Rashi comments, and says, ‘I will make your enemies stem from within your very own people.’ (26; 17)

The question that comes to mind is, why is it that the ultimate curse is considered that our enemies are from our own? Rashi says that the ultimate punishment-for us not listening to Hashem-is that the people from our own will be our enemy. Why is this considered such a severe punishment?

Rabbeinu Yona (Shaaray Teshuva-sha’ar 3 ois 168) lists a group of people that have a very undesirable fate.  He mentions a number of different types of people and one of them is a person who distances himself from the ways of a tzibbur.  Says Rabbeinu Yona, that when there are masses and great gatherings of people uniting together to glorify and to serve Hashem, the Ribono Shel Olam becomes elevated (so to speak) from it. One who doesn’t participate in such at atmosphere, is as if he is against Hashem.  Such a person announces to all that he has no interest or desire to be counted amongst those who wish to unite to serve Hashem. Concludes Rabbeinu Yonah ‘he has desecrated the kovod of Hashem.  He has embarrassed the name of Hashem. They cause the weaker people to follow them and to stay away from this gathering.  Someone who doesn’t participate in a gathering that is strictly to glorify Hashems name, are considered to be choteh the rabbim.’

If a goy were to attack klal Yisroel, the concern is NOT that maybe their actions will invite other members of klal Yisroel to join them.  However, when frum yidden belittle and mock something which is holy, besides the grave sin of the mockery itself they are also setting the tone for others to join them in this mockery. The ultimate curse, the enemy, for yidden-is the yidden themselves.

The Medrash (parshas Toldos) tells us that when the Greeks came to destroy the Beis Hamokdash they were afraid to walk in to the Kodesh Kodoshim.  So they looked for a Jew to enter in order they we should desecrate it first.  They unfortunately found a Jew, bribed him and he complied. Their cheshbon was that perhaps other will follow behind and say ‘you know…it’s not so bad.’ Even the goyim understood this.

I’yh on Sunday, there will be a mass gathering with one purpose in mind only. There will be no honor and no glory for the people that are arranging it.  Their motive is one: to enhance the honor and the glory of the Ribono Shel Olam. There are many that question, doubt and even snicker at this notion. There are claims of ‘what am I going to learn? What will be said? What will I be informed?’ But the truth is that it is irrelevant what a person will walk away from this event knowing. Perhaps we can gain a better understanding of something of this nature, with a vort from the Ponovez rov.

On Chanuka and Purim, we add Al Hanisim into our davening. We thank Hashem for salvation, miracles and wars. Salvations and miracles we can surely understand the need for a thank you.  But why war? Would we not be better off with no war at all?

Says the Rov, because besides being under siege and fighting a physical war there was also a spiritual war. Despite the thousands of years in galus, the very mere fact that the good has the strength to confront the evil-that itself is worthy of celebrating! We have not given up; we still want to be better; we thank Hashem that klal Yisroel still has the ability to fight and have the desire to want to become better people. Who would not want to be part of this gathering? This is a living testimony that the heartbeat of bnei Yisroel is still pounding loudly.

(Search by: behar; bechukosei; ponovez rov; rabbeinu yona; being part of a klal; not separating yourself from the tzibbur; Greeks destroying the beis hamikdash; our emenies coming from within; fighting for Hashems glory; honoring Hashems name; wanting to become better; mocking something holy; the asifa)

The question here is twofold: firstly, Rashi seems to be bothered as to why the Torah felt it relevant to say he ‘went out’ altogether. The Torah could have just written that there were two people that got into a fight.  There must be some significance with the fact that Rashi asked ‘from where did he go out?’

Secondly, why did Rashi use the loshon that he went ‘out of his world’? Some meforshim comment that he did an aveira that would cause him to die, while others say that he lost his portion in the World to Come. These were both direct results of the actual sin which was not yet transgressed. If so, Rashi’s reasoning seems a bit odd. Why would he have left his world if he didn’t commit any wrongdoings? What appears to be the meaning of Rashi when he says ‘me’olam yatza’?

