Tzav 5774 March 16, 2014

A Taste of Torah Stories For The Soul Passion of Our Youth For the Love of Torah By Eli Mozes 14-year-old Chicago native Nathan One important lesson we learn from it as if the pauper had offered up his soul. Finkel came to with his family to rollercoasters is that the higher you climb, the visit his great-uncle, Rabbi Leizer Yudel farther you fall. Haman had ascended to a point Let us try and gain a deeper understanding Finkel (1879-1965), the Rosh where he was almost as powerful as the king, of this idea. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (Dean) of the in . but from that fateful night when he entered (1808-1888) in his commentary on the Seeing the potential the boy possessed, the king’s chamber, he started rolling downhill, Torah (Exodus 28:21) notes that although Rabbi Finkel prevailed upon Nathan’s gathering speed as he went. King Achashveirosh the Tabernacle appears to us to have been parents to allow him to stay and study. had commanded him to act as a steward, leading somewhat ostentatious, it was, in fact, humble in The teenager lived in his great-uncle’s his nemesis Mordechai through the streets of comparison with the opulence of the First and house during his eight-month stay in Shushan on a grand parade, heaping praise Second Temples. This was in spite of the fact Jerusalem, as he developed and honed upon Mordechai, all the while bringing shame that the were far wealthier when they built his Talmudic skills. down upon himself. the Tabernacle then when they built the two Rabbi Finkel would arise quite Temples. Yet, even so, the presence of Hashem early every morning to study free of Haman searched for Mordechai until he was felt much more in the Tabernacle than the distractions. One morning, young found him in the study hall teaching Torah in the two Temples. to his students. The (Megillah 16a) Nathan decided to secretly observe his teaches us that Haman noticed Mordechai “A Tabernacle for His presence has the King great-uncle during the wee hours of the showing a strange hand gesture to his students. to whom peace belongs, made of the wood of morning. Haman inquired as to the nature of what was Lebanon. Its pillars he made of silver, His resting As he watched, Rabbi Finkel being taught. Mordechai explained that in the place was gold, its suspended curtain was purple approached the shelf where his set of time of the Temple, when a Jew would bring a wool, its midst was decked with implements Talmud rested, and spread his arms meal offering, the kohen (priest) would remove bespeaking love, by the daughters of Jerusalem across the breadth of the volumes, as if to a kemitza (a fistful) of flour to be offered on (Song of Songs 3:9-10)." Rabbi Gedaliah Schorr embrace them. He then bent forward and the altar; he had been showing them how this (1910-1979) explains that although it appeared kissed some of the books on the shelf. procedure was done. Haman responded, “Your that the Tabernacle was made of silver, gold The boy watched, unnoticed, and fistful of flour has come and pushed aside and purple wool, that was only its external was entranced by this tremendous my ten thousand silver talents (which he had manifestation, but internally (“its midst”) was manifestation of love for the Torah offered Achashveirosh as recompense for the built upon the fiery love that the Jewish people displayed by his great-uncle. It was an losses sustained by killing the Jews)." Yet we had for Hashem. Love is metaphysical; when one experience that inspired him for the rest must wonder: What is unique about the mincha expresses that love via a physical medium, the of his life, as young Nathan Finkel grew to (meal offering) that it, out of all the mitzvos and value of the medium need not be commensurate become Rabbi (1943- sacrifices, had the ability to foil Haman’s plot? with the quality of the love. Quite the contrary; a 2011), who would assume the position of small gift can bespeak a much greater love than a of the Mir Yeshiva decades The Talmud (Menachos 104b) points out large gift. The reason for this is that true love can later, and whose love and passion for that when the Torah refers to animal sacrifices never be properly expressed in a physical way, for it says, “Adam ki yakriv” – “When a man brings a it is something greater and deeper then the mere Torah is the stuff of legends. sacrifice”, but when it discusses a meal offering physical. All the physical can do is be a token Our Sages teach us that although it says “Nefesh ki sakriv” – “When a soul brings a saying that something great lies within. The love today we lack the ability to offer sacrifices sacrifice”. The Talmud explains that the reason the Jews bore in their hearts for Hashem was in the Temple, studying their laws is for the switch to “soul” by the meal offering greater when they created the Tabernacle than regarded as having brought an offering. is because this was an inexpensive offering, when they built the two Temples; therefore, the By bringing Torah into our lives, we can generally brought by the poor. As even such a Tabernacle had a greater manifestation of the connect to G-d and his commandments small offering stretches a poor person’s budget, presence of Hashem. and reach unimaginable heights. the Torah is informing us that Hashem considers continued on back Happenings Interpersonal Issues INSIDE THE ALEPH-BAIS The Laws of Lashon Hara (Slander) As was discussed in past weeks, in coming weeks, there are key differences There is a unique fascination listening to slander is just as forbidden as between listening to slander and accepting with the and speaking slander. However, as we will see slander as fact. the aleph-bet. Mystical sources explain that the letters of the aleph-bet are the building blocks of the whole world. Ask the Rabbi Discover the world of the Hamantashen aleph-bet with Rabbi Heyman From: Jill in Long Island, NY overhears a plot to kill the king -- was that a miracle? in this informative, dynamic Only when you read the “whole Megilla” do you class. For time and location, Dear Rabbi, discover that each event was a hidden miracle. The contact [email protected]. very name “Megillat Esther” can mean “Revealing Why do we eat hamantaschen on Purim? the Hidden.” Hamantaschen hint to this hidden aspect of Purim, since the poppy seeds are hidden LEARN 2 LEARN Dear Jill, inside the dough. You have long dreamed of acquiring the tools to achieve I’ve heard that the word is and comes Why poppy seeds? The Talmud states that Esther proficiency in learning Gemara from the two words “mon” (poppy seed) and ate seeds while in the palace of Achashverosh. This on your own. But how? The “tash” (pocket). Thus it would mean “a pocket of enabled her to avoid non-kosher food, yet maintain Denver Community Kollel dough filled with poppy seed.” Perhaps the letter a healthy appearance. Perhaps the Yiddish word offers a comprehensive, step- “heh” at the beginning is to make the food sound “mon” alludes to this, since the Hebrew word for by-step, level-by-level program like the evil Amalekite, Haman, who we are wiping manna, the miraculous food which sustained the crafted for people just like you. out and “consuming.” Jewish people for 40 years in the dessert, is “mon.” All you need is the ability to read Hebrew; we will teach you The connection between hamantaschen and Sources: the rest. For more information, Purim may be as follows: Tractate Megilla 13a. contact [email protected]. Ta’amei HaMinhagim 895. Compared to the spectacular miracles we recount Mishneh Berura 695:12. PARSHA ON THE MALL on the night of Passover, the events of Purim appear unspectacular. Esther wins the beauty Reprinted with permission from Ohr Somayach, Wish you could learn more contest -- well, somebody had to win. Mordechai Jerusalem, www.ohr.edu about the weekly parsha?

