Rabbi Glatstein – Parshas Re'eh .... for the Women of Sao Paolo

Torah To Brazil: Sao Paulo - Bringing Redemption to Reality {L'maaleh D'Women's Event}

Rabbi Glatstein in Sao Paolo Brazil on Parshas Re'eh

Davar Yafeh B'ito - Connecting Parshas Re'eh to the Zman Hashana

Rav Kook on Re'eih: Searching for the Temple Site and King David

 SURPRISINGLY the Torah never spells out exactly where the Temple is to be built. Rather we are instructed to build the Beit HaMikdash “in the place that      G–D will choose”:



“Only to the place that the Eternal your G–D will choose from all your tribes to set His Name — there you shall seek His dwelling place, and go there.” (Deut. 12:5)



Where is this place “that G–D will choose”? What does it mean that we should “seek out His dwelling place”?



The Hidden Location

The Sages explained that the Torah is commanding us, under the guidance of a prophet, to discover where the Beit HaMikdash should be built. King David undertook the search for this holy site with the help of the prophet Samuel.

Why didn’t the Torah explicitly state the location where to build the Temple? Moses certainly knew that the Akeidah took place on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, and he knew that Abraham had prophesied that this would be the site of the Beit HaMikdash (see Gen. 22:14 and Rashi ad loc.)



Maimonides (Guide for the Perplexed III: 45) suggested that Moses wisely chose not to mention Jerusalem explicitly. Had he done so, the non-Jewish nations would have realized Jerusalem’s paramount importance to the Jewish people and would have fought fiercely to prevent it from falling into Israel’s hands.



Even worse, knowledge of Jerusalem’s significance could have led to infighting among the tribes. Each tribe would want the Beit HaMikdash to be located in its territory. The result could have been an ugly conflict, similar to Korach’s rebellion against Aaron’s appointment to the position of High Priest.



Maimonides reasoned that this is why the Torah commands that a king be appointed before building the Beit HaMikdash. This way the Temple’s location would be determined by a strong central government, thus avoiding inter-tribal conflict and rivalry.



"Between His Shoulders"

In any case, David did not know where the Beit HaMikdash was to be built. According to the Talmud (Zevachim 54b), his initial choice fell on Ein Eitam, a spring located to the south of Jerusalem. Ein Eitam appeared to be an obvious choice since it is the highest point in the entire region. This corresponds to the Torah’s description that “You shall rise and ascend to the place that the Eternal your G–D will choose” (Deut.17:8).



However, David subsequently considered a second verse that alludes to the Temple’s location. At the end of his life, Moses described the place of G–D’s Divine Presence as “dwelling between his shoulders” (Deut. 33:12). What does this mean?



This allegory suggests that the Temple’s location was not meant to be at the highest point, but a little below it, just as the shoulders are below the head. Accordingly, David decided that Jerusalem, located at a lower altitude than Ein Eitam, was the site where the Beit HaMikdash was meant to be built.



Doeg, head of the High Court, disagreed with David. He supported the original choice of Ein Eitam as the place to build the Temple. The Sages noted that Doeg’s jealousy of David was due to the latter’s success in discovering the Temple’s true location.



The story of David’s search for the site of the Beit HaMikdash is alluded to in one of David’s “Songs of Ascent.” Psalm 132 opens with a plea: “Remember David for all his trouble” (132:1). What was this trying labor that David felt was a special merit, a significant life achievement for which he wanted to be remembered?



The psalm continues by recounting David’s relentless efforts to locate the place of the Temple. David vowed:



“I will not enter the tent of my house, nor will I go up to the bed that was spread for me. I will not give sleep to my eyes, nor rest to my eyelids — until I find G–D’s place, the dwellings of the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Psalms 132: 3-5)



David and Doeg

What was the crux of the dispute between David and Doeg? Doeg reasoned that the most suitable site for the Temple is the highest point in Jerusalem, reflecting his belief that the spiritual greatness of the Temple should only be accessible to the select few, those who are able to truly grasp the purest levels of enlightenment — the kohanim and the spiritual elite.



David, on the other hand, understood that the Temple and its holiness need to be the inheritance of the entire people of Israel. The kohanim are not privy to special knowledge; they are merely agents who influence and uplift the people with the Temple’s holiness. The entire nation of Israel is described as a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6).



The Waters of Ein Eitam

Even though Ein Eitam was never sanctified, it still retained a special connection to the Beit HaMikdash, as its springs supplied water for the Beit HaMikdash. The Talmud relates that on Yom Kippur, the High Priest would immerse himself in a mikveh on the roof of the Beit HaParvah chamber in the Temple complex. In order for the water to reach this roof, which was 23 cubits higher than the ground floor of the Temple courtyard, water was diverted from the Ein Eitam springs, which were also located at this altitude.



Rav Kook explained that there exists a special connection between Ein Eitam and the High Priest’s purification on Yom Kippur. While the Beit HaMikdash itself needs to be accessible to all, the purification of the High Priest must emanate from the highest possible source. Yom Kippur’s unique purity and power of atonement originate in the loftiest realms, corresponding to the elevated springs of Ein Eitam.



