Pekudei 5785

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Bells, whistles, and pomegranates[1]

ויעשו על-שולי המעיל רמוני תכלת וארגמן ותולעת שני משזר: ויעשו פעמני זהב טהור ויתנו בתוך הרמנים על-שולי המעיל סביב בתוך הרמנים: פעמן ורמן פעמן ורמן על-שולי המעיל סביב לשרת כאשר צוה יקוק את-משה
They shall make pomegranates of spun blue, crimson, and red wool on the bottom of the cloak. You shall also make pure gold bells, and place them within the pomegranates, on the bottom of the cloak, going around, within the pomegranates. A bell, a pomegranate, a bell, a pomegranate, on the bottom of the cloak, going around. It’s for Divine service, as Hashem commanded Moshe[2]

There’s a dispute between Rashi and the Ramban[3] how the pomegranates and bells were oriented on the bottom of the Kohen Gadol’s cloak. Rashi says they were alternating, whereas the Ramban says the bells were within the pomegranates. Ramban has support from a verse in our parsha, where it says the bells were בתוך the pomegranates. While this could be translated as “amongst” the pomegranates, the more standard way to translate this would be “within” the pomegranates. However, the subsequent verse supports Rashi, as the verse seems to stress that they were alternating.

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Vayakhel 5785

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Automatic labor[1]

ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה וביום השביעי יהיה לכם קדש שבת שבתון ליקוק כל-העשה בו מלאכה יומת: לא תבערו אש בכל משבתיכם ביום השבת
Six days work will be done, and on the seventh day it will be for you Holy, a sabbath of sabbaths for Hashem. Anyone who does creative activity on it will die. Do not ignite a fire in all of your dwelling places on the sabbath day[2]

There is an opinion that Moshe died on Shabbos. This proves difficult, for we are taught[3] that Moshe wrote thirteen Torah scrolls on the day that he died. One is forbidden from writing on Shabbos, so how did he accomplish such a thing[4]? The common approach is he didn’t write it himself. Instead, he used his powers of prophecy to command the spiritual forces to write the scrolls for him. His quill moved on its own and wrote the Torahs[5]. Therefore, there was no Shabbos prohibition[6].

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Purim 5785

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Past mistakes, future salvation[1]

כי פור המן נהפך לפורנו, צדיק נחלץ מיד רשע, אויב נתן תחת נפשו
For Haman’s lot was flipped to our Purim, a righteous one was saved from the hand of the wicked, and an enemy was substituted for him[2]

It’s clear from the book of Shmuel that the primary sin of king Shaul was that he didn’t listen to the mitzvos of Hashem with temimus, innocent and pure loyalty. Rather, he made all kinds of calculations. He was commanded to annihilate every member of the wicked nation of Amalek, including their animals. Instead, he kept the fatty animals for offerings to Hashem, and he spared the king of Amalek, Agag, to execute him later[3]. The intent seemingly was to publicly disgrace him, to create a great Kiddush Hashem. It would demonstrate the tremendous victory of the Jews over their arch enemy.

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Tetzaveh/Zachor 5785

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The generational battle[1]

ויאמר כי-יד על-כס קה מלחמה ליקוק בעמלק מדר דר
[Hashem] said: “The hand is on the throne of G-d, a war for Hashem against Amalek, for all generations”[2]

Parshas Zachor is our yearly obligation to publicly remember what Amalek did to us. They attacked us as we left Egypt. Still, it begs the question: What was so bad about their sin? G-d Himself declares that there will be a battle for all generations against Amalek. Sure, they hated the Jews. But antisemitism has always been around. Why is Amalek treated differently than any other nation or people who attacked us? We are told that Amalek didn’t fear Hashem[3], but that still requires explanation.

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Va’eira 5785

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Waning warning wellness[1]

ויאמר יקוק אל-משה אמר אל-אהרן נטה את-מטך והך את-עפר הארץ והיה לכנם בכל ארץ-מצרים
Hashem said to Moshe: “Tell Aharon to stretch out your staff and hit the earth, and it will become lice throughout all of Egypt”[2]

This week’s parsha introduces us to the concept of the Ten Plagues. Seven appear in this week’s parsha and the final three in the next. A careful examination will show that the first nine follow a pattern where there are two plagues preceded with a warning to Pharaoh to let the Jews go, and then the third plague comes without warning. This means that the plagues of lice, boils, and darkness all came without warning. Why is this? What’s the reason?