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study and inspiration to your busy day? Then here’s an A Taste of Torah opportunity you won’t want to Passion of Our Youth miss! Rabbi Mordechai Fleisher continued from front explores several parts of the With this in mind, we can understand the Amalek attacked the Jews on the way out of weekly parsha at this exciting greatness of the meal offering. When one took Egypt. The Torah states “Asher karcha baderech”, and intriguing class. The class but a fistful of flour as an offering to Hashem, “Who cooled you off on the way”. Some takes place Thursdays from the implied statement was, my intent is not to commentaries explain this to mean that Amalek 12:30-1:30 pm in downtown provide a material gift, but rather to express a cooled the Jewish People themselves, meaning Denver at 910 16th St., 2nd deep-rooted love that I feel for Hashem. Hence, that when the Jews left Egypt with a burning floor. Refreshments are served. the Torah states “Nefesh ki sakriv”, when one’s passion for Hashem, Amalek’s goal was to cool To have your name added heart and soul inspire him to give. Haman’s down that passion. The way we battle Amalek, to the email notification list ten thousand talents of silver were completely and Haman, a memeber of that infamous (as the class doesn’t take external, and could never compare with the nation, is by reigniting the passion of the Jewsih place every Thursday), please value of the internal love expressed by a fistful nation’s youth, and rededicating ourselves to contact Rabbi Fleisher at rmf@ of flour. Hashem and his Torah. denverkollel.org.

The Torah Weekly is made possible through a generous grant from the Harry H. Beren Foundation of Lakewood, NJ, in memory of Harry H. Beren, z”l. Denver Community Kollel: 1516 Xavier Street, Denver, CO 80204 Tel: 303-820-2855 Fax: 303-820-2806 Email: [email protected] Web: www.denverkollel.org To receive Torah Weekly by email, send an email to [email protected]