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By Rabbi Avraham
Fischer. A publication of the Orthodox Union in cooperation with the Seymour
J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center |
Parshat
Tetzaveh
February 15, 2003
Amidst the commandments that provide detailed instructions for
the construction of the Mishkan and its utensils, fashioning the garments for
the Kohanim, and maintaining the functioning of the Mishkan, three
prohibitions stand out.
The first, which appeared in TERUMAH, concerns the Aron HaBerit (Ark of the
Covenant), in which the Tablets were placed:
And you shall make poles of shittim (acacia) wood and overlay them with gold,
and bring (insert) the poles into the rings on the sides of the Ark, to carry
the Ark with them. In the rings of the Ark shall the poles remain; they shall
not be removed from it (Shemot 25:13-15).
The second prohibition concerns the Choshen (Breastplate) and the Ephod
(apron-like garment), both garments worn by the Kohen Gadol (High Priest):
And they shall bind the Breastplate from its rings to the rings of the Ephod
with a sky-blue cord, so that it rests on the band of the Ephod; and the
Breastplate shall not come loose from the Ephod (28:28).
The third concerns the Me’il (robe) of the Kohen Gadol, although, as we shall
see, it may also apply to the other garments of the Kohanim:
And its top opening shall be inwards; its opening shall have a hem all around
of woven work, like the opening of a coat of mail shall it have; it shall not
be torn (28:32).
The Talmud (Yoma 72a; Makkot 22a) treats all of these verses as three distinct
negative commandments (see also Rambam, Book of the Commandments, Negative
Commandments 86, 87, 88; Sefer HaChinuch [ascribed to either R. Aharon HaLevi
or R. Pinchas HaLevi of Barcelona, mid-13th Century], §§96, 100, 101). They
are not merely details in the general command to build the Mishkan. In other
words, not only should the poles of the Aron be inserted well into the rings
so it is difficult to remove them; it is prohibited to remove either one of
them. Furthermore, not only should the Choshen be tied tightly against the
Ephod so that it does not move; it is prohibited to move it. And, not only is
the Me’il woven doubly, with the neck-hole an integral part of the weave, so
that it is difficult to tear it; it is forbidden to tear it.
One who does any one of these acts intentionally is liable for the punishment
of lashes (malkot), as ruled by Rambam. In the Laws of the Sanctuary Vessels
and Those Who Serve in It, 2:13, he discusses the Aron. In 9:10, he discusses
the Choshen.
In 9:3, Rambam discusses the Me’il, and then adds:
“and the same law applies to all priestly garments, that one who tears them in
a destructive manner is given lashes.”
This is surprising, because in the Book of the Commandments (88), Rambam
defines this prohibition exclusively in terms of the Me’il. Minchat Chinuch
(R. Yoseph ben Moshe Babad of Tarnopol, 1800-1874) considers the possibility
that one who tears another priestly garment would be guilty of the general
prohibition of destroying part of the Sanctuary (Negative Commandment 65), but
only if done in a destructive fashion. As for the Me’il, however, since the
Torah singles it out for special mention, one would be liable for lashes if
one tore it, even if he did not do so destructively (such as for the purpose
of adjusting it to fit over the Kohen Gadol’s head).
All three of these prohibitions involve removal and separation, and thus point
to undoing, undermining the purpose of these holy objects. However, as Hirsch
(Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, 1808-1888) points out, all these acts of
prohibited disconnection are not impossible. On the contrary, as the Talmud (Yoma,
loc. cit.) says of the poles of the Aron, “they can be dismantled but may not
slip out.”
Hirsch writes that these poles
“symbolically represent the command and the mission to carry the Ark and its
contents, if it becomes necessary, away from the precincts of its present
position. . . . this Torah and its mission is in no way bound or confined to
the place or existence at any time of the Temple or Sanctuary. . . . The
bearers should never be lacking, but they can be lacking, can be forcibly
wrenched away from the Ark. But the Ark itself remains uninjured in that case,
and waits for new bearers!”
