Transcript
Okay, a good גוטע וואך gute vach, שבוע טוב Shavua Tov, it should be a good ווח gute vach. בשורות טובות besoros tovos for כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael. Please God, we should hear good news. Thank you all for accommodating the change in schedule this week. ברוך השם Baruch Hashem traveling for good things, so unable to do Tuesday, but glad and grateful you're here for the פרשה שיר parsha shiur, פרשת שמיני Parshas Shmini, page 588 in the Artscroll Stone חומש Chumash. I want to thank our פרשה parsha series sponsors, Becky and אבי כץ Avi Katz and family in memory of David Grossman, לעילוי נשמת דוד בן מנחם מנוש l'ilui nishmas Dovid ben Menachem Manush, Becky's father's נשמה שהיה לה עליה neshama she'hayah lah aliyah. Today's שיר shiur sponsored by Sharon Wenger and Jonathan Wenger in loving memory of their beloved husband and father Bruce Wenger on his eighth יארצייט yahrzeit. Very grateful for their generosity and by the קסורלה Kasorla family in memory of אליהו נתן בן חיים Eliyahu Natan ben Chaim, whose נשמה שהיה לה עליה neshama she'hayah lah aliyah. Thank you very much for your generosity.Page 588, פרשת שמיני Parshas Shmini, the end of last week's פרשה parsha, happened to have been yesterday, concluded with the seven days of the מילואים miluim, the seven days of constructing and destroying, assembling and taking apart the משכן Mishkan, the dry run, the inauguration, the test, the rehearsal. And then we begin, ויהי ביום השמיני קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו ולזקני ישראל Vayehi bayom hashmini kara Moshe l'Aharon ul'vanav ul'ziknei Yisrael, and it was on the eighth day, which is a funny way to call the beginning of something, the eighth day. It should be it was on the first day. Why is the first day being described as the eighth day? Particularly because this eighth day also happened to be what day on the calendar? ראש חודש ניסן Rosh Chodesh Nisan, the first of the month of Nisan. So really it is the first, not the eighth. So why does it begin ויהי ביום השמיני vayehi bayom hashmini, and it was on the eighth day? And רש\"י Rashi tells us, שמיני למילואים shmini l'miluim. It was the eighth day of this inauguration, orientation, rehearsal, one week of rehearsal, eighth day, showtime, opening pitch, opening game. It is time. שהוקם המשכן בו ביום ונטל עשר עטרות שנישנו בסדר עולם she'hukam haMishkan bo bayom v'natal eser ataros she'nishnu b'Seder Olam. That was the day that the משכן Mishkan, that was the day that the משכן Mishkan began. What should have been an incredibly happy and joyous and celebratory day, and it's called ויהי ביום השמיני vayehi bayom hashmini, the eighth day, because it connects and correlates with what came before. We've spoken about this at length in previous פרשה שיעור parsha shiurim. רש\"י Rashi says that Moshe assembles on this eighth day, Moshe calls לאהרן l'Aharon, ולבניו ul'vanav, and it makes sense. Why is he calling אהרן Aharon? Why is he calling אהרן Aharon? I see later in the day doesn't work so well for you. There's still coffee set up in the back. Why is he calling אהרן Aharon? אהרן's Aharon's the כהן גדול Kohen Gadol. אהרן Aharon is the primary participant, leader, he is the the major player in this משכן Mishkan. ולבניו Ul'vanav, why is he calling לבניו, אהרן's l'vanav, Aharon's children? They're כהנים kohanim, they also play a role. ולזקני ישראל Ul'ziknei Yisrael, but why is he assembling the empty nesters? Why is he calling the זקני ישראל ziknei Yisrael? Why is he calling the זקני ישראל ziknei Yisrael? Says רש\"י Rashi, להשמיעם שעל פי הדיבור אהרן נכנס ומשמש בכהונה גדולה, ולא יאמרו מעצמו נכנס l'hashmi'am she'al pi hadibur Aharon nichnas um'shamesh b'khuna gedola, v'lo yomru mei'atzmo nichnas, because Moshe wants to declare, he wants to demonstrate, he wants it to be clear that Hashem is the one who instructed this, Hashem pressed go, Hashem designated these major leaders, protagonist players, and ולא יאמרו מעצמו נכנס v'lo yomru mei'atzmo nichnas, nobody should be suspicious, no controversy, no conspiracy theory that they entered on their own, they began it on their own. Says רב דרוק מלוואז'ש Rav Druk La'Vozhish, יש להתבונן בענין זה שצריך משה לקרוא לאהרן ולבניו וכל זקני ישראל, מה פשר ענין זה ולאיזה צורך קרא משה לבניו ואהרן וגם כל זקני ישראל yesh l'hisbonen b'inyan zeh she'tzarich Moshe likro l'Aharon u'l'vanav v'chol ziknei Yisrael, mah pesher inyan zeh ul'eizeh tzorech kara Moshe l'vanav Aharon v'gam es kol ziknei Yisrael? Isn't it enough? Call Aharon and בניו banav, call Aharon and his sons, get to work, get started, open the משכן Mishkan. Why all זקני ישראל ziknei Yisrael? So רש\"י Rashi tells us, nobody should suspect that they came on their own. עדיין צריכים להבין שהרי לא ראו ולא שמעו זקני ישראל בעצמם את הציווי adayin tzrichim l'havin she'harei lo ra'u v'lo shamu ziknei Yisrael b'atzmam es hatzivui. One second, but the elders didn't hear Hashem designate Aharon and his sons. How did it help to have them there? If he's trying to set a precedent, if he's trying to establish a truth, no one can be suspicious, no conspiracy theorist online can raise this controversy that Aharon went in on his own. No, Hashem designated, Hashem selected, Hashem is the one who pressed go. How will having these זקנים zekeinim there, but they didn't hear Hashem say it, how will that help? So says רב דרוק Rav Druk the following. אכן מבואר בזה יסוד גדול, שלימדנו משה רבינו כל דבר שעושים עם ישראל צריכים לעשותו עם הזקנים achen mevoar b'zeh yesod gadol, she'limdeinu Moshe Rabeinu kol davar she'osim im Yisrael tzrichim la'asoso im hazekeinim. Anything that the Jewish people do should be done with an assembly of the elders. לא זזים ולא עושים שום דבר בלא זקני ישראל lo zazim v'lo osim shum davar b'lo ziknei Yisrael. There's a terrible mistake. Some communities or segments of the community think we're invested only in the young, in the youth, in the future, and those who are older or elderly, which is just anyone older than me, they're, they represent the past. And we have to focus on the future. We have to be invested in the present. But the elder, the older, the retired, the זקנים zekeinim, the empty nesters, they're yesterday, they're the past. We move on, we don't design programs, we don't designate staff members, we don't invest our budget. That's not what it's about. Says רב דרוק Rav Druk you see from this פסוק pasuk, that's not true. מחמת כן קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו וכל זקני ישראל כדי ללמד לדורות שכל דבר כקטון כגדול צריך להיות על פי הזקנים machmas kein kara Moshe l'Aharon ul'vanav v'chol ziknei Yisrael kedei l'lamed l'doros she'kol davar k'katon k'gadol tzarich l'hiyos al pi hazekeinim. You need to enact something, you need to inaugurate something, you need to launch something new, we don't throw away yesterday. We build today on yesterday. The זקנים zekeinim who are not yesterday, they're also today and the זקנים zekeinim are also tomorrow. Their wisdom, their life experience, their age is not a deficit or a liability. It's an asset and it's an advantage. And כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael, is this not what we're about to celebrate? The whole holiday of פסח Pesach is multi-generational, inter-generational, the whole format of questions and answers. We are a people who it's not we don't throw out the past. We don't graduate, we're not done, we don't retire, we don't move on. וכשראו כל ישראל שחולק כבוד לזקנים בזה u'k'she'ra'u kol Yisrael she'cholek kavod l'zekeinim b'zeh. And when all the Jewish people would see that Moshe summoned not only אהרן ובניו Aharon u'vanav, but it was groundbreaking day, it was opening day, about to launch something new, who sits in the front row, who has the best reserved seats? The זקנים zekeinim. Because all of כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael need to see, they are indispensable. They are critical, that wisdom, that life experience, that participation. ממנו יראו וכן יעשו כל הדורות, לא לעשות שום דבר בלא הזקנים