Shabbat-B'Shabbato – Parshat Pekudai No 1615: 2 Adar II 5776 (12 March 2016)

AS APPROACHES The Polished Mirrors - by Mordechai Greenberg, Rosh , Kerem B'Yavne

"'The copper that was donated (hatenufah)' [Shemot 38:29] – This refers to the copper of the brides, as in Greek a bride is called 'ninfi.'" [Midrash Tanchuma Pekudai 10].

It is written, "And he made the basin of copper and its base of copper, from the polished mirrors of the women who had gathered at the Tent of Meeting" [Shemot 38:29]. The sages taught us that at first Moshe did not want to take the mirrors, because they had been part of a process which led to sexual acts. But the Holy One, Blessed be He, told Moshe to accept them, because the women had made use of them to establish "large hordes" of offspring in Egypt. When their husbands arrived home weary from their labors, the women would take the mirrors, and each one would look at herself and her husband in the mirror and entice him with words. This led the husbands to desire them, and they became pregnant and gave birth. And that is the meaning of "the mirrors of those who gathered together." The basin was made from these mirrors, since they helped to bring each man and his wife together.

The term "tzov'ot" appears only one other time in the Bible: "And Eli was very old, and he heard about all that his sons had done to all of Yisrael, and that they would lie down with the women who gathered together at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting." [Shmuel I 2:22]. It is written in the , "Whoever says that the sons of Eli sinned is making a mistake. Rather, because they delayed bringing the sacrifices of the women who were thus prevented from going to their husbands, the passage writes about them as if they had lain down with the women." [Shabbat 55b]. By delaying the sacrifices brought by the women after they gave birth, Eli's sons caused a delay in the observance of the mitzva of having children.

Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook explains in "Ein Ayah" that Eli's sons did not understand that family life is not a contradiction to a holy life. They felt that holiness should be linked to asceticism, and that therefore there was no problem for them to delay the women's return to their husbands in order to resume normal family life. However, the blessing under the chuppah is to G-d who "sanctifies His nation Yisrael by marriage and a chuppah" - showing that the way to holiness is through a proper married life. And that is why the Holy One, Blessed be he, praised the women for contributing their mirrors, and commanded Moshe to make the basin from them, since its water is used to sanctify the Kohanim and prepare them for the holy service. "The foundation of the worship of G-d and the sanctity of life are closely related."

The curtains which covered the Tabernacle were made from cloth 4 Amot wide which were sewn together, creating two large curtains made up of five or six sections. The two curtains were attached with loops. Why didn't they sew all eleven sections together, or why didn't they leave them all as separate components? The answer is that the place where the two curtains were joined together was exactly above the curtain which separated between the Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. This shows us that the two areas were not separated but also not joined together. The same is true for the difference between what is merely holy and the Holy of Holies. It is also relevant for the difference between the holy and the secular. Holy and secular are not the same thing, but neither are they completely separate. Rather, they are linked by various intermediate stages.

I heard from the late Rabbi Tzvi Hodah that one time when he was on a boat he asked the poet Chernichovsky to read a new poem that he had written. The poet was surprised to hear that a rabbi was interested in secular poetry. The rabbi replied that in there is no conflict between the holy and the secular but only intermediate stages. The only conflict is between the

1 holy and the spiritually impure, and the rabbi took the opportunity to chastise the poet about the impurities in his work.

POINT OF VIEW The Solution: A Tourist Area at the Wall - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

A Controversy Fed by the Supreme Court

We have recently been caught up in a renewed controversy about the status of the Western Wall, in the wake of the government decision to allow non- Orthodox prayers in the southern section (the lower level, which is today available to tourists) – based on a recommendation by a committee headed by Avichai Mandelblit – who was the secretary of the government at the time and has since been appointed the State Attorney. The Chief Rabbinate, Chareidi parties, and some of the of Chardal (nationalistic Zionists) have come out with harsh criticism of this attempt to "place an idol in the Sanctuary" by giving Reform Judaism some sort of formal recognition. A verse that seems appropriate is the description of the prophet, "A memory in My house and in My walls" [Yeshayahu 56:5].

In my humble opinion this subject has gone beyond reasonable limits. On the contrary – the warlike sounds merely play into the hands of the Reform groups, who are always on the lookout for new angles of legitimacy to be granted them by the Supreme Court, as will be detailed below. Let me start out with a declaration: This is not an issue of the sanctity of the southern section of the Wall and the halacha of showing respect for holy places. Not only tourists but also foxes have always freely roamed the area, for the entire length of the Wall, but nobody has ever complained about desecration of the holy area. On the Temple Mount, children play soccer, barbeques of nonkosher foods are held, people dress as if they are on the beach, and the Chief Rabbinate makes no fuss about the situation. The real subject is not the sanctity of the Wall but the struggle against the Reform Jews – their gaining recognition and pushing into any and all "religious" corners, with the cooperation of the Supreme Court.