(Sapphire from the Land of Israel. Adapted from Shemu'ot HaRe’iyah (Beha’alotecha), quoted in Peninei HaRe’iyah, pp. 273-274, 350-351. Shemonah Kevatzim I:745)

chanan@ravkooktorah.org

Mayim Achronim – Re'eh – On Mixing Meat and Fish

 On Mixing Fish and Meat

This week’s parasha, Re’eh, contains one of three instances in the Torah prohibiting the consumption of meat and dairy together (Deuteronomy 14:21). There is another prohibition strongly linked to this one in Jewish tradition that has no source in the Torah itself: consuming meat and fish together. Unlike meat and dairy, meat and fish can be consumed at the same meal, but sequentially and not combined in the same dish. Where did this restriction come from, and what might be the deeper meaning behind it?

A look through the early sources shows surprisingly little. The Tanakh says nothing about it, and neither does the Mishnah. Its origin is from a passing reference in the Talmud (Pesachim 76b). The Talmud first states that if bread is baked in an oven together with meat, then that bread becomes “meaty” and cannot later be eaten with dairy. The Talmud then states that a sage named Rava of Parzikiya taught that a person should not consume dairy with a binita that had been cooked simultaneously with a meat dish in the same oven. 

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzchaki, 1040-1105) comments that binita is a type of fish. (Today, there is a popular type of fish called Bonito, sometimes used as a tuna substitute, but it appears completely unrelated etymologically). The plain meaning here seems to be that the binita fish, like bread, is “spongy” and absorbs the meaty aroma of the oven. Thus, it cannot be eaten with dairy if previously cooked with meat. 

(Presumably, other non-binita fish cooked in the same oven as a meat dish retain their “pareve” status and can later be consumed with dairy.) The passage ends with Mar bar Rav Ashi saying the binita cooked in the same oven as meat shouldn’t be eaten at all, even if salted, because “it causes bad odour and another thing”. Rashi explains that “another thing” is code for tzara’at, loosely translated as “leprosy”.

So, the Talmud presents us with two opinions about the mysterious binita fish. The second opinion suggests that binita fish cooked in the same oven as meat is not good for health. Over time, the belief evolved to mean that any fish consumed with meat is not good for health. While it was never a Torah prohibition, it was believed to be a sakana, a danger to health, so it was taken seriously. This sakana was based on the medical knowledge of the time. Indeed, we find similar warnings in ancient texts from other parts of the world—and that may explain why there are hardly any recipes out there that combine meat and fish.

Today, we know that there isn’t any danger in consuming meat and fish together. In fact, even the great Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 1138-1204, chief rabbi of Egypt and physician to Sultan Saladin) knew there was no such danger, and totally omitted any mention of meat and fish in his law code, the Mishneh Torah. The Chatam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Schreiber, 1763-1839) explained that this is because the Talmud only warned against the specific binita fish, and not any other fish. Plus, the Rambam was an expert doctor who knew there was no health risk. The Chatam Sofer suggests it’s okay to be lenient here.

The Ba’al haTurim (Rabbi Yakov ben Asher, 1269-1343), meanwhile, affirmed the prohibition in his law code (Arba’ah Turim, Yoreh De’ah 116:2). Rav Yosef Karo (1488-1575) took the same position in the Shulchan Arukh. It is quite possible that he did this based on more mystical reasoning, being that he was one of the preeminent Kabbalists of Tzfat. That said, Kabbalistic texts say little to nothing about this prohibition. 

It all appears to be based on that ancient sakana belief, the medical reasoning for which no longer applies. Yet, the custom became universally accepted among Jews, so there must be something significant that we can learn from it. If we dig a little deeper, we may be able to uncover some profound lessons.

Leviathan, Behemoth, Mashiach

The short Talmudic passage from which the prohibition in question is derived gives us three clues: there’s the fish, the “bad odour”, and the leprosy. The common thread between these three things is that they are all associated with Mashiach. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98b) calls Mashiach the “leper scholar”. (See also “Who is Mashiach?” in the Third Volume of Garments of Light for more on what this might mean). The same Talmud (93b) tells us that Mashiach will judge through his spiritually heightened and super-sensitive sense of smell (as explored in-depth in the class here). He will be able to detect a bad person through a subtle “bad odour”, and vice versa. Finally, Mashiach has long been associated with the fish:

The Aramaic word for fish is nun, and the Zohar (III, 66b) says the letter nun is symbolic of the Shekhinah and of Malkhut, “Kingdom”. The first person who had the potential to establish the divine kingdom on Earth following the Exodus was Yehoshua bin Nun, whose name literally means “Salvation of a Fish” (for more on why he was called this way, see here). Yehoshua was a descendant of Joseph, whom the Sages compared to a fish, based on Jacob’s blessing for his children to multiply like fish (see Bava Metzia 84a and Rashi on Genesis 48:16). 

