed with the most prodigious intellect in history, he was nonetheless stymied by the Red Heifer’s seemingly irreconcilable contradictions. Little wonder, then, that he plaintively declared: “All this I tested with wisdom; I said, ‘I will become wise,’ but it was far from me.” (Sefer Kohelet 7:23) According to a variety of Midrashim, the word “it” in the phrase “but it was far from me,” specifically refers to the mysterious Parah Adumah.
 
Although we can never approach King Solomon’s depth of knowledge, we can try to emulate his passion for understanding. What approach should we pursue in order to better understand the mitzvot? The Rambam (1135-1204) provides us with a deeply philosophical analysis of what we ought to do when contemplating the mitzvot. In Hilchot Meilah, he states: “It is proper for an individual to meditate upon the laws of the holy Torah and to know the depth of their meaning according to the limits of his intellectual acumen.” (8:8, This and the following translations and brackets my own) He follows this approach throughout the entire corpus of his writings and, most famously, in his Moreh Hanavuchim (The Guide for the Perplexed). This is a challenging journey: Finite man, by definition, is incapable of fully comprehending infinite G-d. The Rambam warns us, therefore, to avoid the pitfalls of treating mitzvot whose reasons escape us in a facile and flippant manner. Ultimately, even when the rationale of the mitzvah remains elusive, we must nonetheless eagerly and lovingly perform His will, “a matter [mitzvah] wherein one does not find a reason and does not know its rationale should not become frivolous in his eyes and he should not burst forth against Hashem.
 
The Rambam utilizes classic halachic reasoning to prove his contention:
 
Come and see how strict the Torah is in the Laws of Trespassing (Meilah): Just like wood, stones, dust, and ashes, once they are sanctified with the name of the Master of the Universe through words alone, and all who treat them in a profane manner commit a trespass [against G-d] even if this is inadvertent, and will have to seek atonement, all the more so (kal v’chomer) in the case of a commandment that the Holy One Blessed be He has commanded us – wherein man may not rebel against them simply because he does not understand their reasons. (Ibid.)
 
Next, the Rambam warns us against inventing ingenious, but specious, reasons for the mitzvot: “And he should not attribute (literally “pile on”) false rationalizations [for the mitzvot] against Hashem.” Finally, he concludes this line of reasoning with a this powerful warning: “And one ought not to think concerning them [the Commandments] in the manner in which he thinks about everyday profane matters.”
 
Rabbi Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik zatzal (1820-1892), one of the greatest Lithuanian Torah scholars, expands upon these ideas in his Beit HaLevi, an incisive and original analysis of the Torah. In his commentary on Sefer Shemot 31, he presents an exposition of the Parah Adumah in which he notes that the phrase “This is the statute of the Torah that the L-rd commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow...’” is very unusual, since the Red Heifer is singled out as being the “statute of the Torah.” He therefore asks: “At face value, the Parah Adumah is simply one of the [613] mitzvot of the Torah. Why, therefore, is it given the unusual label of “the statute of the Torah?” His answer expresses some of his fundamental views regarding the search for the rationale of the mitzvot:

… for it is precisely from the Parah Adumah that it is revealed to man that he, in reality, does not know anything regarding [the true meaning inherent] in any mitzvah of the Torah, since, [based upon this verse,] the entire Torah is a statute (chukah) [that defies our understanding]. And the explanation of this concept is the following, behold all of the Commandments are inextricably attached to, and interwoven with, one another. Moreover, each one depends upon the other – just as we find in reference to lowly man who has 248 limbs and 365 sinews – all of whom are attached one to another, and all of whom depend upon one another. This is the case, as well, regarding the mitzvot wherein the 248 Positive Commandments and the 365 Negative Commandments are attached to one another and form one unit. [As a result,] it is impossible to comprehend even one of the mitzvot without understanding all of them. Therefore, when we encounter the Parah Adumah and we do not understand its underlying principle – it is clear that we really know nothing at all [regarding the other mitzvot as well]. (This, and the following translations and brackets my own)
 
The Beit HaLevi further develops this analysis, noting that the Red Heifer emerges as a protection against man’s natural hubris and potential intellectual arrogance:

…the Parah Adumah is, therefore, a fence and a protective measure for man who utilizes his intellect (hamitbonane b’sichlo) to examine the reasons inherent in the mitzvot; to prevent him from erring in their regard if he were to follow his [mere] intellect and thereby burst forth [against the Commandments] and declare: “I am the one who is able to know their rationale!” In this manner, one would be able to err and [G-d forbid,] add or subtract [from the Torah].
 