mimenu yir'u v'chein ya'asu kol hadoros, lo la'asos shum davar b'lo hazekeinim. We don't make a move, we don't make a major decision, we don't start a new project without the presence of the זקנים zekeinim. And this way the Jewish people are very different, counterculture to what's going on. That's what Pharaoh couldn't understand when he says to Moshe, מי ומי ההולכים mi va'mi ha'holchim, who's going? And what is Moshe's response? What do you mean who's going? בנערינו ובזקנינו נלך bina'areinu u'vizkeineinu neilech. בזקנינו Bizkeineinu? You know how much they're gonna slow you down? Walkers and wheelchairs and canes, bathroom stops and medicine refills. You know how much they're gonna slow you down, doctor's appointments and rehab. So what do you mean בזקנינו bizkeineinu? I'm one of the, look at me. I'm one of the זקנים zekeinim. I'm making fun of myself. The white beard. בנערינו ובזקנינו bina'areinu u'vizkeineinu. כי חג השם לנו ki chag Hashem lanu. It's not a חג chag if the זקנים zekeinim aren't there. It's not a חג chag if the זקנים zekeinim aren't there. כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael, עם ישראל Am Yisrael, the Jewish people ביום השמיני bayom hashmini on this opening day, לאהרן ולבניו ולזקני ישראל l'Aharon l'vanav l'ziknei Yisrael. And that's what רב דרוק Rav Druk writes, ואין זה דבר זה מפורש במדרש ולזקני ישראל אמר רבי עקיבא נמשלו ישראל לעוף, מה העוף הזה אינו פורח בלא כנפיים v'ain zeh davar zeh meforash b'midrash ul'ziknei Yisrael amar Rabbi Akiva nimshlu Yisrael l'of, mah ha'of hazeh eino poreiach b'lo knafayim, the Jewish people are like a bird. Just like a bird can't fly without spreading his wings, so too כך ישראל אינם יכולים לעשות דבר חוץ מזקניהם kach Yisrael einam yecholim la'asos davar chutz m'z'keineihem. Who are the wings of כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael that let us soar? The זקנים zekeinim. Those who have made sacrifice, those who have lived life, those who have wisdom, those who have been invested, those on whose shoulders we stand. And without the זקנים zekeinim, we're a bird without without wings. Without wings, you can't go very far. הרי מפורש במדרש היסוד הזה שאין לעשות שום דבר בלא זקני ישראל, וישראל בלא זקנים הרי הם משולים כעוף שאין לו כנפיים, שאינו יכול לפרוח ולהתקדם אפילו משהו harei meforash b'midrash ha'yesod hazeh she'ein la'asos shum davar b'lo ziknei Yisrael, v'Yisrael b'lo zekeinim harei heim meshulim k'of she'ein lo knafayim, she'eino yachol lifro'ach ul'hiskadem afilu mashehu. You can't advance, you can't advance even a little bit if you don't have wings. Let alone you can't take off and soar. The זקנים zekeinim are the wings of כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael. וזהו לקח גדול שאנו צריכים ללמוד לדורות v'zehu lekach gadol she'anu tzrichim lilmod l'doros. Says רב דרוק Rav Druk, this is a critical message for us to communicate to our children, to our grandchildren, and maybe for the first time or generation in history to our great-grandchildren. כעין הרע k'ayin hara, such a blessed time that we're living in to count great-grandchildren. everyone should be זוכר zocheh to have. דור דור ודורשיו, דור דור וחכמיו dor dor v'dorshav, dor dor v'chachamav. כמו שאומרת הגמרא ראש השנה ירובאל בדורו כמשה בדורו, בדן בדורו כאהרן בדורו, יפתח בדורו כשמואל בדורו, אין לעשות שום דבר בלא הזקנים k'mo she'omeres ha'gemara Rosh Hashanah Yerubaal b'doro k'Moshe b'doro, Bedan b'doro k'Aharon b'doro, Yiftach b'doro k'Shmuel b'doro, ein la'asos shum davar b'lo hazekeinim. No matter what level those זקנים zekeinim are in each generation, the זקנים zekeinim of today aren't the same as the זקנים zekeinim of yesterday. Doesn't matter. The זקנים zekeinim of every generation are who are meant for that generation and we don't make a move without the זקנים zekeinim of that generation. So it was this eighth day after the מילואים miluim, we don't abandon the past, we build upon it, that's why it is the eighth day. That's why it is the eighth day. And that's why קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו kara Moshe l'Aharon u'l'vanav, but you can't begin opening day, inaugurate the משכן Mishkan unless the זקני ישראל ziknei Yisrael are there. If they can't be there, maybe you got to schedule the opening of the משכן Mishkan early bird. But you need the זקנים zekeinim there. If the זקנים zekeinim can't be there, you can't get started, you can't begin. It is a message for generations, generations to come. We shared a similar idea on last week's פרשה parsha in צו Tzav, the beginning of the פרשה, תרומת הדשן terumas hadeshen. A very peculiar way to take out the garbage. To take out the garbage and you put it next to the מזבח mizbei'ach and only after you put it down next to the מזבח mizbei'ach, then you lift it and take it out. A terribly inefficient way to take out the garbage. What's the message said רב הירש Rav Hirsch? Before you make the sacrifice of today, you have to look at and appreciate and recognize and honor the sacrifice of yesterday. So yesterday's קרבן korban, the ash, the garbage, the ash of yesterday's sacrifice of yesterday's קרבן korban sits next to the מזבח mizbei'ach for a moment, and only then do you offer today's קרבן korban. You think you're the first to make a קרבן korban? You think you're the first to offer a sacrifice? And I'll go so far not to diminish the challenges and sacrifices of today. And I'm not talking about our soldiers on the front line, I'm not talking about the heroic efforts to protect עם ישראל Am Yisrael that are taking place today. But I'm talking about, you know, the sacrifice of staying home for פסח Pesach, the sacrifice of whatever our challenges is today, you know, I didn't get an עליה aliyah in three months. The sacrifice of of they didn't have my favorite charcuterie at the קידוש kiddush. They ran out of the scotch before I got to taste it. Whatever the sacrifices of of today. And for every generation their sacrifices is difficult for them. But stop, pause, turn around, respect, honor, recognize the sacrifice of yesterday, the תרומת הדשן terumas hadeshen. Now bring your קרבן korban, now make your sacrifice of today. So that's the role of the זקני ישראל ziknei Yisrael, they're indispensable, they have to be there. Moshe understood it, that's what he said to Pharaoh. And that's why our פרשה parsha begins, אהרן ובניו וזקני ישראל Aharon u'vanav v'ziknei Yisrael.Okay, the פרשה parsha continues, פרק ט פסוק ב perek tes pasuk beis, moving right along. ויאמר אל אהרן Vayomer el Aharon, and what was the inaugural קרבן korban? קח לך עגל בן בקר לחטאת ואיל לעולה תמימים והקרב לפני השם kach lecha eigel ben bakar l'chatas v'ayil l'olah temimim v'hakrev lifnei Hashem. Take for yourself a young bull as a חטאת chatas, a sin offering, and a ram for an עולה olah, an elevation offering. They should be תמימים temimim, unblemished, והקרב לפני השם v'hakrev lifnei Hashem and offer them, sacrifice them, bring them before Hashem. Says רב דרוק Rav Druk, we're going to move past לוואז'ש La'Vozhish. But says רב דרוק Rav Druk, המלבי\"ם קוסוב the Malbim Kosov שכתב שמה שהיה צורך אהרן הכהן עגל בן בקר, אף שכבר עשה תשובה על חטא העגל she'katav sh'mah she'hayah tzorech Aharon haKohen eigel ben bakar, af she'kvar asah teshuva al cheit ha'eigel. Why is אהרן Aharon bringing the עגל eigel? עגל בן בקר eigel ben bakar is it a coincidence? It's an עגל eigel? Why is he bringing? ברוך השם Baruch Hashem put a spotlight for this. I see when the is this time a day. ברוך השם Baruch Hashem. For those watching, it looks like a funny light. Aharon is bringing an עגל eigel. Is it a coincidence that the first קרבן korban אהרן Aharon brings for the first inauguration of the משכן Mishkan is an עגל eigel? When you hear the term עגל eigel, you think not only of a bull, not only think of the type of animal, עגל בן בקר eigel ben bakar, but you think of חטא העגל cheit ha'eigel. Why? Because this is a קרבן חטאת korban chatas. לחטאת L'chatas, this is a continued כפרה kaparah. Aharon is still repairing the damage done from his