Because of this, the fish has always been more specifically associated with Mashiach ben Yosef. It therefore isn’t surprising that early Christians adopted the fish as a symbol for their supposed messiah, who was literally a son of Joseph, and whose name was literally the Aramaic version of Yehoshua. (The fish is still a Christian symbol, often depicted on bumper stickers.) With all of this in mind, we can again ask: why not mix fish and meat? I believe we can derive three intriguing lessons:

In the Talmudic era, our Sages were especially concerned with detaching Christianity from authentic Judaism. Rabbi Akiva in particular led this endeavour, and instituted many rules and practices to separate Christianity from Judaism (as explored previously in the series on the Apocrypha). Since the fish was an early symbol of Christianity (some scholars suggest it even predated the cross as a Christian symbol, and was the original symbol of the early “Messianic Jews” of the 1st century), perhaps one symbolic reason for separating fish and meat was to affirm the separation of Christianity and Judaism. And maybe that’s why the Talmud doesn’t say just any “fish”, but specifically the mysterious binita. In other words, don’t put that guy they claim is the saviour bin nun into the kosher oven with meat.

Secondly, the Sages of the Talmud (Sukkah 52a) debated the issue of whether there will be one messiah or two: are Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David two distinct individuals, or one person in two phases? 

(This Talmudic debate was explored in depth in a recent series here.) With the Talmud in Sukkah remaining unresolved, maybe the Talmud in Pesachim is adding the opinion of Mar bar Rav Ashi: don’t mix together the fish and the meat—Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David—they are two distinct figures! The halakhah didn’t necessarily go his way, though, and the Rambam ruled there is only one Messiah. He did not mention any “Mashiach ben Yosef” anywhere in his work. So of course, with perfect consistency, he also doesn’t mention Mar bar Rav Ashi’s prohibition of mixing fish and meat! Both are completely absent from the Rambam’s texts! 

Third, the Talmud describes in detail the forthcoming “Feast of the Leviathan” at the start of the Messianic Age (Bava Batra 75a). The fishy dragon, which is described here as having a terribly “bad odour” reminiscent of the binita, will be consumed by the righteous at the End of Days, in a special sukkah made of its scaly skin. The same meal will include the meat of the great beast, the Behemoth. The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 13:3) describes the Behemoth and the Leviathan as two opposing forces engaged in a cosmic duel. 

The horns of the Behemoth will ultimately impale the Leviathan, just as the fin of the Leviathan tears apart the Behemoth. Both will then be consumed by the righteous. So perhaps the Talmud was symbolically telling us not to mix these opposing forces, the Leviathan and the Behemoth. But there will come a time, in the Messianic Age, when there will be no issue in combining them. Both fish and meat will be served at the same feast. And maybe they will even be eaten together.

May we merit to partake in that Feast very soon!

See here for an excellent historical and halakhic analysis of meat and fish.

Rabbi Wein – Parshas Re'eh

 Moshe seemingly interrupts his long oration to the Jewish people about their history and destiny with a surprising review of the year’s calendar holidays. The calendar has always been central to Jewish life and survival. Under the dark regime of Stalin, Soviet Jewry was forbidden from owning or possessing a Jewish calendar.

The depths of loyalty of Soviet Jewry, to their inner faith, is seen in the fact that somehow millions of Soviet Jews still knew when the Jewish holidays would occur. For the calendar is the rhythm of our lives and evokes with it memory, hope and a feeling of the timelessness of Jewish life and its traditions. 

As such, the mere existence of the Jewish calendar posed a threat to the atheistic, cruel Communist regime that ruled then over a large part of humankind. The calendar in Jewish life and thought does not really only mark the passage of time gone by. Rather, it focuses on time that is yet to come, on the future, which can somehow always be brighter than was the past.

 

One of my younger grandchildren proudly told me that he had calculated how many years in the future a certain anomaly on the Jewish calendar, regarding erev Pesach, would occur. I bless him that he lives to see it but he is already certainly enthusiastic about the prospect and looks forward to its happening.

The calendar supplies us with a vision of the future and allows us the ability to feel that we are masters of our own fate and that we can, by our own efforts, be influential in determining our destiny.

 

The Jewish calendar is a progression of one holy day to the next holy day. We are always on the way to celebrate and commemorate our obligations to serve our Creator. Though there have been numerous sad days introduced into our calendar since the times of Moshe, the Jewish calendar still remains one of upbeat spirit and joy, family and hospitality, compassion and appreciation of life and its bounties.

 

The parsha of Re’eh always falls in the month of Elul, leading to the glorious month of Tishrei with its days of awe and compassion and the celebration of Torah and its commandments on Succot. The review of the Jewish year, which occupies a great deal of the subject matter of this week’s parsha, is therefore most fitting for it prepares us not only for the coming month but for the coming year generally. 

Though the future is always inscrutable, we can nevertheless be comforted and feel secure by the consistency of our calendar, which has marked the journey of the Jewish people through time and centuries. The Jewish calendar reminds us daily of our uniqueness as a people and of the eternity of our Torah and our faith. It thus fits rather neatly into Moshe’s overall message to the Jewish people as recorded for us here in the book of Dvarim. 

The passage of time itself is one of the life’s gifts bestowed upon us by our Creator.

 

Shabat shalom

Rabbi Berel Wein 

Rabbi Winston – Parashas Re'eh

THE TORAH MENTIONS in three locations, including in this week’s parsha, that we are not to cook a kid in its mother’s milk. This is the Torah prohibition of baser b’chalav, which means that we are not allowed to cook milk and meat together, eat milk and meat that was cooked together, or even derive benefit from such a mixture. 

This is a unique kashrus prohibition because though we are not allowed to eat treif, we can cook it for or sell it to someone who can. Baser b’chalav is also unique since the milk and meat on their own were kosher before being combined. In fact, the Torah prohibition of baser b’chalav only takes effect if the milk and meat are kosher before being cooked together. If either the milk or meat is not kosher, then they do not result in the issur (prohibition) of baser b’chalav, though (they would still be forbidden as treif).

That’s the easy part. There are technical issues to consider, such as what constitutes cooking according to the Torah, and what can be done if such a mixture occurs accidentally. There are also a considerable number of rabbinical laws to keep a Jew distant from the Torah issur. 

Then there is the halachah of waiting between milk and meat meals. Since the Torah prohibition only begins if the milk and meat are cooked together, it is rabbinical that we do not eat them together uncooked. The Torah does not prohibit taking a cold piece of cheese and putting it on top of a cold burger and eating them together, but the rabbis have. Since the entire nation accepted this tradition, it cannot be undone. 

The point that the Torah makes such a big deal about the combination of milk and meat, more so than many other issurim like treif, the rabbis felt it good practice to distance milk and meat as much as possible. 

Since dairy products tend to digest relatively quickly, a person can have a meat meal immediately after a milk meal if the cheese is not so hard as to take six hours to digest (my Danish friend used to bring back cheese like that from Holland to yeshivah, and the smell cleared all of us, except for him, from the bench). You also have to make sure that you thoroughly clean your mouth and hands of all traces of dairy products before touching anything to do with the meal.

The reverse is not the case. Meat, because of its fatty nature can leave a taste of meat in a person’s mouth for an extended time (Rashi), it takes longer to digest, and meat tends to get stuck between the teeth (Rambam). 

For these reasons, the rabbis instituted a time gap between the end of a meat meal and the beginning of a milk one of six full hours. This is the time for meat to become fully digested, and any meat stuck between the teeth to lose its status as food.

The six-hour waiting period is standard for all Jews (Ashkenazim and Sephardim), except those who have a halachically established tradition of less time. The Zohar says that a person should not eat meat within one hour of dairy, and some follow this tradition. The Rema explains that though the custom in his community (Krakow) was to wait an hour between meals, one should wait six hours. Nowadays, most Jews wait six hours, though Dutch Jews wait one hour, and German Jews wait three hours. 

There is also an opinion that six hours does not mean six full hours, but rather into the sixth hour, that is at least five and a half hours. Even people who usually wait six full hours between their last bite of meat and a milchig meal will rely on this opinion in a time of necessity, like for a mitzvah such as Seudas Shlishis on days when only five and half hours separate the two Shabbos days meals. 

The halachos of running a kosher kitchen are many. Unfortunately, not enough people take the time to learn the intricacies, and either make mistakes or end up being overly stringent. I entered the Smichah Program to learn kashrus because my wife and I thought that just mentioning milk and meat in the same sentence meant we had to kasher the kitchen!

Just kidding. We weren’t that bad. But we did have shaylos (halachic questions) regarding situations that did come up, and it wasn’t always convenient to ask someone when they did. 

So I dove into the Shulchan Aruch and learned the laws so that I could answer the more basic ones myself. But today, you can get the same information and so much more from one of the many books on the topic, or just from a kashrus site. As people say, “You are what you eat,” which means the care we take when it comes to eating kosher says a lot to God about what kind of Jew we are, and want to be. 

Thirtysix.org
Rabbi Pinchas Winston
Shabbat Shalom

Reb Ginsbourg – Re'eh ....Children of Hashem

Re'eh: You are children to Hashem, your G-d

The principle of principles - what do the commentaries say about this and how it affects every Jew? (2023)

We read in our Parasha: (14:1)’You are Children to Hashem, your G-d - you shall not cut yourselves and you shall not make a bald spot between your eyes for a dead person.’

Rashi comments:’Do not make cuts in your flesh to mourn for the dead, in the manner that the Amonites do, because you are the children of the omnipotent, and it is appropriate for you to be נאה:handsome and not to be cut or have your hair torn out.’

The Be’er Ha’Sadeh, comments on the concluding words of Rashi:’True, it Is written (Mishlei 30:31)’Charm is false, and beauty is futile’, and beauty is only for women; however, it appears to me, that when it says here:’You are children of Hashem’, and therefore ‘it is appropriate for you to be handsome’, it refers to the likeness of Hashem on our faces - that is our beauty, and if you cut your faces, or tear out your hair, in the manner of the nations, the image of Hashem departs from your face.’

Rav Moshe Sternbuch expounds on this, saying:’Because we are children of Hashem, He has impressed On us His image, the צלם אלקים, but this is defaced if we cut our faces; and this is not appropriate to the children of G-d who should be unmarked - and this is also the result of the person’s transgressions, which ‘deface’ his image.

‘It is fitting for each of us to reflect on this, that he is a son of Hashem and created in His image, and that his transgressions will be reflected on his face - as this will surely cause him to desist from transgressing.

‘If he reflects that transgressions are reflected in adverse changes to the look of his face, how much more should he be fearful that they soil his pure soul - what benefit will all the earthly pleasures bring man, if they are at the expense of his eternal soul?’

