The Holy Fragrance

There are two parshios in Titzaveh that seem to be out of place.  The bulk of the parsha deals with the garments of the kohanim and their inauguration but the beginning of the parsha discusses the oil for the Menorah and the end discusses the mizbach haketores.  The bookends of the parsha seem to fit better in parshas Teruma, what are they doing here? 

The possuk in Mishlay (27:9) says שמן וקטרת ישמח לב.  The Tanchuma (15) applies this possuk to this parsha that the kohan gadol anointed with oil offered ketores created the atonement for Klal Yisrael on Yom Kippur.  The Midrash also says that the Shechina only came to rest in the Mikdash with the offering of the ketores.  Says Rav Yitzchak Sorotzkin, that is why the mizbach haketores comes at the end of the description of all the parts of the Mishkan and the kohanim, since it isn't a vessel of the Mkdash but a means to bring about the presence of the Shechina (see Seforno who already alludes to this idea.)  What is it about the ketores that brings the presence of the Shechina?

The parsha end off that the Kohan Gadol offers ketores on the mizbaoch on Yom Kippur.  Why is this possuk included here when the avodah of Yom Kippur is described in Acharei Mos?  The Torah is demonstrating the importance of the avodah of the ketores that it plays a central theme in the avodah of Yom Kippur.  The root of קטורת is קטר which is the same word as the Aramic word for tie or connection, קטירא.  The ketores represents the deep connection Klal Yisrael has to Hashem.  Why is this connection demonstrated through ketores in particular?  As discussed in the post 'Smell Of Purity' the sense of smell is the one sense not contaminated by sin and the smell of the ketores represents the internal purity of the person which is not sullied by sin.  The Gemarah Berachot (43b) says the neshama benefits from smell.  There is no bodily pleasure from smell, it is the neshama, the essence of a person that benefits.  This is demonstrated by the fact that a person can be woken up when they are passed out by strong smells for the smell touches the internal life force of the person to awaken the physical body.  Rav Moshe Shapira notes that is due to the fact the the ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים comes through the nose of a person, the nose, the sense of smell is the entrance to the attachment between the body and the neshama.  He adds that the shape and the word for nose allude to this idea as well.  The word for nose is אף, even, something additional and in the physical form the nose protrudes from the face, it something tacked on and elevated from the rest of the face.  This is reflective of the nature of the nose to be elevated beyond the normal physicality of the rest of the body.  With this idea he explained the Gemarah Berachot (56b) that one who sees an elephant in a dream פיל פילים נעשה לו.  The Rema says that we say ומפליא לעשות in asher yatzar because it is a פלא, a wonder that the neshama can be attached to a physical body.  We see that פלא refers to the connection of gashmi and ruchni.  This is the essence of the פיל and thus it is named, for its nose, its place of ruchni, is its hand, it uses or its physical needs of eating.    

אמר רבא חייב איניש לבסומי בפוריא עד דלא ידע בין ארור המו לברוך מרדכי.  Rashi explains לבסומי - להשתכר ביין.  But why the strange term לבסומי?  The word לבסומי is related to the word בסמים, fragrance spices.  The Sfas Emes (5640) connects this word with the Gemarah Shabbos (88a) that says when Hashem said the 10 dibros the world became filled with besamim.  Why was the world filled with besamim at the giving of the 10 dibros?  At the time of Matan Torah the sin of the eitz hadaas was nullified.  That is why the dibros came with besamim for they were electric shocks to awaken the neshama.  The purity of the untainted part of mankind was awoken.  

The Gemarah in Chullin (139b) says that Mordechai is hinted to in the Torah in the words of the ketores, מר דרור ומתרגמינין מרי דכי.  Mordechai is connected to the ketores.  Ester is also called הדסה, a myrtle known for its nice fragrance.  The heroes of the Purim story are connected to smell for they awoke the sleeping souls of Klal Yisrael with the smelling salts to make them realize their predicament.  The Sfas Emes concludes that Mordechai is the light of Moshe and hence on Purim also one's drinking is לבסומי.  What does that mean?  The Gemarah Chullin says Haman is hinted to in the words המן העץ, he is connected to the eitz hadaas.  On Purim we connect to the innermost part of our soul untouched by sin.  The point of the wine is to unlock the inner depths of a person, to bring out the neshama, the part untouched by the eitz hadaas, by the Haman.  That is the antidote to Haman. 

Rashi Vayeshev (37:25) says when Yosef was sold to the Arabs as opposed to the normal horrific smelling cargo they normally carried, in this scenario they carried besamim so as Yosef would not have to smell awful smells on his journey with them.  It is specifically through the sense of smell that Hashem was indicating to Yosef don't think you are forsaken.  I am still connected to your neshama.  I am guiding you through this journey.  Even though externally it may look bad, internally, from the neshama's perspective, it is for the best. 