Let me make one point clear: We have been dragged into a struggle about the Wall by a request for an injunction brought by the "Women of the Wall," who claim that they are Orthodox! (Note that some of them refuse to accept the proposal that has been offered.) The Reform Jews did not turn to the Supreme Court, and they are not involved in the legal proceedings. They simply came along for the ride. The same is true of the Prime Minister and those who support the non-Orthodox sectors in the United States. The Supreme Court responded to the "Women of the Wall," and based on the religion of equality gave the government a limited time to organize the matter, while threatening to allow the women to put up their own holy arks and scrolls. This is the real background of the compromise at the Wall, which is meant to placate the small number of "marching women" who have appeared, wearing their talitot and tefillin.

So far so good. However, the Reform sector has now joined forces with the "marching mirrors," and they are now part of the team that has taken up the issue. The "proposed solution" invited the Reform Jews into this process that had been set in motion, through the back door, without any need for them to request an injunction of their own from the courts. The government decision (as it exists when I write this article) sets aside an area at the southern part of the Wall that will be managed by a director (Natan Sharansky) who will report to a council that consists of representatives of all the sectors which pray at the site. The Reform sector, which misses no opportunity to increase its symbols of legitimacy, caught the scent of a pool where they could add themselves a worthy prize, and they immediately declared their victory: "For the first time, the government of has formally recognized us... We also have a share in the deity of the State of Israel."

Well, I would like to suggest a different and more perfect solution to this dilemma: Establish a "Southern Wall Area for Tourists" which will not have

2 the status of "a holy site." It will be under the control of the Ministry of Tourism or the local municipal government. It will allow all manner of respectable ceremonies, without any regard for religion, race, or sex. And we will not have any need for additional declarations of legitimacy!

The Reform Community in Israel is a Marginal Threat

Let me repeat my position, which I have stated before, regarding the proper way to treat the Reform community in Israel: The stubborn opposition to them only gives them greater strength. It allows them to collect victories with the help of the Supreme Court, which will never be defeated by legal means. Even if there is some possibility of passing a "Law of Jewish Nationality," there is no way that a "Law of Orthodox Nationality" will ever pass. However, the power of the Reform community is in the realm of the Supreme Court and not out in the field. I do not see legions of Israelis waiting to join their ranks, even if their leaders will be able to cover themselves with waves of legitimacy. The irreligious people in Israel have no need to join Jewish communities, and the main reason that they join them in the United States is not relevant here. The following are some examples which show that the best reaction to their demands is to "let them have their way, and they will go away on their own."

- The Neeman Committee was established in 1997 in response to pressure and demands for injunctions by the Reform Jews to recognize their conversions. The Neeman compromise (1998) allowed them to appoint representatives to the managing board of the "Institute for Preparation of Conversion" (but not the rabbinical courts). The Chief Rabbinate and the Chareidim cried out just as they are doing now with respect to the Wall, but the danger and the tumult have long since died down. In the field, in the realm of conversion, they have no effect at all. The Reform Jews were awarded a slip of "legitimacy" and they went away in silence.

- Reform petitions demanded that non-Orthodox representatives should be allowed to serve on local religious councils. As a matter of course, they were given this privilege, and the religious parties and the Chief Rabbinate became angry. What happened in the end? The petitioners got their slice of legitimacy, and again they quietly left. Who has heard anything about their activities on the councils? (Note that many nonreligious people serve on the councils, but nobody hears anything about it.)

- More recently, the Reform communities won a judgement in the Supreme Court on the subject of mikvaot, ritual baths, which allows them to have their converts (who will not be recognized as Jews!) immerse in public mikvaot. Just great! Chalk up another victory! But this has no real effect at all! No convert will join their community because of this "achievement." Again they will quietly leave the area.

Therefore, with respect to the issue of the Wall, all of these declarations – "Desecration of the holy realms of Yisrael... An idol in the Sanctuary... This will be a reason to disband the coalition... We will fight to the end of our energy..." – are empty excited cries. The number of people who join non-Orthodox communities in Israel will not increase in the wake of enhanced legal legitimacy. Rather, the Reform communities will gain explicit support in direct proportion to how strongly we, the Orthodox communities, relate to them as "the enemy."

Take this as a warning!

(Written after the end of Shabbat, Torah portion of Vayakhel.)

A WOMAN'S ANGLE Worshipping G-d - by Terza Frankael, a teacher in "Tehilla" – Evilena de Rothschild,

The vessels of the Tabernacle and the priestly garments, which are not discussed any more after this week's Torah portion, have always held a special interest for me. On one hand, I was raised with the understanding 3 that external appearance is marginal for us as compared to internal traits, and that Judaism puts great emphasis on actions, since our hearts are pulled in the direction of our actions. On the other hand, all the details given in the passages of the Tabernacle show that splendor and glory are not foreign matters for us – rather, they are seen to be a necessary element in order to impart sanctity to the place where holy worship takes place. And it is not only the vessels and the structure that must be glorious, the same is also applied to the people. Every part of the bodies of the priests must be wrapped in a garment with the proper significance, filled with precise detail and with holy messages. This imparts clear feelings of glory, splendor, and sanctity, which makes it difficult to avoid the feeling of the presence of G-d at that site.