Rav Ahron Kotler has blessed us with a wonderful exposition on our subject:’The Torah has imposed a special ‘harshness’ on the prohibition against defacing ourselves, over a death, by considering each scratch and each removal of a hair, as liable to a separate punishment. Why does it do so? Because ‘you are the children of Hashem your G-d’, and it is appropriate that you be נאה: and not defaced - meaning, that apart from this reflecting on the honor of your heavenly father, it is also because of your own special importance. ‘It is not just a figure of speech, that we are called ‘children of Hashem’, but a true reflection of our relationship, which each and every one of us, has.

‘This should govern all of our conduct, as, if it obliges us not to be defaced physically, how much more does it obligate us to be free of spiritual defects, and conduct which is unworthy in itself.

‘This obligates us to contemplate - and internalize - our wondrous status and the obligation it imposes on us; the more we recognize this, so too will our status be elevated.

‘It will, in turn, be the major aid to rectifying unworthy behavour, as this recognition of our importance in Hashem’s eyes, will lead us to reflect on each and every action, to ensure that it is appropriate and proper, and to abstain from any conduct which does not accord with our standing - because we are ‘children of Hashem’, and have to act accordingly.

‘We learn from this, that the greater one’s recognition of his importance - that he is the son of Hashem - the greater will be the care he takes to live up to the honor it entails - and, as a result, all his actions will be worthy and proper.

‘The gemara (Brachot 28:) relates that, on his death-bed, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, adjured his disciples,: ‘your fear of heaven should be on you, just as is your fear of flesh and blood’.

‘This enigmatic request’ explains Rav Kotler, ‘was, that when a man wishes to commit an action of a doubtful nature, his first concern is that no-one should see his action.

‘He does not consider himself as ‘one who needs to be taken into account’, and thereby should not transgress!

If! however, he will see that he, himself, is a son of Hashem, he will surely desist from the improper action - for, in truth, the main reason why he would even consider the improper action, is that he is ‘not a person’ in his own eyes, and therefore, if no one else is present, he feels that ‘no-one is there!

‘Thus, the greatest cause of proper conduct, is the recognitiin of one’s importance - that we are truly ‘children of Hashem’’.

The Netivot Shalom concludes:’The matter of you being ‘children of Hashem’, is the foundation of foundations and the principle of principles, to believe that we are His sons in all circumstances; further, ‘you are children’ is written in the plural, and the holy tomes teach that only when individuals are united and connected, are they called ‘the children of Hashem’ - whereas the individual is not called ‘a son’.

‘Similarly, Hashem does not relate to an individual as ‘a father’, only to the many who are united and bound together - in the words of the supplication:’ Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the shining countenance of Your face’ : the title of ‘father’ is only when we are all ‘as one’’.

Indeed, our Sages (Yebamot 13: 2), have derived a related, second teaching from the prohibition, in our passuk, based on the words לא תתגודדו: that, as well as meaning ‘not cut yourselves’, it also means לא תעשו אגודות: do not form separate units - from the word גדוד - as this is clearly לא נאה: not ‘nice’, in Rashi’s words, for the children of One heavenly father.

Rav David Sperber adds: ‘Not separating into divisions’, is a pre-condition to being ‘children of Hashem, as we find that the title ‘children’ is only said about the many; and if they are divided, they do not merit that title.’

The S’fat Emet similarly states:’To attain the status of being called ‘children of Hashem’, is only when the people are not divided, this being the plain meaning of לא תתגודדו; and the two are dependent one on the other, as only by there being no divisions, do the people merit to be called ‘children’’.

A parting insight from the Ktav Sofer:’We find that, even when they transgress, Bnei Israel are still called ‘sons’, by Hashem; however, if they are divided, Hashem is quick to extract punishment.

‘Like any loving father, Hashem is less concerned at offences against Him - and ‘foregoes’ His honor - then for offences by his children against one another - the honor of his children is of greater concern to Him, and he is quick to impose punishment, whilst at the same time ‘forebearing’ offences against His honor.’

Eliezer Meir Saidel – Recharge Re'ei

 Recharge – Re'ei  

שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כָּל זְכוּרְךָ אֶת פְּנֵי הָאָדֹן ה' אֱ-לֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (שמות לד, כג).

 

שָׁלוֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה כָל זְכוּרְךָ אֶת פְּנֵי ה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר בְּחַג הַמַּצּוֹת וּבְחַג הַשָּׁבֻעוֹת וּבְחַג הַסֻּכּוֹת וְלֹא יֵרָאֶה אֶת פְּנֵי ה' רֵיקָם (דברים טז,טז).

 

In this week's parsha we find a repeat (from parshat Ki Tisa) of the mitzva of עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל on the שְׁלֹשֶׁת הָרְגָלִים. In our parsha this commandment is chapter 16, verse 16. The gematria of 16 is הַחַג. How wondrous is our Torah and how vast are its intricate connections.

 

Pilgrimage to Yerushalayim on Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot was a family affair, involving the husband, wife and children. If someone is elderly, ill or disabled, they are פָּטוּר from this mitzva.