According to the Beit HaLevi, view there is only one way to demonstrate loyalty to, and acceptance of, the Commandments:

One must perform all of the mitzvot, with all of their specific details, according to what we have received from our Rabbis according to the overarching rules of the Torah and the established Halacha without any deviation whatsoever from the words of the Shulchan Aruch. This is [perforce] the case since; he himself recognizes that he does not comprehend the depth of these matters…
 
In sum, the Parah Adumah may be viewed as the mitzvah that in many ways teaches us much about all the mitzvot. Perhaps more than any other commandment, it reminds us, that G-d is the measure of all things and man is but His servant. With the Almighty’s help, may we be zocheh (merit) to serve Him with humility and heartfelt devotion, and ever remember before Whom we stand. V’chane yihi ratzon.

Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on 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:[email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Megillat Esther may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim

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, Shoshana Elka bat Etel Dina and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
 
Our parasha begins with the 16th chapter of Sefer Bamidbar. It tells the story of Korach and his followers, and their rebellion against G-d and His Torah, Moshe, and Aharon. There are countless explanations as to why Korach chose to rebel, including psychological, political, sociological, and economic rationales. In my view, however, Korach’s mutiny was conceived, planned, and implemented to achieve one overarching goal: Power.
 
Many shades of meaning of the word “power” are found in the opening verses of our parasha:

Korach son of Yitz'har (a grandson of Kehoth and great-grandson of Levi) began a rebellion along with Dathan and Aviram (sons of Eliav) and On (son of Peleth), descendants of Reuben.
They had a confrontation with Moses along with 250 Israelites who were men of rank in the community, representatives at the assembly, and famous.
They demonstrated against Moses and Aaron, and declared to them, “You have gone too far! All the people in the community are holy, and G-d is with them. Why are you setting yourselves above G-d's congregation?”
When Moses heard this, he threw himself on his face…It is actually against G-d that you and your party are demonstrating! After all, who is Aaron that you should have grievances against him?' (Translation, Rav Aryeh Kaplan zatzal, The Living Torah)
 
A straightforward reading of these pasukim (verses) reveals the following:

• Korach instigated the rebellion.
• Korach, Datan, Aviram, On, and the 250 men of distinction had a direct confrontation (machloket) with Moshe.
• The content of the machloket was a direct challenge to the G-d-given authority of both Moshe and Aharon. The actual terms of this rebellion were couched in ostensibly altruistic language: “All the people in the community are holy, and G-d is with them.” Korach seemingly wanted to achieve a true populist democracy wherein everyone would be equal in his or her ability to serve Hashem.
• The rebellion’s professed focus was against Moshe and Aharon. In reality, however, it was much more. It was a mutiny against G-d Himself: “It is actually against G-d that you and your party are demonstrating!”

 
Midrash Tanchuma, Korach II provides us with two examples of Korach’s repudiation of Moshe’s halachic authority that portray his rebellion against Hashem. The first vignette focuses upon Korach’s derision of Tzittzit, while the second presents his repudiation of the mitzvah of Mezuzah. In both instances, the operative principle of Korach’s dismissal of Moshe’s (G-d’s) halachic hegemony is sarcasm and ridicule couched as common-sense logic:
 
Korach jumped up and said to Moshe [in front of the assembly]: “You have stated: ‘And you shall place on the Tzittzit [a thread of techalet – sky blue].’ In the case of a prayer shawl [or four cornered garment] that is entirely colored techalet should it not logically be exempt from the obligation of Tzittzit altogether? Moshe responded: “It remains obligated in Tzittzit.” Korach then said to him: “A garment that is entirely composed of techalet does not make it exempt from Tzittzit, yet four threads [of techalet] render it ritually acceptable? (See Rashi’s version, as well, on 16:1)
 
