Chazzan Michael Simons Sheet - Parasha Terumah 5781

8 Adar 5781

Issue No: 482

‫זכור ושמור בדבור אחד נאמרו‬

[25:8]

‫ זכור‬- ‫פרשת תרומה‬ ‫ה׳תשפ׳׳א‬

‫ְשׁכַנְ ִתּי ְבּתוֹכָם‬ ָ ‫וְעָ שׂוּ ִלי ִמ ְק ָדּשׁ ו‬

They shall make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them The Gemoro in Maseches Brochos recounts the story of Rebbi Yosi who was out on the road and went into one of the churvos (ruins) of Yerushalayim to daven. After he finished, he was met by Eliyohu HaNovi, who rebuked him for davening there, saying, “It would have been preferable to daven a short davening along the way”. Eliyohu then asked Rebbi Yosi what he had heard whilst davening. Rebbi Yosi said that he heard a voice saying, "Woe to the children whose aveiros cause me to destroy the Beis haMikdosh and send them to exile”. Acknowledging this, Eliyohu said that when people go to shuls and answer omein yehei sh’mei rabbo, Hashem shakes His head (so to speak) and says, "Fortunate is the King, Who people praise in His house; woe to the Father Who sends His children to exile”. In explaining this Gemoro, Rav Elyashiv says that Hashem gave us a mitzvah to build a Bais HaMikdash, allowing us to express our love for Him. These days, we constantly daven for Hashem to rebuild the Beis haMikdosh and our tefillos (prayers) replace the korbanos (Temple offerings). As a test of our sincerity, Hashem has given us a mikdash me'at in the form of shuls. Rebbi Yosi davened in a shul that was uncared for, thinking at least it was a shul. Eliyohu disagreed with this approach, proving it through what Rebbi Yosi heard there. "However," said Eliyohu, "when you daven in a well-kept shul worthy of being called a mikdash me'at, Hashem responds in the sympathetic and merciful tone of a Father forced to send His children into Golus”. We may add that conducting ourselves decorously in shul must surely also play an incalculable role in Hashem’s reckoning.

[25:2]

‫רוּמה‬ ָ ‫ְוי ְִקחוּ ִלי ְתּ‬

They shall take for me a tithe The Bostoner Rebbe ztvk”l brings in the name of the sefer Yiso Brocho an insightful and beautiful interpretation of the opening pesukim of our parshah, as they relate to terumoh – a tithe. He expounds that there are three scenarios to explain why the recipient of a gift may value that which they have received. The first is if both the giver and the recipient are close friends, in which case the present has innate significance as a token of the reciprocated love and friendship of both parties.

The second scenario arises where the giver, though not a close friend, is a person of strained financial means, who sacrifices what little he may have in order to present the recipient with the gift. In this case, the gift epitomises a sincerity and wholeheartedness in the act of giving, such that it becomes especially precious to the recipient. The third scenario is … page 2 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.

The Levush writes that on Shabbos we can attain higher levels of wisdom as it is a day especially designated for this purpose. Therefore, we should seek ways to increase the amount of Torah that we discuss on this holy day.

‫ שבת שלום‬/‫גוט שבת‬ ms

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[25:31]

‫וּפ ָרחֶ יהָ ִממֶּ נָּה י ְִהיוּ‬ ְ ָ‫כּ ְַפתּ ֶֹריה‬

Its buttons and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it The Menorah was fashioned from a single block of solid gold. All of its decorative features were moulded out of this same mass, so that nothing was created separately and later attached to the main structure of the Menorah. The possuk emphasises this fact by stating clearly that its globes and flowers shall all be together within it in one piece. The Chasam Sofer explains that since the Menorah functions as a representation of the light of Torah, this possuk teaches us that no outside sciences or wisdom should be used to embellish the Torah. The Torah is fully illuminated from within and nothing from the outside world can enhance this effulgent light to any further degree. With this idea in mind, the Chasam Sofer elucidates the Gemoro in Maseches Megilah [32] which states that "He who holds the Sefer Torah bare (without a covering) will be buried bare without mitzvos". The Gemoro wishes to convey the idea that if a person considers that the Torah is somehow lacking and he feels it needs the beauty of science or other external schools of wisdom to adorn it and make it complete, then this is apikorsus. The fate of such a person is to leave this world bereft of mitzvos.

‫השבת‬-‫ישראל את‬-‫ושמרו בני‬ ‫השבת‬-‫לעשות את‬ HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach paskens that lechatchilo one should try to find a reading of Parshas Zochor that is consonant with one’s personal mesoroh (tradition) of pronunciation. Even if it involves a degree of effort, it is worthwhile as Parshas Zochor is a mitzvah d’oraiso (Torah-mandated) that comes around but once a year. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman says that it should not be read multiple times in Shul in different pronunciations to accommodate various minhogim, for three reasons. First, because it does not afford proper respect to the congregation.

Secondly, everyone was yotzei (fulfilled their obligation) the first time.

Thirdly, this was never done in earlier generations.

Continued from page 1

… where the value of the gift is very much bound up in its intrinsic worth, such as a gold or silver cup, which has significance irrespective of the degree of friendship between giver and recipient. The Rebbe says that these scenarios are fully reflected in the language employed by the Torah. Ve’yik’chu li terumoh – they should take for me a tithe, is to be seen in the context of the special relationship of love between Hashem and Bnei Yisroel. In this way, it is obvious that the terumoh given by Bnei Yisroel to Hashem will carry the connotation of a gift between those with a close bond. The Torah continues me’eis kol ish asher yidve’nu libo – from each man whose heart is generous to give, which intimates the wholehearted gift of the person of limited resources. The third type of giving is contained within the next possuk, ve’zos ha’terumoh … zohov vo’chesef u’ne’choshes – and this shall be the donation … gold, silver and copper.

Indeed, these precious metals are inherently valuable and cherished by all on the receiving end.

From this analysis of the pesukim, the Rebbe highlights how exceedingly precious and beloved is the terumoh given by Bnei Yisroel for the benefit of the Mishkan, demonstrating all three facets of a recipient’s feelings, as described by the Yiso Brocho.