I heard a beautiful answer from a Rebbi of mine.

We know that there’s a prohibition in the Torah that a person cannot curse Hashem. Not only a Jew, but even a non Jew can’t. It is listed as one of the seven mitzvos bnei Noach that they all must follow. If one does curse Him-lo aleinu-, they are punishable by death.

The Sefer Hachinuch writes (mitzvah 70) a reason for this lav and says that there are four categories of creations. The lowest (fourth) is called a ‘domem’, i.e. a rock, water, etc. The next level up (third) is referred to as a ‘tzomeach’-something that grows or sprouts-i.e. trees, grass, etc. The second level is known as a ‘baal chai’-such as an animal and the last category is what we call human beings, an Adam. The pasuk in Bereishis (2; 7) says when that Hashem created man the main separation between the humans and the animals was the ability to talk; the ‘ruach mimalelah.’ What makes man the highest tier, is the fact that he can speak. Says the Chinuch-imagine if a person who takes this gift that separates us from animals-the tool that elevate us to the status of a human-and uses it and turns it against the Ribono Shel Olam! That’s why the Torah is so stringent about this! The words of the Chinuch are that he turns himself into a ‘disgusting sheretz’.

I believe this is how we can understand Rashi. This mekalel left his world-the world of human beings. When this person goes and prepares himself to curse Hashem he is using the tool that Hashem gave him and through that he turns himself into a disgusting creature; he demotes himself to tier two-to the level of a baal chai.

We must all realize that everything we have is a gift from Hashem. Be it the ability to speak, see or hear.   Look around at the many people that don’t have the same achievements and that are less fortunate than you. How embarrassing would it be if you take these gifts and use it for the wrong reasons? There is nothing more embarrassing than taking this gift and using it for the negative.

The Dubna Maggid quotes the following pasuk in parshas Ha’azinu. ‘You forgot the [Mighty] Rock Who bore you; you forgot the God Who delivered you.’ (32;18). What exactly does this mean?

He offers the following parable:

There was once a man who owed money to just about every single person in his town. Wherever he went, people were chasing him to pay back his loan to a point where he found himself unable to leave his house. One day, a friend comes to his house and tells him that he came up with a solution to the problem. He says whenever you are approached, make noises and act as if you went insane.  After some time word will get out that you snapped from all your debt and the public will feel bad and stop harassing you.

The very next day he leaves his house with intent of using his friends’ idea. Shortly after leaving, he is approached by one of his creditors and he immediately starts his tactics. Upon the creditor observing this rather odd behavior he is left alone, and after a few more times of this behavior rumor began to circulate that this guy had completely lost it.

A couple of weeks later the friend who gave him the idea comes and asks for his hundred dollars he was owed. This man immediately starts his outburst of noises again. The friend then yells at him that he knows the trick as it was his idea. He demands him money on the spot and says ‘don’t use my trick on me!’

Says the Dubna Maggid, Hashem created the middah of shikcha (forgetting) for good reasons; it was a gift.  And what do we do with it? We use that gift to forget him! Says Hashem, ‘I created the ability to forget and now you’re going to use it against me?’

That’s how he explains the pasuk and that’s what we can learn from this mekalel. Hashem bestows each of us with countless gifts daily; it’s our job to make sure that we don’t use these gifts against Him.

(search by: emor; dubna magid; the gift of speech; cursing Hashem; the mekalel; seven mitzvos bnei Noach; sefer hachinuch; the four levels of creations; demoting yourself through cursing Hashem; turning yourself into a disgusting sheretz)

He quotes the mekubolim that say whenever a person feels challenged, the yetzer hora is about to get him, and he should try and visualize the image of his parents. The mekubolim say, that the image of ones parents alone is capable of increasing the level of kedusha in their children and will help in preventing them from doing aveiros. That is why the Torah places these two mitzvos side by side, because by virtue of truly fearing ones parents he will ultimately reach the level of ‘kedoshim tiheyu.’

Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Vilovsky, zt”l, known as the Ridbaz, was originally a Rov in Lita and then, towards the end of his life, moved to Chicago and continued as a Rov. Due to his advanced age and the bitter Chicago winters, it became increasingly difficult for him to leave his home. One night, in the midst of a bitter Chicago blizzard, the Ridbaz began putting on his coat and scarf preparing to venture out to shul. His family members protested saying that the conditions were hazardous and he would be compromising his health if he went out. He informed them that this night was the Yahrtzait of his father and he had to go to shul to daven with a minyan, at any cost. They objected even to this-saying that his father would understand if would see the weather. He turned to them and said; I will not allow anything, especially cold temperatures, to stop me from going to shul. He continued to explain…

When I was a young child my parents struggled financially. It got to the point that my Rebbi informed my father that he can’t continue to learn with me if he doesn’t get paid. My parents were devastated and were on the verge of telling the Rebbi to find another talmid. And then my father came up with a plan. After discussing it with my mother, they agreed to dismantle the brick oven that served as the heater in our home, sell it and use the proceeds to pay my Rebbi. That was a very cold winter. The family was constantly freezing, but happy to allow me to learn. Now you can understand why I won’t allow the cold temperature from stopping me. The image of my parents dismantling the oven, brick by brick, with smiles on their faces, knowing that this will allow their child to learn, will remain with me forever.

We as parents have the responsibility of living up to standards that will hopefully help our children overcome struggles that arise through life. Our actions are etched into their minds and form their memories. Let us hope that these memories will remain with them and will be helpful to them as they serve as the inspiration for the future generation.

(Search by: ohr hachaim; kedoshim; achrei mos; the image of your parents; fighting the tester hora; Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Vilovsky; Ridbaz; selling the brick oven; selling the heater for torah; sacrificing for torah in the winter; mekubalim; the juxtaposition of honoring ones parent and you should be holy)

The simple question that can be asked is, why is it only someone who is tamei from tzora’as that we do this ritual and notify passerby’s of his contaminated status?  Why don’t we instruct those who are tamei from a tumas zav or a tamei mes to also call out tamei tamei? Why is it specifically here, by tumas tzora’as that they have to sit outside the camp and call out to warn people and let them know of their impure status?

The Chofetz Chaim answers, along the lines of his legendary life’s long work.

The gemara in Erchin (16b) says that tzora’as comes as a punishment for one who speaks loshon hora. The gemara quotes the pasuk of ‘zos tih’ye toras hametzorah’(14: 2), which is interpreted to mean ‘toras hamotzei shem rah; the torah of someone who spreads rumors’.  The Zohar hakadosh says that the tefillos of someone who speaks loshon hora does not ascend before Hashem. The reason is ‘Hoil v’shruya alav ruach tumah’, because his mouth is full of tumuh.’ However, once he rids himself of loshon hora, by doing teshuva, the pasuk says ‘b’yom taharaso…v’huva el hakohen; on the day he becomes pure….and he goes to the kohen.‘(14; 2) Only once he is pure may he go himself to the kohen, for himself, and re-establish his direct connection with Hashem.

Whenever something bad befalls a person the language used is ‘yafeh’; (literally means nice but here it means, it is better). For example, by a choleh it says ‘the tefilah of a sick person is better than that of someone davenig for him; their tefillos are accepted first.’ (Rashi-Bereishis 21; 17) The proof to this is found by Yishmael as it says in parshas Vayeira ‘and Hashem heard the voice of the lad.’ (Bereishis 21; 17) But a metzorah, that was inflicted with tzora’as because of the way he spoke, or because he was motzei shem rah, his tefillos are not heard by the Ribono Shel Olam. Therefore, davka by a tamei metzorah does he have to sit outside and yell ‘I am tamei’ because he can’t even daven for himself with his polluted mouth. He has no other alternative than to sit there and beg for mercy from those passing by to daven to Hashem on his behalf.