participation in the חטא העגל cheit ha'eigel. But why? Isn't it enough already? Shouldn't he leave it behind? שכאשר נסא כהן גדול גדולה מעלתו ושוב לא הועילה לו התשובה שעשה מתחילה she'ka'asher nasa Kohen Gadol gedola ma'alaso v'shuv lo ho'ilah lo ha'teshuva she'asah m'tchila. Very interesting יסוד yesod, says רב דרוק Rav Druk, the תשובה teshuva, the repair that אהרן Aharon had done, he was סתם אהרן stam Aharon, he was סתם כהן stam kohen. Now he's designated as the כהן גדול Kohen Gadol. Now he has ascended higher in his role, so now he needs to do additional תשובה teshuva. The more prominent the role, the more important the role, the more responsibility you have in that role, the more you have to update and upgrade your תשובה teshuva. מבואר בזה כלל גדול, שככל שהאדם גדול יותר, כך תביעה ממנו היא גדולה יותר mevoar b'zeh klal gadol, she'k'chol she'ha'adam gadol yoser, kach t'viah mimenu hi gedola yoser. The more responsibility you have, the greater the role that you have, so that means that more is being asked of you, the more you have to show up, the more you have to meet the standard. ועל כן תשובה שעשה אדם כשהיה בדרגה אחת, אינו מועילה לו כאשר עלה לדרגה גבוהה יותר v'al kein teshuva she'asah adam k'she'hayah b'darga achas, eino mo'ila lo ka'asher alah l'darga gevoha yoser. So if you were just on the committee but you became the chair, if you're the assistant רב Rav, but you became the רב Rav. If you're the כהן kohen, you become the כהן גדול Kohen Gadol, you need to look in the mirror and say, what more work do I need to do? I already did תשובה teshuva for mistakes of the past, but that was for the lower level I was on. But now I ascend, now I climb, now I'm on a higher level. It demands more, it takes more responsibility. What do I need to do to be more, to be bigger, to be better? ונידע אדם שנפטר לאבילות, בכל שנה ביום היארצייט עבר לפני העמוד בתפילה ואומר עליו קדיש v'neda adam she'niftar l'aveilus, b'chol shana b'yom ha'yahrzeit over lifnei ha'amud b'tefillah v'omer alav Kaddish. Listen to this insight. Earlier this morning we had our קדיש Kaddish Club. Once a month those who are on אבלות aveilus, the unenviable club, the קדיש Kaddish Club, we meet, we learn something and we offer some חזק chizuk and answer questions and have a sort of breathe and support. So here's an idea for the קדיש Kaddish Club. On the יארצייט yahrzeit, a person for the עמוד amud and they say קדיש Kaddish, the יארצייט yahrzeit of a parent. בפשטות הסיבה לכך הוא יום שדינה נסתלק הנפטר על תוצאות מעשיו b'pashus ha'sibah l'chach hu yom she'dina nistalek haniftar al totzos ma'asav. Why? Why do we observe a יארצייט yahrzeit? Why does a person have a right to the עמוד amud they lead the דאווענען davening? Why do they light the candle and say the קדיש Kaddish? Why do we observe a יארצייט yahrzeit? So the simple understanding is, if that's the day that the person left this world, so then that's the day that they're constantly rejudged, re-evaluated and we need to do more in their merit. So on the anniversary of the day that it was determined their נשמה neshama would be extracted from their גוף guf, the soul would be taken from their body, we do things in their merit and in their memory, like, give צדקה tzedakah, learn תורה Torah, sponsor a שיעור shiur, lead the עמוד amud, say קדיש Kaddish. כי שכתב אריז\"ל וראינו את הגמרא בראש השנה: מלך יושב על כסא דין וספרי חיים וספרי מתים פתוחים לפניו k'she'kasav Arizal v'reinu es ha'Gemara b'Rosh Hashanah: Melech yoshev al kisei din v'sifrei chayim v'sifrei meisim pesuchim l'fanav. שלכאורה איך שייך לדין את המתים, שמתים אינם עוד בזה העולם she'lichora eich shayach ladin es ha'meisim, she'meisim einam od b'zeh ha'olam. But איך eich can you judge them? They're no longer in this world. Since last יארצייט yahrzeit, they didn't have free will, they weren't back in this world, they weren't back in a body, they were not back in having a vehicle or instrument to make choices. So why would they need another קדיש Kaddish? Why would they need another יארצייט yahrzeit? Why do they need another עליה aliyah if there's nothing to atone for or repair for or make up for since last year? There's no בחירה bechira, there's no free will. They're gone. אלא הפירוש הוא שהקדוש ברוך הוא דן את תוצאות מעשיו של כל הנפטר ונפטר ela ha'peirush hu she'HaKadosh Baruch Hu dan es totzos ma'asav shel kol niftar v'niftar. שאם הניח אחריו בנים צדיקים וזרע ישרים מבורך she'im hiniach acharav banim tzadikim v'zera yesharim mevorach. Hashem evaluates each person. If they left in this world righteous, righteous disciples and progeny, הרי הוא דן אותו לזכות ועולה מעלה מעלה בעולם העליון harei hu dan oso l'zchus v'oleh maalah maalah b'olam ha'elyon. You can't make new investments after we leave this world, but you can continue to get a return on the investments you made. When you have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, when you have neighbors and friends and students, when you left a positive legacy and impression and influence, when people are inspired to walk in your footsteps, you continue to rise, you get a better seat in שמים Shamayim. ואם חלילה הניח אחריו זרע מרעים בנים משחיתים, דנו מטה מטה לאבדון על אף שלא עשה מעשיו v'im chalila hiniach acharav zera marei'im banim mashchisim, danu mata mata l'avadon al af she'lo asah ma'asav. But if the opposite, you came late so your children come late. You spoke לשון הרע lashon hara at your שבת Shabbos table, so your children, that's our מסורה mesorah, that's our מנהג minhag. We also talk about the רב Rav at the שבת Shabbos table. You were stingy and didn't give צדקה tzedakah, so your children and grandchildren learned also that we someone else's problem, you don't give. So also, you don't get a better seat, you keep getting a worse seat because you're getting a negative return on your investment, you're losing money. That's the impact that you have. על כן אומרים קדיש לנפטר כדי להורות זכות ולהעלות את הנפטר al kein omrim Kaddish l'niftar kedei l'horos zchus u'l'ha'alos es ha'niftar. So we say קדיש Kaddish in order to elevate. However, says רב דרוק Rav Druk, that's all according to our classic understanding that that נשמה neshama gets judged again every יארצייט yahrzeit. But comes along based on the מלבים Malbim that we just said, and there's another reason to say קדיש Kaddish. כידוע שבכל שנה ושנה עלה הנפטר ביום יארצייט לדרגה גבוהה יותר kayadu'a she'b'chol shana v'shana alah ha'niftar b'yom yahrzeit l'darga gevoha yoser. אם כן, כיוון שעלה בדרגה, שוב צריך תיקון נוסף im kein, keivan she'alah b'darga, shuv tzarich tikun nosaf. We assume the opposite. You elevated the נשמה neshama through your merits, and now that they're on a new level, now they need new merit. If you understand the מלבים Malbim on why Aharon needed additional when he became the כהן גדול Kohen Gadol, that when a person ascends to a greater position, when they ascend to a higher level, when they have greater responsibility, now they need to re-evaluate and do more work on themselves. So now it makes sense that if the person had an עליה לנשמה aliyah l'neshama, they're in a better seat in a better place, now they need more זכות zchus, and that's why we continue to for them and on their behalf as well. Okay, that is רב דרוק Rav Druk. Moving along, פרק ט פסוק ו perek tes pasuk vav. ויאמר משה זה הדבר אשר צוה השם תעשו וירא עליכם כבוד השם Vayomer Moshe zeh hadavar asher tzivah Hashem ta'asu v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem. Moshe said, this is the thing God has commanded for you to do, וירא עליכם כבוד השם v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem, the glory of Hashem will appear to you. What does that mean? This is the thing. What does that mean? Says רש\"י Rashi, says רש\"י Rashi, וירא אליו v'yera eilav, ויאמר משה Vayomer Moshe says, פסוק ו pasuk vav. To reassure the people that the glory of Hashem would appear to them that day as a result of Aaron's performance of the service. After חטא העגל cheit ha'eigel, Hashem withdrew, but Hashem's gonna come back. Be comforted and be confident