Rabbi Frand on Parshas Tetzaveh
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah
portion: Tape# 183, Candle Lighting on Friday Night. Good Shabbos!
Do It Right The First Time!
Towards the end of Parshas Titzaveh, the Torah discusses the concept of
"Chanukas HaBayis" -- the annointing of the Mishkan and the various
vessels and furniture used within the Mishkan. In general, we have a
principle concerning the utensils of the Mishkan that "Avodasam
m'chanchasam" -- their usage consecrates them.
The Torah explains the ceremony of consecrating the altar [Shmos 29:38-
39] -- "And this is what you must do for the altar: (Offer) two yearling
sheep each day consistently." Every single day that the Beis HaMikdash
was in existence -- including Shabbos and Yom Kippur -- a sheep was
brought each morning and each afternoon.
This portion of the Korban Tamid, which we say everyday in davening, is
repeated one other place in the Torah -- in Parshas Pinchas. There,
[Bamidbar 28:1-4] we find virtually the same instructions verbatim as we
find in Titzaveh, with one slight difference. In our Parsha, which
refers to the first time the Korban Tamid was brought, it says "es
hakeves HAechad" (The one sheep) and in Pinchas which refers to the
ongoing commandment to bring these offerings, it merely says "es hakeves
echad" (one sheep). In Pinchas, the verse is missing what is known in
Hebrew as the "Hay Hayediya" (the letter Hay as a prefix which calls
attention to the following word). Why the difference?
The Brisker Rav, zt"l, said that the Torah is hinting at something here.
Throughout the history of the Beis HaMikdash, the morning Korban Tamid
and the evening Korban Tamid were totally independent. If, for some
reason, one could not be brought, the other was still brought. It was
analogous to Tephillin shel Yad and Tephillin shel Rosh. If for some
reason one can not wear one, he still must put on the other.
However, there was one exception to this rule -- the first time the
Korban was brought. The very first Korban Tamid, which "dedicated" the
altar had to be brought as part of a pair. If one failed to bring the
morning offering, one could not bring the afternoon offering. That is
why in our portion, dealing with the dedicating offering, the verse uses
the Hay Hayediya -- The sheep.
The Shemen HaTov explains the ethical lesson to be learned from this
law. We see from here that whenever one starts doing something, it must
be done right. Beginnings are extremely important. In order to set the
tone for something that is going to last for years and years, it must be
done correctly and not "half-baked." Therefore, even though, throughout
the generations, the two sacrifices were not mutually indispensable
(ainam m'akvim zeh es zeh), when the institution of the Korban Tamid was
started it had to be started right.
That is why we have a Hebrew expression: "all beginnings are difficult"
(kol hascholos kashos). The initial effort has to be done in the most
perfect manner, because it sets the tone.
It is said over in the name of the Vilna Gaon that if a community is so
meticulous when they build a synagogue, that the ax handles are only
crafted by G-d fearing individuals, then there is a guarantee that all
prayers offered in that synagogue will be recited with the utmost
concentration and dedication (kavanah). If every act, from the onset of
the construction, is done 100% right, it is an entirely different
synagogue.
I remember when the present Beis Hamedrash in Ner Israel was built. The
Rosh Yeshiva -- Rav Ruderman -- zt"l, said that we should not speak
idle words (devarim beteilim) in that Beis Hamedrash -- at least for the
first week. The reason is the same. How we would act that first week
would set the tone for that Beis Medrash for generations and generations
of students who would come through those doors.
Beginnings are crucial. How one starts a child off; how one begins to
learn with his child; how one starts off a marriage; how one starts
any endeavor should be good and right and correct... because beginnings
set the tone.
There is an fascinating Gemara in Tractate Sanhedrin [44b]:
When the Jews came into Eretz Yisroel for the first time, they conquered
the city of Jericho. Yehoshua placed a Cherem that no article from that
city should be used. The booty was to remain Holy to G-d. There was
one individual named Achan who stole something for his own personal use.
As a result of that, when the Jews went on to conquer their second city,
the city of HaAi, soldiers fell in battle. G-d was angry with the
Jewish people. They needed to find out who was responsible and punish
him. The verse relates that after Achan was stoned, "G-d's Anger
subsided" [Yehoshua 7:26].
The Gemara says that, technically, because of that sin of Achan, the
Jewish people should have been destroyed! The only reason that they
were not destroyed was that when Avraham Avinu came into Eretz Yisroel
for the first time, he built an altar between Beis El and HaAi and he
davened there. This prayer of Avraham was an antidote for the
subsequent sin of Achan.
What was so terrible about what Achan did? Yes, he was not supposed to
touch the spoils of Jericho, but what was so bad that the Jewish people
should have been destroyed had it not been for Avraham Avinu's prayer?
The answer is because that was the first battle. This was their initial
entry into Eretz Yisroel. This first battle had to be done right.
Yehoshua wanted to make the first entry into the land perfect -- the
city was to be conquered and everything in it was to be holy.
One man ruined it. One man ruined the beginning and the Jewish people
should have been destroyed. The only thing that saved them was that
there was a 'beginning before the beginning.' When Avrohom Avinu came
into Eretz Yisroel hundreds of years earlier, he made the beginning
right -- he davened between Beis El and HaAi.
So many of our beginnings are done inadvertently. We don't remember the
first time we read Aleph-Beis; we don't remember the first time we
learned a pasuk in Chumash; we don't remember the first amud of Gemarah
we learned; we don't remember our first experiences of marriage.
For some of us our first beginnings are gone, and there is nothing we
can do about them. But there are still beginnings left in our lives.
If they are not our beginnings, they are our children's beginnings. If
not our children's beginnings, then our grandchildren's beginnings. Let
us not forget the importance of a beginning and how we can set the tone
for generations by doing it right the first time.
Glossary
Korban Tamid -- Constant Offering (offered twice daily in the Temple)
Tephillin shel Yad (Rosh) -- Phylacteries worn on the hand (head)
Beis HaMedrash -- Torah Study Hall
Eretz Yisroel -- the Land of Israel
Cherem -- ban or excommunication
Personalities & Sources:
Brisker Rav -- R. Yitzchak Ze'ev (Velvel) Soloveitchik (1887-1959);
took over from his father (R. Chaim Soloveitchik) in
Brisk; escaped during World War II to Eretz Yisroel.
Shemen HaTov -- Rabbi Dov Weinberger-comtemporary author, Rov in
Brooklyn, NY
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah
portion (#183). The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is:
Candle Lighting on Friday Night. The other halachic portions for Parshas Tetzaveh from the Commuter Chavrusah Series are:
