Chazzan Michael Simons Sheet - Parasha Yitro

24 Shevat 5781

[19:6]

‫פרשת יתרו‬ ‫ה׳תשפ׳׳א‬

Issue No: 480

‫זכור ושמור בדבור אחד נאמרו‬

‫ל־בּנֵי י ְִשׂ ָראֵ ל‬ ְ ֶ‫אֵ לֶּ ה הַ ְדּבָ ִרים אֲ ֶשׁר ְתּ ַדבֵּ ר א‬

These are the words that you shall speak to Bnei Yisroel This phrase comes at the end of Hashem’s instructions to Moshe on the ‘sales pitch’ that he should pose to Bnei Yisroel so that they should accept the Torah. On this phrase, Rashi comments, drawing on the Mechilta, that Hashem was instructing Moshe to repeat His phraseology word for word and that Moshe should neither add to nor detract from it. The Maharal agrees, stating that Hashem did not wish Moshe to add anything personal to that which He Himself already said. In sefer Ta’ama Dikro, Rav Chaim Kanievsky points out that in other places where Hashem instructed Moshe to transmit something to Bnei Yisroel, Moshe was at liberty to add his own thoughts to the matter. Why then was this occasion different? Rav Chaim answers that on this occasion the subject matter at hand was the geirus (conversion) of Bnei Yisroel. The people needed to make an informed decision as to whether they wanted to become the am hanivchar (the chosen people). The halacha is that when a person comes to be megayer (converted), they must make this choice of their own volition. The Jewish nation does not proselytise. We do not go out of our way to persuade prospective converts, nor do we seek to scare them off with all the consequences of not being a good Jew. Achieving this balance requires treading a very delicate line between these two parameters. As a result, Hashem told Moshe exactly how to put the case for acceptance of the Torah. He them warned Moshe that adding even one word in his enthusiasm, whether towards encouraging acceptance or towards warning of the consequences, would upset the delicate equilibrium fashioned by Hashem and could undermine the geirus process at this critical juncture in our history.

[19:6]

‫וְאַ ֶּתם ִּת ְהיּו ִּלי מַ ְמלֶּ כֶּת כֹּהֲ נִּים‬

And you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests The word li – for Me, when uttered by Hashem, is often interpreted to mean ‘for the same of My name’, equating to the restoration of Hashem’s name to completeness. Thus, expounds the sefer Toras Shimon, the intention of the instruction in our possuk is that the Bnei Yisroel should elevate the name of Hashem, but with the precondition that they establish a kingdom of priests. This requires them to submit themselves, and to encourage all others likewise, to the authority of the righteous tzaddikim, who qualify as kohanim/priests insofar as they are the genuine ovdei (servants of) Hashem. We can deduce from the power given to tzaddikim to nullify heavenly decrees, as the Gemoro describes in Maseches Mo’ed Koton [16b], that these gedolim equally have the ability to rectify any deficiency in the way in which Hashem’s name manifests itself in the world. The Toras Shimon compares our possuk with another which begins with the same word, ve’atem. This second possuk, which appears in Parshas Vo’eschanan [4:4] is the well-known ve’atem hadeveikim b’Hashem Elokeichem chayim kulechem hayom – for … page 2

Chazal inform us that ‘kol hascholos koshos’ – all beginnings are difficult. This is not intended to discourage one from acting. Rather, it is intended to assuage one’s worry as to whether the effort is worthwhile. Where Shem Shomayim and raising one’s madreigo (spiritual level) are concerned, the effort is always worthwhile.

‫גוט שבת‬/ ‫שבת שלום‬ ms

We hope that these Divrei Torah, which are designed especially for use during the seudos, will ‫ בע״ה‬enhance your Shabbos and may they hasten refuos and yeshuos to all who need.

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[18:9]

'‫וַיִּ חַ ְדּ י ְִתרוֹ עַ ל כָּל הַ טּוֹבָ ה אֲ ֶשׁר עָ ָשׂה ד‬

Yisro rejoiced over all the good that Hashem had done Rashi, in his second pshat on this possuk, says that vayichad means that Yisro’s skin was full of bumps out of sadness for the downfall of Mitzrayim, although he was happy for Bnei Yisroel. What compelled Rashi to interpret the word vayichad to mean that Yisro was sad? Rav Yehoshua MiKutna explains that there are three distinct terms to describe happiness – simcho, sossoin and chedvo.

Simcho means happiness for something that is occurring for the first time. The second term, sossoin, means happiness for something, which, although you previously had it but it was then lost, it has now been returned. We use sossoin when referring to a chosson and kallah, because their neshomos (souls) become reunited on marriage, having been separated upon entry into this world. The third term is chedvo, which means happiness despite the fact that you have something about which to cry. Rav Yehoshua supports this by pointing out that Ezra told the older people, who cried after the completion of the second Beis haMikdash, to rejoice, using the term chedvo, because it was a happy occasion, despite the fact that it did not fully recreate the greatness and holiness of the First Temple that they so vividly recalled. The word vayichad is derived from chedvo. The choice of this word indicates that Yisro was happy, although he had reason to cry as well. This is why Rashi indicates that as a newly initiated Jew, and still not far from his non-Jewish roots, Yisro’s elation over the blessings on the Bnei Yisroel was nonetheless tinged with sadness over the demise of the great Egyptian empire. However, other meforshim suggest a more positive slant in that Yisro’s sadness was that the Egyptian people had not experienced the same revelation as he had as to the truth of Hashem’s existence and His mastery of the world, which could have saved them from their destruction.

‫עלינו לשבח לאדון הכל‬ We identified last week how the dual phrase of noteh shomayim and yoseid oretz refer to maters of ruchni’us and gashmi’us respectively. The sefer Avodas Yisroel expounds the words Hu Elokeinu ein od as being a fundamental declaration that even the ability to understand or comprehend any aspect of Hashem’s creation and interaction with the world is itself a brocho from Hashem. Were it not for His graciously granting us this insight, we would struggle to know how to perform our avodas Hashem. In this case, knowledge is indeed power as the intelligence with which He blesses us facilitates our observance of mitzvos and grasp of the Torah and its myriad depths of meaning.

For this too, we must express sincere hakoras hatov.

Mimini Michoel

Continued from page 1

… you who cleave to Hashem your G-d, you are all living today. The Gemoro in Maseches Kesubos [111b] comments on this verse by asking whether it is truly possible to cling to the Shechinah, when elsewhere we are told that Hashem is an all-consuming fire. Rather, the possuk teaches us that whoever marries off their daughter to a Torah scholar, profitably invests the funds of Torah scholars or provides benefit to scholars from his own property, such a person is considered as having attached himself to the Shechinah.

From this interpretation of the Gemoro, expounds the Toras Shimon, we can interpret our possuk of ve’atem tihiyu li, as implying that the way to attach oneself to Hashem is by establishing and recognising the authority of the tzaddikim of the generation. Acting in this way, causes us to absorb Hashem’s kedushah and transform ourselves into a goi kodosh – a holy nation. It is common in general culture for people to purchase memorabilia of celebrities, whether from the entertainment industry or from sport, for example. People hang pictures of such stars on their walls and buy clothing that imitates that of their ‘heroes’.

This represents a desire not only to emulate but to identify with the celebrities. A similar mode of conduct operates in the spiritual world. We too hang up pictures of gedolim both contemporary and of yesteryear. We seek to emulate them by studying their ways and following their actions and their words. We also seek other ‘memorabilia’ by purchasing their seforim and learning from them.