Parshas Vayeishev

New Shoes For Old Souls

“Then Yehudah said to Onan, ‘Consort with your brother’s wife and enter into levirate marriage with her, and establish offspring for your brother” (38:8)

The Torah relates that Yehudah takes Tamar as a wife for his eldest son Er. Er is “evil in the eyes of Hashem”, and Hashem causes him to die. ¹ Yehudah then asks his second son Onan to enter into a levirate marriage – “yibum” with Tamar to establish offspring for his deceased brother. Onan too is evil in the eyes of Hashem and is punished with death.² Since Yehudah refuses to allow his youngest son Shelah the opportunity to marry Tamar, Tamar takes the initiative, creating a subterfuge that induces Yehudah himself into performing his levirate obligation to her.³ As a result of this union, Tamar gives birth to Peretz and Zerach.⁴

The Torah lists all seventy souls who descended to Mitzrayim. When recording Yehudah’s children, the Torah lists Er, Onan, Shelah, Peretz, and Zerach, stating that Er and Onan are deceased.⁵ Why does the Torah record the deceased brothers if they are not included in the seventy souls? Compounding this difficulty, we find Er and Onan mentioned again in the census of Bnei Yisroel taken in the desert. This census is taken in order to account for those who would receive a portion of land upon entering Eretz Yisroel.⁶ What possible benefit could there be in listing Er and Onan in this situation?

When Yehudah tells Onan to marry Tamar, he explains to his son that by performing this levirate marriage he will be “establishing an offspring for his brother”. Rashi comments that the child born from this type of union is named after the deceased.⁷ The Ramban explains that there is no source which requires that the child born from a levirate marriage be named after the deceased brother. Rather, even prior to the Torah being given, the mystical understanding of the levirate marriage was already known; the child born from a levirate union receives the transmigrating soul of the deceased.⁸ Yehudah is instructing Onan to have a child with Tamar. In this manner the continuity of Onan is assured.

Both Er and Onan die childless. Consequently, Yehudah’s act of yibum is performed for both of his deceased children. This results in Tamar giving birth to twins, for each child represents the transmigrated soul of one of the deceased brothers. Zerach and Peretz are, in reality, Er and Onan. Therefore, whenever listing Zerach and Peretz, the Torah juxtaposes the deaths of Er and Onan to teach us that whatever potentials and capacities were contained within Er and Onan, were resurrected in Yehudah’s latter children, Zerach and Peretz.

1.38:7
2.38:8
3.38:14-18
4.38:29,30
5.46:12
6.Bamidbar 26:19
7.38:8
8.Ibid

WELCOME TO THE J.C.C OF MT. MORIAH

The Mishna in Midos relates that the Greeks breached the walls surrounding the Beis Hamikdash in thirteen places.¹ Chazal view these breaches as symbolic of the chasm created by the Greeks within the Jewish people as a result of their attempts to eradicate Torah observance. The Talmud states that King Solomon was taken to task for sealing breaches in the wall surrounding the Beis Hamikdash, for doing so inhibited access to Jewish pilgrims.² If the breaches in the wall allowed greater accessibility to the Beis Hamikdash, why were the breaches created by the Greeks viewed in such a negative light?

The Talmud states that two contributing factors in the death of the ignorant is their reference to the “Holy ark” as “arna” - “a closet” and naming their houses of worship “Beth Am” - “House of the People”. ³ Why are these actions considered shortcomings? What is the connection between the two behaviors?

In Hilchos Beis Habechira the Rambam records as the source of the obligation to build the Beis Hamikdosh the verse in Parshas Teruma “v’asu li mikdosh” - “make for Me a sanctuary”.⁴ The Lechem Mishna comments that the Rambam appears to be contradicting himself, for in Hichos Melachim the Rambam cites the verse “l’shichno sidreshu u’vasah shama” - “you shall seek out His Presence and come there”.⁵ How do we reconcile this contradiction?

The Beis Hamikdosh served two main functions. In addition to functioning as a place for Bnei Yisroel to serve Hashem, it was also the center for the entire nation to gather three times a year to express their unity and solidarity. The verses cited by the Rambam reflect these two functions. The verse “l’shichno sidreshu u’vasah shama” - “you shall seek out His Presence and come there” emphasizes the need for a place for the nation to gather.⁶ The Rambam cites this verse in Hilchos Melachim together with the monarchial responsibilities, for the king serves to unite the nation. In Hilchos Beis Habechira which records the various elements of service found in the Beis Hamikdosh, the Rambam records the verse “v’asu li mikdosh” - “make for Me a sanctuary” for this reflects the requirement to have a place of service.⁷ Both of these requirements compliment one another for the only true unifying force that the Jewish Nation has is their commitment to uphold their spiritual heritage. It is because the Beis Hamikdosh is a place of service that it can also function as the rallying point for Bnei Yisroel.

The Levush explains that the reason why we celebrate Chanukah with “hallel v’hoda’ah” - “praise and thanksgiving” whereas Purim is celebrated by “se’udah u’mishteh” - “festive meals” is that the Greek threat was not a physical one, rather an attempt to eradicate any vestige of spirituality from our lives. Therefore, we celebrate in a spiritual manner, “hallel v’hoda’ah”. On Purim our physical existence was at stake, prompting our celebrating in a physical manner.⁸ The Greeks were not attempting to destroy our national identity, rather they wanted to preserve Judaism as a culture devoid of spirituality. The breeches made to the Temple were to create greater accessibility to it. The Temple was to serve as a great cultural center. All the rules and regulations restricting entry to those who were spiritually contaminated were to be abolished. No longer were the “archaic” laws of sanctity and purity to be heeded. Such a course of action would be catastrophic to the Jewish people, for without our commitment to spirituality we could not survive. Under the leadership of Solomon, Bnei Yisroel had a king and Temple that unified us spiritually. Since all laws of sanctity were being observed, the decision to limit the pilgrims was merely political. Therefore, limiting access to the Temple was the wrong course of action.

The Talmud castigates those who name their houses of worship “Beth Am” - “House of the People” for they fail to realize that it is the worship that unifies the nation and not our culture. Similarly, referring to the “Aron Hakodesh” as a “closet” reflects the view that the Torah is no more than a mere cultural artifact, a history book. Jews from different parts of the world do not share a common culture or language. It is only their spiritual legacy and commitment that binds them. By emphasizing culture over worship, the house of worship becomes a glorified community center, slowly being drained of its spirituality. It is then that the Maccabees’ victory over the Hellenistic forces must be re-examined.

1.2:3
2.Sanhedrin 101b
3.Shabbos 32a
4.1:1
5.1:1
6.Devarim 12:5
7.Shemos 25:8
8.Orech Chaim 670