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PARSHAS KI SISA | 20 ADAR 5770 | 6 MARCH 2010
The Midrash describes a strange occurrence connected to this mitzvah. When G-d commanded Moses to collect the half-shekel, Moses didn’t understand what He meant until He showed him the coin’s image made of fire. What exactly did Moses, our greatest leader, not understand about the half-shekel that he needed clarification? Furthermore, why did G-d show him a coin of fire, rather than a real coin?
Rabbi Yitzchak Mayer Alter, the first rabbi of the Gerrer Chasidic dynasty (1798-1866, Poland), explains that Moses did not understand how such a small sum could have any meaning – neither in the uniting of the Jewish people, nor in effecting any atonement for them (another purpose of the census). G-d showed him a coin made of fire to show him that giving is about the intent, symbolized by the fire, and not the
amount . Giv ing generous ly but begrudgingly is worth less than giving a little with a real desire to give.
The way we do a mitzvah is as important as the mitzvah itself. As the Sages tell us (Rashi, Sanhedrin 106b), “G-d desires our heart, our passion” – He desires us to do His mitzvot with passion, not out of rote.
A story about Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum (1897-1979, Hungary) illustrates this idea beautifully. He came to the US after the Holocaust and worked tirelessly to re-establish the great Chassidic dynasty that had been decimated by the Nazis. Despite having few disciples in the US, Rabbi Teitelbaum slowly began attracting followers who were drawn to his piety and extraordinary kindness and sensitivity.
When someone comes to a Chassidic rabbi for a blessing, there is a custom to
give him charity that will then be distributed to those in need. When people would give money to Rabbi Teitelbaum, he would never look at it to see the amount, but would simply put it into the drawer in front of him. Then when a needy person would come to him, he would take out some money from the drawer and give it to him.
A man once came to Rabbi Teitelbaum and told him of his desperate situation, asking him for a few hundred dollars. The rabbi agreed to help him, but asked him to come back in a few hours. After the man left, Rabbi Teitelbaum called in his assistant and asked for help with an important project. Together they began taking out the crumpled bills from the drawer and straightening them out, one at a time.
After doing nothing but straightening out dollar bills for a quarter of an hour, the assistant became frustrated and pointed out to the rabbi that there was no more value in a flat, neat dollar than there was in a crumpled one.
Rabbi Teitelbaum wouldn’t hear of it. “A mitzvah has to be done with beauty; a mitzvah has to be done with passion.” A crumpled dollar has the same monetary value as a straight dollar, but when someone spends the time to straighten out the bills, his giving preserves the poor person’s dignity and self-respect. Those bills become like the half-shekel made of fire.
Rabbi Burnham can be reached at: [email protected]
זה יתנו כל העבר על הפקדים מחצית השקל בשקל הקדש עשרים גרה השקל מחצית השקל תרומה להשם
“This shall they give – everyone who passes through the census – a half-shekel of the sacred shekel, the shekel is twenty geras,
half a shekel as a portion to G-d.” (Exodus 30:13)
T his week’s parsha begins with the mitzvah of the half-shekel. The Torah tells us that the process of taking a census of the Jewish people involved the counting the sum of every adult male’s contribution of
a half-shekel. One of the reasons behind the counting of half-shekels instead of whole shekels was to show that we are only whole when joined together as the Jewish people.
Parsha Perspectives RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM
K I S I S A Talking Points RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS
1. WASH OUT FOR SIN “And G-d spoke to Moses, saying: ‘And you shall make a copper wash basin and its copper base for washing, and place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar, and place water in it.’” 30:18
A copper wash basin – It was similar to a large container which had spigots from which water poured forth. – Rashi
Wash basin - Why weren’t the instructions to make a wash basin mentioned together with the instructions to fashion all the other Tabernacle vessels in the previous chapters? Because unlike the other vessels whose purpose was to ensure the Divine Presence, the wash basin was only there to assist the kohanim in readying themselves to perform the Tabernacle service. – Sforno, Chizkuni
Wash basin – Why do the instructions for the wash basin follow the instructions to donate a half-shekel to the Tabernacle? The juxtaposition symbolized that water [which would flow from the wash basin] would be withheld from the universe on account of those who pledge to charity, but fail to uphold their pledges. – Baal HaTurim
The Shach (Rabbi Shabsai HaKohen Katz) adds that the reason the two subjects are juxtaposed is to hint to their additional functions. The donated shekalim were used to create the silver sockets upon which the walls of the Tabernacle rested. This atoned for the sin of the golden calf, a result of misappropriated wealth. Similarly, the wash basin was fashioned from the mirrors of the women who refused to partake in this sin. It was used to wash the hands of the kohanim, whose leader, Aaron, had led the Jews in making the calf. In this manner, it also served to atone for this terrible sin and helped purify them to once again carry out the Divine Service.