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Shemos 5785

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Fateful forefather fenagling[1]

ויאמר עוד אלקים אל משה כה תאמר אל בני ישראל יקוק אלקי אבותיכם אלקי אברהם אלקי יצחק ואלקי יעקב שלנחי אליכם זה שמי לעולם וזה זכרי לדור דור: לך ואספת את זקני ישראל ואמרת אליהם יקוק אלקי אבותיכם נראה אלי אלקי אברהם יצחק ויעקב לאמר פקד פקדתי אתכם ואת העשוי לכם במצרים
G-d said further to Moshe: “Thus shall you say to the Children of Israel: Hashem, the G-d of your forefathers, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov, sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and My remembrance from generation to generation. Go and gather the elders of Israel and say to them: Hashem, the G-d of your forefathers appeared to me, the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, saying, I have surely remembered you and what was done to you in Egypt”[2]

Everyone knows the episode of the burning bush. Hashem appeared to Moshe in a vision and told him that he would be the one to redeem the Jewish people from their bondage in Egypt. What’s interesting is we find back-to-back verses where Hashem describes Himself as the G-d of our forefathers. More interesting is we find an inconsistency. First, Hashem describes Himself as the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov. The second time, however, He simply calls Himself the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, without repetition. Why the inconsistency?

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Vayechi 5785

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Forgiveness consequences[1]

ויצוו אל-יוסף לאמר אביך צוה לפני מותו לאמר: כה-תאמרו ליוסף אנא שא נא פשע אחיך וחטאתם כי-רעה גמולך ועתה שא נא לפשע עבדי אלקי אביך ויבק יוסף בדברם אליו
[The brothers] commanded Yosef, saying: “Your father commanded before his death, saying: ‘Thus shall you say to Yosef: Please forgive the iniquity of your brothers, and their sins, for they have bestowed bad upon you. Now, please forgive the iniquity of the servants of the G-d of your father’” Yosef wept as they spoke to them[2]

We find that the brothers asked Yosef to forgive them for selling him into slavery. Although Yosef cried at their request, we don’t find explicitly that he forgave them. We know that even if someone repents for the wrong they’ve done to their friend, if the friend doesn’t forgive the sin isn’t fully atoned[3]. If Yosef never forgave them, that means the brothers died without the proper atonement. As a result, our Sages tell us[4] that the ten famous Sages who were martyred by the Romans, known as the Asara Harugei Malchus, including giants like Rabbi Akiva, were reincarnations of the ten sons of Yaakov[5]. They were brutally killed in order to provide the necessary atonement for the sin of selling Yosef[6].

However, Sefer Chassidim understands[7] that Yosef indeed forgave the brothers[8]. It writes that someone who is truly pious is someone who is able to overcome their middos as be forgiving. Yosef is given as the prime example. How then can we understand why were the brothers punished with reincarnating as the Asara Harugei Malchus? The Chida suggests[9] that the brothers sinned doubly. Although they sinned against Yosef and he forgave them, they also sinned against Hashem. The sale of Yosef became a public scandal, known to the Egyptians and Pharaoh. This created a terrible Chillul Hashem. Their teshuva wasn’t enough to fully undo the blemish, and they needed further atonement.

Although, Rav Elyashiv is quoted[10] as bringing an explicit gemarra against the Sefer Chassidim. We see that Yosef didn’t end up forgiving his brothers. What’s the proof? The gemarra in Yoma teaches us[11] that if one needs to seek forgiveness for the wrongdoing he did to his friend, he only needs to ask them three times. The gemarra derives this from our verse with the brothers asking Yosef for forgiveness. There, there’s three expressions requesting forgiveness. If Yosef indeed forgave them, what’s the proof? Maybe they stopped after three times because he forgave them! It must be that he didn’t forgive them, and nevertheless they didn’t need to ask more than three times[12].

Why wouldn’t Yosef forgive the brothers? They were clearly remorseful for what they had done. Yosef even said that only good came from their terrible deed[13]. Some suggest[14] that for the pain and suffering he endured, Yosef surely forgave them. However, one thing was beyond forgiveness. The Torah that Yosef learned from his father Yaakov was so precious to him. All those years of learning with him that were lost can never be replaced. They were of infinite value, and he was thus unable to forgive them for that[15].

Good Shabbos

[1] Based on a devar Torah heard from Rav Yitzchak Horowitz of Givat HaMivtar

[2] Genesis 50:16-17

[3] Bava Kamma 92a

[4] Zohar Chadash Eicha, p. 37; Midrash Mishlei 1:13

[5] Ten, because Yosef obviously didn’t sell himself, and Binyamin wasn’t culpable. A question that is asked is that Reuven also wasn’t culpable, as he wasn’t complicit in the sale. Several answers have been proposed. Zohar Chadash loc. cit. says that Reuven reincarnated into Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol, who wasn’t actually killed, but merely imprisoned. This implies that the name Asara Harugei Malchus isn’t literal. However, Benei Yissaschar Chodesh Tishrei § 12 explains that even though Reuven’s reincarnation was spared, the other brothers were reincarnated into ten. Either he means the 9 were somehow divided into 10, or either Binyamin or Yosef are somehow also held accountable. Yalkut Reuveni to Genesis 37:8 first suggests that Reuven was punished for moving Yaakov’s bed, and then cites Sha’ar HaGilgulim Hakdma § 31 and Chessed L’Avraham Ein Mishpat, Nahar § 25 that Yosef was punished for inciting the brothers to hate him

[6] Rabbeinu Bachaye to Genesis loc. cit.

