בס"ד • A PROJECT OF THE CINCINNATI COMMUNITY KOLLEL • CINCYKOLLEL.ORG תורה מסינסי Cincinnati Torah Vol. VIII, No. XVIII Tetzaveh-Zachor A LESSON FROM THE PARASHA THE RABBI WAS ASKED ADAPTED BY RABBI DOVID TZVI MEISSNER FROM Celebrating With Your Brothers ME’AH SHE’ARIM BY RABBI YITZCHOK ZILBERSTEIN During the Megilla reading on Purim Sibling rivalry goes back to the first family. told him to make Aharon’s High Priest night one year, the Gateshead Rosh Ye- Kayin killed Hevel because he could not garments. shiva observed that some people were accept his own poor effort in bringing an Rabbi Avigdor Nebenzahl relates an interesting banging excessively when Haman’s name adequate korban (sacrifice) to G-d. Instead of question concerning the High Priest’s clothing was read, and were disturbing everyone celebrating Hevel’s good deeds, bringing from (28:2-3). In one verse, G-d tells Moshe to “make else. He appropriately decided to put a the best of his flock, Kayin killed Hevel. holy clothing for Aharon your brother.” In the stop to the excessive noisemaking. The Although Moshe and Aharon were on a next verse, G-d states, “And you will tell the next morning before the Megilla read- sublimely loftier level, these tensions are wise men and they shall make the clothing of ing, he stood up and announced that the normal human emotions. Interestingly, we Aharon...” Rabbi Nebenzahl relates, “I believe reader of the Megilla would not be motzi see that Moshe dealt with some of the same it is possible to say that Moshe Rabbeinu was (discharge the obligation for) those who feelings we may have felt with our own siblings. assigned a test from G-d to activate dormant overdo the noisemaking. Rabbi Zev Leff relates: spiritual potential. G-d sought Moshe’s Rema (O.C . 581:1) rules that the chazzan reaction after being told that he would have to leads the congregation and must be mot- The Sages tell us that one who suspects make Aharon’s clothing.” another wrongly is smitten in his own zi everyone with his prayers If he hates body (Talmud, Shabbos 97a). If there are How would we feel in a similar situation? Let’s someone in the congregation and has in no grounds to suspect another, then say someone wants to be part of a basketball mind not to be motzi him, everyone else, the suspicion reflects on the one who is team, and so does his brother. In the end, even those he likes, aren’t yotzei either. suspicious. He knows that if he were in the team recruits his brother, but not him. To (See M.B. 53;57 who warns the chazza- a similar position himself, he probably make matters worse, the club informs him that nim about this). would have acted as he suspects his he must make his brother’s jersey! How would friend of acting. Therefore, his suspicion we feel? Rabbi Nebenzahl says that this is how Q Does the rest of the congregation ful- is based on a personal blemish, and this Moshe felt. In the beginning, he wanted to fill their obligation of Megilla if the chaz- is the personal impairment that the be the High Priest, but did not “make the zan is not motzi the noisemakers? Sages refer to as being smitten bodily. cut.” Then, Moshe heard he had to make his A Chavos Ya’ir (186) implies that the rea- brother’s clothing. Instead of becoming jealous, When G-d told Moshe that he would son for the aforementioned halacha of Moshe celebrated Aharon’s attainment of the the Rema is that the chazzan is a messen- be the High Priest, and not his older High Priesthood. When G-d saw that Moshe brother Aharon, Moshe felt Aharon ger of the congregation who appointed was happy, He actually retracted the request to him to be motzi the entire congregation. might feel slighted. However, this was make Aharon’s garments. We see from here The chazzan, however, deviated from the groundless. G-d told Moshe that Aharon the incredible greatness of Moshe Rabeinu, sender’s (the congregation’s) instructions would have nothing but joy in his heart and the correct way to act. We should not be upon hearing that Moshe had been spiteful of others’ success, even facing a loss of by not being motzi the one whom he chosen. Therefore, the basis for Moshe’s our own kavod (honor). Instead, we should be hates; consequently, his appointment is suspicion must have been within himself. happy for our brothers or any other Jews who nullified. Thus, the rest of the congrega- And it was this slight blemish that G-d tion is not yotzei either. responded to by punishing Moshe. merit incredible things that we have not. Shu”t Ha’elef L’cha Shlomo (O.C. 36), how- This fascinating