Tetzaveh 5782

Rabbi Reisman – Parshas Tetzaveh 5782

1 – Topic – Why Shlomo Hamelech didn’t have a Yid build the Beis Hamikdash.

As we prepare for Shabbos Parshas Tetzaveh the continuing story of the building of the Mishkan and the Bigdei Kehuna in the time of the Midbar. Let me begin with a continuation from last week. Last week I mentioned that Yaakov Avinu planted the Atzei Arazim for the use in the Mishkan and I quoted the idea of the GR”A that when things are made from the very beginning Bekedusha Uvi’tahara they are a greater receptacle for Kedusha. Therefore, Yaakov from the very planting was involved in what would be the walls of the Mishkan.

Many have asked, if so, why did Shlomo Hamelech use Chirom Melech Tzur for the building of the Beis Hamikdash? Why did he use Chiram to cut down the cedars of Lebanon to build the Beis Hamikdash. Forget about planting because Shlomo Hamelech wasn’t going to wait that many years for it to grow, but at least to cut it down and prepare it this is something that he should have done? It is a very strong Kasha which needs a good answer.

Let me at least give two attempts. Attempt # 1- today here in YTV we are learning Maseches Bava Basra and we learned on 4a where the Gemara has an interlude with a bit of Haggadata, and the Gemara says that Bava Ben Buta gave King Heord the idea to rebuild the Bais Hamikdash. The Beis Hamikdash had fallen into disrepair, there were cracks in it and he told him to build it.

The Gemara asks why did he have such a terrible person like Hurdos build it as he could have done it through Ehrliche Yidden, why did he give Hurdos an Eitza that was good for Hurdos? The Gemara answers (דאי לא מלכות לא מתבני) that it wouldn’t have happened any other way. He needed a king in order for it to happen especially because they were under the influence of the Romans at the time.

Maybe in the time of Shlomo Hamelech it was a practical thing as it would not have been built quickly had he not used people who were already trained in preparing the wood, the same with the stones. Perhaps that is the reason. A very practical reason.

The second possible Teretz. We learn in Melachim I 7:51 (וַתִּשְׁלַם, כָּל-הַמְּלָאכָה). Shlomo Hamelech finished building the Bais Hamikdash. Then it says (וַיָּבֵא שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת-קָדְשֵׁי דָּוִד אָבִיו, אֶת-הַכֶּסֶף וְאֶת-הַזָּהָב וְאֶת-הַכֵּלִים--נָתַן, בְּאֹצְרוֹת בֵּית יְרוָר). His father Dovid had prepared gold, silver and utensils for the Beis Hamikdash and he put them into the treasure house. All the Meforshim on the page ask, what did he do with all the gold and silver and other items that his father prepared. Chazal say in Divrei Hayomim that Dovid Hamelech prepared everything that was needed for the Beis Hamikdash. Why didn’t Shlomo Hamelech use the wood and the gold and silver that his father prepared? A Peledika Kasha.

All the Meforshim on the page ask the question. Rashi in one of his Tirutzim brings the following. (כך אמר שלמה. רעב היה בימי אבא שלש שנים, והיה לו לבזבז ההקדשות הללו להחיות בהן עניי ישראל) Shlomo Hamelech said that in Dovid’s lifetime there was a three year hunger and Dovid Hamelech should have used the money to support the poor people that were starving and since the money was not used for what it should have been used, so therefore, Shlomo Hamelech felt it was tainted money and should not be used. That is what Rashi says.

Based on this, perhaps Shlomo Hamelech who knew that Klal Yisrael knew that his father had the money prepared as his father made a very public appeal to Klal Yisrael for the money and here Shlomo Hamelech was going and preparing it anew on his own without using his father’s.  He would have to explain. It is embarrassing for his father to have to explain. So it may be that this is why he wanted to keep it as quiet as possible and maybe perhaps it could be that that is why he did it quietly and sent the work out of town so to speak to be done in Lebanon and it won’t be as obvious to the people that he is not using what his father prepared. These are two possible Teirutzim to what I said at the outset is a very strong Kasha.

2 – Topic – Why Moshe Rabbeinu’s does not appear in the Parsha

As you know, in Parshas Tetzaveh Moshe Rabbeinu’s name does not appear. In the Shach Al Hatorah found also in the Nachal Kedumim which is the Chida on the Parsha, they write the lesson from the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu’s name does not appear in the Parsha is (שלא יקקלו עצמן). A person has to be careful what he says about himself. Don’t say negative things about yourself. Moshe Rabbeinu shouldn’t have said it and because he said it it came true and he ended up having a Parsha without his name in it.

(שלא יקקלו עצמן) It is a common theme that we know that Al Tiftach Peh L’satan. Don’t say things that are not proper. Moshe Rabbeinu said as is found in 32:32 (מְחֵנִי נָא, מִסִּפְרְךָ), erase me from Your Sefer. He shouldn’t have said that, and therefore, that is a lesson. It is a lesson that we know. We try not to say negative things.

Let me share with you a question that I have. Rav Chaim Kanievsky has a Sefer on things that are Segulos for remembering. As you know, Rav Chaim has an incredible memory and he has knowledge of Kol Hatorah Kulo which is really incredible. He writes in one of his Kuntersin things that are helpful to a person that a person should be able to remember. One of the things is that a person should say I have a terrible memory and I always forget everything. A person should say that. Can you imagine that a person should say that I have a terrible memory and I always forget everything.  That is my best recollection of what he said.

My question is a person should say that I always forget everything? Isn’t that terrible? It is one of the biggest Tzar that a Yid has the pain of learning and forgetting. It is very painful when we learn and we forget. We know it is that way and it is part of the Tzar of Limud Hatorah the fact that we tend to forget things.