[Korach continued his harassment and ridicule of Moshe and asked:] “A house that is completely filled with Torah scrolls [sefarim], is it not logically the case that it should not require a Mezuzah?” Moshe responded to him: “It is obligated in a Mezuzah.” [Korach responded to him and said:] The entire Torah that is composed of 278 parshiot is unable to fulfill the necessary obligation; yet, two sections [of the Torah] that are found in the Mezuzah fulfill the obligation! Korach then said to him: “These things were not commanded to you! You have lied about them on your own!” Therefore it says: “And Korach separated himself…” (Translation and bolding my own)
 
The depth of Korach’s rejection of G-d and His Torah are reflected in his cynicism regarding the mitzvot of Tzittzit and Mezuzah, whose G-d-given nature he dared to challenge. In addition, it is crucial to note that Korach first assailed the obligation of Tzittzit, knowing full well that this mitzvah symbolically represents the entire Torah. As the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) states in Hilchot Tzittzit:

A person must be extremely careful regarding the mitzvah of Tzittzit since the Torah [symbolically] makes it representative of all of the mitzvot. As the Torah states: “You will look upon it [Tzittzit] and you will remember all of the commandments of Hashem.” [Sefer Bamidbar 15:39] (3:12, translation and emphasis my own)
 
Korach attempted to undermine this commandment in the eyes of the Jewish people, since he understood that if they were to remain devoted to this mandate, his rebellion would surely fail.
 
What about Mezuzah? What is at the “heart” of this mitzvah? The Rambam  suggests the following:

A person is duty-bound to be punctilious in the commandment of Mezuzah, since it is a continuous obligation that is incumbent upon us all. Each time a person enters and leaves his home he encounters the Oneness (unity) of Hashem, the name of the Holy One Blessed be He. [Then] he will remember his love for Him and awake from his “sleep” and the error of his ways [as a result of] following the foolish pursuits of his time (hevlai hazeman). He will then know and understand that there is nothing that remains forever, except for the knowledge of Hashem (Tzur Ha’olam). Immediately, he will return to the knowledge of Him and follow the proper and righteous path. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Tefillin, u’Mezzuah, v’Sefer Torah, 6:13, translation my own)
 
As Rashi (1040-1105) notes, Korach was blessed with a prodigious intellect (Sefer Bamidbar 16:7). Accordingly, he recognized that if the Jewish people would remain loyal to the commandment of Mezuzah, their dedication to Hashem, Moshe and Aharon would never falter. Therefore, he sought to ridicule this precept in particular, in order to foment an attack upon the underlying rationale of the Torah.
 
Korach was a self-serving demagogue whose entire being was focused upon repudiating Hashem’s Dominion and the Torah. As such, his mutiny was doomed to fail from the moment of inception. Chazal (our Sages of Blessed Memory) emphasized this idea in Pirkei Avot  (Ethics of the Fathers) 5:17:

Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven is destined to endure; one that is not for the sake of Heaven is not destined to endure. Which is a dispute that is for the sake of Heaven? The dispute(s) between Hillel and Shamai. Which is a dispute that is not for the sake of Heaven? The dispute of Korach and all his company. (Translation http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=2099, emphasis my own)
 
Chazal have a general rule of Torah analysis: “M’klal lav atah shomeah hane” (“From a negative formulation one can derive a positive idea;” Talmud Bavli, Nedarim 14a). If we apply this principle to Korach’s actions, we can deduce a very positive message: We must continuously strive to live lives that are authentically dedicated l’shame shamayim (for the sake of Heaven). In so doing, may we come to recognize that true power and glory belong to Hashem. As Dovid Hamelech (King David) so beautifully stated:

Yours, O L-rd, are the greatness, and the might, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth [is Yours]; Yours is the kingdom and [You are He] Who is exalted over everything as the Leader. And wealth and honor are from before You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is strength and might, and it is in Your hand to magnify and to strengthen all. (Sefer Divrei Hayamim I:29:11-12, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining my own)
 
May each of us be zocheh (merit) to recognize the eternal truth of these stirring words, and thereby grow in our dedication and devotion to the Almighty and His holy Torah. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom

Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on 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:[email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Megillat Esther may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
​
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3)

​


​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, Shoshana Elka bat Etiel Dina and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The beginning of our parasha offered the possibility of the immediate implementation of Judaism’s ultimate goals: Moshe would have been the Mashiach (the one true Messiah) who led our people into Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), the Beit Hamikdash would have been built and remained intact forevermore, and the entire world would have recognized the truth of monotheism and our people’s singular responsibilities as G-d’s chosen nation.