and know Hashem is coming back. He told them after they carry out Hashem's command, after they build a a Mishkan, after they begin opening day, don't worry, וירא עליכם כבוד השם v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem, Hashem is coming back. But says the אמרי טהרות, הרחמשיבקרבה Imrei Taharos, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe, quoting the רבי מלובלין Rebbe miLublin. על פי המבואר בעלשך הקדוש כי תכלית כל מעשה המשכן להמשיך השראת השכינה בקרב ישראל al pi ha'mevoar b'Alshich haKadosh ki tachlis kol ma'aseh ha'Mishkan l'hamshich hashras ha'Shechina b'kerev Yisrael. What was the purpose of the משכן Mishkan? What was the purpose of the משכן Mishkan? The רמב\"ן Ramban saw it as a continuity of הר סיני Har Sinai. We had tremendous revelation at הר סיני Har Sinai, we saw, we felt, we heard, we experienced Hashem undeniably, and we crave that continued intimate connection. We want to hear him and we want him to hear us. We want to be able to speak to him. How do we continue that experience, the revelation of סיני Sinai? How do we have that השראת השכינה hashras ha'Shechina? שכינה מלשון שכן Shechina mi'lashon shachen. Hashem is our neighbor, Hashem is accessible, Hashem is right near, right by. We want to come close. That's the purpose of the משכן Mishkan. ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם v'asu li Mikdash v'shachanti b'socham. Make for me a משכן Mikdash and I will dwell in them. אמנם עיקר אמיתת רצונו יתברך שיוכל להשרות שכינתו בתוך כל אחד ואחד מישראל עצמו omnam ikar amitas r'tzono yisbarach she'yuchal l'hashros shechinaso b'soch kol echad v'echad mi'Yisrael atzmo. The real goal of Hashem is that you don't need bricks and mortar, that you don't need a שול, מקדש, מקדש shul, Mikdash, Mikdash, that you don't need a centralized place where you can intensely feel his presence. Where you don't need a כותל Kosel and you don't need a הר הבית Har Habayis. ולא שתהא השראת השכינה במקום המשכן בלבד, על כן לא אמר ושכנתי בתוכו אלא בתוכם v'lo she'tehei hashras ha'Shechina b'makom ha'Mishkan bilvad, al kein lo amar v'shachanti b'socho ela b'socham. Already before the משכן Mishkan was constructed and certainly before it was it was taken apart, already before the בתי מקדש batei mikdash were built and were destroyed, Hashem already revealed in the original plan that the goal is בתוכם לא בתוכו b'socham not b'socho. Where I really want to be is in your house, around your dining room table, in your car. I want to be in your heart and in your נשמה neshama. I want you to feel my presence. I want to be in constant conversation with you בתוך כל אחד ואחד b'soch kol echad v'echad. As I said the אלשיך Alshich, the תכלית tachlis of the מעשה המשכן ma'aseh ha'Mishkan is השראת השכינה hashras ha'Shechina. Said the רבי מלובלין Rebbe miLublin, וזה מאמר הפסוק זה הדבר אשר צוה השם תעשו וירא עליכם כבוד השם v'zeh ma'amar ha'pasuk zeh hadavar asher tzivah Hashem ta'asu v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem, and this is exactly what our is telling us. כי ישראל היו משתוקקים מאוד לראות את המשכן בנוי ki Yisrael hayu mishtokekim me'od lir'os es ha'Mishkan banui. The Jewish people right now, they can't wait for it to be done. They're watching, they put up the orange fencing and they had all the renderings and drawings, and they ran the campaign for the משכן Mishkan. Nu? When's the permit gonna come already? When are we gonna start the construction? When will it be built? When will it be finished? What's happening? They were longing, משתוקקים mishtokekim, ביודעם שבמקום המשכן ישרה הקדוש ברוך הוא שכינתו ביניהם b'yod'am she'b'makom ha'Mishkan yashreh HaKadosh Baruch Hu shechinaso beineihem. Why they wanted it to be done? Because they knew that once there'd be such a קדוש kadosh place, a centralized place, a sacred place, it would capture the sacrifice of all the people who made it happen and gave to it. Ooh, השם Hashem would dwell. And then when they were filled with doubt or uncertainty and they wanted to have clarity and confidence there's Hashem, all they have to do is come to the משכן Mishkan. And they wanted to unburden themselves and be able to confide and tell Hashem their creator everything, their heart, everything in their heart, their dreams, their fears, their worries. They knew that the משכן Mishkan would be that place. וכשראו את גמר בניית המשכן, חשבו שבזה יתקיים כל עיקר תכלית השראת שכינתו יתברך שמו בתחתונים u'k'she'ra'u es gmar b'niyas ha'Mishkan, chashvu she'b'zeh yiskayem kol ikar tachlis hashras shechinaso yisbarach shmo b'tachtonim. They thought when the משכן Mishkan is complete, when it's done, ooh, then that is the apex, that's the essence, then we're finished. השם שכינה Hashem Shechina will come down here. His presence will dwell intensely. Finished, that's what it's all about. So אמר להם משה יש תכלית חשוב יותר מזה amar lahem Moshe yesh tachlis chashuv yoser mizeh. As you're watching, as you're waiting, as we're about to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the משכן Mishkan, Aaron's about to throw out the opening קרבן korban. We're about to get started. זה הדבר אשר צוה השם תעשו שתעשו אתם כל מה שציוה השם בקיום תורה ומצוות רצון השם יתברך zeh hadavar asher tzivah Hashem ta'asu she'ta'asu atem kol mah she'tzivah Hashem b'kiyim Torah u'mitzvos r'tzon Hashem yisbarach. כל זה הדבר kol zeh hadavar means not the משכן Mishkan. Now, don't think you have some cop-out. Aaron, his children, they're gonna be the religious leaders, it's up to them, and you can live your life, and when you crave a little spirituality, you'll just come to the משכן Mishkan. No. זה הדבר אשר צוה השם תעשו zeh hadavar asher tzivah Hashem ta'asu, you, in your life, have תרי\"ג מצוות taryag mitzvos. You have 613 mitzvos. You have a פורים Purim and a פסח Pesach and שבתות Shabbosos in between. You have כשרות kashrus and צדקה tzedakah and חסד chesed. ועל ידי זה וירא עליכם כבוד השם שתשרה שכינה בתוך כל אחד ואחד מכם v'al yedei zeh v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem she'tishreh Shechina b'soch kol echad v'echad mikem. According to the רבי מלובלין Rebbe miLublin, what a critically important פסוק pasuk that right here in the middle of the משכן Mishkan, right as we're about to cut that ribbon and celebrate its completion, don't think that the only place to find religion and spirituality is in the שול shul, is at the משכן Mishkan. Is it gonna be beautiful and magnificent? Absolutely. Will it be a place of elevated תפילה tefillah that will lift you? 100%. Will you have learning opportunities from morning till night? חסד chesed coordinated there? Will there be incredible things that happen? You'll feel Hashem's presence? Yes. But don't think your religious life and lifestyle will be relegated only to that centralized place called the משכן Mishkan. No, זה הדבר zeh hadavar. Hashem wants us to do, and when we do, we'll have the ultimate השראת השכינה hashras ha'Shechina, which is not in the משכן Mishkan or in the שול shul. Where is it? In each and every one of us. וזהו תכלית היותר גדול שלא תצטרכו עוד למשכן בשביל השראת השכינה v'zehu tachlis ha'yoser gadol she'lo titztarchu od l'Mishkan bishvil hashras ha'Shechina. The ultimate goal is that we don't need a משכן Mishkan for השראת השכינה hashras ha'Shechina. Of course, we long for it. We want the third בית המקדש Beis HaMikdash. And of course we'll complete our campaign and our campus and our מקדש מעט Mikdash M'at. We need it. We crave it. And it's helpful and it's הלכתית halachic and it's appropriate. But the ultimate expression and manifestation of Hashem, the דירה בתחתונים dira b'tachtonim is not in the bricks and mortar. It's not in the centralized location of the שול shul. It's where? וירא עליכם כבוד השם, עליכם v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem, aleichem. It's on us. Just like ושכנתי בתוכם וירא עליכם v'shachanti b'socham v'yera aleichem. תשיגו דבר גדול יותר שהיא תכלית העיקרי, שתשרה שכינה בתוך כל אחד ואחד מכם tasigu davar gadol yoser she'hi tachlis ha'ikari, she'tishreh Shechina b'soch kol echad