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Parsha Perspectives by Ozer Alport

“You shall speak to all of the wise-hearted people whom I have invested with a spirit of wisdom, and they shall make the vestments of Aaron, to sanctify him to minister to Me.”

Parshas Tetzaveh introduces us to the unique garments which were worn by the Jewish priests during the time that they served in the Tabernacle, and later in the Holy Temple. Because these vestments were so special and holy, they couldn’t simply be made by anybody who possessed the necessary skills and craftsmanship.

Hashem specifically instructed Moses to command the wise of heart to make these special garments for Aaron and his sons. However, this is difficult to understand. We as a society are accustomed to associating wisdom with the brain. Why does the Torah emphasize the wisdom in their hearts?

Rabbi Leib Chasman (1867-1931) explains that our understanding of wisdom represents a fundamental flaw in human thinking. From the Torah’s perspective, a wise person is not merely a Harvard professor who is able to intelligently discuss esoteric topics in difficult academic subjects. If his actions don’t reflect his sophisticated intellectual knowledge, the facts and theorems which he has stored in his head, or even developed and proven and named after himself, are essentially meaningless.

An expert botanist who is intimately familiar with the characteristics and medicinal properties of every plant and herb in the world, yet nevertheless chooses to recommend and distribute poisonous plants instead of healing ones can hardly be defined, from a Torah perspective, as wise. He is more comparable to a donkey loaded up with a pile of thick tomes on the subject of botany. The knowledge that he has acquired in his brain remains for him an external load which has failed to penetrate into his heart.

The Torah recognizes that the primary criterion for determining wisdom lies in the ability to connect one’s mind, and the information stored therein, with his heart, which guides and determines his actions. It is for this reason that Hashem stressed the importance of selecting the truly wise – the wise of heart.

This concept is illustrated by a story which is told about Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher. To his embarassment, his students once bumped into him in a section of town known for its immoral activities (what they were doing there has yet to be established). Unable to reconcile his current behavior with the lofty philosophical teachings that he espoused during his lectures, his students pressed for an explanation. The legendary philosopher answered them, “When class is in session, I am your great teacher, and I share my pearls of wisdom with the world. At other times, I am not the philosopher with whom you are familiar.”

We live in a society which holds wisdom and its seekers in high esteem. Hopefully, this atmosphere motivates us to pursue education and wisdom, as Judaism clearly places a high value on the importance of study. Yet as we are doing so, it is important to be cognizant of the Torah’s lesson about the true definition of wisdom. As we each pursue our various studies, we can remember this message in Parshas Tetzaveh, which teaches us to make sure that whatever we study penetrates our hearts as well as our minds, positively guiding our actions and interpersonal relationships. return to top
Ozer Alpert can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org

talking points - parshas tetzaveh
Rabbi Elazar Meisels

1. Courting Favor

“You shall make a breastplate of judgment, the work of a craftsman in the same manner you made the Ephod; of gold, turquoise wool, dark red wool, crimson wool and fine twined linen, shall you make it.” 28:15

• Breastplate Of Judgment – Called this, because it atoned for erroneous decisions of justice, or because it provided clear rulings for the nation. [Into the Choshen (Breastplate) was inserted a slip of parchment containing the Ineffable Name of Hashem. When a question of national import was posed to the Choshen, this Name would cause the letters inscribed on the stones of the Choshen to light up and when read correctly, it provided clear and lucid answers.] – Rashi
• Breastplate Of Judgment - The gematria [numerical equivalence] of the words, “Choshen Mishpat” (Breastplate of Judgment) is 787, which is the same as the words, “Zeh Mechaper Al Kilkul HaDin” [This shall atone for perversion of justice]. - Tzel HoEidah

The idea that the Breastplate was needed in part to provide a measure of atonement for a court’s errors, provides a powerful reminder of the need for honesty in all our dealings. A court, no matter how scrupulous, is prone to error by virtue of its human component. Yet, best efforts notwithstanding, their failures required atonement by none less than the High Priest! How much more so, must we endeavor to act with great care to avoid dishonestly in any and all forms.