What exactly took place that so violently and, nearly irrevocably, brought G-d’s plan to a screeching halt? The answer is starkly clear: Our people failed to live up to Hashem’s expectations. Rashi (1040-1105) teaches us that, as a compromise to the people’s nagging insecurity and immature emunah (faith), Hashem gave Moshe permission to send the leaders of each tribe to do a thorough reconnaissance of Eretz Yisrael:

Send for yourself: According to your own understanding. I [Hashem] am not commanding you, but if you wish, you may send. Since the Israelites had come [to Moses] and said, “Let us send men ahead of us,” as it says, “All of you approached me…” (Sefer Devarim 1:22, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
At first, everything went quite well. After all, these were mighty and prestigious individuals who were dedicated to the task before them. These great tribal princes were called “anashim” (“men”). Rashi suggests that this was an honorific appellation based on the Midrash Tanchuma’s interpretation of Sefer Bamidbar 13:3: “Every instance of the term anashim that appears in the text of the Torah is a term of distinction [literally, importance]. At that time they were righteous.” These great leaders of the Dor Hamidbar (the Generation of the Desert) set out to explore, search and discover the Promised Land. Thus, in 13:2, 13: 21, and 13:25, we find the expressions “v’yaturu,” “vayaturu,” and “meture” - terms of exploration and discovery, and the infinitive form of this verb, “latur” (to seek out or to discover) is found in 13:16.

Unfortunately, however, it all went terribly wrong. Inexplicably, these great leaders, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, ceased to be anashim and morphed into meraglim (spies). This transformation is clearly represented in the first chapter of Sefer Devarim:

And I said to you, “You have come to the mountain of the Amorites, which the L-d, our G-d, is giving us. Behold, the L-d, your G-d, has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the L-d, G-d of your fathers has spoken to you; you shall neither fear nor be dismayed.” And all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us so that they will search out the land for us and bring us back word by which route we shall go up, and to which cities we shall come.” And the matter pleased me; so I took twelve men from you, one man for each tribe. And they turned and went up to the mountain, and they came to the valley of Eshkol and [they] spied it out. (20-24)
 
The Meraglim failed to maintain the proper perspective. As a result, they squandered one of the greatest opportunities ever given to mankind. Instead of fulfilling their mission of exploration and discovery in a G-d-infused fashion, they acted like lowly spies on a “black-ops” military mission.

How did this happen? The Meraglim looked at everything through the lens of the laws of nature, and forgot that they were representatives of G-d’s Am Hanivchar (Chosen People). As such, they failed to understand that our entire existence was, and is, dependent upon our being tachat kanfei HaShechinah (under the Divine wings of the Almighty’s protection). Little wonder then, that the Meraglim returned to the people and issued a report that focused upon what they saw, i.e. “the facts on the ground” – rather than upon the potential of that which might be. In short, their myopic vision prevented them from seeing a glorious, G-d-inspired future.

The people’s despair in response to the Spies’ report tragically changed the course of history:

The entire community raised their voices and shouted, and the people wept on that night. All the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the entire congregation said, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had died in this desert. Why does the L-rd bring us to this land to fall by the sword; our wives and children will be as spoils. Is it not better for us to return to Egypt?” They said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt!” (Sefer Bamidbar 14:1-4)
 
In turn, our forebears’ all-but complete capitulation was met by swift and angry words from the One True Judge:

The L-rd said to Moses, “How long will this people provoke Me? How much longer will they not believe in Me after all the signs I have performed in their midst? I will strike them with a plague and annihilate them; then I will make you into a nation, greater and stronger than they.” (Ibid., 11-12)