passage shows that even A PARASHA Q 4 U ever, explains the reason for the hala- Moshe perhaps experienced a muted RABBI DOVID SPETNER cha based on a Magein Avraham (53;22) version of the same tension of sibling who requires a chazzan to remove all What other parasha most closely rivalry. To whatever degree Moshe may jealousness for his enemies from his have possessed this suspicion, it’s also resembles this week’s parasha both in heart. A chazzan who is not motzi some- apparent he fixed that blemish. Moshe name and in content? one shows that he has not removed was a spiritual giant, and his actions the jealousy from his heart, and is thus show us the correct way to interact with Bring this question to the Shabbos table and see who knows the answer! our brothers. We see this when G-d L55 CONTINUES ON NEXT PAGE p Sponsorship & feedback: Sponsored as a z’chus refua sh’leima for Cincinnati Torah [email protected] is distributed weekly Chaim Moshe Ben Dina to local shuls and the community e-mail list. © 2019 CCK THE RABBI WAS ASKED GLIMPSES OF THE KOLLEL CONTINUED disqualified from being achazzan . The Gateshead Rosh Yeshiva, or any rabbi, is the one in charge of his con- gregation, and therefore, the reasons mentioned do not apply. The chazzan is an appointee of the Rosh Yeshiva, and must follow his order. The Rosh Yeshiva has the power to decide that those disturbing the congregation are not a part of the congregation, and conse- quently, the chazzan who is not motzi the noisemakers isn’t defecting his ap- pointment, but rather fulfilling it. The second reason does not apply either since he has no jealousy for day before an atomic bomb was dropped that wished to destroy them, all those who anyone in the congregation; he is just on Hiroshima, Japan, there was a carpet- underwent it knew that it could only by the fulfilling the Rosh Yeshiva’s command. bombing raid by 300 American bombers direction of the Hand of Hashem. He is, therefore, not disqualified from over Shanghai. The building in which being a chazzan. the Mir Yeshiva was learning shook mightily from the blasts but remained standing. The dormitory building next IT HAD TO BE HASHEM door was hit directly and immediately collapsed. There were several students The war in Europe has finally ended but life only who were feared to have been in the became more dangerous for the refugees in Japan… building, but each one was eventually The city of Shanghai was a port city which accounted for each with his own story of would be a strategic place to use as a jumping how he was saved. One was not feeling off point for an invasion of Japan. Therefore, as well and inexplicably, minutes before, American forces “leap-frogged” towards Japan, decided to seek a doctor and had left the city was chosen as a military target and was the building. Another happened to be heavily bombarded. There was an immense standing under a reinforced concrete amount of destruction in the city along with staircase which did not collapse with the much loss of life. The Jewish refugees were rest of the building. With the end of the not spared the loss of life together with other war, everyone hoped to finally emigrate citizens of the city. However, especially with out of China, but in the end, it did not yeshiva students, miraculous stories abounded happen immediately at all. Some waited and not one yeshiva student was hurt in any several years after the war ended to bombing raids. It reached a point where finally receive their visas to America or during raids, Chinese people would seek out Israel. From the beginning of the episode a yeshiva student to be near in the hope that until the end, from Vilna momentarily it would protect them as well. This occurred being returned to Lithuania, to the fake even though buildings that were being used visas to Curacao, to inexplicably being as study halls or as dormitories were struck by allowed to travel across the Soviet Union, bombs or collapsed due to being weakened to being harbored for the duration of by tremors from explosions. In fact, the the war by the military allies of those BEYOND ELLIS ISLAND THE TRAILBLAZERS, TRIALS, & TRIUMPHS OF AMERICAN JEWRY RABBI MOSHE TZVI CRYSTAL Before the second generation of Jews in America began to move toward educated professions such as doctors and lawyers, Benjamin Koenigsberg led the way as an example of a self-employed, fully observant Jew. The list of organizations and initiatives he took part in is long and varied, as he was the consummate “k’lal mentsch,” or advocate for the Jewish public.