[7] Sefer Chassidim § 11

[8] This is also explicit in Midrash Tehillim § 10

[9] Bris Olam to Sefer Chassidim loc. cit.

[10] Rav Horowitz cited this from Rav Elyashiv. I also found it in MiShulchan Rav Eliyahu Baruch to v. 17. Interestingly, He’aros Rav Elyashiv to Yoma 87a brings an interpretation that Yosef immediately forgave his brothers, yet we see from their triple expression that this is all this necessary to ask. Maharsha ad. loc. says the same. See also Chashukei Chemed to Niddah 31b, where Rav Zilberstein brings himself Yoma 87a as a proof for a related teaching of his father-in-law Rav Elyashiv, that even after asking for forgiveness three times, the person isn’t necessarily exempt from further atonement. We see the brothers were indeed punished, even though they did their due diligence of asking for forgiveness

[11] Yoma 87a

[12] Cf. Maharsha ad. loc.

[13] Ibid v. 20

[14] Rav Horowitz cited this from Rav Mordechai Tzuckerman, in the name of the Chofetz Chaim. I saw that MiShulchan Rav Eliyahu Baruch loc. cit. also cited this from Rav Tzuckerman

[15] MiShulchan Rav Eliyahu Baruch remains at a loss how Yosef could be cruel to his brothers when halacha requires him to be forgiving. Rav Aryeh Leib Shteinman in Ayeles HaShachar ad. loc. suggests instead that while Yosef wanted to forgive them, it was beyond his present abilities. Rav Shteinman cites a related story of Rav Eliyahu Lopian who, when asked for forgiveness, asked for a couple of weeks so he could ensure the forgiveness was completely sincere

Vayigash 5785

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Night visions and exile assurances[1]

ויאמר אלקים במראת הלילה ויאמר יעקב יעקב
G-d spoke in a night vision, and He said: “Yaakov, Yaakov”[2]

We don’t find that Hashem spoke to Avraham or Yitzchak in a night vision. We only find it in this instance with Yaakov, as well as when he had his famous dream about the ladder going to heaven. The reason is because in both instances he was ready and prepared to move to outside the land of Israel, to dwell there. The ladder case, when he was going to live with Lavan, and now, when he was going to live with Yosef in Egypt.

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Vayeishev 5785

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Names, visions, and important stones[1]

…ויבא הביתה לעשות מלאכתו ואין איש מאנשי הבית שם בבית
[Yosef] went to the house to “do his work”, and there was no one else in the house [2]

While Yosef was a slave in Egypt, his master Potiphar’s wife was relentless. She wouldn’t give up on trying to seduce the attractive teenager. Day in and day out she would try different tactics to gain his attention. Yosef wouldn’t budge, as he knew that adultery was a terrible crime. One day, the Torah says that Yosef went to his house to “do his work”. Some say[3] that this is literal, and he was going to work on some bookkeeping for his master. Others say[4] that this is a euphemism for him finally caving into Potiphar’s wife’s seduction. However, even according to that opinion, Yosef took hold of himself and abstained.

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Vayishlach 5785

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Capital conflict and circumcision[1]

ויהי ביום השלישי בהיותם כאבים ויקחו שני-בני-יעקב שמעון ולוי אחי דינה איש חרבו ויבאו על-העיר בטח ויהרגו כל-זכר: ויאמר יעקב אל-שמעון ואל-לוי עכרתם אתי להבאישני בישב הארץ וגו’‏
And it was, on the third day, when [the residents of Shechem] were in pain, the two sons of Yaakov, Levi and Shimon, the brothers of Dina, each one took their sword and went to the city, confident. They killed every male. Yaakov said to Shimon and to Levi: “You have disgraced[2] me, causing enmity between me and the dwellers of the land”…[3]

The tragic episode of the violation of Dina is unfortunately well known. Shechem, a prominent Canaanite, kidnapped Yaakov’s daughter after violating her, intending to marry her. He tried to convince Yaakov’s family to accept this opportune arrangement. The sons of Yaakov cunningly demanded that the entire city of Shechem first circumcise themselves, and then they can discuss. The inhabitants agreed, and on the third day of their recovery, when they were in the most pain, Shimon and Levi killed all those in the city. They rescued their sister Dina, and Yaakov rebuked them. What were Shimon and Levi thinking? How was it justified to kill everyone? Why didn’t Yaakov agree?

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