 

The Rambam (הלכות חגיגה פרק א) describes in more detail what this mitzva entails. According to the Rambam, the עִיקַּר of going up to the Beit HaMikdash on the three festivals, Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot was to bring the following three korbanot – עוֹלַת רְאִיָּה, שַׁלְמֵי חֲגִיגָה, שַׁלְמֵי שִׂמְחָה.

 

עוֹלַת רְאִיָּה – The psukkim above say "יֵרָאֶה כָּל זְכוּרְךָ" and the Gemara (Chagiga 7a) says that this is referring to the korban רְאִיָּה, which is an Olah, meaning that the korban is burned in its entirety. The purpose of bringing this korban is primarily "to show up", יֵרָאֶה, to be present, but the passuk continues "וְלֹא יֵרָאֶה אֶת פְּנֵי ה' רֵיקָם", to not show up "empty handed" and also bring a korban.

 

There is a machloket between the Yerushalmi (חגיגה, פרק א, הל' א) and the Bavli (חגיגה ד, ע"א) whether the mitzva of יֵרָאֶה applies to both men and women or only to men. The Yerushalmi says that although women are not obligated to bring this korban, they are required to be present. The Bavli says only males are obligated in the mitzva of רְאִיָּה. The halacha (Rambam, ibid.) is like the Bavli.

 

Regarding the males and from what age they are obligated, this is a machloket between Shamai and Hillel (Mishna Chagiga 1,1). According to Beit Shamai, if the child is old enough to ride on his father's shoulders, he must attend. According to Beit Hillel, only if the child is old enough to hold his father's hand (and walk on his own), must he attend. There is a machloket between Rashi and Tosfot (Chagiga 2a) if this child is obligated to bring a korban רְאִיָּה of his own (separate to his father's) or not.

 

According to the Rambam, this korban may be either an animal or a bird. According to Rabbeinu Chananel, it is only an animal and not a bird.

 

The עִיקַּר of this mitzva was on the first day of chag. If for some reason you could not bring it on the first day (for example, if the 1^st day was Shabbat – this mitzva is not דּוֹחֶה Shabbat), you could still bring it on any of the remaining days of the chag (and on Shavuot – also during the six days following Shavuot).

 

 

שַׁלְמֵי חֲגִיגָה – as it says in the passuk תָּחֹג לַה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר (דברים טז, טו). The korban Shelamim may be either an ox, a sheep or a goat, male or female. The עִיקַּר of this mitzva was on the first day of chag. If for some reason you could not bring it on the first day, you could bring it on the remaining days of chag (as above).

 

Unlike the עוֹלַת רְאִיָּה which was completely burned on the mizbeach, the חֲגִיגָה was partially sacrificed on the mizbeach (אֵמוּרִים, innards – חֵלֶב, כְּלָיוֹת, אֶצְבַּע הַכָּבֵד) and partially eaten. The חָזֶה וְשׁוֹק יָמִין were the Truma to the Kohen and eaten by him and his family and the remainder of the animal was eaten by the עוֹלֶה לָרֶגֶל and his family. It could be eaten anywhere in the city of Yerushalayim and was shared with the poor and needy.

 

As with the עוֹלַת רְאִיָּה, women are פְּטוּרוֹת from bringing the חֲגִיגָה.

 

The Torah did not specify a minimum monetary value for the korban רְאִיָּה or חֲגִיגָה, as it says אִישׁ כְּמַתְּנַת יָדוֹ כְּבִרְכַּת ה' אֱ-לֹקֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ (דברים טז, יז), but Chazal did. It is a machloket between Shamai and Hillel משנה חגיגה א, ב)). Shamai says that the רְאִיָּה has a minimum value of 2 מָעָה of silver (a מָעָה is 1/6 of a dinar) and the חֲגִיגָה has a minimum of 1 מָעָה. Hillel switches it the other way round, רְאִיָּה = 1 מָעָה and חֲגִיגָה = 2 מָעָה. There is no upper limit.

 

 

שַׁלְמֵי שִׂמְחָה - as it says in the passuk וְשָׂמַחְתָּ בְּחַגֶּךָ אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְהַלֵּוִי וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ (דברים טז, יד).

 

Both men and women are obligated to bring this korban (Rambam, ibid.), although the ראב"ד says that women are not obligated and that the husband/father is obligated to bring it also for his wife and daughters.

 

Unlike the above two korbanot, the שַׁלְמֵי שִׂמְחָה have to be eaten every day of the chag, not just on the first day (or whichever day they were brought). שַׁלְמֵי שִׂמְחָה are not דּוֹחֶה Shabbat. A person can be מְקַיֵּם this mitzva by eating meat from any of the other korbanot brought during chag, even if they were not specifically designated as שַׁלְמֵי שִׂמְחָה. 

As with the חֲגִיגָה, this korban is shared with the poor and needy.

 

Preparations for the עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל already began a month and a half before Pesach. The Bet Din would send workers to repair any roads and mikvaot damaged during the rainy season and also to signpost the graves so that the olim would not become טָמֵא on their journey to Yerushalayim (משנה שקלים, א, א). Similarly, they would prepare areas for stopover on the journey to rest, eat and sleep.