The most powerful and influential tool a human being has is his mouth. What can sound like a compliment to one may cause extensive damage to another person. One must be extremely careful with not only what they say but also how they present the comment. Should one mistakenly say loshon hora or be motzei shem rah about someone, they have just poisoned their mouths and cannot even fend for themselves. Let us not forget that tefillah is our main conduit when trying to reach Hashem, especially in a dire time of need. When all else fails what do we as yidden do? We daven; we turn to our Creator and pour out our hearts.

We just finished the yom tov of Pesach. In the Hagaddah we quoted the pasuk which says ‘vanitzak el Hashem; and we called out to Hashem.’ How do we translate the word ‘vanitzak’? ‘זו תפילה‘ We didn’t literally cry but we davened. Tefilla is our direct line to Hakadosh Baruch Hu; none of us can afford to disconnect that line.

Nowadays, with no Beis Hamikdash and no korbanos, all we have is tefillah. What better way is there to ask Hashem for parnassah, gezunt, nachas, health, or anything for that matter-than through davening? How does one ask for help on the day of a big closing? Or for a test to go well; or to find a good job; to get into a certain yeshiva; to find a good shidduch; etc?  It’s all through tefillah.

May we all be zoche to have tremendous siyata d’shmaya to enable our mouths, which is our direct connection to Hashem, to stay clean and far away from loshon hora-allowing our phone line to be static free to the One Above so that we can call out to Him and daven for Him to shower us with success and to bring the redemption speedily, in our days.

(Search by: tazria; metzorah;  watching ones mouth; tzara’as; tamei; zav; tamei meis; not being able to daven; davening to Hashem; the importance of davening; tumas tzaraas; being nice to people; not talking loshon hara; guarding your tongue; chofetz chaim); dying a tree red; our conduit to Hashem; Erchin)

Firstly, isn’t it a little strange that Rashi specifies which beracha it was?  We know the exact nusach of birchas kohanim.  Why would Rashi specify the three words יברכך, יאר, ישא?

Secondly, the Ramban says that according to this Rashi it would seem that the mitzvah of birchas kohanim was given now. However, we learn in parshas Beha’aloshcha that it was given then. If so, why is Rashi bringing it here if it was indeed commanded later on; the pasukim seem to be very out of order?

Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, zt”l, answers with a powerful thought.

Indeed, the mitzvah of birchas koahnim was not yet given to Aharon until later on. However, Aharon was extremely overwhelmed with emotion. He had just finished his first day on the job as the Kohen Gadol and it was finally erected; klal Yisroel was ready to start bringing korbanos. It was at that precise moment that Aharon decided on his own accord to bless bnei Yisroel with these pasukim. Later, Hashem agreed that the entire bnei Yisroel-going forward- should use the same loshon that Aharon said and Hashem made it into a mitzvah. This is the reason why Rashi specifies that he not only blessed them with birchas kohanim-but also specified the exact pasukim the he used. The mitzvah was not yet given, but Aharon felt that the moment called for this beracha. Rashi therefore needed to tell us exactly what birchas kohanim was.

Says R’ Frank, this is what is meant in davening.  When the chazzan starts elokeinu (in repeating shemoneh esrei after Modim) he says ‘ha-amura mipi Aharon’, the rest of klal Yisroel was commanded to use the same loshon just as Aharon used on that day-this loshon originated from Aharon when he blessed klal Yisroel on this day!

When someone performs a noble act, it has the ability to remain forever. What Aharon did that day was eternally etched into the Torah. We all have this ability to create something that can last forever. It is not limited to the moment that you do it. The result is possible to remain and have an everlasting impression for generations to come.

There was once a young bachur who had come to the Chofetz Chaim to take a farher for his yeshiva. The Chofetz Chaim noticed right away that this young boy was associated with the Haskala movement (known as the Enlightened Group-which was the Chofetz Chaim’s arch enemy; they challenged the laws of emunah and were considered a very dangerous movement at that time). Realizing this, the Chofetz Chaim told this young man that not only can’t he come learn there but he can’t even be around the other boys, can’t sleep there overnight and must depart the town immediately. This young man tells the Chofetz Chaim that he is certain it was too late to travel and that he had missed the last train out.  That being the case, the  Chofetz Chaim tells him that he could sleep by him, in his attic. He brings this boy to the attic and shows him where he could sleep.