The garments, just like the vessels of the Tabernacle and its structure, are designed in such a way that they will impart the holiness of the place to those who wear it, and also instill in the people the status of His messengers, His very own "holy vessels." Thus, there should be no room for confusion: There is a special magnificent site which has been set aside for worshipping G-d, where the service can be performed. There are special people who have been chosen as messengers of the people for this task, and only they can perform this role. Thus, the purpose of this exceptional magnificence and glory is to set aside this place and these people from everything else. The service of G-d is performed at that site and at no other. There is no room for questions and doubts, everything is known and established, and it has been passed down from one generation to the next.

* * * * * *

Now that the Temple has been destroyed and we no longer have the vessels in our possession, everything has become cloudy and unclear. It is no longer clear how to worship G-d, we do not know who the messengers for the public are, and everything is open to renewed analysis and interpretation. That is why alternative traditions were developed for prayer, why synagogues were built in different styles, and why different customs came to exist for the chazzanim who lead the prayers.

Our current era has no equal in its level of uncertainty and doubt. Within the Jewish world today there are many different sectors, and each one tries to find the best way to worship G-d. Many different groups have even developed within Orthodox communities, such as Chassidim and Lita'im, Sephardi and Ashenaz, more or less modern Orthodox, more or less liberal, and so on. Every specific group feels that its way is the best and that the others are making a mistake. Each group feels that its path is the correct one, a direct continuation of Bnei Yisrael who left Egypt, leading straight from the people of the First and Second Temples, without any doubts. By looking from above, as in a picture taken from a satellite, we can see the fields and the different pathways that surround them all, the different settlements separated by walls and thick black concrete roads.

Living like this, in separate enclaves and full of mutual distrust, it is easy to see why there is such yearning to rebuild the Temple. We very much want to return to the absolute and clear status of old. We thirst for uniformity and unity which will flow out of a place where there is total agreement, where there are no doubts or disputes. All that we want is to solve all the conflicts once and for all, showing everybody else that we are absolutely correct, and that this is the way things should be. However, that glory and magnificence with absolute sanctity, the holy vessels and the priestly garments, clear ceremonies and constant rituals, which were the cradle of our development as a nation and which helped to establish our existence – are no longer there. We cannot know if they will return or not, all we can know is what is going on here and now.

Perhaps the disappearance of the vessels and the garments and the loss of the one ultimate House will force us on one hand to remember it all, to read about it once a year, to mourn for everything – for the loss of what was known and clear – but in any case to accept what still exists today. For almost 2,000 years the absolute and the real objects have not been with us, but we have not quite been wise enough to understand that they no longer

4 exist. But since they are no longer here, we do not really know what is right and what is absolute, and what approach is really closest to the Shechina. Perhaps the time has come to stop hatred and separation, and disparagement of others who serve the Holy One, Blessed be He, in a way that differs from our own, and to become involved as much as possible with true love of G-d and all His creatures, no matter exactly how they pursue their worship of G-d and their own truths!

THE GOOD LAND Garlic from Baalbek - by Yoel Yaacobi, Institute for Torah and the Land

"Garlic 'Ba'al Bechi' and onion from Rechpah... are released from maaser and can be bought from any person on Shevi'it" [Mishna Maasrot 5:8].

Rambam: Garlic that Makes a Person Cry

The Rambam explains that the term "ba'al bechi" describes garlic that is so sharp that it causes one to cry, and therefore it does not serve as food. In his opinion, the reason that garlic and other plants listed in the Mishna are released from the laws of maaser is that they only grow in the wild and do not belong to anybody. And produce that has no owner is not included in the laws of teruma and maaser. Another ruling about this garlic and the other plants in the list is that they can be bought from any person during Shemitta, even one who is suspected of violating the laws of Shemitta, and that there is no prohibition to buy them from an ignorant "Am Haaretz" and give him the money for the purchase. (In general, the rabbis forbid buying produce during Shemitta from an Am Haaretz because he is suspected of not treating the money properly – only to buy other food. See the Rambam's commentary on the Mishna, Shevi'it 9:1.) Rabbi Yosef Kapach derived from this Mishna that any spice which is not fit to be eaten alone is required to have maasser taken if it was grown by people, since it implies that the garlic would be liable for maaser even though it is not fit to eat and that it not relevant for maaser only because it has no owner. (Others do not accept this ruling by Rabbi Kapach – see the article by Rabbi Yedidia Ziv, "Sefer Terumot U'Maasrot," pages 183-194.)

Rabein Shimshon: "Baal Bechi" is a Place

Rabeinu Shimshon explains the reason that this garlic from "Baal Bechi" is not relevant for maaser in another way – because the produce comes from outside of Eretz Yisrael. Clearly, produce from abroad is not obligated for maaser or for Shevi'it. In his opinion, whenever the sages required maaser for produce from abroad, this was only in a case where similar produce was grown in the land. However, the listed plants do not grow in Eretz Yisrael (and they different from the similar produce that is grown in the land).