 

The עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל was a tremendous celebration. The Mishna (ביכורים, ג) paints a magical picture of people dressing up in their fanciest clothes, decorating their korbanot and bikkurim, all the time dancing and singing in a procession, all the way to Yerushalayim.

 

So important was this mitzva, that if in any specified year the damage done to the roads by rain was excessive, the Sanhedrin would decree to make that year a leap year, adding an additional 30 days before Pesach, to complete repairs to the roads and allow the korban Pesach ovens to fully dry out (Sanhedrin 11a). Similarly, if the olim from faraway countries travelling to Israel were delayed for any reason, this was cause to decree a leap year.

 

In Eretz Yisrael we only begin asking for rain (וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר) two weeks after Sukkot in order that the olim will have time to return home before the rains begin (משנה תענית א, ג).

 

Another indication of the importance of this mitzva is that Chazal made a special תַּקָּנָה called פַּסֵּי בִּירָאוֹת (ערוך השולחן סימן שסה, סעיף יז) that permits moving something from one רְשׁוּת to another on Shabbat, in order to allow drawing water from a roadside well to give the animals of the olim to drink.

 

The mitzva of עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל applies only to those who live and own land in Eretz Israel (תוספות פסחים ג, ע"ב). However, innumerable Jews spread throughout the Diaspora during the period of the Beit HaMikdash, made a special effort to travel to Israel perform this mitzva three times each year.

 

 Opinions differ as to the number of olim on each chag, but it undoubtedly numbered in the millions. All these masses required lodgings in the city of Yerushalayim for the duration of their stay (the korbanot had to be eaten in the city of Yerushalayim). There also had to be enough place for everyone to fit in the Beit HaMikdash, e.g. to bring the korban Pesach.

 

When you examine archeological evidence of the physical boundaries of the ancient city of Yerushalayim during Bayit Rishon and Bayit Sheini and the dimensions of the Mikdash detailed in the Gemara (Masechet Midot), the math just doesn't add up – it is impossible that so many people could fit into such a small space. The Mishna (אבות ה, ה) listing 10 miracles that occurred in connection with the Beit HaMikdash, explains how the Mikdash and the city of Yerushalyim miraculously "expanded" to accommodate everyone עוֹמְדִים צְפוּפִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים רְוָחִים, וְלֹא אָמַר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ צַר לִי הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁאָלִין בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם.

 

The question is – "Why was this mitzva of עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל so important that it receives such emphasis in the psukkim? That it allows for special dispensation regarding the yearly calendar and leniencies in halacha? That it necessitated special miracles to be performed in order to facilitate it?"

 

The answer is embedded in the fourth word of our passuk above שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה יֵרָאֶה. We are commanded - יֵרָאֶה, to be "seen", to be physically present in the Mikdash on the three festivals.

 

HKB"H wants to "see" us there. He wants us to make the physical effort to physically be there, to stand and be counted. By making pilgrimage to Yerushalayim three times a year, we are "recharging" our physical connection with HKB"H. Simply by being there in person, we soak up the kedusha that permeates the Beit HaMikdash and recharge our spiritual "batteries".

 

By making the physical effort to travel to Yerushalayim, rather than lounge in a comfortable hotel in Northern Italy (or our own air-conditioned living room) we are also making a statement – a declaration of allegiance and subservience to HKB"H.

 

However, perhaps the most important reason to perform this mitzva, is not that we will be "seen", but rather that we will "see". "Sight" is the crux of the Beit HaMikdash.

 

If I could have a shekel for every person who asks me why I "waste my time" on the Beit HaMikdash, rather than devoting my energies to "more important" things, things that are relevant today – even when we don't have the Beit HaMikdash – I would be a very rich guy!

 

The answer is that our purpose in life is to serve HKB"H – avodah. The blueprint for Avodat Hashem is the Beit HaMikdash. If we want to know how to serve HKB"H we first have to examine the blueprint.

 

Embedded in every facet of the Beit HaMikdash are all the components of Avodat Hashem. Each and every component of the Mikdash is a "visual aid", that simply by seeing it, you instantly understand the lesson it is trying to teach you.

 

When someone observes a korban being brought in the Azara, it is a jarring experience. Even today, after the "dulling of the senses" that is Hollywood, lowering our sensitivity to violence, debauchery, etc. in every movie we watch – when someone physically goes today to a slaughter house to watch how they slaughter animals for meat – it is a jarring experience. It is one thing to see blood on a screen with suspenseful music in the background. It is another experience entirely to physically see the blood spurting from the carotid/jugular and the animal convulsing. 

It is jarring, to such a degree, that many who witness it become vegetarians. Seeing a korban being offered in the Mikdash has a similar effect. It leaves no room for doubt what the lesson is – "That should be me there on the altar! Only because HKB"H has mercy on me does He allow me to substitute an animal sacrifice instead". It drives home the severity of sin in a direct way that is unparalleled.

 

When someone physically sees the Lechem HaPanim being taken out of the Heichal on Shabbat of the Shloshet HaRegalim, the lesson embedded within it is instantly obvious. Twelve loaves (tribes) on the Shulchan, shaped like a smile, smiling at one another in perfect harmony. They see the Lechem HaPanim, which is the pipeline for parnasa in the world, in the shape of a smile and they instantly grasp the lesson - אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ. 