Rashi discusses these three prohibitions, but he waits to comment on the Me’il,
and then the other two, in reverse order:
It shall not be torn In order that it not be torn; and one who tears it
violates a negative command, for this is among the count of the negative
commands that are in the Torah. And so, “and the Breastplate shall not come
loose.” And so, “they shall not be removed from it,” which is said regarding
the poles of the Ark (28:32).
The Lubavitcher Rebbi (R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson, 1902-1993) says that
Rashi is suggesting an increasing order of deconstruction: Malicious
destruction of Sanctuary property is forbidden, but the Me’il may not be split
for any purpose. Moreover, the Choshen may not even be dislodged from its
place over the Kohen Gadol’s heart on the Ephod. Furthermore, the Ark poles
may not be removed, even when they are not being used to transport the Ark.
they shall not be removed from it… and the Breastplate shall not come loose .
. . it shall not be torn
Perhaps in these three prohibitions the Torah is suggesting a progression of
the dangers inherent in not living according to the Torah. If the Torah is not
always ready for transporting, if it is not carried into all areas of life,
the result will be a perception of detachment and unreality, of
disconnectedness and irrelevance. Finally, there shall be a rending, even in
the cause of “fitting the Torah to the times,” a severing of the continuity of
the generations to the eternal values of Hashem’s Torah.
| "Ain
Torah K'Torat Eretz Yisrael!"- Torah from Aloh Na'aleh* |
| Parshat Tetzaveh
The opening phrase of this week's Parsha, "And you,
command the Children of Israel..." is obviously addressed to Moshe, but
his name is not mentioned; not at the opening nor anywhere else in the
portion. From the birth of Moshe until his death, there is no other
portion where he is "missing". This is especially ironic, since the
yahrzeit of our great teacher Moshe, the 7th of Adar, always occurs in the
calendar of this week. This coincidence serves to underscore a historical
tragedy in Moshe's life.
This absence, this emptiness, reflects the void in Moshe's life. He was
raised among strangers. He had to flee his birthplace as a fugitive though
he had stood up for justice. His marriage was a troubled one, and his
children are barely mentioned in the Torah. What are the accomplishments
that a man of Moshe's stature might have wanted in life? The most modest
of men, Moshe didn't seek greatness or leadership, they were thrust upon
him by God. Perhaps he might have wanted to see his children follow in his
path and succeed him, to have the pleasure in them that is characteristic
of Jewish parents. Yet this posterity is missing from Jewish history. His
brother Aaron's descendants are widely known in Jewish history and the
community, the kohanim. Who can claim to be a descendant of Moshe?
Equally tragic, he was denied the joy of fulfillment of his life's work,
entering the Promised Land, though he pleaded and beseeched God for that
favor. It was just not to be. He spent a whole life aiming for Israel, and
died before attaining it. That is a tragedy born of irony. Moshe, who
transmitted the mitzvot, all Jewish values, to a people for all
generations, was denied the opportunity to actually fulfill any of the
many mitzvot which apply only in the Land of Israel, foremost among which
is that of actually taking possession of the Land of Israel, living there,
and settling the Land.
And how shall we look at a generation in history that has the ability to
succeed where Moshe failed? That has the opportunity of entering and
building the Holy Land if it would only be willing to do so? Moshe so
desired to enter Israel, longed for it, and shared that love and longing
with all future generations of the Children of Israel. Can we prove
ourselves worthy of his yearnings?
Rabbi Macy A. Gordon, Jerusalem
*D’var Torah from Aloh Na'aleh:
an initiative of former North American Rabbis and laymen who successfully
made Aliyah, aimed at highlighting the centrality of Israel and promoting
Aliyah. They send emissaries – Rabbis, academicians, and others – on
speaking-tours throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Contact information:
Tel: 972-2-566-1181 ext. 320
Fax: 972-2-566-1186
Email: aloh-naaleh@aaci.org.il |
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