v'echad mikem. That the שכינה Shechina will dwell inside each and every one of us. That's the תכלית tachlis, that's the goal. It's a whole other way of understanding this פסוק pasuk. Before the רבי מלובלין Rebbe miLublin, before the רחמישיבקה Rachmastrivka, this פסוק pasuk was talking about the משכן Mishkan. But now we've reinterpreted it, it's saying, the משכן Mishkan is important, celebrate it, give to it, contribute to it, benefit from it, but don't ever be confused by it or distracted by it and think that when you leave the משכן Mishkan, you'll leave a secular life, a mundane life. No, the religious life of the יהודי Yid, it comes with us everywhere, wherever we go, because we are the vehicle, we are the platform, we are the בימה bima, and we are the מזבח mizbei'ach, and we are the שולחן shulchan, and we are the מנורה menorah, and we are the מזבח הקטורת mizbach haketores, and we are the כיור kiyor, and we bring it with us wherever we go and everywhere that we are. פרק ט פסוק ז perek tes pasuk zayin. ויאמר משה אל אהרן Vayomer Moshe el Aharon. So now it's all set. The stage literally, the בימה bima is set. And Moshe invites Aharon to go behind the בימה bima. קרב אל המזבח ועשה את חטאתך ואת עולתך וכפר בעדך ובעד העם ועשה את קרבן העם וכפר בעדם כאשר צוה השם krav el hamizbei'ach va'aseh es chatascha v'es olasecha v'chaper ba'adcha u'va'ad ha'am va'aseh es korban ha'am v'chaper ba'adam ka'asher tzivah Hashem. Nu, Moshe says, \"Aharon, Nu, my older brother, come close.\" קרב אל המזבח krav el hamizbei'ach. Come close and perform your חטאת chatas and your עולה olah and achieve atonement for yourself and for all the people and bring the קרבן korban and achieve atonement just as Hashem says. Why does Moshe have to say קרב אל המזבח krav el hamizbei'ach? What does it imply? When you say to someone, \"Come close,\" what does it suggest they're doing? They're backing off. So you have to say, \"No, no, no, it's safe. Come, come. I'm not gonna ask you right now for money. Come. It's okay. Come close. I'm not gonna call on you, I'm not gonna embarrass you. Don't be shy, don't pull away, don't retreat.\" קרב Krav, come, come close, come close. Why? So רש\"י Rashi tells us what's going on over here. What happened? Why is it קרב אל המזבח krav el hamizbei'ach? שהיה אהרן בוש וירא לגשת she'hayah Aharon bosh v'yarei lageshes. Aaron is ashamed. He's embarrassed and he hesitates from coming close. אמר לו משה למה אתה בוש לכך נבחרת amar lo Moshe lama ata bosh, l'chach nivcharta. Why are you embarrassed? For this you were chosen. And tells us elsewhere what was Aharon embarrassed about? He sees the מזבח mizbei'ach. The מזבח mizbei'ach has קרנות המזבח karnos ha'mizbei'ach, the four corners that protrude, and if you're looking head on at the מזבח mizbei'ach, the corners that protrude look just like what? Horns of an עגל eigel. And Aaron sees it and he recoils and he shoots back and he thinks to himself, \"Oh boy, you know what that looks just like? An עגל eigel. I'm not worthy.\" בוש Bosh, he's ashamed, he's embarrassed, he feels unworthy. And Moshe says, \"No, no, no, big brother, come.\" לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta. You were chosen for this. This is what you are all about. The אריז\"ל Arizal says, in the בעל שם טוב הקדוש Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh, בשביל שיש לך את מידת הבושה וההכנעה זה היה עיקר הגורם שנבחרת להיות כהן גדול bishvil she'yesh lecha es midas ha'busha v'ha'hachna'a zeh hayah ikar ha'gorem she'nivcharta l'hiyos Kohen Gadol. What a פשט pshat. The אריז\"ל, the בעל שם Baal Shem. What's going on over? Aharon is embarrassed, and Moshe says, \"No, no, לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta.\" Hashem chose you for this. Okay, Hashem chose me for this, doesn't mean I shouldn't be embarrassed. I still remember my mistake where I went wrong. So says the Baal Shem, no, that's not what Moshe is saying. You know what Moshe is saying? Not לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta, you were chosen to be the כהן גדול Kohen Gadol, so don't be embarrassed. It's the fact that you're embarrassed, the fact that you have healthy בושה busha, לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta. We have two types of leaders, those who are shameless and those who have a healthy sense of shame. The ones who are shameless, who have no shame, should not be our leaders. They can never say they're sorry if they're never wrong, if they're never ashamed, if they're never embarrassed, they think they're beyond reproach, then they don't qualify to be our leaders. What Moshe is saying to Aharon is, לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta, you know why you were chosen? Because שאתה בוש she'ata bosh. Because you still have the capacity for shame. The capacity for shame is something very healthy. In fact, today is the the היארצייט yahrzeit, the הילולא hilula of the נועם אלימלך Noam Elimelech, the רבי אלימלך מליז'נסק Rebbe Elimelech mi'Lizensk. Some of us here were on a trip to Poland together, and we sat in his בית מדרש beis medrash, and we had a forbrengen, we had a טיש tish in the בית מדרש beis medrash of the נועם אלימלך Noam Elimelech, the רבי אלימלך מליז'נסק Rebbe Elimelech mi'Lizensk. So the נועם אלימלך Noam Elimelech writes on this פסוק pasuk. ויאמר משה אל אהרן קרב אל המזבח Vayomer Moshe el Aharon krav el hamizbei'ach, quotes רש\"י Rashi, לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta, כי הנה עיקר הוא לאדם הבושה ki hinei ikar hu l'adam ha'busha. Do you know what makes a איש ish a איש ish? An animal never blushes. You never saw an animal blush. An animal has to relieve itself, fine. at the tree, lifts its leg and does its thing? Is he embarrassed? Does he look for to shield himself? Does he try to hide behind the bush? No. There's no shame. There's no בושה busha. An animal has no בושה busha. What distinguishes a person as an אדם adam is the capacity for shame. סימן טוב לאדם שהוא ביישן Siman tov l'adam shehu baishan. It's a good sign. Rabbi Manis Friedman wrote a book decades ago called, Why Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore? He could never have anticipated, he's alive now, he sees what's happening. What would, you talk about a shameless world and a shameless society. Everyone can dress, act, identify, declare, perform, do, shameless. Absolute shamelessness. It's a סימן טוב siman tov. It's a, it's a terrible, terrible sign of a society when there's shamelessness. And it's a sign of a healthy society when there's a little בושה busha, when people are ashamed, when they recoil, when you hear or see profanity and you look away or, or you, you blush. That's a good sign. וכל המתבייש לא במהרה הוא חוטא V'chol hamisbayesh lo bimeheira hu choteh. says רב נועם אלימלך Rav Noam Elimelech, says ר' אלימלך Reb Elimelech, the נועם אלימלך Noam Elimelech, that a person who has that healthy sense of shame, לא במהרה הוא חוטא lo bimeheira hu choteh. It protects us. It protects us.Just like pain protects you from doing things that would hurt more. There's a terrible neurological disorder where a person has no capacity to feel pain. So you'll say, \"Ooh, where do I sign up?