Rabeinu Shimshon suggests a different explanation for the term Baal Bechi. He says that this is the name of a place. Rabbi Ovadia Bartanura expands on this definition, and he writes that it is in the area of Lebanon. Rabbi Pinchas Kehati goes a step further in his commentary, and he names the area as the city Baalbek in the Lebanese Valley.

However, the identification of "Baal Bechi" as Baalbek is problematic to some degree. In Yehoshua (11:17) it is written that the limit of conquest by Yehoshua was Baal Gad, in the Valley of Lebanon. And Baal Gad has been identified, among other things, as Baalbek. This means that the garlic from Baal Bechi grows at the border of the land conquered by those who came from Egypt. And it is usually accepted that produce from such land is obligated by the mitzvot of teruma and maaser (possibly by a rabbinical decree). If so, how can Rabeinu Shimshon define this area as being abroad and therefore free from the requirements of teruma and maaser?

Evidently Rabeinu Shimshon does not agree that every point that is within the boundaries of those who came out of Egypt has an obligation for maaser. He might say that only an area that is close to the border of those who returned from Babylon is released from teruma and maaser, while places that are far from this border is not obligated. The definitions of "close" and "far" are not clear. Perhaps Baalbek, which lies deep within Lebanon of 5 today, is considered far enough away from the border of the Babylonians that there is no obligation of maaser from this land. (See Rabbi Yehuda Amichai, "Emunat Itcha" 32, pages 36-43.)

From a Center of Baal Worship to a Hezbollah Stronghold

Baalbek serves as the capital of the region of Al-Bak'a (the valley of Lebanon), and it is situated in the north of the region. The Lebanon Valley is the Lebanese section of the Syrian-African fault line, the continuation of the Chula valley. The fact that it serves today as a stronghold of the Hezbollah and as a center for distribution of hashish gives a realistic modern meaning to the name "Baal Bechi."

The name "Baalbek" means "the Master of the Rift." It includes the name of the Canaanite deity Baal, which was worshipped by the Phoenicians, who lived previously in the city. Evidently at the time the city was already a center of idol worship, which explains why the name of a deity is incorporated into the name of the city. In the Hellenistic Era the name was changed to Heliopolis (city of the sun), showing respect for the Greek sun god. The idol worship in the city reached a peak during the Roman Era, when a number of temples were erected in the city in honor of the Roman versions of the deities.

From the Middle Ages, when the role of the idols in the city came to an end, we begin to hear about Jews who lived there. Some of the disciples of Rav Saadia Gaon reached Baalbek. Rabbi Binyamin of Tudela visited the city in 1175. He describes it as a resort town for important communities in the area, including Damascus. In the nineteenth century there were reports that a few Sephardi Jews lived in the city.

Baalbek, most of whose 81,000 inhabitants are Shiites, serves as a home front for the Hezbollah. During the Second Lebanon War, Colonel Emanuel Moreno, a member of the top commando unit, was killed there.

NOTES FROM THE HAFTARAH The Essence of the Temple - by Rabbi Oury Cherki, Machon Meir, Rabbi of Beit Yehuda Congregation, Jerusalem

The Haftarah of the portion of Pekudai can be divided into two sections.

In the first section, which is read by Sephardim and Yemenites (Melachim I 7:40-50), the making of the vessels in the Temple is described as the work of two people: Chirom and Shlomo. Even though they evidently did not perform the physical operation of making the vessels with their own two hands, they are given the credit because they were in charge of the operation. The passage differentiates between the vessels of gold and the vessels made of copper. The copper vessels are attributed to Chirom (7:40-45), while all of the golden vessels are attributed to Shlomo (7:48-50). Evidently copper, a metal that has an appearance similar to gold but is much less expensive, is an example of technical perfection, the main trait of the serpent. In the book of Bereishit, the serpent represents the natural intellect – he had "more cunning than all other creatures of the field" [Bereishit 3:1]. (Note that "nechoshet" – copper – and "nachash" – a serpent – share three letters, nun-chet-shin.)

Thus, copper was rightfully ascribed to the labors of the other nations, which settled the whole world. They made "many bridges, markets, and bathhouses, in order to enable Yisrael to study the Torah" [Avoda Zara 2b]. And therefore the link between the copper vessels and the earth is emphasized in the passage: "The King cast them in the Plains of the Jordan, in the depths of the earth" [7:48]. This is a hint of the lot of the serpent, whose "bread is dust" [Yeshayahu 65:25]. Chirom represents the part of the other nations which joins together with the sanctity of Yisrael.

Gold, on the other hand, represents the Torah, which is linked especially to Yisrael: "'And the gold of that land is good' [Bereishit 2:12] – There is no other Torah like the Torah of Eretz Yisrael" [Bereishit Rabba]. Therefore

6 the gold remains the province of the King of Yisrael. The Temple is a universal house, "A House of Prayer for all the nations" [Yeshayahu 56:7], and it includes labor from all of humanity, including both Yisrael and the other nations.

