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731_B_Beis Moshiach 15/02/2010 9:14 AM Page 3 contents A DWELLING AMONG MORTALS 4 D’var Malchus TO LOVE, TO HATE, TO LIVE 7 Thought | Rabbi Zvi Homnick PLANNING FOR JOY 10 Chinuch | Dina Reichman A GAON IN AHAVAS YISROEL 14 Obituary | Avrohom Rainitz WHEN THE REBBE SAYS JUMP... 24 Farbrengen | Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner a”h USA 744 Eastern Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409 Tel: (718) 778-8000 Fax: (718) 778-0800 AND YOU SHALL BUILD AN ARK [email protected] 30 Profile | Shneur Zalman Berger www.beismoshiach.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: M.M. Hendel ENGLISH EDITOR: MOSHIACH: WHAT WE BELIEVE Boruch Merkur Moshiach & Geula | Rabbi Gershon Avtzon HEBREW EDITOR: 34 Rabbi Sholom Yaakov Chazan [email protected] ZEROS AND ONES 36 Moshiach & Science | Dr. Aryeh Gotfryd Beis Moshiach (USPS 012-542) ISSN 1082- 0272 is published weekly, except Jewish holidays (only once in April and October) for $160.00 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and in all other places for $180.00 per year (45 AFTER DECADES OF WAITING, A issues), by Beis Moshiach, 744 Eastern 38 Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. MIRACLE OR TWO! Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY and Miracle Story | Nosson Avrohom additional offices. Postmaster: send address changes to Beis Moshiach 744 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213-3409. Copyright 2010 by Beis Moshiach, Inc. Beis Moshiach is not responsible for the content of the advertisements. 731_B_Beis Moshiach 15/02/2010 9:14 AM Page 4 d’var malchus was not merely a manifestation of infinity. In the Beis HaMikdash, precise measurement was a fundamental A DWELLING necessity. Even a slight deviation from the required measure would render an article or a building invalid. The fact that the place of the ark transcended the limits of space thus AMONG represents a fusion of finiteness and infinity. This communicates the nature of G- d’s Being. He transcends both finiteness and infinity, and yet manifests Himself in both MORTALS of these dimensions. [8] This is the Torah’s intent when speaking of G-d “choos[ing] a place for His name to dwell”: that the physical Sichos In English limits of our world will not be negated and yet the spiritual will be revealed. And A CONTRADICTION with laws and principles as binding as this fusion of opposites will enable us to IN TERMS those governing nature in our world. become conscious of His essence which He brought into being an entire transcends - and encompasses - both the When dedicating the Beis framework of spiritual worlds whose physical and the spiritual. HaMikdash, King Shlomo exclaimed in purpose is to convey Divine energy from wonderment: “Will G-d indeed dwell on level to level as it undergoes the process this earth? The heavens and the celestial of contraction necessary for it to be WHAT MAN’S INPUT heights cannot contain You, how much enclothed in material form. CONTRIBUTES less this house!” [1] The open revelation of G-dliness runs G-d did not want this revelation to be For the Beis HaMikdash was not contrary to this entire pattern, defying the dependent on His influence alone. merely a centralized location for man’s limits which He Himself established. As reflected in the verse, [9] “And you worship of G-d, it was a place where G- Nevertheless, although G-d limited shall make Me a Sanctuary and I will d’s Presence was - and is [2] - manifest. the extent of His revelation when dwell within,” He chose to make the [3] structuring the constitution of our world, revelation of His Presence dependent on Although “the entire earth is full of He did not limit Himself. man’s activity. His glory,” [4] G-d’s Presence is not He created a world with set bounds, Since the revelation of G-d’s Presence tangibly felt. but He Himself is not confined by them, transcends the limits of our existence, the He permeates all existence, but in a and can alter them at will. He can invest initiative must come from Him. hidden way. [5] His Presence in our material realm, and Nevertheless, “G-d did not have His The Beis HaMikdash, by contrast, did so in the Sanctuary and in the Beis Presence rest upon Israel until they was “the place where He chose to cause HaMikdash. performed labor,” [10] building the His name dwell.” [6] Sanctuary where His Presence would There was no concealment; His dwell. Presence was openly manifest. IN G-D’S INNER Why was man’s activity necessary? Seemingly, this is an impossibility; CHAMBER Because G-d’s intent is that the there is no apparent way that spirituality The Divine Presence was revealed in revelation of His Presence be internalized can be openly