Parsheh of the Week Interpretation

The Baal Haturim explains that Mosheh Rabbenu’ s name is not mentioned in Parshas Tetzaveh because he asked to be erased from your book you wrote. It looks like this is a punishment. It could be that this is a commemoration of his greatness. His two outstanding character traits are his compassion and humility. This could commemorate both as this statement above was said for the forgiveness of the Bnei Yisroel of the sin of the golden calf. It also indicates his humility feeling that he is not worthy to be mentioned. The GRA says that this commemorates his yahr zeit which is every year at Parshas Tetzaveh.

ויקהל the midrash says unite into groups and teach them hilchas shabbos.
What is the difference between מלאכה שאינה צריכה לגופה and פסיק רישא?
The Kesef Mishneh on the Rambam Hilchas Shabbos 1:7 brings the explanation from the son of the Rambam Rabbi Avraham for example closing the door and deer is caught the catching of the deer is not intentional but it must happen, but digging a hole and he only wants the ground he digs the hole intentionally but does not do it for the purpose wanting the hole as was done in the mishkan. Asks the Machtzis Hashekel 378 according the later case is more logical to prohibit since it is done intentionally? He answers that since he doesn’t do it for the that purpose there is a היפך כוונה reverse intention on the purpose used in the mishkan.

Correction to 1480340 the Machtzis Hashekel is at the beginning of Shulchan Aruch – Aruch Chaim 248 (not 348).

The Midrash says באלה חטאו ובאלה נתכפרו the same manner they sinned they were forgiven. Explains the Shevet Sofer that the Ksav Sofer explains that when they sinned by the aigel they said אלה אלהיך ישראל the erev rav said to the bnei yisroel that the gold and the silver was your god because of whom you left mitzraim. So if gold and silver are so valuable and we are willing to give it up for the mishkan makes it much greater to deserve forgiveness.

ויקרא is written with a small aleph. Mosheh Rabbenu did not want to show that he is different of Bilom because of his humility. The questions is Bilom came about in order that the goyim should not have an excuse that they are less than Jews but they are still less because by them it is written ויקר whereas by the Jews ויקרא ? The answer might be that Bilom could have been like Mosheh Rabbenu but because of his haughtiness this did not materialize. So Mosheh Rabbenu did not want to show because his humility that he is greater than Bilom, so he wrote the small aleph. He became rich because of this as the Midrash says that he became rich from the ink left on his pen, meaning showing his humility from the difference writing a big aleph and a small aleph.

It says in Parshas Shemini, don’t eat a chazir because it has cut hoofs. Asks the Klei Yokor that the reason for the prohibition should be because it does not re-chew its cud? He answers that because his good part also contributes to his prohibition because he is fake and shows his cut hoofs like Aisov being fake. In the future Aisov will repent and a new creation will be done where the pig will re-chew its cud and will become mutar.

We find in the parsha כולו הפך לבן טהור הוא if a negah turned completely white is tahor. Why? Because it is not fake, it shows it deficiencies. When the they are shown you can avoid them.

It says ‘קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה you should be holy because I, Hashem is holy. The question is how can we come close to Hashem in holiness? The answer can be because we have a neshoma which is holy part of Hashem. That is the explanation of ואהבת לרעך כמוך you should love your fellow man like yourself. Explains the Baal Hatanya that your friend is like you. He also has a neshoma a holy part of Hashem. It should have said ואהבת רעך not לרעך? Explains the Ramban that it is impossible to love your friend as yourself because אדם קרוב אצל עצמו a person is closest to himself. What we are asked is that what we anticipate from our friend to do to us, we should do to him. הוכיח תוכיח את עמתיך ולא תשא עליו חטא explains the Abarbanal that when you admonish your friend, don’t place the sin on him. Don’t say that he is the sinner but people do this.

The Kol Aryeh explains that Nadav V’avihu died because of their closeness to Hashem as it says בקרבתם לפני ה וימותו. The neshamah wants to escape the body and escape to Hashem. There are two things that hold it back. One, fear getting close to the holy throne. Two, if the yetzer hora is involved when someone follows a mitzvah. Over here, there was no mitzvah. There whole deed was done completely from love and therefore there neshama escaped.