The second section of the passage, which is read by the Ashkenazim (7:51- 8:21), highlights the dual role of the Temple. It is both a place for sacrifices and also a place where the face of G-d is encountered. And therefore there are two central points in the Temple, which point to these two concepts: the Altar and the Holy of Holies. The beginning of the dedication consisted of offering sacrifices in G-d's name, since "holy service is for heaven." "And King Shlomo, and the whole community of Yisrael who were with him in front of the Ark, brought sacrifices of sheep and cattle which were too numerous to be counted" [8:5].

However, once the Ark was put in its place in the Holy of Holies, no more sacrifices were brought. "The Kohanim could not stand and perform the service because of the cloud, since the House of G-d was filled with G-d's glory" [8:11]. This was a Divine signal that the main objective of the Temple was for the Shechina to be present within Yisrael, since they were the first element in the plan of Creation. From the point of the nation the glory of heaven is the most important element, but from the point of view of the Creator the main element is the glory of Yisrael. This is also what Shlomo makes clear. He says, "I have built a House in the name of G-d, the G-d of Yisrael" – for service. But in the end, it is "a place for the Ark which holds the Divine covenant which You made with our ancestors." [8:20- 21].

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? A "Pinky" which is four Fingers Wide - by Yaacov Etzion

Today every child in kindergarten can recite the Hebrew names of the fingers, from the thumb ("agudal") to the pinkie ("zeret"). However, the truth is that while "agudal" is indeed the word for a thumb, "zeret" is not really the Hebrew word for the pinkie.

Here is the verse which describes how tall Goliath was: "And a champion went forth from the camps of the Pelishtim, by the name of Goliath, from Gat. His height was six Amot and one Zeret." The Amah is a known measure of length - from the elbow to the tip of the hand. The "zeret" is also a well-known measure of length – the span of the open palm. For example, this is the size of the Choshan, a square, one zeret on each side.

In kindergarten the children also learn the names of the other fingers: "etzba, amah, and kemittza." What is the source of these words? It is from the Talmud and the Mishna. However, it seems that these words have not been understood correctly by some of those who wrote dictionaries. In the tractate of Menachot the sages note that the names of all five fingers are related to a "role" that they play with respect to halacha. Starting from the zeret we have a measure of length (Rashi explains: "The size of the Choshen is a length that starts from the smallest finger"), and so on.

That is, the sages were not giving names to the different fingers. This can be seen from the continuation in the Talmud, where it is written, "And then he smooths it out with his small finger..." Zeret is not the word for pinky, but since the Talmud uses the phrase, "This is the zeret," the word is used as the name of the finger itself. And the same is true for all five fingers.

I found the earliest source using "zeret" as the name of the pinky in a liturgical poem written by Rabbi Elazar Hakelir for the special portion of Shekalim. In the end of the poem the author discusses measures in the Torah. He begins with a series of verbs that bring the reader into the realm of weights and measures. "Then you looked, and counted, and prepared, and investigated, and measured, and weighed, and estimated, and collected..." At first Rabbi Elazar mentions the zeret as a measure: "The size of the cane is six Amot and one Zeret, a Zeret is one third of an Amah..." However, he then treats the word as the name of the little finger: "One measure is from the zeret to the agudal, and its size is that of a line which grew." 7

RESPONSA IN THE LAND Levite Songs for Private Sacrifices - by Rabbi Re'eim Hacohen, Rosh Yeshiva and Chief Rabbi, Otniel

Question: Do the Levites sing when a private sacrifice is being brought?

Answer:

The Mishna describes the ritual of the bringing of the Tamid Sacrifice every morning in the Temple. The high point of the ritual is the step of burning the sacrifice on the Altar, which the Levites accompany with their song:

"When the High Priest wants to offer the sacrifice... They gave him wine for a libation... They blew the trumpets. They came and stood next to Ben Arza, one to his right and one to his left. He bowed down for the libation, and the deputy High Priest waved a cloth. Ben Arza struck the cymbal, and the Levites burst out in song..." [Tamid 7:3].

The Mishna describes the dramatic and grandiose event of libation of the wine on the Altar, accompanied by the Kohanim blowing the silver trumpets and by the singing of the Levites. The sages do not mention any relationship between songs of the Levites and a sacrifice brought by an individual.

"Desist from Song!"

Contrary to the above Mishna, there is a passage in the book "Brit Menucha," which is attributed to Rabbi Avraham from Rimon, the Sephardi, who is often quoted by such great masters of the Kabbalah as the RAMAK, the ARI, and the Ramchal. Here is what Rabbi Avraham writes:

"This is what happened in the Temple: A Levite would climb the first step and start to sing... The Kohen would burn incense in the Sanctuary, and the Levite would climb to the second step and sing... If the sacrifice belonged to an evil person who appeared to be righteous and who did his sins in secret, who did not bring sacrifices to atone for these sins, then the smoke would not rise straight up but would take a twisted path. And then the Kohen would tell the Levite: 'Desist from your song!'"