When one is inline with their nose, with their pure neshama, then there is nothing that stands in the way.  There is no Haman, no tumah, that can stand in the way.  That is why we find in the ketores, even the חלבנה which smells terrible on its own, is able to be transformed into the pleasant smelling ketores.  Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld (cited by Maharil Diskin) adds that the gematria of חלבנה is the same as המן, they both equal 95.  Even the Haman, the foul smell, בני בניו של המן למדו תורה ברבים.  The allusion to Mordechai is in the מור דרור which many Rishonim say is a derivative of the blood of a non-kosher animal.  Even that which is impure is able to become nullified when its source of kedusha is revealed (see Chasam Sofer and Torah Or Ad D'lo Yadah.)  Rav Kook (מדות הראי"ה אות ו) points out it says to wipe out Amalek מתית השמים but in שמים, the root of Amalek can be purified.  The Shla (Derush for Zachor) says that is why the holiday of Purim will never be nullified for the entire concept of Purim is about taking away the power of the evil forces and accessing their source of kedusha which is a fulfilment of the mission of the future. 

The ketores is burnt between the preparation of the candles of the menorah (Yoma 14b.)  Why is it done then?  The neros represent the illumination of the souls.  The ketores and neros go hand in hand.  The neros represent the spread of the light of the neshama outward.  The parsha opens with the law of olive oil for the menorah for it is the inner part of the olive, the oil, the inside of a person, the soul is illuminated.  The Torah the parsha following the Mishkan highlighting the point of the Mishkan not a mere building but as a point of spreading the light to the world.  The parsha ends with the avodah that demonstrates the innermost pure part of a person which is what brings the Shechina to be present in the Mishkan (see Toras Menachem 5752.)

100 and 101

This post is adding to ideas in the post, 'Toras Purim: Nothing Certain other than Taxes: Vayasem Achashveirosh Mas' on Divrei Chaim blog. 

The word עמלק can be broken down into עמל ק.  This of course is reminiscent of the Gemarah Chagigah (9a)  אינו דומה שונה פרקו מאה פעמים לשונה פרקו מאה ואחד.  The tumah that is Amalek is to learn only 100 times. What does this mean?  What is the advantage of learning 101 times?  The Arizal (שער מאמרי חז"ל) says that the angel in charge of forgetting is called מ"ס which equals 100 and by learning 101 times one moves past the malach of forgetting.  What is it that one forgets when learning 100 times but remembers with learning 101 times?  

The Megalleh Amukot notes that Michael, 101, is the malach in charge of remembering.  By learning 101 times, one is tied to the malach of remembering which is one more than the malach of forgetting.

The Baal Shem Tov teaches that the difference between 100 and 101 times is not a difference in number but the difference if one put The One, the אלופו של עולם, in the learning of 100 times.  Is one learning to connect to Hashem?  If that is the learning, there is the 1 in the 100, it will be remembered, if not it would be forgotten.  The Degel Machene Efraim reads this into the words of the Megillah , ישנו עם אחד, meaning, a nation that puts The one, puts Hashem into their learning.  The malach of forgetting is מ"ס, meaning one can learn the maximun amount of times, 100 times but if one isn't learning with the connection to Hashem, then the Torah will be forgotten, meaning it will not permeate through the individual to transform him into a better person.  לא זכה נעשה לו סם המות.  The Torah actually will destroy the person.  זכה נעשה לו סם חיים, one is able to connect the סם with Hashem and elevate it.  

The tumah of Amalak is to cause that disconnect between learning Torah and transforming the person.  אשר קרך בדרך, on the path between the mind and the heart, between the rest of the body, they come and attack, they interrupt the flow.  Amalak comes when רפו ידיהם מן התורה, when the Torah is not connected to the hands, when one's gashmi is not permeated with the Torah he is studying.  The Arizal continues וז"ס ויתן על פניו מסו"ה ר"ל כי הקליפה הזו רוצה לעשות הפסק למעלה.  The מסוה is מ"ס and ו"ק, the break between the teachings of the Torah and Hashem.  כי יד על כס קה, the last two letters of the name of Hashem are broken by the מ"ס of the מסוה.  The first two letters represent the knowledge of Hashem as expressed in the Torah while the last two letters refer to the middot (see Tanya, Igeres Hateshuva.)  The Torah, the knowledge is here but Amalek breaks the connection between the knowledge and transforming one's middot (see sicha 5749.) 

