Ki Sisa
If One Does Not Own Land, He Need Not Go 'Up' for the Festival
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 402, 89,
Returning From a Medical Emergency on Shabbos. Good Shabbos!
If One Does Not Own Land, He Need Not Go 'Up' for the Festival
At the end of the parsha, the pasuk [verse] says, "Three times in the year
all your males shall appear before the L-rd, Hashem, the G-d of Israel"
[Shmos 34:23]. This is the command of "aliyah l'regel" [Going up (to
Jerusalem) for the Festival]. On Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos the Jews were
commanded to go up to the Beis HaMikdash to see and be seen by the Divine
Presence of G-d.
The pasuk continues "...and no man shall covet your land when you go up to
appear before Hashem your G-d, three times a year." We are guaranteed that
we have nothing to fear while everyone is in Jerusalem. We might have been
nervous about leaving no males at home, because it would be an open
invitation to thieves and enemies. The pasuk tells us to have no fear --
no one will covet our land while we go up to Jerusalem to see the
Shechinah [Divine Presence of G-d].
The Talmud derives a halacha from this -- whoever does not own land is not
obligated to go up to Jerusalem on the Festival [Pesachim 8b]. The entire
halacha of going up three times a year is for one who owns land.
The Kotzker Rebbe (1787-1859) asked, "Why is it that someone who doesn't
own land is excused from going up to Jerusalem?" The Kotzker Rebbe
answered, "Because he doesn't need to."
Only the person who owns land, who has a connection to this world, who is
into materialism, needs to go up to Jerusalem to see the Shechinah. The
person who is unencumbered by materialism does not need to go anywhere to
see the Shechinah, because he sees the Shechinah everywhere.
One who has the property, the mortgage, the two garages and the Jacuzzi,
etc., etc., must go to Jerusalem to see the Shechinah. But one who is free
of the materialism of this world sees the Shechinah _everywhere_, so he
is excused from the mitzvah of 'Reiyah,' going to see.
The Chofetz Chaim & Rav Shimon Schwab: A Tale of Two Grandfathers
This is a true story involving the Chofetz Chaim (1838-1933) and Rav
Shimon Schwab (1908-1995).
Rav Schwab once visited the Chofetz Chaim, and the Chofetz Chaim asked him
if he were a Kohen, Levi or Yisroel. Rav Schwab answered that he was a
Yisroel. As it is well known, the Chofetz Chaim was a Kohen [Priest,
descended from Aharon the High Priest].
The Chofetz Chaim said to Rav Schwab, "Do you know the difference between
me and you? Soon the Beis HaMikdash [House of Sanctity - Temple] will be
rebuilt. Everyone will go crowd into the Courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash
for the first time. There will be a guard at the door who will ask the
people whether they are Kohanim, Leviim [Jews descended from the tribe of
Levi], or Yisraelim [Jews from tribes other than Levi]. The Kohanim will
get to go inside and do the Service of the Beis HaMikdash. I will be one
of those people. You, Rav Schwab, with all the other Yisraelim will be
left outside. All the Yisraelim will be terribly jealous of me. They are
going to want to do the Service, but the Halacha will be NO! -- Kohanim
inside; Yisraelim outside."
The Chofetz Chaim continued, "Do you know why it will be like that?
Because of something that happened thousands of years ago. Thousands of
years ago, there was an incident called 'the sin of the Golden Calf.' The
Jewish people sinned with the calf. Only 3,000 people participated in that
heinous act of idolatry. But when Moshe Rabbeinu called out and asked
everyone else to come and put out the fire... When he issued those famous
words 'Whoever is for G-d, gather around me' [Shmos 32:26], do you know
what happened? Only the tribe of Levi showed up. My grandfather came and
responded to that call and your grandfather sat there and did nothing.
Therefore, the Kohanim, who come from the tribe of Levi, will go into the
Beis HaMikdash. But you, Yisraelim are going to be on the outside because
you sat there and did not respond."
The Chofetz Chaim then looked at Rav Schwab and said to him, "What do you
think? Am I trying to make you feel bad? Am I trying to rub your face in
it? Chas V'Sholom [Heaven forbid]! I want to teach you a lesson. Many
times in life, you will hear a little voice go off in your head that will
say 'Whoever is for G-d, gather around me.' An event will occur or an
issue will be raised. Everybody is going to be told 'Stand up and be
counted.' In whose camp are you? I want you to know that questions like
that and challenges like that have implications not only for you but for
generations and generations after you. Because your grandfather did not
answer 'Yes' in the affirmative to 'Who is for G-d, gather to me', you are
excluded from the Beis HaMikdash Service. It was an act that has
implications thousands of years later. Because my grandfather said yes, I
am a Kohen now and I am going to do the Service."
"Never forget", the Chofetz Chaim told Rav Schwab, "everybody has his
moments of 'Who is for G-d, gather around me.' When you hear that voice,
stand up and be counted!"
This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion.
The complete list of halachic topics covered in this series for Parshas
Ki Sisa are provided below:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
