The Weekly Shtikle - Vayakheil

Under normal circumstances, if I am compelled to recycle a shtikle, I try to employ a 5-year rule. I'm going to break that this week by repeating my shtikle from last year, but only because I have something new to add to it.

 In the beginning of parshas Vayakheil Moshe begins to instruct the nation on how they are to proceed with the building of the mishkan. At the conclusion of Moshe's assembly, the pasuk recounts (35:20) that the congregation of B'nei Yisrael exited from the presence of Moshe Rabbeinu. R' Elya Lopian, in Lev Eliyahu, comments that it would have been sufficient for the pasuk to say that B'nei Yisrael exited. We knew where they were. Why is it necessary for the pasuk to say that they exited from Moshe's presence?

Imagine a street in a city that contained both a bar and a library. If you were to see a man walking crooked down the street, barely able to stand on his own two feet, explains R' Elya, you need only take one look at him and you know exactly from which of the two he has just emerged. (As the old joke goes – it's 5 minutes from the house to the bar, but 45 minutes from the bar to the house. The difference is staggering.) Likewise, the pasuk here is telling us that when B'nei Yisrael left Moshe's presence, they were fundamentally changed people. They were not simply B'nei Yisrael. They were a nation who had just left the presence of their great leader, Moshe Rabbeinu, having just received instructions to build a dwelling place for the Divine Presence, no less. Merely being in his midst left its mark on them.

It occurred to me this year, when going over the parsha, that this pasuk seems to mark the end of an episode. The next section deals with the actual donations that the men and women brought. Accordingly, one would have expected a paragraph break – a peh, or at the very least a samach. However, there is no such break in the chumash. Perhaps, this is to convey that the nation was so very moved by this monumental opportunity, as conveyed by Moshe Rabbeinu, that they wasted not a moment in carrying out his instructions. There was no pausing to think about it and contemplate when to actually come forward. They sprang into action immediately.

Have a good Shabbos.

Mishenichnas Adar marbim be'simchah!

 

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

 

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: A Wise Correction

Dikdukian: Ve'asa Vetzalel

Dikdukian: Kikar Zahav

Dikdukian: The Lord and the Rings
Dikdukian: Let your Soul Not be Desolate (Parah)

Dikdukian: Oops (Parah)

Al Pi Cheshbon: 10,000 Kikars

 

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The Weekly Shtikle - Purim

Last night, many of us on this side of the ocean witnessed a total lunar eclipse (although it was pretty late for east coasters.) Lunar eclipses on Purim are not particularly rare. It definitely happened 18 years ago, maybe some time in between, as well. Surely, there has to be a connection.

 

As previously discussed, B'nei Yisrael are symbolized by the moon. More specifically, the kingdom of beis David is likened to the cycle of the moon, its pinnacle being the rule of David and Shelomoh, the 14^th and 15^th generations from Avraham Avinu. Now, how does that relate to Purim?

 

Rashi and Radak note in Hoshea (3:5) that B'nei Yisrael rejected three things in the days of Rechavam (the 16^th generation, from which things would get progressively worse.) Amongst them was malchus beis David. The Chasam Sofer (Darshos page 169 – this is what I have in my notes, although I haven't found a good link) notes that the word yehudi is a reference to malchus beis David. In the beginning of the megillah, B'nei Yisrael were living rather peacefully under the rule of Paras and Madai and lost interest in malchus beis David and Eretz Yisrael. Had they been truly yearning for its return, surely, they would not have taken part in Achashveirosh's party. But they did. And therefore, they are not referred to as yehudim but rather kol ha'am hanimtze'im. Mordechai, however, truly yearned for the return of malchus beis David. That is why the pasuk goes out of its way to refer to him as ish yehudi even though he was from the tribe of Binyamin. The purpose of the party was to show that malchus beis David was over and done with and that the Jews would be ruled by Achashveirosh forever. Therefore, Mordechai did not attend the party as a statement to his brothers that they not give up on the return of the beis haMikdash and malchus beis David. Later in the megillah, we do in fact see the Jews referred to as yehudim. Mordechai's stand most certainly made an impression.

 

Surely, in these times, in light of the turmoil we are witnessing in Eretz Yisrael, HaShem has unfortunately made it very easy for us to realize the terrible consequences of the Jews being ruled by a body other than malchus beis David. This should serve as a strengthening for our constant yearning for the return of the beis haMikdash and malchus beis David and the biyas hago'eil bimheira v'yameinu.

 

Have a freilichen Purim and good Shabbos.

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Mishenichnas Adar marbim be'simchah

Please see my Purim archives for some more insightful (hopefully not inciteful) thoughts on Purim. 

 

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Dikdukian Posts on Megillas Esther

Ki Sisa:

Dikdukian: Kol Annnos

Dikdukian: Yeiaseh vs.Taaseh by Ephraim Stulberg

Dikdukian: No More Drinking

Dikdukian: Minimizing Sin

Dikdukian: Whys and Wherefores

Dikdukian: Need to Bring this Up

 

                                                                                                                                                     

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The Weekly Shtikle - Tetzaveh / Zachor

On the bottom of the me'il, the tunic that the kohein gadol wore, were golden bells. The pasuk explains (28:35), "his/its sound shall be heard when he enters the holy." Rabbeinu Bachye offers an alternative understanding that deviates from the traditional way this pasuk is translated. The voice is actually referring to the kohein gadol himself. His voice is heard when he enters the holy and he prays for the nation. This is a summary of all of the vestements that he wears. If properly worn, his tefillos will be accepted.

The traditional understanding, however, is that the bells provide a warning of the kohein gadol's approach and so he does not simply appear unannounced. This is the sound referred to in the pasuk. Rabbeinu Bachye provides a timely connection to Megillas Esther which we will be soon be reading. Esther's great fear in attempting to beseech Achashveirosh's mercy was that she had not been invited and (4:11) "everyone knows that someone who enters the inner court uninvited has but one fate – death." We see from here that appearing uninvited is not tolerated by human royalty and therefore, is certainly not suitable for Divine royalty either. 

 

This does bring up a question. When Vashti publicly spurned Achashveirosh's invitation, there was a whole tribunal to discuss her fate. It seems that appearing before the king uninvited is considered far more drastic than failing to appear when summoned. Why would this be? We have a couple of days to think about it.

 

Have a good Shabbos. 

Mishenichnas Adar Marbim beSimchah!

 

Eliezer Bulka
WeeklyShtikle@weeklyshtikle.com

Shtikle Blog Weekly Roundup:

Dikdukian: Dikdukian Posts on Megillas Esther

Dikdukian: Ner Tamid

Dikdukian: Of Plurals and Singulars

Dikdukian: The Lord and the Rings

Dikdukian: Tarshsih veShoham

Dikdukian: Sham and Shamah

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

 

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