They see the Kohen giving the Lechem HaPanim a "kvetch" to show that it is still soft and fresh a week later and they instantly understand the lesson – just like the bread remains fresh by a miracle, so to is our parnasa a miracle, performed daily by HKB"H.

 

And so on – with every single part (and participant) in the Beit HaMikdash.

 

It is the entire library of all the sifrei halacha and musar – right there, in your face!

 

It is not enough to read about it, even see pictures of it – in a book, in a Youtube video. Only when you are physically there and see it with your own eyes does it have the required effect.

 

The whole experience is like a "recharge". When you leave and return home after the עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל, your batteries have been filled enough to keep you going until the next chag, the next "recharge", and so on.

 

You see, the Mikdash is not some "ivory tower" on a hill. It is a spiritual "recharging station" for all of Am Yisrael, so that when we return home, we apply the blueprint to ourselves, to the מִקְדָּשׁ שֶׁבְּתוֹכֵנוּ, so that we serve HKB"H according to the same blueprint in our private homes, in our private lives.

 

What about today (hopefully by the time you read this Mashiach will have already arrived, which will make the next paragraph irrelevant) when we do not have the physical Beit HaMikdash? Are we still obligated to perform the mitzva of עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל?

 

Chazal (שיר השירים רבה פרשה ח, ג) teach us - אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, לֹא בִּטְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל פַּעֲמֵי רְגָלִים שֶׁלָּהֶם ג' פְּעָמִים בְּשָׁנָה, even though we do not have the Beit HaMikdash (yet), we are still obligated by this mitzva.

 

We are still obligated to keep the Beit HaMikdash a living, throbbing reality in our lives. For this reason (הר"ן על הרי"ף, תענית ב, ע"א), we still wait until the 7^th of Cheshvan to begin saying וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר even though there are no longer any olim returning home from Jerusalem after Sukkot.

 

If the Beit HaMikdash is no longer relevant today, then why do millions of Jews from all over the world still flock to its last remnant, the Kotel? Even Reform Jews, who do not believe the Beit HaMikdash is still relevant – they still want to have their kids' barmitzvahs at the Kotel? Why?

 

The answer is simple. Because the Beit HaMikdash still lives and breathes within each and every one of us, even if we don't call it by its real name. Today we call it תְּפִלָּה or as the so-called "cultural Jews" call it - "part of our culture". Whether we like it or not, whether we are willing to admit it or not, the blueprint is embedded in our genetic makeup and there is no escaping it (however hard some may try).

 

When someone studies Gemara, they are studying the blueprint of the Beit HaMikdash. When someone studies Mesilat Yesharim, they are studying the blueprint of the Beit HaMikdash. When someone studies Tur/Shulchan Aruch, they are studying the blueprint of the Beit HaMikdash – no more or less than yours truly studying the Lechem HaPanim. It is all part and parcel of the same blueprint - each of us simply connects to it in a different way, from a different direction, according to the pull of our neshama (Vilna Gaon, Mishlei 16, 4).

 

The reason that we do עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל and "recharge" only three times a year, on the Shloshet HaRegalim, is because by doing so we are reconnecting with the three Avot – Avraham (Pesach לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת), Yitzchak (Shavuot קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר בְּמַתַּן תּוֹרָה בְּשׁוֹפָר מֵאֵיל הָעֲקֵדָה) and Yaakov (Sukkot וּלְמִקְנֵהוּ עָשָׂה סֻכֹּת).

 

That is also why they are called שְׁלֹשֶׁת הָרְגָלִים, because they are like three legs of a table, that if one is missing the table is not grounded and topples over. Similarly, with an electric plug, if it only has two prongs, it is not grounded and you can get electrocuted by it. HKB"H wanted our "recharger" to be grounded, to have three "prongs", that our עֲלִיָּה לָרֶגֶל would be a "recharge" of the blueprint, and not simply a recharge, but a "grounded" recharge, with a firm connection to the three Avot from whom we are descended.

 

Each of us must follow our neshama and connect with the part of the blueprint that is in our genes. It doesn't matter if your heart pulls you in the direction of Halacha, Daf Yomi, Musar, Kabbalah, … Lechem HaPanim. As long as you understand what it is you are studying – you are studying the blueprint of the Beit HaMikdash - that is the blueprint for Avodat Hashem.

 

We are approaching the Month of Elul. The gematria of אֱלוּל is - בַּהֵיכָל, הַמִּזְבֵּחָה, הָאַבְנֵט, and … יִבָּנֶה. There is a close connection between the month of Elul and the Beit HaMikdash, because Elul too is a time to reconnect, to recharge. Let us not waste a second of this precious opportunity, when הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה, when HKB"H is closer to us than any other time of the year (Yitzchak Avinu also called the Beit HaMikdash שָּׂדֶה). Let us reach the new year with a recharged connection to HKB"H, a recharged connection between all members of Am Yisrael and let us go from אֱלוּל directly to יִבָּנֶה and the Geulah. בבי"א.

 

Shabbat Shalom

Eliezer Meir Saidel

Machon Lechem Hapanim

www.machonlechemhapanim.org