manifest in our material the Holy of Holies. within the world, becoming part of the world. There was manifest an ongoing fabric of its existence. For material existence to come into miracle which reflects the nature of the Were the revelation to come from being, G-d condensed and contracted His revelation in the Beis HaMikdash. above alone, it would nullify worldliness. light and life-energy so that it could The width of the Holy of Holies was To cite a parallel: when G-d revealed become enclothed in material entities. twenty cubits, the ark, positioned Himself on Mount Sinai, the world This is absolutely necessary. lengthwise in the chamber, was two and ground to a standstill. “No bird Were G-dly light to be revealed one half cubits long, and there were ten chirped..., nor did an ox bellow, nor the without restraints, it would nullify all cubits from either edge of the ark to the sea roar.” [11] Although G-dliness was possibility for material existence. wall on both sides. revealed within the world, the elements of To allow for our world to continue in The place of the ark was not included worldly existence did not play a a stable manner, G-d structured this in the measure of the chamber’s span! [7] contributory role in that revelation. process of self-containment into a pattern What is most significant is that this 4 5 Adar 5770 BEIS MOSHIACH 731_B_Beis Moshiach 15/02/2010 9:14 AM Page 5 When, by contrast, the dwelling for These two phases relate to the two 7. Yoma 21a. G-d is built by man, himself part of the services mentioned in the verse, “turn 8. See the essay entitled, A Dwelling Place for material environment of our world, he away from evil and do good.” [23] G-d in Our World in Seek Out the Welfare of elevates the nature of the worldly entities When a person prepares a dwelling Jerusalem, which elaborates on this concept. which he uses to create G-d’s dwelling. for a king, he must first clean it. 9. Exodus 25:8. This enables G-d’s Presence to be Afterwards, he brings in attractive 10. Avos d’Rabbi Nosson, ch. 11. revealed within these entities as they exist articles. [24] 11. Shmos Rabba 29:9. within their own context. Similarly, to make our world a 12. Exodus 19:12. This motif leads to another difference. dwelling for G-d, “separation” is 13. Ibid.:13. When the revelation of G-dliness necessary to purge the self-orientation 14. Leviticus 26:31. comes from above, it is dependent on His that is encouraged by worldly existence. 15. Megilla 28a. influence, and is therefore temporary. For And then it is “elevated,” becoming a 16. In this instance, the choice of the word example, when G-d descended on Mount medium to draw down G-d’s light. Truma as the name of the Torah reading is Sinai, the mountain became holy and significant, because it is further removed from therefore, “all that ascend the mountain the beginning of the reading than most of the must die.” [12] NOT AN ISLAND other names which have been chosen. When, however, G-d’s Presence was The Beis HaMikdash was not 17. Zohar, Vol. II, p. 147a. withdrawn from the mountain, the Jews intended to be an isolated corner of 18. Rashi, Targum Unkelus, and others were allowed to ascend it, [13] for the holiness. commenting on the opening verse of the Torah fundamental nature of the mountain did Instead, its windows were structured reading. not change; it remained an ordinary to spread light outward, rather than to 19. Exodus 25:3-7. mountain. allow light to enter. [25] 20. This follows the interpretation of Rashi With regard to the Sanctuary - and to For the holiness of the Beis (Exodus 25:2). Rabbeinu Bachaye and others reckon fifteen items donated for the Sanctuary. a greater extent the Beis HaMikdash - HaMikdash was intended to be dispersed since the holiness was internalized within throughout the world at large. 21. These concepts indicates a sequence to the readings of Yisro, Mishpatim, and Truma. the material elements of these structures, The most complete expression of this it became a permanent part of their being. concept will be in the Era of the Yisro focuses on the Giving of the Torah, when the division between the physical and the And thus on the verse: [14] “I will lay Redemption. [26] From “the mountain of spiritual realms was nullified. Mishpatim reflects waste to your Sanctuaries,” our Sages G-d’s house” [27] will spread forth light the extension of the bond between the spiritual commented: [15] “Even though they have and holiness motivating the people to and the physical into human reason. been devastated, their sanctity remains.” learn to seek G-d’s ways and “walk in His Moreover, it provides us with guidelines for And therefore, it is forbidden to ascend to paths.” [28] investing spiritual content into our material lives.