2. One of Us

“And now take unto you your brother, Aharon, and his sons with him, from among the Children of Israel, to serve Me [as kohanim].” 28:1

• From Among The Children Of Israel – What is added by the words, “from among the Children of Israel”? Isn’t it obvious that Aharon was Jewish as well? Thanks to his involvement in the sin of the Golden Calf, Aharon was the subject of G-d’s wrath and deemed unfit for priesthood. It was only due to the people’s need and his association with Moses that he was appointed to the priesthood. – Kli Yakar (Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz)
• From Among The Children Of Israel - Why was Aharon chosen for the priesthood and not Moses, his brother who was greater in prophecy? A leader who will serve as a model of how to serve Hashem and bear the sins of the nation must be someone who can relate to them, and they to him. Moses was in a class of his own, able to ascend to heaven and converse with the angels. Great as he was, Aharon was in many ways, more a man of the people, and therefore the better choice for priesthood. – Otzar HaTorah

The Mishnah in Avos [1:14] tells us that Aharon spent a good deal of time promoting peace among the people and that he was very beloved by all for this. He was also the leader of the nation during all the years that Moses spent in political asylum in Midian. He witnessed their hardships first-hand, and related to them on a more personal level than Moses. In order to effectively persuade people to change, a leader must prove to his followers that he understands their struggles, as well.

3. Every Single Day

“And this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two lambs within their first year, each day, continually. Offer the first lamb in the morning and offer the second lamb in the afternoon.” 29:38,39

• This offering was brought every single day of the year and was a festive event in the Temple. Numerous kohanim (Jewish priests) were involved in this offering and as the service proceeded, the Levites, accompanied by music, sang the Song of the day, and upon its conclusion, everyone bowed. – Rabbenu Bachya
• The First Lamb – The verse uses the definitive term, “Ha’Echad” [the first] when speaking of the morning offering because the numerical equivalence of the word is 18. This corresponds to the number of blessings in the Shmoneh Esrei (The Amidah Prayer)_which was instituted in place of the daily offerings. – Baal HaTurim (Rabbi Ya'akov ben Asher, 1270-ca 1340)
• Each Day, Continually - The opening and closing lines of the Rema’s commentary to ShulchanAruch are:
• “I have set Hashem before me always [tamid]…” – Psalms 16:8
• “All the days of a poor man are bad; but a good-hearted person feasts a lways [tamid] – Proverbs 15:15

This teaches us that every Jew must always carry in his heart these two “T’midim” [daily offerings]: The fear of Hashem born out of setting Hashem before oneself always, and the joy ever-present in the life of a good-hearted person, confident in Hashem’s salvation. return to top
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah. org 

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Where have all the Miracles Gone By: Rabbi Leiby Burnham

Dear Rabbi,
I have been studying with my partner for five years now. We have studied the Torah and some of the prophets. Outside of the texts we have covered, we have discussed many of the stories relevant to the weekly portion and there is one thing that always strikes me. The early history of the Jewish people is filled with miracles and open manifestations of G-d. From burning bushes to burning hail, from armies of venomous hornets to a boatload of peaceful predators, the Torah is rich in miraculous events. However, I haven’t seen any open miracles in my life (although I’ve definitely had experiences that were more than “just coincidence”), and neither has any of my friends. If G-d really can manifest Himself so openly, why did He stop?
Regards,
Sam W.

Sam,
That is an excellent question, one that bothered me for many years. It’s interesting that you mentioned the cessation of miracles, but not the loss of two other things that seemed to be a major part of Jewish history, that also disappeared. I’m referring to prophecy and idol worship. Throughout the Torah and the Prophets we see dozens of prophets delivering messages directly from G-d. We also see throngs of Jews succumbing to idol worship, under the tutelage of some Jews who had fallen from very high spiritual places. However, I personally have never heard from a prophet, nor have any of my friends ever bowed down to inanimate objects. I can’t even understand how someone would have the desire to serve an idol. What exactly has happened to prophecy and idol worship?