Once again, however, Moshe interceded and saved our nation:

Now, please, let the strength of the L-rd be increased, as You spoke, saying. “The L-rd is slow to anger and abundantly kind, forgiving iniquity and transgression, Who cleanses [some] and does not cleanse [others], Who visits the iniquities of parents on children, even to the third and fourth generations.” Please forgive the iniquity of this nation in accordance with your abounding kindness, as You have borne this people from Egypt until now.” And the L-rd said, “I have forgiven them in accordance with your word.” (Ibid., 17-20)
 
Mishnah Ta’anit 4:6, and the subsequent discussion in the Babylonian Talmud, teach us that the Spies returned from their journey to Eretz Yisrael on the night of Tisha b’Av. Although the people were saved through Moshe’s intercession, their shameful response to the Spies’ report led to the Divine decree that forbade the Dor Hamidbar (Generation of the Desert) from entering Eretz Yisrael: “B’tisha b’Av nigzar al avotainu she’lo yichnasu l’aretz.” Our Sages note that lail Tisha b’Av (the night of the 9th of Av) was set aside for destruction ever since that woeful time. As such, the monumental failures of the Spies, and the faithless reaction of our ancestors, have continued to reverberate until our own historical moment.

We live in an age of pirood (separation) and sinat chinam (groundless hatred). Each one of us is labeled and defined by others as to what kind of Jew we are and where we stand on the religious spectrum of belief and observance. The result of this kind of thinking is alienation from our fellow Jews. Instead of banding together in achdut (unity) and tolerance, we distrust one another and perceive those who differ from us as less than ourselves. I believe that we can rightfully view this as “Meraglim-thinking,” since this is the exact kind of behavior that our ancestors manifested when Caleb and Joshua disagreed with the Spies’ report:

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had scouted the land, tore their clothes. They spoke to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land we passed through to scout is an exceedingly good land. If the L-rd desires us, He will bring us to this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. But you shall not rebel against the L-rd, and you will not fear the people of that land for they are [as] our bread. Their protection is removed from them,  and the L-rd is with us; do not fear them.” The entire congregation threatened to pelt them with stones, but the glory of the L-rd appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel. (Sefer Bamidbar 14:6-10, underlining my own)
 
Given the above, I believe that one of our main tasks as Jews today is to reject “Meraglim-thinking” out of hand and embrace an entirely different mode of behavior. To this end, we need to focus upon the famous idea of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kook zatzal (1865-1935): “If we were destroyed [during the Second Holy Temple period], and the world was destroyed with us, due to baseless hatred - sinat chinam, we must return to rebuild ourselves, and the world with us, with love without cause - ahavat chinam...” (Orot HaKodesh vol. III, p. 324, translation, http://ravkooktorah.org/TISHA-AV-70.htm, with my emendations)

May we be zocheh (merit) to integrate Rav Kook's words into our lives, so that the Jewish people, and the entire world, may finally flourish in love and devotion to the Master of the Universe. May this time come 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 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:[email protected].

*** My audio shiurim for Women on the topics of Tefilah and Megillat Esther may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
​
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3)

​
 




























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, Shoshana Elka bat Etiel Dina and Yitzhak Akiva ben Malka, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
 
The Menorah is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of Judaism. Therefore, nearly every synagogue in the world contains some form or representation of this sacred object. It seems that the Menorah of the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), perhaps more than any other, has captured the heart and soul of our people.
 
The beginning of our parasha discusses the kohan’s daily mitzvah to light the Menorah:

The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and say to him: “When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall cast their light toward the face of the Menorah.” Aaron did so; he lit the lamps toward the face of the Menorah, as the L-rd had commanded Moses. (Sefer Bamidbar 8:1-3, this, and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Immediately thereafter, we encounter a brief description of the Menorah: “This was the form of the Menorah: hammered work of gold, from its base to its flower it was hammered work; according to the form that the L-rd had shown Moses, so did he construct the Menorah.” (8:4) The final words of the pasuk (verse), “so did he construct the Menorah,” are very difficult, however, since we do not know to whom the “he” of this verse refers.