Needless to say this young man cannot fall asleep.  He has no idea what his future will be and no idea where his life is heading; this was the first time anyone had realized that he was part of this movement. As he is twisting and turning he hears footsteps coming up to his room.  He quickly makes like he is asleep and keeps his eyes slightly open to see who it could be. Watching everything, he sees it was the Chofetz Chaim himself. In his hand he had a blanket and he walked over to this young boy and quietly covered him and tucked his feet in.

Unfortunately, this young boy ended up straying from the path he was brought up by, but his career managed to allow him to become a high ranking government official.  Any time it came to helping out the yeshiva this man would go out of his way, stay late and do whatever it took to accommodate the yeshiva as needed.  When someone built up the courage to ask him to explain his peculiar behavior, and much needed help, towards the yeshiva he responded with this story. But he ended, ‘I’m still warm from that blanket.’

No one knows how far their simple gesture and mundane actions can not only take them, but the entire klal Yisroel.

(Search by: shemini; chofetz chaim; rav tzvi pesach frank; birchas kohanim; aharon blessing klal Yisroel; the final assembly of the Mishkan; doing a noble act; your actions lasting forever; etching your actions in the Torah for future generations; creating something that can last forever)

Additionally, when one analyzes the chiyuv to talk about our exodus from Mitzrayim, it isn’t limited to the time when klal Yisroel was there. The Mishna in pesachim states that we are to ‘begin with the negative times and conclude with the praises of Hashem.’ We begin with Terach and the pre Avraham era. Then, we move forward to the times of Avraham, Yitzchok, and all the way down toYaakov, etc. But we fail to mention anything regarding the story of how the brothers went about selling Yosef. Isn’t that odd? That was essentially the beginning of the entire saga-of how we first got to Mitzrayim. Why then, don’t we even remark about this important element of our history?

There are Rishonim who say that from the very fact that on the night of the Seder we dip, that is meant to symbolize and remind us that the brothers dipped the clothing of Yosef in blood. We can say that the Baal hagada was sensitive to the kovod of the brothers and he chose to omit it; but we do correspond to it through the dipping that we perform throughout the seder.

However, we can delve into this concept a bit deeper. The brothers observed Yaakov’s favoritism towards Yosef and they had a hard time understanding it. When someone doesn’t understand a scenario, there are usually two options. They can either take matters into their own hands or they can approach the person and ask him to explain. The brothers chose the former and dipped the coat in blood; they took matters into their own hand.

Says my Rosh Hayeshiva, HaRav Chaim Zev Levitan, shlit”a, comes the night of the Seder and we dip Karpas into salt water. We deliberately do so in order that our children will ask us what we are doing. We try to fix and repair what the brothers erred in. We want the child to ask and we want to create an environment that will allow the children to ask. We want to put the children in a situation where they’re not afraid to ask their father. We have nothing to hide; we have answers for everything. All they need to do is ask. We want to teach our children to be comfortable to ask us anything, whatever it is.

Children are very keen observers. A child is not going to ask his father a question if he sees his father has no interest in it. If a child observes his father is interested in something, then, if he has questions he will ask. But it all starts with us. The key is to show our children that we are interested. If we want our children to ask they have to sense that we care and that it means something to us. The second step is to create an environment that they’re comfortable in to ask. But again, it all starts with us. If we do it as a burden, showing a lack of interest, they’ll think we have no answers because we don’t show we care about it; they may refrain from asking. But if they see us interested we create an atmosphere that’s conducive for children to ask, in order to understand.