\" That sounds great. I wish I never felt pain. But it's a horrific disorder. If you don't feel pain, you don't know if you've cut yourself, bruised yourself, have internal bleeding. A person doesn't feel pain, what are they missing? An alarm to know something's wrong. So what רב אלימלך Rav Elimelech is saying is that spiritually, בושה busha, blushing is the pain of the soul. And if your soul never blushes, it never feels pain, you don't know that a line has been crossed. You don't know that there's a virus, that there's a bruise, that there's internal bleeding spiritually, that something's wrong. והארון המתבייש מאוד מגודל הכנעתו שהיה בו, אהרן V'ha'Aron hamisbayesh me'od m'godel achna'ato shehaya bo, Aharon, through his tremendous humility was ashamed. שכן דרך צדיק שתמיד רואה את עצמו חוטא ואפילו כנגד עבירה קלה Shekein derech tzaddik shetamid ro'eh et atzmo choteh v'afilu k'neged aveira kala. Because the righteous, you know those stock traders, they only remember every stock trade they made money on, but they conveniently forgot every time they traded and they lost, every investment they lost. So so too, you have people, they remember every time they got it right in life. They forgot every time they made a mistake, they came up short, they got it wrong. But the צדיק tzaddik remembers where they went wrong. Not holding it on to the point of debilitating themselves, but to learn from it and to not repeat it. So Aharon walks around with this mindfulness, this consciousness of the חטא העגל chet ha'egel. ואפילו בדבר קל עבירה חמורה תחשוב, הוא מכניע את עצמו, שפל בעיני עצמו תמיד, ובפני רבים מוכיח את עצמו. ועל ידי זה מוחלין לו מן השמים. ובפרט אם נפל בשוגג במעשה יזכיר, וחוזר בתשובה שלימה. וזהו מה שאמר משה V'afilu b'davar kal aveira chamura tachshov, hu machnia et atzmo, shafal b'einei atzmo tamid, u'vifnei rabbim mochiach et atzmo. V'al yedei zeh mochalin lo min hashamayim. Uvifrat im nafal b'shogeg b'ma'aseh yazkir, v'chozer b'teshuva shleima. V'zehu mah she'amar Moshe, שאמר משה she'amar Moshe, למה אתה בוש lama ata bosh? בשביל שאתה בוש Bishvil she'ata bosh, אם כן אתה הוא הצדיק השלם הראוי לקרוב למזבח im kein ata hu hatzaddik hashalem ha'raui l'krov la'mizbeach. לכך נבחרת Lekach nivcharta. Just like the בעל שם Baal Shem, says ר' אלימלך Reb Elimelech, because אתה בוש ata bosh, you must be a צדיק tzaddik. Somebody who never blushes, someone who's never ashamed, someone who never takes responsibility, someone who never apologizes, someone who never says they're wrong, someone who is never embarrassed by their behavior, is not a צדיק tzaddik. They're not righteous and they're not ראוי ra'ui to be a leader. When are you a leader? When you say, I made a mistake. I'm not perfect. Came up short. I'm embarrassed. I'm ashamed. לכך נבחרת Lekach nivcharta, שכך הוא ראוי לצדיק לנהוג בעבודת השם shekach hu ra'ui latzaddik linhog b'avodas Hashem. וזהו V'zehu, ויקרב אהרן אל המזבח vayikrav Aharon el hamizbeach. That's what it means. כיון ששמע משה שכך הוא המדרגה המעולה Keivan sheshama Moshe shekach hu hamadreiga hame'ula, once Aharon heard and learned that in fact, healthy shame is an asset, not a liability. It's a positive sign, a סימן יפה siman yafeh, not a bad sign. Now he was ready to bring the first קרבן korban. הבושה וגודל הכנעה בא לו ויעשה כן, ויקרב אהרן אל המזבח, שמקרב את עצמו תמיד למזבח, שמוצא בעצמו חסרונות, והיה מחשיב את עצמו שצריך למזבח כפרה. Habusha v'godel ha'achna'a ba lo v'ya'aseh kein. Vayikrav Aharon el hamizbeach, sh'mekarev et atzmo tamid lamizbeach, shemotze b'atzmo chesronos, v'haya machshiv et atzmo shetzarich lamizbeach kapara. It's interesting, the same ר' אלימלך Reb Elimelech, and we were saying this when we were in Leżajsk together, he wrote the צעטיל קטן Tzetl Katan, he wrote this small תפילה tefillah. And what's a person supposed to דאווענען daven every day? That we should see in our friends, Avraham Fried made a beautiful song out of this, we should see their מעלות ma'alos ולא v'lo חסרונם chesronam. Don't see what they're missing. See their מעלה ma'alah. So ר' אלימלך Reb Elimelech is saying, when it comes to ourselves, don't overstate your מעלה ma'alah, understand your חסרונות chesronos, your weaknesses, your shortcomings, your mistakes. Be aware, learn from them, be cautious, be guarded because of them. But when it comes to someone else, only see their מעלות ma'alos. Don't see the חסרונות chesronos. See their virtues, see how wonderful they are, see what's redeeming about them. That's קרב אל המזבח krav el hamizbeach. לכך נבחרת Lekach nivcharta, because you're בוש bosh, because you have a healthy dose of shame, that's why you were chosen. פרק י פסוק ג Perek Yud Pasuk Gimmel.Thrown off by the time to see how far in we are. פרק י פסוק ג Perek Yud Pasuk Gimmel. Page 592, the Artscroll Stone חומש Chumash. ויקחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהוא איש מחתתו ויתנו בהן אש וישימו עליה קטרת ויקריבו לפני ה' אש זרה Vayikchu vnei Aharon Nadav v'Avihu ish machtato vayitnu vahen eish vayisimu aleha ketores vayakrivu lifnei Hashem eish zara. נדב ואביהוא Nadav v'Avihu, what should have started is the happiest day in Aharon's life. He's got his four sons and they've been chosen, designated to be the leaders. And he's been forgiven. In fact, he's being admired and celebrated that he's got a healthy בושה busha. And it's opening day. All eyes are on Aharon. It should have been the most joyous celebratory day. נדב ואביהוא Nadav v'Avihu, two of his sons come, ויקריבו לפני ה' אש זרה אשר לא צוה אותם vayikrivu lifnei Hashem eish zara asher lo tziva osam. But two of his sons offer something that was not prescribed, something that was not commanded of them. ותצא אש מלפני ה' ותאכל אותם Vateitzei eish milifnei Hashem vatochal osam. So immediately what happens? A fire comes out and consumes them. וימותו לפני ה' Vayamusu lifnei Hashem, and they die. Aharon loses two sons in an instant. Tragic. Tragic, horrific. This calamity, this painful, unimaginable loss of Aharon on this day. How does he react? ויאמר משה אל אהרן, הוא אשר דבר ה' לאמר Vayomer Moshe el Aharon, hu asher diber Hashem leimor. You know, we read this story and we have tremendous compassion for Moshe, for Aharon, but I would humbly suggest that we should add also have compassion for Moshe. Because Moshe's in the position of not knowing what do you say. What do you say to someone who has lost two children? In an instant, unexpected, abruptly. What do you say? What do you say? And Moshe finds words and he says, בקרובי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד b'krovai ekadeish v'al pnei chol ha'am ekaveid, וידם אהרן vayidom Aharon. What does Moshe tell his brother? He quotes Hashem as saying, I will be sanctified through those who are closest to me. I know that you are broken, that your two sons were taken, but in fact, it's evidence of how great they are because Hashem takes those who are closest to him. He's sanctified through those who are closest to him. ועל פני כל העם אכבד V'al pnei chol ha'am ekaveid. And I will be honored before the entire people, Hashem says. And what's Aharon's reaction to Moshe's words? Do they suffice? Are they compelling? Are they comforting? Do they give strength? Do they explain what happened? What's Aharon's reaction? וידם אהרן Vayidom Aharon. Complete and utter, absolute and eerie silence. And we have no idea the nature of that silence. The וידם אהרן Vayidom Aharon. Is it a silence of submission? Is it a silence of questions? Is it a silence of paralysis and pain? Text doesn't tell us. וידם אהרן Vayidom Aharon. Aharon is silent, he's quiet. Now פרשת שמיני Parshas Shmini, פרשת צו Parshas Tzav last week's פרשה parsha usually falls שבת הגדול Shabbos Hagadol. שמיני Shmini is usually the first פרשה parsha right after פסח Pesach, the week of יום השואה Yom Hashoah, וידם אהרן Vayidom Aharon. We think now of October 7th, 1200, another 255, another soldier lost their life, was killed just next to the כיסא הכבוד kisei hakavod, no one can come in their מחיצה mechitza. We spoke about yesterday, dying על קידוש השם al kiddush Hashem. How many parents in the last six months have to react with a וידם vayidom of Aharon, who got that knock on the door from the army to be informed about their children? וידם אהרן Vayidom Aharon. Aharon's silence we don't know. But I'll tell you, I've said it before, I'm repeating it. The Kloisenberger Rebbe was once asked by a young man, at a ברית bris we say the פסוקים psukim from יחזקאל Yechezkel, בדמייך חיי בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi, b'damayich chayi. He asked, what is בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi, what is בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi? And he told the Kloisenberger, I assume what it means בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi means with our blood, with our sacrifice, that's how we live. Those boys who go