Special Features REMEMBER WHAT? The Pesach Hagada give us the same message. We are telling about Par'o and the Egyptians. But right in the middle of the story, right in the middle of the Magid portion of the Seder, we cover the matza (the main object upon which the story is being told), lift the cup of wine and state that it was not just one individualwho stood against us to destroy us, but rather in every generation someone arises against us. It then becomes our task to realize that the Hitlers of history are the spiritual heirs to Amalek. The irrational, insane planners of the Final Solution are cut from the same cloth as the egomaniac who wanted to destroy every man, women, and child of the nation of Mordechai, because Mordechai would not bow to him. There is more. The Hagada passage is talking about G-d's promise to stand by us always. We finish the passage with "and G-d saves us from them all". The Megila does not only tell us of Haman's plot. It tells us of the great turnabout from darkness to light, from enslavement to freedom, from sadness to joy, brought about by Esther and Mordechai, guided by G-d's "hidden face". Part of the mitzva of remembering Amalek and never forgetting them, is to remember G-d's continuing role in history. Commentaries say that we were in a spiritually weakened state that allowed Amalek to attack. The Jews of Achashveirosh's kingdom caused their own vulnerability to Haman. The sale of Yosef by his brothers (among other factors) allowed a Par'o to do what he did. This thought process is also part of the mitzva of ZACHOR. Among other things, the command to remember – all the commands to remember- Shabbat, Miriam, Sinai, etc. - have as one of their main goals, to help us avoid the pitfalls of sin and to strengthen our commitment to G-d. [SDT] "And they shall take the gold and the wools and the linen..." Note the use of the plural. From here the Gemara teaches us that at least two people shall collect charitable donations, not just one. G'MATRIYA based on L'ORA SHEL TORAH by R. Yaakov Auerbach z"l KI NER MITZVA V'TORAH OR... Mishlei (6:23) says that a candle represents a mitzva and the Torah is like light. The Menora, then, is in some way equivalent to Torah and Mitzvot. R. Auerbach z"l found a beautiful numeric support for that idea. One of the numbers associated with Torah, especially when Mitzvot are mentionedis, of course, 613. In addition to the Torah's mitzvot, there are 7 Rabbinic mitzvot (a designation that is different, and perhaps above, Rabbinic legislation, decrees, etc.). This brings the magic number of mitzvot to 620, a number that also represents TORAH & MITZVOT. By the way, 620 is the numeric value of the wordKETER, the CROWN (of Torah). And by the way by the way, the numeric value of KETER TORAH is 620 + 611 = 1231. Which happens to be the G'matriya of ASERET HA'D'VARIM (the Ten Commandments) = 70+300+ 200+400 (970) + 5+4+2+200+10+40 (261) = 1231. The Aseret HaDibrot in Yitro, by the way, by the way, by the way, are made upof 620 letters. But I digress. The Menora was the topic. In last week's sedra - T'ruma - where the command to make the Menora is found, the passage dealing with the Menora consists of 483 letters. So what? Nothing, yet. In this week's reading, T'tzaveh, the sedra begins with the instructions about what to do with the Menora.The opening p'sukim of T'tzaveh continue the portion of the Menora. These p'sukim contain 137 letters. Total letters on the topic of Menora? 620. The Half-shekel Commemorative The second commemorative is the giving to a special Tzedaka fund "Zeicher L'Machatzit HaShekel". The custom to use the coin in your country that is known as a "half". In Israel, the half-shekel is perfect for the purpose. Custom is to give 3 half-whatevers corresponding to the three times the phrase T'RUMA LA'SHEM appearsin Parshat Sh'kalim. Some give the value of the original half-shekel - 10 NIS should more than do it, at today's silver prices and value of the shekel. This can be 3 half-shekels and then the balance up to the value of the silver half-Shekel. This should satisfy all opinions. One gives "Zeicher L'Machatzit HaShekel onErev Purim, preferably before Megila reading. Our shekels counteract those of Haman (his offer to Achashveirosh to bring to the royal treasury. That's why we read Sh'kalim at the beginning of Adar. Women are not obligated, but if they do give, they should continue year after year. Same for children who give, or parents who give on behalf of their children. This Tzedakais different from Matanot LaEvyonim. Taanit Esther The fast commemorates the fasting on days of battle. Its name is in honor of the fast that Esther ordered of the Jews of Shushan. The Megila makes a reference to fasting as part of the Purim commemoration.\ Taanit Esther is a counterbalance to the potential excesses of Purim (contrast Erev Yom Kippur as a counterbalance to the potential excesses of Yom Kippur.) Taanit Esther is a TIKUN for the sins of the Jews who participated in Achashveirosh's party. Although there are many leniencies for matters of health when it comes to fasting on Taanit Esther, a healthy person whose health will not be adversely affected by fasting, must do so. This applies equally to men and women, boys from 13 years and up, and girls from 12 years and up. Fast days are days for introspection, self- and communal
improvement. We've got a lot of work ahead of us. Let's do it. [The T'tzaveh Homepage] |