The Chofetz Chaim once went into a mikvah to bathe. As he was about to enter he looks over at the ‘gabbai’ of the mikvah and he asks him if the water was hot. The fellow answered, ‘yes.’ The Chofetz Chaim proceeded to dip his foot in just to be certain.  As he does so he quickly pulls it back and tells the gabbai that the water was cold. The gabbai answered him and said, ‘I just filled it up from urn.’ The Chofetz Chaim walks over to the urn and sees that it was unplugged. He then put his hand on the urn and felt that it was cold. He looks at this gabbai and says: ‘Az de tatte is kalt vee kennin de kinderlach zayn varm.’ (If the father is cold how can you expect the children to be warm).

Wishing all my readers and all of klal Yisroel, a happy & Healthy YomTov.

חג כשר ושמח

(Search by: showing you care; showing an interest; setting an environment where children can ask; doing things differently; Rabbi levitan; chofetz chaim; pesach seder; pesachim; not mentioning yosefs sale; exodus from Egypt; double dipping; getting children to ask questions; in order that the children should ask; begin with the negative times and conclude with the praises of Hashem)

Nowadays, without this beracha-as we have no Mizbeach- we need to look to find ways how to ignite our own inner fire. When something tragic happens, lo aleinu, it’s up to us to ignite that fire and take upon something new; something small-for the better, that can hopefully move us to become a better person.

(Search by: tzav; Shabbos hagadol; chofetz chaim; knessia gedolah; four types of mankind; yoma; having a constant fire burning on the mizbeach; the fire to consume the korban; sefer hachinuch; lechem hapanim; rambam; Hashem conceals His miracles; disguising miracles; using our fire element for the better)

The Even Ezra offers a fascinating explanation.Why is a korban Oleh brought? One of the reasons an Oleh is brought is to atone for the sin of one having ‘bad thoughts’. When someone has a bad thought he is obligated to offer a korban Oleh to Hashem. Says the Even Ezra, the Torah understood the nature of man. Someone who wants and desires something and he can’t get it due to the lack of sufficient funds will undoubtfully allow a frustrating thought to enter his mind. He will think how unfortunate he is that he cannot get what he really would have liked to get. It is for this thought that the Torah obligates him to bring this Olas HaOif together with his chatas HaOif; to atone for this bad thought. (We’re not talking about a person who can’t afford a summer home in the Hamptons with one side viewing the beach and the other the ‘bay’. We’re talking about someone who wants to purchase an animal for a korban.) Explains the Even Ezra, such a person is obligated to bring an additional korban to atone for this ungrateful thought.

If a person realizes and appreciates every bit of good that he has and that it comes from Hashem he will have a much easier time dealing with adversity. One has to realize that what he has is good because if better was good he would have had it.

There was a yid who once came to see the Chofetz Chaim. The Chofetz Chaim started off the conversation with the usual…….nu, how are you? This yid answered him ‘I’m ok…a few more dollars wouldn’t hurt.’ The Chofetz Chaim shot back ‘if a few more dollars was good for you then you would have it already’!

The Malbim writes “V’ani b’rov chasdecha avos beisecha, eshtachaveh el heichol kodshecha b’yirasecha”….people often wonder how one can develop yiras shomayim?

The answer is first we must get an understanding of the greatness of Hashem by realizing the immense chessed that he does for us, then “eshtachaveh el heichol kodshecha b’yirasecha”…after one internalizes that, he will come to a new realization of how powerful Hashem is and that will ultimately result in him fearing Hashem.

We should all be zoche to realize and appreciate all the chessed Hashem does for us on a daily basis and thank Him for it now. We don’t have to wait for a tzara to befall us, chas v’sholom, to start realizing all the daily nissim that He does for us. Let us take this opportunity to say Thank You to Hashem and with this he will see that we really do appreciate his kindness and we don’t ‘expect it’. With this realization, and recognizing the good from Hashem daily, may we all be zoche to merit the true geulah-as we welcome the zman geulah-with the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.