So why is it that when it comes to such a thing Rav Chaim says that it is a good thing to say it, that a person should say it. Why isn’t that Al Tiftach Peh L’satan? I don’t know. But right now I will do anything to be able to remember things a little bit better and certainly if Rav Chaim says it is a good thing then I am going to say it. That I should have Siyata Dish’maya that I should remember things B’ezras Hashem. At least I will remember to say this particular thing.

3 – Topic – A Vort directly on a Posuk in the Parsha

Let us start with the first word 27:20 (וְאַתָּה). The Parsha begins with (וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה) and you should command and as you know it is very unusual. Besides that it doesn’t say Moshe Rabbeinu’s name but okay there is a reason for that. Besides that it doesn’t say Moshe Rabbeinu’s name why (וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה), it should say Tzav Es Bnei Yisroel. What is the (ְוְאַתָּה)?

There is a Klei Yakar in Parshas Ki Sisa 30:23 which also has the word (וְאַתָּה) and the Klei Yakar refers back to our Posuk in Parshas Tetzaveh that Moshe Rabbeinu is the source of miracles. Moshe Rabbeinu is the source of things that have Nitzchios. What Moshe Rabbeinu did had permanence. (וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה) when it says (וְאַתָּה) it means it should come from you, it should be something that comes from you. From you meaning from your Kochos Hanefesh. Moshe Rabbeinu did the Nitzchios.

(וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה) says the Klein Yakar the Parsha of the Menorah is in Parshas Emor it is not in this week’s Parsha to light the Menorah. What is in this week’s Parsha the Ner Hamaravi (לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר, תָּמִיד). It says one Ner. Over there it says Neiros and here it says Ner. Here it is the Ner Hamaravi. (וְאַתָּה תְּצַוֶּה) Moshe Rabbeinu with your Kochos Hanefesh you command that it be lit. it should come from you the lighting of the Ner Hamaravi. When it says (וְאַתָּה) it shows something of a permanence.

What is Gevaldig is that in next week’s Parsha Parshas Ki Sisa when it talks about the Shemen it says 30:23 (וְאַתָּה קַח-לְךָ, בְּשָׂמִים רֹאשׁ). What does the (וְאַתָּה) have to do? Regarding the Shemen Hamishcha, the Gemara in Horayos which we are learning in the Mishmar on Daf 11 says that the Shemen Hamishcha lasted forever. They used it for Keilim, they used it for people, they used for everything and it stayed the complete jug of Shemen Hamishcha and it lasted forever. (וְאַתָּה) shows permanence.

I happen to have seen the Abarbarnel says it there as well and he says that just like the Man that was put away by Moshe Rabbeinu had permanence, had Nitzchios forever, this was also forever. Ad Kan this is what the Klei Yakar says and he brings a few more times when it says (וְאַתָּה).

According to this now I understand. We have the Mesorah which I don’t know if it comes from a Gemara or from a Medrash but there are a number of Achronim among them the Ohr Hachaim Hakadoesh who say that Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t go into Eretz Yisrael because if he had built the Beis Hamikdash it would never have been Chorev. The Ribbono Shel Olam wanted that when there would be a time of punishment the punishment should fall on Eitzim and Avanim, stones and wood and not on people, and therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t go in because if he would have gone in and built the Beis Hamikdash it would have been permanent.

How do you that if Moshe Rabbeinu built it would have been permanent? That is the idea of the Klei Yakar. Whatever Moshe Rabbeinu does has Nitzchios. Moshe Rabbeinu’s Torah is Nitzchi. Whatever  Moshe Rabbeinu brought to Klal Yisrael personally is Nitzchi and that is the idea of (וְאַתָּה). It is a code word, it should come from you. Tzav Es Bnei Yisrael is to Klal Yisrael and you are a member of Klal Yisrael. (וְאַתָּה) when it personally comes from you that is something else.

4 – The question of the week

Speaking of Korbanos, the last Posuk in the Parsha it talks about building the Mizbaiach Haketores, the Mizbaiach Hazav. What is it used for? Ketores. The last Posuk in the Pasha 30:10 says that it has one other use. Once a year blood is sprayed on the Mizbaiach Haketores.  

What is the once a year (אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה)? Rashi says (ביום הכפורים). We all know this because we say in the morning (איזה הוא מקומן של זבחים: קודשי קודשים שחיטתן בצפון, פר ושעיר של יום הכיפורים שחיטתן בצפון; וקיבול דמן בכלי שרת בצפון. ודמן טעון הזיה על בין הבדים, ועל הפרוכת, ועל מזבח הזהב). We say every morning that the Par and the Sa’ir of Yom Kippur was Shpritzed on the Mizbaiach Hazav. How do you like that? The Korbanos that we say in the morning fits with this week’s Parsha. That (אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה) it Shpritzed. It is wonderful!

But wait, we don’t end the Ketores there. Then we say ( פרים הנשרפים ושעירים הנשרפים שחיטתן בצפון, וקיבול דמן בכלי שרת בצפון. ודמן טעון הזיה על הפרוכת, ועל מזבח הזהב). The (פרים הנשרפים ושעירים הנשרפים) which is the Par Helem Daver Shel Tzibbur and the S’ir Shel Kohen Gadol these Korbanos are also sprayed on the Mizbaiach HaKetores. Why does it say that this Mizbaiach is used for the Ketores and it is used for (אַחַת בַּשָּׁנָה). It is one more use that is missing in the Parsha? Tzorech Iyun Gadol. There are possible Teirutzim but I would rather let you figure it out. With that I want to wish one and all an absolutely wonderful Shabbos Parshas Tetzaveh IY”H.