The Weekly Shtikle - Shemini

This past Wednesday, the 17th of Adar II, marked the third yahrtzeit of R' Moshe Fuller, z"l, of Ner Yisroel. This week's shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso. Here is a link to what I wrote following his petira three years ago.

Exciting news: I am happy to announce a new sefer that just hit the market. A long-time friend and avid Weekly Shtikle reader, R' David Farkas, has published Ha-Doresh Vi-Hamivakesh, a work more than a decade in the making. It is full of illuminating and original insights not only on the parsha but on the entire Tana"ch. He has been quote a number of times here and I believe I am quoted in the sefer on occasion. I urge you all to take a look ... and buy the book. (Use Coupon Code SPRINGREAD for 20% off)

The pasuk says (9:7) regarding Aharon's personal chatas offering that it should be an atonement for him and for the nation. R' Moshe Mintz of Ner Yisroel asks why Aharon's korban involved an atonement for the nation. The Ohr HaChaim answers that Aharon's involvement in the sin of the Golden Calf was brought about by the nation who coerced him into aiding them in the making of the Golden Calf. Therefore, the nation could not achieve a full atonement until Aharon, for whom they were responsible, achieved his own atonement.

Rabbi Mintz explains the important lesson that is learned from this. We must be ever so careful with all our actions within the "kahal" for all of our actions have a spiritual effect on the kahal as a whole. If one were to (chas ve'shalom) have a part in leading another to sin through his actions, full atonement can only come once all involved have achieved atonement.  

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
Dikdukian: Let your Soul not be Desolate (Haftarah)

AstroTorah: The Sin of the Golden Sheep by R' Ari Storch

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com 

The Weekly Shtikle and related content are now featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

The Weekly Shtikle - Purim

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a fascinating piece which is perfect for Purim. The discussion revolves around a very difficult Tosafos (Megillah 16a) which states that the 10,000 kikar of silver that Haman gave to Achashveirosh exactly equalled the amount of silver given by B'nei Yisroel in the midbar. You can find it here:  http://www.dafyomi.co.il/parsha/purimpublic5771.htm. This article serves a dual purpose for Purim. Say it over during the seudah and if you can get through the whole thing, you probably have not had enough to drink!

 

I would also like to leave you with a question that bothered me while I was recently learning maseches Megillah. Perhaps you can discuss it over Purim and maybe come up with an answer. The gemara (12a) recounts that the students of R' Shimon bar Yochai asked: Why was it that the Jews of that generation (in the megillah) deserved to be destroyed. The final answer is that they were deserving of destruction since they bowed down to an idol. Rashi there indicates that this refers to the time of Nevuchadnezzar. There are two difficulties with this, both of which stem fro the simple historical fact that Nevuchadnezzar's reign was many decades before the story of Purim. (Nevuchadnezzar reigned approximately 26 years after the churban - Megillah 11b.) If they deserved to be destroyed, why did it take so long for this punishment to (almost) be meted out? Furthermore, this generation was not the one that sinned in the days of Nevuchadnezzar. Why does the gemara list this as the reason why the Jews of that generation deserved to be destroyed?

Have a good Shabbos and a Purim Samei'ach!

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Zachar Amaleik? What was he Smoking?

Dikdukian: Fighting the Good Fight

Dikdukian: Something Else that was Hidden in the Megillah

Dikdukian: Balaila Hu by R' Binyamin Marwick

Dikdukian: Megillas Esther, general

Dikdukian: Megillas Esther Advisory - Floor or coal?

AstroTorah: War of the Planets by R' Ari Storch

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com

The Weekly Shtikle - Vayikra

This week's parsha deals with a number of different versions of the korban chatas, the sin offering. The sin offering of the Nasi is introduced in a slightly different way than the others. The other versions of the chatas offering are introduced with the word "im/ve'im," and if... The Nasi's chatas, however, is introduced (4:22) with the word "asher," when the Nasi sins.