In this description, the music and the song are an integral part of the experience in the area of the Temple. We see that when the person bringing the sacrifice was a sinner the smoke from the sacrifice took a twisted path – that is, when the sinner did not really repent, his sacrifice did not have any real meaning, and the Kohen would therefore command the Levite to stop singing. If a person did not repent fully but brought a Chatat Sacrifice anyway, the sacrifice was not accepted and therefore the singing that was an integral part of the ritual was also halted. In the above description, the Kohen is seen to guard over the melody. This is a spiritual expression guarding against one who is not worthy of approaching the holy place. As is written, "Who will rise up to the Mountain of G-d and who will stand up in His holy place? One who has clean hands and a pure heart..." [Tehillim 24:4].

Drawing Out Repentance in Response to a Melody

The ideas of the Brit Menucha were quoted by Chassidic masters in a slightly different form than what appears above, but their words stand on their own in terms of their power and sanctity, and they can provide a source for deep spiritual innovation. Here are the words of Maor Vashemesh (Torah portion of Shemini):

"This is what happened when the Temple existed, with the Altar in place, and a Kohen would perform the labor... The thoughts of the person bringing the sacrifice would be available to them, such that the Levites and also the Kohanim would know from the person's thoughts if he had fully repented or not. And if they had not yet succeeded in awakening full repentance with proper enthusiasm, the Kohen would give a signal to the Levite – and they

8 would play music with greater enthusiasm and a more impelling tune which was necessary for the proper awakening, to bring the man who had brought the sacrifice to a state of full repentance. And this also appears in the book Brit Menucha, see it there..."

The Maor Vashemesh gives a different picture than the one we saw above. He teaches us that when a sacrifice was brought in the Temple the Kohanim and the Levites were able to tell if the person had repented or not, but in this description the reactions and the actions that they took are very different. Here we see that the Kohen would not order the Levite to stop playing but just the opposite – When the one bringing the sacrifice had not repented fully, it was necessary to play a deeper melody, in order to "awaken full repentance." This would be a melody that acted on the sinner to cause him to repent, in order to give the sacrifice the full significance and meaning that it should have.

Differences between the Second and the Third Temples

"Shem MiShmuel" wonders about the statement by Brit Menucha, noting that no other source describes singing by the Levites for a private sacrifice. And this indeed seems to be a difficult question, because Brit Menucha seems to be referring to the service in the First and the Second Temples. However, if we take a deeper look we can say that there is in principle no contradiction between the Oral Torah as we know it and the words of Brit Menucha in that the Oral Torah relates specifically to the , where the songs of the Levites were exclusively part of the rituals of the public sacrifices. The description of Brit Menucha, on the other hand, corresponds very well to the situation that we can expect in the , when there will be a high degree of internal correspondence and a strong link to the hidden roots of reality.

To clarify this matter, the root of reality is the innermost and deepest point of reality, where everything in existence will be perceived as a single unity. In the Third Temple everything will be connected to this deep point of the root of reality, where all elements are part of a single unity. When everything is fully interconnected there will be room for everything. And when everything is connected to the root of existence, everything has its appropriate place, and there will be a place for song even with a private sacrifice. In the Third Temple, which we hope will be built in our time, we expect to experience a spiritual unity where the personal and deep melody of each and every individual will be linked to his very essence in such a way that it will not contradict any other person's melody. The result will be a great harmony which will be heard in all its splendor.

WHEN THE CHILDREN OPEN THEIR HEARTS The Power of Encouragement - by Meirav Maggeni, Author of Content and Stories in Chemed, the Religious School System

"Don't worry, I'm sure you will make it," I said to Elchanan, who was sitting nervous and under pressure on our way to the competition. I added, "The whole class is rooting for you."

Elchanan relaxed the tense muscles on his face, and he managed a smile.

Then I turned to Sagi and told him the same thing. The bus stopped, and many students, from a lot of different schools, got off, very excited, ready for the regional races. Of course many adults accompanied them to cheer them on, and I was among them.

Moshe, , Dvir, and I gave big hugs to our boys in the race from the Sinai school, and we gave them big pats on the back. Then we separated into couples and took up positions along the route of the race, while we waited impatiently for it to begin. When we finally saw Elchanan coming, we waved at him and shouted with all our might: "You're doing great, keep it up!... You are the top... Sinai always takes the lead..." When Sagi passed by, we shouted out with all our might: "Faster! A champion of all champions can

9 beat all the others with his eyes closed..." Then we took a shortcut to the end of the track, where we could continue our work.

In the evening I returned home, weary from my long day, almost as if I had been running the races myself. My throat hurt from all my yelling, and I had a bitter taste in my mouth, since our boys only managed to get fifth or sixth place in the races. When Abba came home he found me, a worn-out boy stretched out on the couch, with a sour face.

Abba said, "Tell me about your day today, what did you do?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," I said. And I explained. "I spent all day shouting encouragement to our classmates in the races."

Abba stretched out on the couch. "It seems that you don't understand the value of rooting for somebody," he said to me, and he stretched out on the couch next to me. I understood that I was about to hear an interesting story...