The truth is that there is a strong connection between the disappearance of these three phenomenon- idol worship, prophecy, and revealed miracles. But before we delve into that connection, I must point out an axiom in Judaism upon which the answer is based. In Judaism we believe that the higher something can reach, the lower it can fall. To simplify this idea we will give it numbers. If someone can attain 100 units of holiness, he can also fall 100 units of impurity. However if someone’s ability to fall was capped at 50, he would only be able to climb 50 as well.

The Talmud tells us a fascinating story in Tractate Sanhedrin (64A). The Men of the Great Assembly saw that a very significant portion of the Jews were succumbing to idol worship. It had been the cause of the destruction of the First Temple, and many Jewish deaths. Idol worship is not a simple sin; it is the most severe sin possible. It takes the entire purpose of the world, having a relationship with our Creator, and throws it out. (For this reason you find the Torah warning against idolatry more than any other sin.) Using the numbering system we just outlined, we would say many Jews were falling down 100 units. The situation was so severe that the Men of the Great Assembly asked G-d to remove the desire for idol worship. They gathered together, and prayed and fasted for three days, and finally they put the following request before G-d; “This (the desire for idolatry) is what destroyed the House of G-d, burned the sanctuary, killed the righteous, and exiled the Jewish people from their land, and it still dances among us! Did you not give it to us for any other reason other than to acquire reward by subduing it? We don’t want it, nor its reward!”

The Talmud records how G-d acquiesced and the Sages were able to destroy the desire for idolatry. (To get a picture of how strong that desire had been, think about this: desire for forbidden sexual relations was only secondary to people’s desire for idolatry!) No longer could Jews slip 100 units, driven by the now unfathomable draw to idolatry. But if Jews could no longer fall 100 units by derivation they would also lose their ability to climb 100 units. In order for that to occur they lost the two greatest motivators they had, miracles and prophecy.

So in a sense, all three of the powerful forces we have lost - miracles, prophecy, and idolatry - all ended at the same time. While the Sages only asked for one of them to end, they understood that the other two would be lost as a result. Although I think it would be really amazing to see an occasional miracle, or hear a prophecy or two, ultimately I’m glad that I never have to wrestle with an overwhelming urge to bow down to a totem pole!
Regards,
Rabbi Leiby Burnham
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Rabbi Leiby Burnham can be reached at rabbiburnham@partnersintorah. org

The Talmud (Arachin 16a) says that the Me'il (Robe of the High Priest) is worn to bring atonement for the sin of lashon hara (harmful speech). In the words of the Talmud: Let an item like a bell, that gives off sound, come and atone for a sin done with sound.

It seems interesting that to atone for a sin done with sound, the Torah commands the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) to wear something that produces sound. Seemingly, the atonement should come from something that does not make any sound, to teach a person not to make those improper sounds!

The Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan) would often say that the Torah does not want a person to act like a mute and refrain from speech altogether. On the contrary, the Torah gave us the gift of speech as the power which elevates us over the animals. When the verse states in Genesis (2:7): וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה, and man became a living soul, Targum Onkelos translates the phrase a living soul as: רוּחַ מְמַלְלָא, a creature able to speak. The Torah does not want us to neglect or ignore this ability. Instead, we must safeguard it and be sure to use it only for holy things such as Torah, prayer, and helping others. The Chofetz Chaim says, though, that we must learn a lesson not only from the bells of the Me'il, but also from the woolen pomegranates that hung from its hem along with the bells. The Me'il was adorned with both of these items to teach us a double lesson. The bells give off sound and make noise, to allude that the Torah wants us to use our power of speech for Torah and prayer. However, when we are not learning or praying, we must take on the attribute of the silent pomegranates, and cherish silence. As R' Shimon says in Avos (1:17): כָּל יָמַי גֻדַּלְתִּי בֵּין הַחֲכָמִים וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לְגוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה, I was brought up my entire life in the company of the Sages, and I found no better trait than silence. Thus, both lessons are available to us, to be learned from the hem of the Me'il.

