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Dear
Naaleh Friend,
This week we celebrate Rosh Chodesh Adar. It is the start of a festive month as we get closer to celebrating Purim! In honor of the new month we feature a class from the Naaleh series 12 Months, 12 Tribes, 12 Constellations. This class The Power Of The Month Of Adar, is taught be Rebbetzin Leah Kohn. In this shiur you will learn more about how meaningful the month of Adar is.
Click on the image below to view the class now.
This week's edition of our Torat Imecha Newsletter on
Parshat Terumah is available on our
Newsletter page.
Click here
for the printer friendly version, to share at your Shabbat table! Be sure to visit the homepage as well, for many more inspiring Torah classes!
Shabbat Shalom!
-Ashley Klapper and the Naaleh Crew
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For Tehillim list please click here to view our Refuah Shleima page
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Parshat Terumah: Tribute to Tachash
Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles
Summary by Channie Koplowitz Stein
While most of the materials Hashem asked Bnei Yisroel to contribute to the building of the
mishkan
are familiar, there is one that is unknown to us. This is the skin of the
tachash
which was used as a covering above the
mishkan
. The Gemara Shabbos explains that this was a beautiful, multi colored animal that existed only at that time, neither before from creation nor after. Onkelos writes that the
tachash sos gavna
, rejoices and prides itself in its colors. Shenayim Mikra explains the words differently.
Sos
can be read as six (
shesh
) colors. Ohel Yosef writes that this represent the six emanations through which God is manifest in the world. The seventh
sefirah
is
malchut,
the sovereignty of God Himself, above all the others and above the
mishkan
.
The Shvilei Pinchas questions, haughtiness is antithetical to God's presence. How could the
tachash
who was prideful be used for the
mishkan
? The Tal Hashamayim answers that the
tachash
took pride for the short time that it was in the service of Hashem. Even a Torah scholar can have a small bit of measured pride for doing Hashem's will, writes Hashir Vehashevach. Therefore the
tachash
must be other worldly, created from outside this world to exist for only a short time to help us feel Hashem's presence, for only in the
mishkan
where Hashem presence is manifest can we find pride (haughtiness) and greatness (
ga'avah u'gedulah
) together.
The Shvilei Pinchas notes that each side of the
mishkan
represented one of our forefathers. The right side represented Avraham and his attribute of
chesed
(kindness); the left side represented Yitzchak and his attribute of
gevurah
(strength). But there was a center bar that went from one side to the other, bridging the gap and joining the two. This represents Yaakov whose attribute was
tiferet
, glory and splendor which is the point at which
chesed
and
gevurah
meet in balance. The Shvilei Pinchas cites the Alshich in noting that the first
beit hamikdosh
was in the merit of Avraham but was destroyed because of Yishmael. The second
beit hamikdosh
was in the merit of Yitzchak but was destroyed because of Esav. The third
beit hamikdosh
will be built in the merit of Yaakov and will incorporate the hidden elements of the
mishkan
within it. Likewise, as the middle link in attributes, Yaakov incorporates within himself the attributes of Avraham and Yitzchak. This idea brings us back to the
tachash
. Avraham is the white of kindness
and Yitzchak is the red of strength. Yaakov is represented by green. (Green is the middle color of the rainbow, bridging the opposite extremes.) The
tachash
was important because its skin had the ability to incorporate many colors and create a beautiful synthesis to create
tiferet
, splendor.
Tachash
is an anagram for Torah,
chaim
(life) and
shalom
(peace). Yaakov represented each of these elements. He sat in the tents of Shem and Ever and studied Torah. The Gemara says Yaakov never died, (
chaim
), and he was able to create the balance and peace between the gentle
chesed
of Avraham and the harsh strength of Yitzchak, hence
shalom
. However, when the forces of evil corrupt this balance, we get the reverse anagram,
shachat
, destruction. Like the
tachash
, Yaakov takes pride in synthesizing these elements and creating a new and beautiful "color." It is this synthesis that covers the entire Mishkan and is the source of
shalom
. The Chasam Sofer adds that unity of purpose creates this peace.
Rabbi B. Z. Firer explains that the just as the
tachash
contained many different, beautiful hues so too although
Bnei Yisroel
are centered around one unchanging body of law, each group brings their individual beauty and perspective in the form of custom and tradition. The
mishkan
itself is exact, but the
tachash
that surrounds it represents our diversity and individuality. Therefore there were twelve distinct tribes. Each of us is a unique combination of nature and nurture with a unique path and goal to serve God. In the same manner, the
tachash
was also created to fulfill a unique purpose in a specific moment of time, notes Rabbi Frand. Like the
tachash
, continues Rabbi Brazil, we can each be happy and proud when we realize that there is none other like me who can fulfill my specific purpose on earth. The
tachash
teaches us that our diversity and multiple hues present a beautiful and textured setting for Hashem's presence to rest among us, for although each of us is unique, together we represent the glorious multiplicity of the universe and our unique placement within it.
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Meeting casually where all you can see at first is if you're attracted to the person is the worst way to check out a potential
shidduch
. When trying to investigate, try to get good references. The best are people who have known the person over a long period of time. If you ask them specific questions you can get a pretty fair picture. I haven't found that people can conspire with each other to hide the facts. Avoid asking questions that engender cliché answers. Try to get a third party to do the asking as people are much more open if they are not speaking to the people directly involved.