2. THE BEST OF INTENTIONS “When the people saw that Moses was delayed in descending from the mountain, they gathered against Aaron and said to him, ‘Arise, make us gods that will lead us, for this Moses, the man who brought us up from
the land of Egypt, we do not know what happened to him.’” 32:1
For this Moses – Satan showed them a likeness of Moses being carried in the air high in the sky. – Rashi
For this Moses – The image was of Moses being carried on a bier, which led them to believe that he had perished. – Baal HaTurim
For this Moses, the man – They sought to replace Moses their leader with another leader, but they did not consider replacing him with an idol. This can be inferred from the fact that they referred to Moses as “the man,” for they were fully aware that he was not a god, and therefore they did not seek one to replace him. They bowed to the golden calf out of deference, and not because they saw it as a deity. – Rabbi Yosef Bechor Shor, Daas Zekeinim
The Beis HaLevi (Rabbi Yosef Ber Soloveitchik) explains that their intent was to build a Tabernacle through which they would serve the Almighty Who would rest His presence there in their midst, as they would do after the sin of the golden calf. In the absence of Moses, who led and inspired them, they figured that a Tabernacle would be the perfect solution. Their mistake, however, was in believing that they could independently manufacture a means to serve G-d without specific instructions from Him. They did not understand that good intentions alone do not render something a mitzvah. Without a specific command from G-d, the best of in tent ions can resu l t in t rag ic consequences. The golden calf, though inspired by noble desires, turned out to be the worst mishap in Jewish history and one for which we are still paying a steep and bitter price.
3. TEARS OF OY “And Joshua heard the voice of the people rejoicing, and he said to Moses, ‘There is a sound of battle in the camp.’” 32:17
Rejoicing – Trumpeting. They were blowing horns, rejoicing and laughing. – Rashi
“And Joshua heard the voice of the people crying with joy…” – Targum Yonasan ben Uziel
If they were so happy, why were they crying? Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l explained that the people had only recently stood at the foot of Mt. Sinai and listened to G-d admonish them to abstain from any form of idol worship. Although they strayed far from His message, His words still rang in their ears and gave them no peace. Try as they might, they could not enjoy their sin to the fullest extent. So it is with all those who come in contact with the message of Torah – even if they later stray, the sweet taste of sin will forever be dampened as a result of the Torah they once encountered.
Rabbi Meisels can be reached at: [email protected]
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Dear Janet,
Incense has had mystical associations throughout the ages. Thick, aromatic smoke has little physical substance, but has a powerful effect on those in its vicinity similar to the way that spiritual things are hidden from the eye, but exert strong influences.
However, some explain (Sefer HaChinuch) that the use of incense in the Tabernacle – and later in history in its culmination, the Holy Temple – was for an entirely different purpose. The incense bestowed an aura of honor and importance upon the Tabernacle by giving those who entered there a feeling of enjoyment, almost like a reward for coming, through aromatic pleasure. An individual’s sense of smell is so sensitive that an aroma can often have a profound effect on him, so much so that it can mentally transport him or her to a different time and place. Sometimes when I enter the lobby of a particular building in New York, the scent reminds me of my visits many years ago to my grandmother, who lived in a New York apartment house. The aromas in the Tabernacle were designed to build a level of majesty and bring the visitor to a heightened state of awe for the Divine Presence that filled the building.
On a practical level, we must recall that a typical day within the Tabernacle was filled with the offering of many animal sacrifices.
This procedure entailed their slaughter, the processing of their blood, and the removal of their entrails. The remnants of these animals understandably produced odors, which may have made one’s visit feel less than inspiring. The incense, therefore, not only counteracted the offensive odors, but also produced a highly pleasant ambiance that inspired those that came with the true majesty of this holy structure.
Some identify a moral lesson from the incense (see Maharam Shick). In order to have a positive influence on others, it is necessary to demonstrate pleasantness and to give them a sense of enjoyment from the positive behaviors you hope to inculcate. These principles are the foundation of Jewish education. We train our children by dealing with them warmly and lovingly about the importance of mitzvot (the Torah’s commandments) and showing them how to enjoy the experience. When I’m in the synagogue, I will sometimes give a young child a penny to place in the tzedakkah (charity) box. Upon his return from this mission, I will make it a point of shaking his hand and expressing my happiness about his performing the great mitzvah of helping others who would otherwise not have enough money to buy food or clothing. The pleasant aromas from the Tabernacle became a causative agent for the increase in esteem that one carried for its objectives. Our actions can also be the
causative agent to benefit others’ behaviors.