to the front line and who put their lives in the line and to defend the rest of us, through the sacrifices that כלל ישראל Klal Yisrael have made through the millennia, חיי chayi, that's how we live. That's how we continue, that's how we survive, that's why we're here. Said the Kloisenberger, someone who knew sacrifice well, whose wife and many, many, many children were murdered by the Nazis ימח שמם וזכרם yimach shmam v'zichram, and he rebuilt. Said the Kloisenberger, that's not what בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi means. You know what בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi comes from? בדמייך B'damayich comes from וידם אהרן vayidom Aharon. בדמייך B'damayich with וידם vayidom, חיי chayi. Just like Aharon, we don't know the nature of his silence, but here's what we do know. He put one foot in front of the other. In pain, broken, incomplete, changed forever, he continued with resolve, with resilience, with perseverance, with faith, understanding his mission and his role, he continued. That's what the Kloisenberger really in a very autobiographical way, describing his own life, is בדמייך חיי, בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi, b'damayich chayi. בדמייך B'damayich is בדמייך b'damayich of וידם vayidom, is with the בדמייך b'damayich of וידם vayidom. And is that not what we've seen? Behind the בימה bima alone, we've interviewed families of those who've lost sons, sons who were murdered by terrorists ימח שמם yimach shmam. השם יקום דמם Hashem yikom damam. And they like Aharon, וידם אהרן vayidom Aharon, and בדמייך חיי b'damayich chayi, and that one foot in front of the other. It's extraordinary and it goes all the way back to our פרשה parsha. Now רש\"י Rashi tells us on this word וידם אהרן vayidom Aharon, קיבל שכר על שתיקתו kibel schar al shtikaso. Aharon received reward for his silence. ומה שכר קיבל U'mah schar kibel? And what was the reward he received? שנתייחד עמו הדיבור Shenisyached imo hadibur, שנאמר לו לבדו פרשת שתויי יין she'ne'emar lo l'vado parshas shtuyei yayin. That Aharon alone received the command directly from Hashem. Didn't come through Moshe, came through him. And what was the command he received? The prohibition, you're not allowed, a כהן kohen can't bring alcohol into the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash. Can't drink, I should say. There is, there is, uh, ניסוך היין nisuch hayayin, but the כהן kohen can't drink. Aharon a כהן kohen was quiet, was silent, maybe accepted the divine will, continued nonetheless, and he gets some reward. And what's the reward? That the איסור issur, the prohibition of drinking in the משכן mishkan was given directly to him. That's some reward for his silence, that this מצוה mitzvah was given to him. What does that mean? Says רב דרוק Rav Druck, near the end, in a wonderful way. כי שכר עצום זה מראה לנו את גודל מעשיו של אהרן הכהן בכך שדימם. Ki schar atzum zeh mar'eh lanu et godel ma'asav shel Aharon Hakohen b'kach she'dimem. שלא היה עצב בליבו על גזירת שמים, אך ורק בחוץ היה נראה דומם, וקבלת הדין באהבה. Shelo haya etzev b'libo al gzeiras shamayim, ach v'rak bachutz haya nir'eh domem, u'kabalas hadin b'ahava. אפילו גם בליבו היה מקבל את גזירת שמים, אך יש בתוכו נקודה זעירה של צער, שוב לא היה יכול להיות נביא לשמוע מקדוש ברוך הוא את פרשת שתויי יין. Afilu gam b'libo haya mekabel et gzeiras shamayim, ach yesh b'tocho nekuda ze'ira shel tza'ar, shuv lo haya yachol lihiyos navi lishmoa mikadosh baruch hu et parshas shtuyei yayin. If Hashem gave him this command directly, it means Aharon received נבואה nevuah. What is the prerequisite to receive נבואה nevuah? One only qualifies to receive divine revelation, Hashem only speaks to somebody who is, אין השכינה שורה אלא מתוך שמחה ein hashchina shora ela mitoch simcha. A person has to be בשמחה b'simcha. Hashem only speaks to somebody who is בשמחה b'simcha. Somebody who is sad and broken and excessively mournful, הקדוש ברוך הוא Hakadosh Baruch Hu can't reveal himself to such a person. To be a platform to have the antenna to receive the signal, אין שכינה שורה אלא מתוך שמחה ein shchina shora ela mitoch simcha. So says Rav Druck's brilliant insight. If Aharon received this נבואה nevuah, this ציווי tzivui directly from Hashem, it meant what? That Aharon was בשמחה b'simcha, despite what he went through. He had moments, he cried. He had moments, I'm sure he went through נדב ואביהוא's Nadav v'Avihu's closets and gripped their clothing and held on to every last vestige he had in connection to them. But overall, his attitude, his demeanor, his posture, his role, his interaction, continued to be בשמחה b'simcha. Because if it wasn't, אין הנבואה שורה לא מתוך עצלות ולא מתוך עצבות אלא מתוך שמחה ein hanevuah shora lo mitoch atzlus v'lo mitoch atzvus, ela mitoch simcha, as the רמב\"ם Rambam writes in הלכות יסודי התורה פרק ז Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah Perek Zayin. אלא מכך שאנו רואין שנתייחד עמו הדיבור, אנו רואין כי קבלת הגזירה של אהרן היתה באופן מושלם, ללא שום צער ותערומות. ולכך זכה אהרן שנתייחד עמו הדיבור. Ela mikach she'anu ro'in shenisyached imo hadibur, anu ro'in ki kabbalas hagzeira shel Aharon hayta b'ofen mushlam, l'lo shum tza'ar v'tarumos. U'lekach zacha Aharon shenisyached imo hadibur. And because, that's what it means. So it wasn't the reward of the particular instruction. The other understanding is one of the explanations of why נדב ואביהוא Nadav v'Avihu died, is because they were intoxicated, they were inebriated, they entered the משכן mishkan drunk. It made sense that Aharon received that particular, specific command. But the very fact that Aharon received the command is Hashem essentially giving a kiss, a wink, telling us, look at Aharon's greatness. The וידם vayidom extended itself so far that he remained not מתוך עצלות או עצבות mitoch atzlus o atzvus, but he remained מתוך שמחה mitoch simcha.Okay. פרק י\"א, פסוק מ\"ג Perek Yud Aleph, Pasuk Mem Gimmel. Keep going, laws of כשרות kashrus over here. Bottom of page 604. אל תשקצו את נפשותיכם Al teshaktzu es nafshoseichem. We see this word repeating itself, now having to do with the creepy crawly creatures. I think that's the technical definition, translation. אל תשקצו את נפשותיכם בכל השרץ השורץ ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמאתם בם Al teshaktzu es nafshoseichem b'chol hasheretz hashoreitz v'lo titamu bahem v'nitmeisem bom. Don't make yourselves abominable by means of any teeming things. Don't contaminate yourselves through them, lest you become contaminated through them. On these words, the גמרא Gemara in יומא דף ל\"ט Yoma Daf Lamed Tes says, עבירה מטמטמת לבו של אדם aveira metameimes libo shel adam. An עבירה aveira, when we make a mistake, when we ingest and imbibe food that's off-limits, it has a poisonous effect. It contaminates, it corrupts a person. אל תשקצו Al teshaktzu, ונטמאתם v'nitmeisem, אלא ונטמטם ela v'nitamtam. Don't read it ונטמאתם v'nitmeisem, it makes you impure. Read it, ונטמטם v'nitamtam, it affects us. ר' אליהו לפיאן Reb Eliyahu Lopian says you see a big יסוד yesod here. אין זה רק עניין סגולי ועונש מהשמים שאדם עובר על איסור של אל תשקצו, אלא זה גם דבר טבעי ממש. Ein zeh rak inyan sguli v'onesh min hashamayim she'adam over al issur shel al tishaktzu, ela zeh gam davar tiv'i mamash. A person should understand that what we imbibe has an impact on us. The laws of כשרות kashrus, we take on the personality, the energy of what we eat. And if a person understood that, what's at risk, what's at stake, we'd be scrupulous and vigilant when it came to כשרות kashrus. We'd be uncompromising. We wouldn't say, 'Ah, it's some Hebrew scribble. Looks good enough.' We wouldn't say that looks like a religious symbol, looks good enough. I'm sure everything's okay. I'm sure it's fine. I can't imagine it's a problem. Would you say that if something were poison? Would you say that if something could kill you? Would you say that for your children if they could have a reaction that could cost them their life? So if a person understands that non-kosher