The great exegete, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (the Ramban, Nachmanides, 1194-1270), was one of the many Torah commentators who wrestled with the meaning of our phrase. Based in part on the principle of proximity of language (s’michut), the Ramban, in his Commentary on the Torah on our verse, determined that Moshe constructed the Menorah, since his name was mentioned immediately prior to our indeterminate phrase.
 
Most students of Tanach (the Hebrew Canon of Scripture), however, know that while Moshe was our teacher, the most humble person who ever lived and the greatest prophet of all time, he is never referred to as an artisan with the requisite skills to create something as intricate as the Menorah. Therefore, with the Midrash Sifrei as his guide, Nachmanides suggested that Moshe learned how to construct the Menorah based upon extensive study and yeoman efforts:

He applied himself assiduously in its study [i.e. the Menorah] and he made it according to the mitzvah he had been commanded. So did they state in the Sifrei: “To make known to us the praise that Moshe deserved, for just like the Holy One Blessed be He had spoken to him, so did he do.” (Sefer Bamidbar 8:4, translation and brackets my own)
 
In notable contrast, Rashi (1040-1105) explained the phrase, “so did he construct the Menorah,” as referring to Bezalel, the chief artisan of the Mishkan (Portable Sanctuary): “i.e., the one who made it [namely, Bezalel].” Rashi's suggestion is forthright. Moreover, in some ways it is the most logical explanation, since the Menorah's construction is viewed within the context of the overall building of the Mishkan. Thus, since the Torah explicitly tells us that Bezalel was the chief architect of the Portable Sanctuary (Sefer Shemot 31:1-5), he would have been the most likely person to have planned, designed, and build the Menorah. His renowned G-d-given talents would have made him the perfect candidate for this holy task.
 
Both Rashi and the Ramban offer a fascinating third candidate as the creator of the Menorah. In Sefer Shemot 25:31 we read: “And you shall make a Menorah of pure gold. The Menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.” The Hebrew word employed for “shall be made” is “taiasah,” instead of the expected “ta’aseh.” The first expression is passive and reflexive, whereas the second one is active. Rashi formulates the significance of this grammatical change in the following manner:

The Menorah shall be made: By itself. Since Moses found difficulty with it [i.e., understanding how to create the Menorah], the Holy One, blessed is He, said to him, “Cast the talent [equivalent to sixty-four pounds of gold] into the fire, and it will be made by itself.” Therefore, it is not written: ta’aseh but taiasah. – (Based upon Midrash Tanchuma, Behaalotecha III, underlining my own)
 
The Ramban closely followed Rashi’s explanation. As such, he, too, explained the above-stated passage as referring directly to Hashem: “[The Menorah] was created via the Holy One blessed be He – by itself.” Thus, according to the Midrash, Rashi and the Ramban, the designer of the Menorah was none other than the Creator Himself! Beyond a doubt, this is a truly powerful idea.
 
Neither Rashi nor the Ramban developed the previously mentioned notion any further. I would like, however, to expand upon their explanation and suggest that it is of singular import if G-d, not man, was the artisan of the Menorah, for after all, one of its major functions was to bring light to the Mishkan and allow the kohanim to operate with a newfound vision of hope and purpose. Moreover, I believe, that the golden Menorah was the ultimate counterbalance to the Golden Calf. How so? Just as the Torah’s purpose is to bring spiritual light and meaning to the world, so, too, did the Menorah bring physical light to the Jewish people and, by extension, all mankind. As Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon) taught us so long ago: “Ki ner mitzvah v’Torah ohr” (“For a commandment is a candle, and the Torah is light,” Sefer Mishle 6:23). The Midrash’s explanation of Hashem as the creator of the Menorah, therefore, leads us to view it as the ultimate symbol of reconciliation between the Master of the Universe and our people. Our relationship was, once again, shalame (complete), for at long last, the Menorah signified our complete kapporah (atonement) for the excesses of the Golden Calf.
 
With the Almighty’s help, may the Beit HaMikdash be rebuilt soon and in our days, so that we be zocheh (merit) to bask in the Divine light of the Menorah, the Torah, and Hashem’s unlimited love for evermore. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org They may also be found on YUTorah.org using the search criteria of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.

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