* * * * * *

"Have you ever heard of Anatoly Sharansky?" (When I shook my head, Abba looked at me, surprised, and then he realized his mistake.) "Oh, I'm sorry – his Hebrew name is Natan Sharansky. You must have heard of him..."

I said, "Sure, he was a 'Prisoner of Zion' in the Soviet Union. He was accused of spying for Israel, and he was sent to prison for a long term. He sat in prison for nine years, and he was only set free after long struggles. Today he is the head of the Jewish Agency." (Don't think I know so much, but just last week we learned about him in class.)

"Very good," Abba said to me. "Do you know what gave him the strength to stay in prison so long, without giving up?" I was the one who looked at Abba, surprised by the question. Abba continued:

"One day, about forty years ago, the phone rang in Natan's home, in Russia. There was a young man named Eli on the line, and he shouted, speaking briefly and very fast. 'Anatoly, do you hear me? You are upholding the spirit of the nation of Yisrael! All of us here are very proud of you, and we hope to be as courageous as you are. We will do everything we can to help you, and you must continue to be heroes!' Then another man picked up the phone, his name was Tzvi. He said, 'We here are doing everything possible to help you! We are waking up the whole Jewish nation for you! The nation of Yisrael lives! Keep up the good work! Hold on, do not give up! There is no power in the world that can make you stop! G-d will help you!'

"Twenty-four hours after that, Natan was put into a prison cell, Day by day, hour after hour, for nine long years, the questioners tried to break his spirit. They told him that the Jews all over the world had forgotten him, that nobody ever mentioned his name, and that nobody cared about him. But Natan did not believe them. He did not let despair take over his mind. He had heard other voices, encouraging messages that gave him the strength to continue his struggle."

Abba looked me straight in the eyes, and he said: "Every single one of us hears a voice that tells us we are going to fail, that we are not good enough, and that we have no chance to succeed. Words of encouragement give us strength." He smiled, and he added: "I am happy to hear that you spent the whole day giving encouragement to your friends. I have no doubt that without your being there they would have done much worse in the races."

I said to Abba, "Thank you for your kind words," and I felt that I had really done something good during the day. And then I had a question: "But what about Eli and Tzvi, the two young men who phoned Sharansky? Do you know them?"

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Abba showed me pictures of them, the way they look today: Rabbi Eli Sadan is the head of the army prep school in Eli, and Rabbi Tzvi Tau is the head of Yeshiva . Abba laughed: "They continue to give encouragement to many students."

* * * * * *

What about you, my readers? Did you ever feel the power of encouraging words in your own lives? Did you ever have an opportunity to give a message of encouragement to somebody else? Please write to me about it...

E-mail: [email protected]

HOLY AND SECULAR Alterman and Churchill - by Rabbi Amichai Gordin,

Two and a half months ago, Karnit Flug, the governor of the Bank of Israel, launched a new bill worth NIS 200. Two weeks later, when I held one of the new bills in my hand, I felt excited. No, it was not because of greed, and not because of a desire to hold something new in my hand. The reason for my excitement was that I saw seven words in Hebrew that are written on the bill.

The greatest poet of our nation, Natan Alterman, wrote thousands of lines of poetry in his lifetime. The designers of the new bill had the challenge of choosing from this infinite treasure no more than two lines which would appear on the bill. In an amazing feat, which is totally contrary to the spirit of our generation, they chose two lines which felt like a breath of cool air touching my face on a hot day.

"We love you, our homeland, With joy, song, and labor."

I was excited by the statement of love for the homeland. I was excited by the joy expressed in the love of the homeland. I was excited by the song. But most of all, I was excited by one word which I thought had long since been removed from our national lexicon. The word is "labor."

* * * * * *

Winston Churchill was a phenomenal speaker. In his first speech as Prime Minster of England, he presented to the British nation a path that was difficult but determined. This was about half a year after the beginning of the Second World War, when a black cloud was stretched over the skies of Europe. It is not clear why when an important theme of his speech was translated into Hebrew, one key word was left out.

See if you can find the difference between the original and the translation. The original: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat." The common Hebrew version of this sentence reads, "I have nothing to offer but blood, tears, and sweat."

Churchill promised his people four things – blood, toil, tears, and sweat. The only elements that reached our shores, after crossing the ocean, were blood, tears, and sweat. Evidently our people do not like toil. It seems that we are ready to invest blood, tears, and sweat, but not heavy labor. We are on the lookout for rapid solutions for all of our problems. It seems that we are not interested in hard work. We do not appreciate the fruits of toil.

* * * * * *

One of the great traits that was typical of our mentor, Rabbi Lichtenstein, was the importance he saw in labor. First of all, he was interested in labor for the study of Torah. Next, in a completely different way, he also appreciated labor in secular matters. When he was young, our mentor used to

11 play basketball with his students. One time he stopped a game in the middle, angry. "I am not ready to play with you," he said, "You are not playing in a moral way."