Rabbeinu Bachya approaches this linguistic discrepancy in the simplest manner. He writes that it is the nature of a man high in power to be consumed by haughtiness and hubris which is most likely to lead to sin. So, while the sin of others is introduced more indefinitely, "if it would happen to be that such-and-such person were to sin," the sin of the Nasi is introduced almost as a certainty.

Rashi provides a more homiletic interpretation of the word asher from Toras Kohanim 4:257. Asher is like "ashrei," praised. The pasuk is actually giving praise to the Nasi, not for committing the sin, God forbid, but for having the integrity to come forth and admit it. The high public position makes it all the more embarrassing to admit guilt. Praised is the generation whose Nasi swallows that embarrassment and has the gumption to do what's required of him.

Malbim offers another optimistic approach related to that of Rashi's. The words asher and im are really interchangeable (see Rashi Rosh HaShanah 3a). There is one slight difference between the word im and the word asher used to mean im. The word asher is used to denote a possibility which we would like to occur while im simply implies a possibility. The best example of this is in Parshas Re'eih. The parsha begins by explaining what will trigger the blessings and the curses. The pasuk says (Devarim11:27) "Es haberachah asher tishme'u... (pasuk 28) vehakelalah im lo sishme'u." The translation is the same for both, if you will listen or if you will not listen. However, since listening is what we want to happen, the word asher is used whereas the word im is used for not listening. Here, too, we want the Nasi to be one who will come forth and admit his sins. It is his position of power and influence that makes it most important for him to possess this quality. Therefore, the Torah introduces his sin offering with the word asher.

Have a good Shabbos. Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

AstroTorah: Day Night Day No Night by R' Ari Storch

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com

The Weekly Shtikle and related content are featured on BaltimoreJewishLife.com

The Weekly Shtikle - Pekudei / Shekalim

This coming Tuesday, 2 Adar, is the yahrtzeit of my Zadie. The shtikle is dedicated le'iluy nishmaso, Chaim Yaakov ben Yitzchak, a"h.

    This week's parsha begins by tallying the totals for the materials collected for the building of the Mishkan. We are told exactly how much gold, silver and copper was collected as well as the exact uses of the silver and copper. In the maftir reading for Parshas Shekalim which comes from Parshas Ki Sisa, we read about the collection of the half shekel for the purpose of counting B'nei Yisroel. It is evident from the beginning of the parsha that this is the only silver that was collected.

 

    A prevalent theme in the half-shekel is the that of equality. It is often stressed that everyone came forth to give the same amount and no one could give more or less. However, when one observes deeper, the silver half-shekel actually teaches an exact opposite lesson as well. While it is true that no one was permitted to give more or less, it was only the men between 20 and 60 who were to give anything at all. There was plenty of hard work to be done sheering all the wool, spinning and weaving. Anyone who had gold or shittim wood was more than welcome to bring it in and donate. But the silver contributions were exclusive. It would seem that a woman or a 19-year-old or 61-year-old man who wished to donate silver would have been turned away.

 

    The Mishkan was a unifying edifice, with its place exactly in the middle of the camp. With all the work and donation that was necessary for the Mishkon, surely everyone felt they could play some role in its development and it was the gathering place for all of the nation to come together. But Jewish unity and equality has a special and unique, yet equally essential quality. Within the oneness and togetherness of our great nation, each person and group has their place and must be aware of it. This very point is made clear in the everyday service in the Mishkan. The Kohanim had their designated tasks. The Leviim had their job and the Yisroeilim had their duties as well. You could not become a Kohein if you were not born one, no matter how much you yearned to do their service. The exclusivity of the silver donations gives focus to this point in regards the building of the Mishkon as well. We must all work together as a nation in unison. But towards that end, we must recognize our place and be aware of the unique role that each of us plays.

Have a good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:
AstroTorah: Shabbos Sky Watching by R' Ari Storch

Please visit the new portal for all Shtikle-related sites, www.weeklyshtikle.com