Rabbi Frand on Parshas Tetzaveh
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 183, Candle
Lighting on Friday Night. Good Shabbos!
Let's Get It Right The First Time -- At Least
The last two parshiyos (pl. of parsha) detailed the construction of the
Mishkan [Tabernacle], its vessels, and the garments of the Kohanim. After
everything was in place, they were ready to begin the Service which was to
be performed in the Mishkan (and eventually in the Beis HaMikdash, the Holy
Temple). At the end of this week's parsha, the Torah describes the concept
of "Chanukas HaBayis", the process of "Anointing the House". There is a
halacha called "Avodasam M'Chanchasam" -- that the first use of the objects
in the Mishkan consecrated them and made them holy.
The Torah explains this ceremony: "And this is what you shall do upon the
altar: Two lambs, one year-old, consistently (Tamid)". [Shmos 29:35] Every
single day (including Shabbos and Yom Kippur) the service in the Temple
included a lamb which was brought in the morning and a lamb which was
brought in the evening.
In Parshas Pinchas [Bamidbar 28: 1-8], the Torah repeats this portion of
the Continual Offering (Korban Tamid), reiterating the command to bringing
a lamb in the morning and a lamb in the evening. However, there is one
distinction between the texts of the two otherwise-identical commands:
In Titzaveh is says: "Es haKeves HA-echad ta'aseh ba'boker"
THE one lamb you shall offer in the morning...
And in Pinchas it merely says: "Es haKeves echad ta'aseh ba'boker"
One lamb you shall offer in the morning...
The text in Pinchas does not contain the Hebrew "Hay ha-Yediah," the
definite article, the equivalent of "the" in English.
In other words, here in Tetzaveh, the first time that the altar was
consecrated, the Torah refers to the lamb as "THE" lamb, whereas in Pinchas
when we were commanded for all future generations, it is only referred to
as "a" lamb.
The Brisker Rav, zt"l, says that the Torah is hinting at something.
Normally, the two lambs -- the one brought in the morning and the one
brought in the evening -- were fundamentally independent. The inability or
failure to bring one of them would in no way reduce the obligation or the
ability to bring the other one. In this sense they were like the Tephillin
(phylacteries) of the head and the Tephillin of the hand. If for some
reason a person cannot put on Tephillin on his arm, that does not stop him
from putting on Tephillin on his head (or vice versa).
However, the Brisker Rav says, there was one exception -- the first time
the Korban Tamid was brought. On that first day, when the altar was being
dedicated, it was necessary to bring both offerings. If the Kohen had
failed to bring the morning offering, he would not have been allowed to
bring the afternoon offering either. That is why the verse uses the
definite article to single out "THIS" lamb, which is different from all others.
The Shemen HaTov draws an ethical lesson from the distinction between the
day of the altar's consecration, and all succeeding days. Beginnings are
extremely important. When we start something new, it is critical to "get
off on the right foot," to do it right. When we hope to set the proper tone
for something that is destined to last for years and years, there is no
room for any deviation from the ideal. If it can not be done right at the
outset, it is better that it not be done at all.
Even though in future generations, the two lambs could be offered one
without the other -- in a less than optimum fashion -- the initial day of
offerings must be done in exactly the right manner. This, he says, is the
meaning of the Hebrew expression "Kol Hascholos Kashos" (all beginnings are
difficult). The reason for this is because beginnings are so important.
They have to set the tone. Anything less than just right will not do.
It is said in the name of the Gaon of Vilna, that if a congregation is so
particular in procuring material for a new Shul building that even the
handles on the axes used to chop down the wood are made by G-d fearing
people, then they are guaranteed that the prayers uttered in that
congregation will always be said with proper intention (kavanah). This is
the same idea. If it is built "right" from the beginning, it will be an
entirely different Shul.
I remember when the present Beis Medrash [House of Study] of Ner Israel
Yeshiva was built. When we first moved into the new Beis Medrash, the Rosh
Yeshiva zt"l [the Dean, of blessed memory] urged the students to make a
special effort not to utter any idle words in that Beis Medrash -- at least
for the first week. The way the original students acted the first week in
the Beis Medrash would set the tone for years and decades of future students.
Beginnings are crucial. The way in which a parent starts out teaching a
child, or a couple starts out a marriage, or the way that any endeavor is
started -- should be good and right and correct.
Abraham's Prayer Was An Antidote for Achan's Sin
Joshua placed a ban (cherem) on private use of the spoils from the city of
Jericho -- the first city conquered by the Jews upon entering Eretz
Yisroel. Achan, however, stole something from that booty. As a result of
Achan's sin, Jews fell in battle during the next military encounter --
against the people of Ai. G-d was angry with the Jewish people and it was
necessary to identify the culprit and to administer the proper punishment.
Ultimately Achan was stoned and the verse relates that "G-d's Anger
subsided" (vaYashav Hashem m'charon apo). But there is an unbelievable
Gemara [Talmudic passage] concerning this incident.
The Gemara comments on this incident, "A person should always pray before
calamity strikes, for had Abraham not prayed between Beis El and ha-Ai, not
a remnant of the Jews would have remained (after that battle)" [Sanhedrin
44b]. This means that, technically, as a punishment for Achan's sin of
taking something from the Cherem of Jericho, the Jewish people should have
been destroyed. If not for the fact that Abraham had built an altar and
prayed there when he entered Israel for the first time hundreds of years
earlier, that is indeed what would have happened!
But what did Achan do that was so terrible? True, he was not supposed to
touch those spoils. But is theft a capital offense? And for the entire
Jewish nation, yet?
The answer is because this was the FIRST. This was the beginning of the
conquest. Beginnings have to be done correctly. Joshua wanted to make that
first entry into the Land perfect. The city was to be conquered and
everything in it was to be holy. But one man ruined it and thus should have
ruined the entire venture. The nation itself should have been destroyed.
The only thing that saved Klal Yisroel, the Congregation of Israel, was the
fact that there was a "beginning before the beginning". When Avraham Avinu
came into Eretz Yisrael hundreds of years before, he made the beginning
properly. Avraham davened [prayed] between Beis El and ha-Ai. That acted as
an antidote.
So many of our beginnings are done inadvertently. We do not remember the
first time we read Aleph-Beis. We do not remember the first verse we
learned from Chumash or the first page of Talmud. We do not remember our
first experiences of marriage. For some of us, these beginnings are history
and there is nothing we can do about them. But there are still beginnings
that remain. If they do not remain in our lives, they remain in the lives
of our children. And if not in our children's lives then in our
grandchildren's lives. Let us not forget the importance of a beginning and
how we can set the tone for generations by doing it right.
Glossary
Korban Tamid -- Constant Offering (offered twice daily in the Temple)
Tephillin -- Phylacteries worn on the arm and head
Beis HaMedrash -- Torah Study Hall
Eretz Yisroel -- the Land of Israel
Cherem -- ban or excommunication
Sources and Personalities
Brisker Rav -- Rav Yitzchak Ze'ev (Velvel) Soloveitchik (1887-1959);
took over from his father (Rav 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 Terumah from the Commuter Chavrusah Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from
Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