(Search by: vayikra, even ezra; chofetz chaim; appreciating the goodness of Hashem; fearing Hashem; bringing a korban for a bad thought; two korbanos in place of one; being ‘fined’; Malbim; realizing the greatness of Hashem; developing yiras shomayim)

The Mishkan and all the kaylim had to be anointed with oil. The pasukim (40; 13-15) discuss how Moshe presented Aaron his special clothing, how he brought Aaron’s children their clothing and dressed them and how he anointed them as well. When anointing Aaron’s children the pasuk says (40; 15) that Moshe did so ‘just as he anointed their father’. The obvious question here is why did the Torah have to specify that they were anointed in the same manner as he anointed their father?

Secondly, chazal say that the Mishkan was a kaparah for the chait h’egel.  The Medrash (in parshas vayahkel) says that klal Yisroel received a kaparah after they completed the assembling of the Mishkan, and its proven from the fact that they gave to the Mishkan so willingly-just as they so willingly gave to the egel.

The Ramban points out that in vayakhel, prior to all the kaylim being built, the pasuk says ‘vayas es….’ In pekudei however, after almost every kayli was assembled the Torah says ‘ka’asher tzivah Hashem es Moshe’. Why does the Torah change the wording from the way it was written in parshas vayakhel?

Perhaps we can answer as follows.

The building of the Mishkan, as we mentioned, was a kaparah for the egel. The tachlis of the Mishkan was to create a place for the shechina to dwell amongst us. This can only happen after the entire Mishkan was put together. The ma’aleh of the mishkan was only accomplished after they finished and completed every minute detail. By the egel, the pasuk says ‘vayikuhail ha’am al Aharon’-they ganged up to do the aveira of the egel. We see from there that besides the actual egel there was another element; there was unity.

The Mishkan as a whole represented klal Yisroel; it united all of us. When klal Yisroel built the Mishkan one of the requirements were that they had to come together to do something positive. That was what the Mishkan represented; the unity of klal Yisroel. The Menorah represented the Torah; the Shulchan represented the people out there who were working; it was a project of the entire klal Yisroel and it represented every single person in klal Yisroel. The Torah was only able to say ‘ka’asher tziva Hashem es moshe’ after they completed everything-because once it was built it represented bnei Yisroel as a nation that was doing a project-together-that would enhance the kovod of the presence of the shechina in their daily lives.

The Meshech Chochma asks, what was the reason that the Torah specified (and uses the language) ‘just as their father’? He answers, that Moshe really wanted his children to be kohanim and kings. But Hashem told him ‘you can’t come that close-your children will not be makriv and serve in the Bais Hamikdash.’ Says the Meshech Chochma, Aaron was a kohain; but being that Moshe wanted his children to be kohanim he nevertheless anointed Aaron’s children with the same desire and the same simcha that he anointed their father!

Perhaps we can say this was also somewhat of a kaparah of the chait h’egel. Maybe as it was Aaron who participated in the egel, Moshe could now say- maybe my children could get the kehuna since Aaron should get punished? Says the Torah that Moshe anointed the children ‘just as their father…’ even though there was more of a reason for Moshe to hope his children will have a chance now-nevertheless he performed the anointing ‘just as their father’. The gadlus of Moshe was that he followed the commandments of Hashem without any personal involvement altering its outcome.

We can learn from here how one cannot allow their personal feelings to affect the way they serve Hashem.

There’s a powerful story about Reb Zundel Kroizer Shlit”a, that illustrates this point:

One early morning while he was en route to daven vasikin, as he has done daily for the last 75 years, he fell down and bruised himself up. His grandson-who was with him-picked him up and brought him back home, allowing him to catch his breath and drink some water. He said to him ‘zeidy, if we hurry up we may be able to still chap vasikin.’ Rav Zundel responded ‘I never chapped a minyan in my life!’

Besides the gadlus of someone davening vasikin for 75 years straight-one might think that it had developed into part of his agenda. One would say ‘I’m a vasikin yid’ even if I come a little late one day. I’ll just serve Hashem a little differently today and tomorrow I’ll be back on schedule. Not Reb Zundel; he had absolutely no agenda, all he had on his mind was to serve Hashem because he was commanded to so-with no records to keep up with or personal feeling altering his decisions.

(Search by: vayakhel; pekudei; meshech chochma; reb zundel kroizer; serving Hashem without it affecting your personal feelings; Ramban; Aaron being anointed; Moshe anointing Aarons sons; mishkan forgiving us for the egel; egel; completing the Mishkan; chapping a minyan; )

The Rishonim ask a question. Why is the deciding factor of when we lein the Megillah dependent on whether the city was walled or not from the times of Yehoshu ben Nun? If you were to tell us, that the deciding factor was whether the city was walled from the times of Mordechai and Esther we would understand that. But why would Yehoshua play any significant role as to when we lein the Megillah? What seems to be the connection between Yehoshua and Purim?

Rishonim answer that Yehoshua was actually the first person that spearheaded the war against Amalek, as we know from parshas Beshalach. Since the whole yom tov of Purim symbolizes the eradication of Amalek, we want that this mechias Amalek should be associated with Yehoshua. The Meiri adds that it is for this reason the name Yehoshua should always be associated with Amalek.

However, if we delve into this a bit further, we can see that Hashem specifically instructed that Moshe tell Yehoshua to start the war. Why was it that Yehoshua was chosen to lead and wage war against Amalek?

Meshech Chochma (Ki savo) says that the gemara (Bava Basra 123b) states that ‘Amalek’s downfall will only come through the descendants of Rochel.’ Says the Mechilta in parshas Beshalach ‘let Amalek-which are kifuey tova (they fail to recognize the kindness and good people do for them) come, and let them fight the nation which are kifuey tova’ (because we didn’t appreciate the Torah and what Hashem had done for us). Says R’ Meir Simcha, that Yosef hatzadik is the person that represents the ultimate middah of not bearing a grudge more than anyone else in the world. As the pasuk clearly testifies that Yosef paid back his brothers ‘tova tachas ra’ah.’ He repaid them with kindness rather than with revenge. This is due to his strength of character and recognizing the good. With these middos we will be able to overpower Amalek. Yosef was the ultimate of such a person-one who is a maker tov-and it was for this reason that Yehoshua was specifically chosen, a descendant of Rochel. He was the shevatim representative as he was a paragon of hakaras hatov.

R’ Shloime Fisher adds that this is why parshas Ki Seitzei ends with the story of Amalek, and why the first chapter in Ki Savo begins with Bikurim-hakaras hatov. It teaches us that the only way to counter act Amalek is by not being a kafuy tov. That’s why davka Yehoshua was chosen because he was from shevet Binyomin-from the descendants of Rochel-and we needed that power of hakaras hatov to overpower the kifuey tova: Amalek. Amalek’s ability to defeat klal Yisroel is only when bnei Yisroel fails to recognize the kindness of others.

This can also explain why Mordechai had such success in never bowing down and in constantly defeating Haman, over all other yidden. Being that he was from shevet Binyomin he had this advantage over others of being a descendant of Rochel imeinu, portraying this middah of hakaras hatov that ultimately overpowered Haman.

This idea is also true for a person on an individual level. Amalek represents the root for all bad in the world. How can a person overcome bad and the yetzer hara? Through hakaras hatov; when a person stops and recognizes all the kindness that Hashem does for him, that will assist one in any struggle they may have throughout their life. Malbim says ‘v’ani b’rov chasdecha avoh beisecha’ means that by recognizing the chessed is how I will get into Hashems house. Afterwards, ‘eshtachaveh el heichel kodshecha’-then, I can bow in fear. The corridor for getting into Hashem’s house is through hakaras hatov.

On the yom tov of Purim we should try to internalize this middah of hakaras hatov towards the Ribono Shel Olam. Realize how lucky and fortunate we are to live in a country that lets us celebrate our holidays without persecution. Let us rise to the occasion and celebrate it in the proper way.

(Search by: Purim; R shloimo Fisher; when to read the megilla; yehoshua ben nun and purim; Meshech Chochma; mechilta in beshalach; Yosef taking revenge on his brothers; shevet binyomin overpowering Amalek; malbim; recognizing Hashems chessed on Purim; theme of Purim)