Everyone has chinks in their armor. Sometimes you might meet a person you like, admire, and feel you can build with, but he's a little shorter than you had in mind or not exactly from the same place in society you are or there's not as much money there as you would've hoped for. It's very nice if you could have an eight page wish list and find every item on the list, but it usually doesn't happen. A man once went to the Steipler for a blessing to find his soul mate. He came back a year later and the Steipler said, "You were here last year." The man answered, "Yes, but I'm still single." The Steipler then said, "You've already met your soulmate ten times, but you're looking for something that doesn't exist."
Hashem wants us to grow by learning to contend with people who have flaws. There are very few faults, even objective physical flaws, too big to handle. I was once speaking to Rav Berel Auerbach, the brother of Rav Shlomo Zalman, and he said that in his experience there are only three things that are so difficult that very few people have the inner flexibility to deal with them. The first is a stubborn person, one who can only see their side of the story. The second is a person with a terrible temper. The third is a fool, a person who can't think rationally and makes decisions without perceiving what the likely outcome will be. Of course everyone has flaws, but what we have to question is what it is we want the most. When you get to know a person, what you're trying to move towards is having a common sense of identity, where your goals are united enough that you and your other half will be able to feel like a team working together.
"I deserve," are two dangerous words you should avoid. "I went to BJJ, I am an idealistic person, I'm a teacher, I deserve a Torah scholar." Or, "I'm a professional, I deserve someone with it, what could that matchmaker have had in mind when he introduced me to him." Nobody is going to marry you to be your status symbol, your trophy, or your bank account. The key word is the ability to build, not what you think you deserve. You could say, "I could be a
rebbetzin
, I could support someone in learning, I could sustain him emotionally because I believe in what he's doing." Or, "I want to be able to give, I want to be able to make the
sheva brachot
for the poor Russian bride, I want to have parlor meetings in my home, I want to be a living
kiddush Hashem
, I could be a good partner with my husband the lawyer." In each of these cases the person is still saying I want something specific, but it's coming from a place of giving not of taking. We tend to buy in to trophyism. We convince ourselves we can only build with whatever society is selling at the moment. As we grow in maturity, worrying about what others will say becomes less relevant. What matters most is the person's inner essence and the potential to build.
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Simcha- The Essence of Purim
We know there is an obligation to be happy on every
yom tov
as it says, "
V'samachata b'chagecha
." But Purim is unique in that the
simcha
starts on Rosh Chodesh Adar and continues to grow throughout the month until it peaks on Purim. Why is Purim different? In order to understand this we need to examine the story of the
megilah
. The Torah hints to Purim in the verse "
V'anochi hastir hastir et panai...
- I will hide my face..." The word
hasti
r hints to Esther. It depicts a difficult time where Hashem was not seen as he should have been in this world. We find this hidden in the words of Haman when he comes to convince Achashveirosh to destroy the Jews. "
Yesh no am echad mefuzar um'efurad bein ha'amim
...-there is one nation that is spread out among the nations."
Yesh no
comes from the root word
yashen
(asleep). Haman told Achashveirosh, the Jews are spiritually asleep. They are not careful or enthusiastic enough when performing mitzvot. Hashem has abandoned them and will not save them. On a superficial level it looked like the relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people was no longer what it was. This reality was based on the behavior of
Klal Yisrael
when they attended the party of Achashveirosh where immorality and total physical indulgence abounded. It was a tremendous
chilul Hashem (
desecration of Hashem's name
)
. Hashem was hidden from the picture when in fact our mission was to reveal Him.
Chilul Hashem
brings punishment in its wake and that in itself is a desecration of His name. This should be most painful for us,
galut ha'Shechina
, the exile of the Divine Presence which cannot be with us due to our sins. It should hurt us to see the downward spiritual spiral of the Jewish people. When we cause Hashem to be hidden, other nations who look up to us don't see Him either, and that is
chilul Hashem
. How can we correct this? The answer lies in the blessing we say after reading the
megilah,
"
Hadan et dineneinu, hanokem et nikmateinu
...- the one who judges our case and takes revenge for us." This is how Hashem helps us rectify
chilul Hashem
. Hashem is above pain or anger and no creature can affect him. The revenge is for us, to helps us correct what went wrong and return to Him. In this way we can move from a situation of
haster,
where Hashem is hidden, to a situation where He is revealed.
Megilah
comes from the root word
l'galot
, to reveal. The miracle of Purim caused Hashem to be recognized by us and all the nations and this removed the desecration.
It says, "
Kel nekamot Hashem
."
Nekamot
appears between two names of Hashem which indicate mercy. Although at times we may sin and cause
chilul Hashem
, Hashem has compassion and allows us to return. He help us get closer to Him in a way that will be more revealed and open and this takes away the desecration of His name.
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Parshat Teruma Why Build a Sanctuary
Mrs Chana Prero |
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The Melacha of Kotev Engraving
Rabbi Shimon Isaacson
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Menora's Mystery
Mrs. Shira Smiles
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