The students were upset, and they asked, "What's the problem? Are we making too many fouls?" Rabbi Lichtenstein scolded them – "You are not playing defensively. You don't invest enough effort in the game. If you want to play ball, then play in a serious way."

* * * * * *

Labor does not contradict love. Just the opposite, when a person works hard at something he learns to love it more and more. If you want children to love their studies, they must work hard. When a person makes an effort and feels that he has accomplished something, he will love what he has done. "One who works on his land will be satiated with his bread" [Mishlei 12:11].

Take an example of two soldiers. One serves in an elite commando force, and he works hard at training. The second one, two months before his release, can barely get himself out of bed in the morning. Who is happy, and who is depressed and only waiting for the time to pass? Even though the commando works very hard, he enjoys what he does. The "vegetable" does not move from his cot, and all he feels is suffering and a great void.

Students will never love to study if we do not demand that they work hard. The work must be appropriate for each one. One student might need one type of labor, while another will thrive on a different type. For some people analytic toil is best, while others need physical labor. No matter what the circumstances, nothing will work without labor. "Man was born to toil" [Iyov 5:7].

* * * * * *

The Torah spent 214 verses on the description of the construction of the Tabernacle and setting it up. Why did the Torah, which is so sparing in its use of words, "use up" thousands of letters in order to describe the building of the Tabernacle? Why, after the detailed description that appears in the portions of Teruma and Tetzaveh, does it repeat everything in great detail without leaving anything to the imagination, once again listing how the work took place with all the same details as before?

Even the most inexperienced apprentice author knows that one should never repeat details that the reader already knows. Every apprentice editor knows that all the pages that repeat earlier sections should be ruthlessly cut from any manuscript so that they will not tire out the readers. But, remarkably, the Creator of the world did not heed this advice in His book.

The lesson to be learned from all of this is that in order to build a Tabernacle for our G-d, a great experience and spiritual enthusiasm are not enough. We must learn that happiness and song are important but they alone are not sufficient to accomplish a task. In order to build a Tabernacle, it is important to labor and to sweat. In the Torah portions of Vayakhel and Pekudai, the Torah uses the root ayin-sinn-heh (to do or perform) 114 times. This is meant to teach us that in order to construct a home for the Shechina it is necessary to take action, and more action, and more action. And that is the lesson to be learned from the 214 verses that "used up" so many letters – "Man was born to toil."

* * * * * *

"We love you, our homeland, With joy, song, and labor."

For reactions and comments: [email protected]

ZOMET AT THE CROSSROADS The "Gramma" Outlet - by The Zomet Institute

12 Many people regularly use the various solutions developed by the Zomet Institute, but it is not always possible to modify a specific device so that it can be used on Shabbat. There are devices which we have not analyzed because we do not feel that there is a great enough demand to approve their use on Shabbat, and at times we have not studied or given approval to a specific model of an electrical device.

In such cases, at times there arises a specific and vital need to use an unapproved device on Shabbat. Examples would be to operate an inhaler, or to charge the battery of a piece of equipment needed for medical or security reasons. In some cases there is doubt whether mortal danger is involved, but there is a great need to operate the equipment on Shabbat.

To address this probem, we have designed a "gramma outlet." The electric circuit in the outlet is controlled by an internal scanner which determines whether the circuit is closed or not. When we switch the outlet on, the current will not go on until the internal scanner closes the circuit. This solves the problem of having a human being directly connect the circuit. Details can be found on the Zomet website.

RIDDLE OF THE WEEK by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"

Tzav The grandfather of the gifted hero Who was righteous and upright Had the name of an evil king, One of five. And the same word, with a different meaning, Appears and is heard when we listen to the Megillah. (Our thanks to Yamima Sonnenfeld of Maaleh Chever for this riddle.)

Solution to last week's riddle – It was: In this week's Torah portion, there are only two verses where the same word appears twice in succession. The two verses appear one after the other. The numerical value of the difference between the two repeated words is the same as the number of days in a week.

(With thanks to the Kasner family from Kiryat Shmuel.)

- "Baboker baboker" – every morning [Shemot 36:3] - "Ish ish" – every man [36:4]. - The numerical values are 311 and 304 – a difference of seven, the number of days in a week.

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We will be happy to publish your riddles here, with proper credit to the author. Send your suggestions to the e-mail address given below.

Do you have a bar/bat mitzva coming up? Are you looking for a special quiz? To order: www.hidonim.com e-mail: [email protected]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SHABBAT-ZOMET is an extract from SHABBAT-B'SHABBATO, a weekly bulletin distributed free of charge in hundreds of synagogues in Israel. It is published by the Zomet Institute of Alon Shevut, Israel, under the auspices of the . Translated by: Moshe Goldberg To subscribe: http://www.zomet.org.il/eng/?pg=subscribe&CategoryID=165 Visit the Zomet Institute web site: http://www.zomet.org.il Contact Zomet with comments about this bulletin or questions on the link between modern technology and halacha at: [email protected] Or: Phone: +972-2-9931442; FAX: +972-2-9931889 (Attention: Dan Marans) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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