The earth was punished when Adam Harishon was punished. Adam tasted the fruit and the tree from all permitted trees noticing that the fruit tastes differently than the tree. Figuring that only the tree is forbidden, he ate from the fruit. It turned out that the fruit was an esrog where the fruit tastes like the tree. If the earth would not have disobeyed its commandment, Adam would not have sinned.

The Baal Akedah says in Parshes Teumah based on the Midrash pelia in פתח דבריך יאיר ואתיא כמ”ד י”ז טפחים גובהו של מנורה start your words in light will be interpreted according to the view that 17 tefochim is the height of the Menorah. The number of words in the beginning of a sefer in chumash implies the Menorah. Bereishis has 7 words indicating 7 lamps, shmos has 11 words indicating 11 buttons, vayikro has 9 words for 9 flowers and devorim has 22 terms against 22 cups. There are 17 words in bamidbar for 17 tefochim height of the Menorah.

In Parshes Shelach, the question they had if the redemption is from Hashem without any intervening help from us or we have to do our hishtadlus.. This question still applies today for our current redemption by starting to build the Bais Hamikdash as advocated in the sefer Aim Habonim Samecha.

What did the Meraglim wrong when they told the truth? Says the Abarbanel amd Maasei Hashem that they were not supposed to publicize their findings.

yehudayona, your question is even greater since the bringing of the slav is not mentioned in the referenced gemora Sota 35a.

Why is Joshiah called “bin” Nun? The yud added to the beginning of his name has no vowels so the shevo is taken from the segol (three dots) under the beis leaving a single dot (chiruk).

The 250 people put on a talis of all techeles, what was the purpose? The Ksav Sofer explains that ztitzis is a reminder of the mitzvos thereby a reminder of Hashem, which can be done without any techeles. Someone might need a picture to keep a person being missed infront of him because of his great love to satisfy their longing for him. Techeles is like a picture of kavayochel Hashem. They wore the talis of all techeles asking if it needs ztitzis to ascetain what Moshe Rabbenu thinks of them about their closeness to Hashem. When he said it still needs tzitzis, they got upset because they came to realize that Moshe Rabbenu believes that they are not close to Hashem.

Rashi says that Korach was carrying the holy ark, what does he want to tell us by that? Korach claimed by birthright that the nisuis belongs to him because his father was older than Elitzofon’s father. if that is the case, he should not carry the holy ark since Gershom was older than Kehos. Therefore we go after merit and not birthright and his question is answered since Elitzofon can be more worthy than him.

Look at the Klei Yokor for Parshas Bokok explaining the four expressions ישראל, עם, בני ישראל, קהל. ישראל refers to Yakov Avinu defeating Emori with his sword and arrow, עם refers to the erav rav, and קהל refers to Josef compared to an ox.

On Pinchos Rashi says בדין הוא שיטל שכרו he deserves his just rewards. Why?
The Dubner Magid has a parable where A wholesaler hires a young man on a no salary basis just room and board. A retail person comes wanting to be served. The wholesaler sends him away telling him that we are in the middle of our Purim seuda and to come tomorrow. The young man volunteers to serve him. They make a lot of money due this transaction. The wholesaler asks the young man what he ows him. Didn’t we agree that I don’t get any salary compensation? The wholesaler tells him that since he sacrifies his food, room and board for his business, he showed that the business is more important than the compensation of room and board he is getting he wants to give him some compensation he will appreciate. Similarly, we can’t give enough thanks to Hashem for his benevolence for living healthily without any concerns but Pinchos sacrificed his life in His service, so he deserves a reward that is worthy to him.

פנו לכם צפונה teaches the Klei Yakar that in galus we should act hiddenly among the umas haalom not to build fancy houses and anger them through their jelousy. Also not to forget that we are galus and forget that we are strangers in a strange land.

והי’ עקב תשמעון There will be a rejoycing at the end when we will come to listen, so the Alshich Hakadosh says וידעת היום והשבת אל לבבך you might as well listen today.

The Torah gives us in Parshas R’eh a means of how to diet. When a person wants to eat, he should eat at the time when he can control himself. Eat when you are hungry as long you are hungry. It says
Devorim 12:20 ואמרת אכלה בשר explains the Chasam Sofer you should be able to say that you want to eat meat כי תתאוה נפשך לאכל בשר because when you desire to eat meat, בכל אוות נפשך תאכל בשר with all your desire you will eat meat, you will not be able to control yourself.