It is well-known that the Chofetz Chaim would constantly speak to people, both individuals and groups, about the importance of shemiras halashon, guarding one's speech. Although he dedicated his life to spreading awareness of the evils of lashon hara and to halting the spread of evil gossip, he himself did not spend his days in solitude, without speaking to people. He taught that a person must take control of his speech and know when to be a פַּעֲמוֹן (bell), to give off the sound of Torah, and when to be a רִמּוֹן (pomegranate) and adopt the trait of שְׁתִיקָה. He lived as he preached, and was either speaking words of Torah to strengthen his fellow Jews, or engaged in prayer.

The stone that represented Benjamin on the Choshen (Breastplate) was called יָשְׁפֵה, yoshfei. The commentators explain that the name of this stone is expounded and read as two words: יֵשׁ פֶּה (yeish peh), there is a mouth. This is a reference to the fact that Benjamin did not reveal to Jacob that Joseph was still alive, although he possessed this information and was never forbidden to reveal it. He knew, however, that if Hashem did not reveal it to Jacob, it was not his place to do so either. As a reward, Benjamin merited the stone of yoshfei. Now, one might ask: for not using his mouth, why would Benjamin be rewarded with a stone whose name means there is a mouth? The commentators answer, as we have explained, that one can be considered a true owner of his mouth when he demonstrates that he understands when to use it and when to remain silent. Such a person truly has the gift of speech. Someone who has no guidelines, and speaks whenever he decides to do so, is abusing the power of speech. He does not truly possess the gift of speech, because he does not control it.

Kli Yakar notes that the Me'il teaches another lesson regarding proper speech. As the Talmud (Arachin 15b) states: Hashem gave our mouth two gates — the lips and the teeth — to remind us to think twice before we speak. The opening at the neck of the Me'il also had such a ``gate," for the Torah tells us that the neckline of the Me'il was woven in double thickness so there would be a border around the opening. The Torah describes this border as שָׂפָה יִהְיֶה לְפִיו, which literally means, a lip to its mouth. And the Torah issues a prohibition regarding it — לֹא יִקָּרֵעַ, it shall not be torn! This lesson must be taken to heart with regard to our speech as well. We must always be vigilant, and not allow ourselves to lose control and commit sins through speech. return to top

Hey, I never knew that! By Ozer Alport

Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha   

Q:The Baal HaTurim (Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, 1270-ca 1340) notes that from the birth of Moses in Parshas Shemos until his death in the final parsha of the Torah – V’Zos HaBracha – this week’s parsha is the only one in which his name isn’t mentioned even a single time. He explains that this is because in next week’s parsha, Moses beseeched Hashem to forgive the Jewish people for the sin of the golden calf. He requested (32:32) that if Hashem wouldn’t forgive them, then his name should also be erased from the entire Torah. Although Hashem ultimately accepted his prayers and forgave the Jewish people, we have a maxim that a conditional curse of a righteous person will be fulfilled even if the condition itself doesn’t come to pass, so Hashem partially implemented his request by removing him from one entire parsha. Why was his name specifically left out of this parsha as opposed to any other?

A:Rashi writes (4:14) that Moses was originally intended to serve as the Kohen Gadol. The position was only taken away from him and transferred to his brother Aaron as a punishment for misplaced humility in repeatedly attempting to evade Hashem's appointment of him as the redeemer of the Jewish people. Parshas Tetzaveh deals almost exclusively with the garments and inauguration procedure for the Kohen Gadol.

One might have thought that Moses was bitter at being reminded of the loss of what could have been his and would therefore want to compensate by at least having his name mentioned repeatedly. To demonstrate that he was genuinely happy at his brother’s appointment, his name isn’t mentioned a single time in the parsha which could have “been his,” as he willingly stepped aside to show the proper honor to Aaron and his special position amongst the Jewish people.

Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org return to top

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