We are told that one who holds a baby boy during the time of his circumcision (sandek) is compared to the individual who ignites the incense in the Temple. The custom is to choose an esteemed relative or rabbi for the honor of holding the baby. According to the above explanation, the reason that he is compared to the one who offers incense is that the sandek makes it easier and more pleasant for the father to proceed with the act of his son’s circumcision, since the father can derive comfort that his tender child is in the care of someone he holds in such high regard. In essence, the sandek serves as the causative agent for the father to perform the circumcision, just as the incense inspired those who walked into the Tabernacle.
We look forward to the time, hopefully in the near future, when we will be inspired to become better Jews by the fragrance of the incense emanating from the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
Sincerely, Rabbi Reuven Drucker
Rabbi Drucker can be reached at: [email protected]
INCENSE AND INCENTIVE RABBI REUVEN DRUCKER
Dear Rabbi,
Last week's Torah portion discusses burning incense in the Tabernacle. Is there more to this service than its pleasant aroma?
Thank you, Janet N.
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The people saw that Moses had delayed in
descending the mountain, and the people gathered
around Aaron and said to him, “Rise up, make for
us gods that will go before us, for this man Moses
who brought us up from Egypt – we do not know
what became of him!” Aaron said to them,
“Remove the rings of gold that are in the ears of
your wives, sons, and daughters and bring them to
me.” The entire people removed the rings that
were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He
took from their hands and bound it up in a cloth,
and fashioned it into a golden calf. They said, “This
is your god, Oh Israel, which brought you up from
the land of Egypt.” (Shemos 32:1-5)
The fashioning of the golden calf was a (א
supreme act of rebellion and one of the most tragic events in Jewish history. If the
people were genuinely rebellious, why would they have consulted with Aaron?
The fact that the Torah does not attribute (בany guilt to Aaron indicates that his
intentions were pure. The commentaries in fact say that he was trying to dissuade the
people from following through with this act. How can this be seen from the wording of the Torah?
When Aaron realized the wicked intentions (גof the people, he didn't confront them
directly and order to them to stop what they were doing. When resolving conflicts, when
is confrontation most effective, and when is it better to employ Aaron’s methods?
Rabbi Lam can be reached at: [email protected]
TABLE TALK FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE
RABBI LABEL LAM
Parsha At-A-Glance G-d commanded Moses to take a census of the Jewish people by counting the half-shekel contributions of all males, twenty years old and above. G-d also provided instructions for making the copper basin, where the kohanim washed their hands and feet before officiating in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Moses was told how to make the sacred anointing oil used to consecrate the utensils of the Mishkan and the kohanim themselves. He was also instructed in the preparation of the incense that burned on the golden altar daily.
Betzalel and Oholiav were chosen to supervise all construction of the Mishkan and its utensils, because they were endowed with wisdom and expertise in all the necessary skills. G-d emphasized the importance of Shabbat, warning the people that it should not be desecrated in order to build and furnish the Mishkan. After G-d finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the tablets of the Ten Commandments.
The Jewish people erred in calculating the return of Moses’ return from Mount Sinai. Panic-stricken, some of them requested Aaron’s help in selecting an appropriate replacement for Moses. Aaron tried to delay them by asking for gold. However, it was immediately collected and thrown into a fire, from which the mass emerged in the shape of a calf. Aaron again tried to stall by declaring a celebration for the next day, by which time Moses would surely have returned, but the celebrants arose early to offer sacrifices.
Upon descending from the mountain, Moses saw the small group of revelers, smashed the tablets, and ground the calf to dust. He approached Aaron and rebuked him for allowing the people to construct the golden calf. Aaron explained that the
people were predisposed to bad behavior through their long exposure to Egyptian idolatry, and that he had tried to stall for time.
Moses called from the camp’s entrance, “Whoever is for G-d, join me!” and the tribe of Levi approached him. With their help, Moses executed those who sinned. G-d brought a plague on the people, and scolded them for being stiff-necked. People who wanted to speak with Moses would visit him in the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), established outside of the camp. Whenever the Cloud of Glory descended, Moses spoke to G-d, and the people prostrated themselves outside of the tent.
Moses returned to Mount Sinai for forty days of prayer, and eventually G-d promised to forgive the Jewish people and lead them Himself into the land of Israel. G-d also assured him that the Jewish people would forever be His treasured nation. Moses’ request to see G-d’s “glory” was only partially fulfilled, as no physical person, even one as great as Moses, has the ability to do so.
Under the command of G-d, Moses carved the second set of tablets of the Ten Commandments. G-d revealed to him His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. He then promised him that if the Jewish people would remove idolatry from the land, they would enter the land of Israel through great miracles. G-d also commanded the dedication of the firstborn of every livestock, and the firstborn son of every Jewish family; the observance of Shabbat and kashrut; etc.
When Moses descended from Mount Sinai, his face was radiant, and he had to wear a mask when speaking to the people. Only when he spoke with G-d did he remove the mask.