This is why we are commanded זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלך.  We must remember.  Amalek, עמל ק, makes us forget the א, אלופו של עולם, that has to be added to our learning so we are commanded to remember, to add the א to our learning, to learn 101 times.   

The parsha of Tiztavah is the only parsha after Shemos that des not have the name of Moshe.  The Megalleh Amukot points out though that there are 101 pessukim in the parsha and the hidden letters in the name of Moshe, משה = מם שין הא, add up to 101.  Even though Moshe doesn't appear overtly, he is hidden in the parsha.  In addition, he notes that 101 is the gematria of מיכאל because when Moshe is hidden, Michael comes.  In other words, when Klal Yisrael sinned with the agel, Hashem said now the angel (Michael) will lead them, not Hashem directly and Moshe davened that Hashem himself should lead them.  But after Moshe passed, then Michael leads them.  Even after Moshe is not physically here, he is not forgotten.  He is embedded in the parsha.  Michal is not a substitute but a way to hang on to Moshe and thereby connect to Hashem. 

As noted by the Meor Einayim, the parsha of Titzavah  usually falls out around 7 Adar, the day Moshe passed.  The fact that Moshe is not present in the parsha but is still alluded to shows that even in the absence of Moshe Rabbenu himself, his presence is still there.  In fact the connection to Moshe is greater now for it is a connection to Moshe as אתה, the essence of Moshe, not limited by the name of Moshe (see Kli Yakar, sichas Rebbe 5752.) The Maggid teaches that ואתה תצוה from the word צוותא, to be connected.  How to be connected to Moshe?  את בני ישראל, by learning the Torah, the letters of the Torah, א- ת.  By connecting ourselves to Moshe through the Torah, putting the א of אתה into our learning, then we will sill the 101, the hidden Moshe.  The the passing of Moshe is not a negative but a new לידה to be able to connect to Moshe on a deeper level. 

(Sources: תכלית מלחמת עמלק, chabad.org, שער מאמרי חז"ל, שבילי פנחס.)  

Hallel Of The Megillah

The Gemarah Megillah (14a) has three reasons why there is no hallel said on Purim.  The reason the Rambam codifies (3:6) is the reason of Rav Nachman that the reading of the Megillah is the fulfillment of hallel.  The simple read of the Gemarah is that there technically hallel should be said but is is fulfilled via reading the Megillah.  This is fact is the opinion of the Meiri that holds if one is not hearing the Megillah of Purim for some reason, then they must recite hallel.  This leads to questions discussed in the Achronim such as if there should be hallel said on cities that read on the 15^th when that falls out on Shabbos and the Megillah is not read on Shabbos like this year or why we don't have to stand throughout the Megillah like when reading hallel (see Chasam Sofer siman 51 and article by Rav Zvi Ryzmanץ) 

Both the Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 36) and Rav Solevetchik (Mesorah journal volume 18) have a different take on this Gemarah.  They explain that the Gemarah means not that there is a din to say hallel on Purim and it is fulfilled through the Megillah but the only correct form of hallel on Purim is reading the megillah.  The explanation is that we only say hallel on an overt, open miracles.  The Purim story did not contain any jaw dropping miraculous events and it is only through the Megillah that connects the dots for us that we can glimpse the mircale that took place.  קריאתה זו הילולא means that the only only hallel experience that is applicable on Purim is that of the Megillah which allows us to acknowledge the covert miracles that took place.  

The opinion of Tosfos Megillah (4a) is that even though the beracha of shechiyanu is said on the night time reading of the Megillah, it is repeated again before the day time reading for the main obligation is the day time reading.  The Rambam (1:3, see Magid Mishna) disagrees and holds there is no new shechiyanu in the day.  Rav Zolti (Mishnas Yaavetz siman 77) says the Rambam agrees to the assertion of Tosfos that the main reading is in the day time but nonetheless disagrees with the conclusion of Tosfos that this should require a new shechiyanu blessing.  His explanation of this idea is that the advantage of the daytime reading over the night time reading is that it is also a fulfilment of the law of hallel.  However, since the essence of the obligation of the reading of the Megillah is the same, the shechiyanu on the night time reading covers the day time reading as the added element of hallel does not obligate shechiyanu for we never say shechiyanu on hallel.  [In light of his explanation, Tosfos would have to hold the fact that there is an added element to the reading of the daytime defines the daytime reading as a different type of reading and that enables a shechiyanu or Tosfos holds there are other advantages to the daytime reading.]  Rav Solevetchik however, uses his approach to explain the opinion of Tosfos.  Since the reading of the Megillah is not in place of hallel but rather a unique form of hallel expressed only through the Megillah, that form of krias megillah deserves its own shechiyanu.