is מטמטם את הלב metamtem es halev, it literally could kill us. It's מטמטם metamtem, it changes, it fashions and molds the heart, hardens the heart, has an impact on the heart, then we'd be so much more careful with what we eat. אל תקרי ונטמאתם אלא ונטמטם Al tikrei v'nitmeisem ela v'nitamtam. Don't just read it ונטמאתם v'nitmeisem, but Reb Eliyahu Lopian says, אטימות וסתימת ליבו מכל חכמה otimus v'stimas libo mikol chochma. It clogs the arteries, spiritual arteries, it changes the heart. It has such a negative and terrible impact. פרק י\"א פסוק מ\"ד Perek Yud Aleph Pasuk Mem Dalet. Turn the page, 606. Are you impressed making it all the way to the end of the פרשה parsha? This is clearly our slot. Don't get too excited. פרק י\"א פסוק מ\"ד Perek Yud Aleph Pasuk Mem Dalet. So this whole laws of כשרות kashrus is summarized now. כי אני ה' אלקיכם והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים כי קדוש אני Ki ani Hashem Elokeichem v'hiskadishtem v'hiyisem kedoshim ki kadosh ani. I am Hashem your God. Sanctify yourself and be holy. Why should you be holy? Because I'm holy. כי קדוש אני Ki kadosh ani. ולא תטמאו את נפשותיכם בכל השרץ הרומש על הארץ V'lo t'tamu es nafshoseichem b'chol hasheretz haromeis al ha'aretz. And don't contaminate your soul through any teeming thing that creeps along the ground. So רש\"י Rashi on these words, כי אני ה' אלקיכם ki ani Hashem Elokeichem, why should you be holy? כשם שאני קדוש, שאני ה' אלקיכם, K'shem she'ani kadosh, she'ani Hashem Elokeichem, God says, just like I'm holy, and what makes God holy? Wears a גאַרטל gartel? What makes God holy? Has the longest שמונה עשרה shemoneh esrei? What makes God holy? Because he doesn't eat of any הכשר hechsher? No. What makes him holy is because he's מופרש ומובדל mufrash u'muvdal, separate, apart, distinguished, disciplined, self-regulating, sovereign. כך והתקדשתם kach v'hiskadishtem, קדשו עצמכם למטה kadshu atzmchem l'mata. Just like I am holy above, be holy below. והייתם קדושים לפי שאני עתיד להיות קדוש בכם בעולם הבא Vihyisem kedoshim l'fi she'ani asid l'hiyos kadosh bachem b'olam haba. It's a very clumsy, funny pasuk. Because I'm holy, you should be holy, then you'll be holy, 'cause I'm holy. What's going on in this pasuk? What in the world is going on? So the גמרא פסחים דף נ Gemara Psachim Daf Nun, back to איש תמיד ish tamid. Double Rav Druck today. לא זו אף זו Lo zu af zu and making up for a lost איש תמיד ish tamid. חז\"ל Chazal in the גמרא פסחים דף נ' Gemara Psachim Daf Nun say, לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ובמצוות אף על פי שלא לשמה, שמתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה. L'olam ya'asok adam b'Torah u'v'mitzvos af al pi shelo lishma, she'mitoch shelo lishma ba lishma. A person should always occupy themselves in תורה ומצוות Torah u'mitzvos, and even if they're insincere, and even if they're driven by the wrong motivation and reason, they should do it. You know why? Because if you do it for the wrong reason, you'll come to do it for the right reason. The גמרא סוטה Gemara Sotah... בלעם... בלק Balak. שבשכר ארבעים ושנים קרבנות שהקריב בלק מלך מואב Sheb'schar arba'im u'shnayim korbanos shehikriv Balak melech Moav, in the merit of the 42 sacrifices that Balak the king of Moav brought, whom did he have descend from him? Who emerged from him? Who comes out of Moav? Rus. And from Rus comes Shlomo. אלף עולות יעלה שלמה Elef olos ya'aleh Shlomo. אפילו קרבנות אלו שהקריב שלא לשמה, לבסוף יצא מהם שלמה המלך שהקריב לשמה. Afilu korbanos eilu she'hikriv shelo lishma, l'vasof yatza meihem Shlomo Hamelech she'hikriv lishma. From the impure, corrupt motivation of Balak bringing the sacrifice, from him came a Shlomo who brought a sacrifice for a very authentic, very genuine, very righteous reason. The Nier Rebbe says, כי גם גם פסוק זה יש רמז לדבר ki gam gam pasuk zeh yesh remez l'davar. Says Rav Druck, and we end with this, a very, very beautiful insight. You see an allusion to this here in this pasuk. והתקדשתם V'hiskadishtem. What form of the verb is that? התפעל Hitpa'el. והתקדשתם V'hiskadishtem. And what form of the verb is that? Reflexive, to transform yourself. תתנהגו בקדושה Titnahagu b'kedusha, תעשו פעולות חיצוניות של קדושה ta'asu pe'ulos chitzoniyos shel kedusha, ותקדשו עצמכם בכל מה שאתם יכולים אפילו שלא לשמה v'tekadshu etzmechem b'chol mah she'atem yecholim afilu shelo lishma. And then, והייתם קדושים v'hiyisem kedoshim. You know what Rav Druck says here? Fake it 'til you make it. The Torah's telling us, fake it 'til you make it. Or put differently, they say in some circles, dress for the job that you want, not for the one that you have. It's on a Northwestern University scholars right in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, a study. The clothes we wear have the power not only over others, but also over ourselves. They call this internal dynamic, quote, enclothed cognition. While much research has looked at how our wardrobe influences the way we're perceived, their study examines its impact on our own thinking and behavior. If you wear a white coat and you believe it belongs to a doctor, your ability to pay attention increases sharply. If you wear the same white coat and you believe it belongs to a painter, you show no such improvement. Nothing wrong with being a painter. But if a person wears a white coat and they think they feel, they look like a doctor, all of a sudden they can pay attention much better. The clothing we wear not only changes the perception and impression that others have of us, it literally changes our own behavior, our own practice, it changes ourselves. Says Rav Druck, that's what the pasuk is saying. You know כי אני ה' אלקיכם ki ani Hashem Elokeichem, I'm the Lord your God. I have high expectations of you and there's a piece of me inside you. And I know you think it's hard in this world. But והתקדשתם v'hiskadishtem, fake it 'til you make it. Put on a white coat, feel like a doctor. Dress for the job that you want, not the one that you have. Because if you fake it, you're going to make it. והתקדשתם V'hiskadishtem. If you carry yourself like you're holy, והייתם קדושים v'hiyisem kedoshim. Then you're going to end up being holy. You're going to end up being holy. Stop waiting for the inspiration and motivation. Stop waiting for some moment. Stop waiting, when I'm holy, then I'll come to minyan during the week, then I'll start the daf yomi, then I'll be careful with lashon hara, then I'll give my maaser more tzedakah, then I'll volunteer for chesed. When I'm holy, then I'll do holy things. But until then, I hang out with the non-holy. No. Fake it till you make it. Act like you're holy and you know what will happen? You're going to become holy. If there are changes you want to make, there's someone you want to be, dress like it, act like it, take it upon yourself. והתקדשתם V'hiskadishtem. Do it on the outside. והייתם קדושים V'hiyisem kedoshim. And then, אף על פי שבתחילה התנהגות של קדושה רק חיצוניות af al pi she'b'tchila ha'hitnahagus shel kedusha rak chitzoniyus, even though it began superficial, surface, שלא לשמה shelo lishma, מכל מקום תנועת החיצוניות מעוררת הפנימיות mikol makom t'nuas ha'chitzoniyus me'oreres ha'pnimiyus, it will awaken, it will arouse internally, ולבסוף תגיעו לקדושה לשמה u'l'vasof tagi'u l'kedusha lishma, and in the end you'll end with קדושה לשמה kedusha lishma, ובאמת תהיו קדושים גם בפנימיות u've'emes tihiyu kedoshim gam bapnimiyus, and then you'll be on the inside as well. And that's what רש\"י Rashi meant, says Rav Druck. וזהו שכתב רש\"י V'zehu shekasav Rashi, קדשו עצמכם למטה kadshu atzmchem l'mata, בדרגה פחותה b'darga pchusa, if you sanctify yourself למטה l'mata on the holy level, then I'll sanctify you למעלה l'mala. Fake it, do it on the lowest level, the שלא לשמה shelo lishma level, and then I'll raise you up that you're doing it למעלה l'mala, you're doing it on the internal, holy, genuine, authentic, higher level. ויהי רצון שנזכה V'yehi ratzon shenizkeh. Fake it, and then be able to celebrate that we made it. Thank you.
