Yeshurun

Rabbi Reisman – Parshas Tetzaveh 5776

1. The Parsha of the Bigdei Kehunah. For this week I would like to share with you a couple of stories. The story itself may be well-known but I would like to tell you the rest of the story. Let me begin with story # 1. The story of Dama Ben Nesina is well-known. Dama Ben Nesina is the example of Kibbud Av V’aim. Chazal came to him and wanted to purchase a valuable stone for the Ephod, the keys to the lockbox were under his father’s pillow. He refused to awaken him and later was rewarded with a Parah Adumah. Very often this is discussed on Shabbos Parshas Chukas when you talk about the Parah Adumah. Very often it is discussed on a Shabbos that talks about Kibbud Av V’aim. Today I would like to discuss it from a new angle.

The Chachamim came to Dama Ben Nesina to purchase a stone for the Ephod. Why were they buying this stone for the Ephod? Moshe Rabbeinu made an Ephod and that remained. He made Bigdei Kohen Gadol and that remained. Why in the world would they be looking to buy a single stone for the Ephod? How did it get lost? It is possible to lose anything but a stone from the Ephod, maybe it fell off and it fell off and it was lost. Halo Davar Hu! Isn’t that strange?

You need to know the rest of the story. To get to that let me tell you a Shver Rambam. The Rambam in Hilchos Klei Hamikdash 9:7 says ומפתח על האבנים שמות השבטים כתולדותם ונמצא כותב על האודם ראובן ועל ישפה בנימין. וכותב בתחלה למעלה מראובן אברהם יצחק ויעקב וכותב למטה מבנימין שבטי קה כדי שיהיו כל האותיות מצויות שם that on the stones of the Ephod the 12 stones each had engraved the names of the 12 Shevatim, Reuvain through Binyamin. On Binyamin’s stone, the last stone, it was engraved additionally the two words Shivtei Ka, the Shevatim of G-d. All of the Meforshai Harambam struggle with this. This is because the Gemara in Maseches Yoma says no, it says the words Shivtei Yeshurun. Why does the Rambam write something that is not what it says in the Gemara?

Recently the Chiddushei Chasam Sofer on Maseches Yoma was printed and in the back they have the Chasam Sofer’s notes on Yerushalmi of Yoma and there the Chasam Sofer writes something absolutely extraordinary. Mitzva L’farseim.

He writes first of all that the name Yeshurun which is the name for the Jewish people is a very special name. The name for Klal Yisrael changes based on what Madreiga, what level Klal Yisrael is on. We don’t find the name Yeshurun until Parshas Ha’azinu once and V’zos Habracha twice. The name Yeshurun is not even applicable to the Dor Hamidbar as the Dor Hamidbar sinned. But only to those born in the Dor Hamidbar who entered Eretz Yisrael are on a higher level. Says the Chasam Sofer, the name for Klal Yisrael changes according to their level. So first, with this he answers the Rambam. 

He says just as the name Yeshurun came to the second generation of Jews, so too, it did not stay forever. It may be true that originally the name Shivtei Yeshurun was engraved on the stone, but with the Yeridos Hadoros (with the generations going down) it was changed. Klal Yisrael didn’t deserve Shivtei Yeshurun. The name became Shivtei Ka.  When did this change take place? How did this change take place? What exactly happened?

Well I told you that the Chasam Sofer is going on a Yerushalmi. Yes the Yerushalmi says that the stone that was lost in the time of Dama Ben Nesina was the Yoshfei stone? Yoshfei is the 12^th stone. Probably what was called in English the Jasper stone. The Yashfei stone was the stone of Binyamin. On it, it said Shivtei Yeshurun. The Chasam Sofer said that that stone was lost Min Hashamayim because in the Bayis Sheini there was Sinas Chinom. The Ramban says that the name Bnei Yeshurun is connected to the Posuk in Devarim 12:28 (כִּי תַעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר, בְּעֵינֵי יְקוָק אֱלֹקיךָ).

In the Bayis Sheini it was Min Hashamayim that the Yashfei stone was lost and when the new one was found and purchased, Chazal (the Anshei K’neses Hagedolah) understood with their Ruach Hakodesh to put on Shiftei Kah. There is the rest of the story of Dama Ben Nesina. The lost stone and the special uniqueness to the name Yeshurun.

Of course there is a Gevaldige Mussar here as well. On the Yomim Noraim we say Ki Ata Salchan L’yisrael U’machalan L’shiftei Yeshurun. Hashem forgives Klal Yisrael when they are the Shiftei Yeshurun, when they deal B’yashar one with the other. When there is no Sin’as Chinam. Sin’as Chinam is not just an Aveira it changes the name, the essence of Klal Yisrael. What a beautiful message, what an incredible thought. A stone of the Ephod was lost.

I would add that this answers another Kasha. Many Meforshim wonder, the Gemara says in Maseches Kiddushin 31a (18 lines from the bottom) (עד היכן כיבוד אב ואם) Ad Heichan Kibbud Av V’aim? We learn the degree of Kibbud Av V’aim from Dama Ben Nesina a non-Jew. Is there no Jewish example for Kibbud Av V’aim?

The answer is the whole story of Dama Ben Nesina and the lost stone is a story of losing the Madreiga, the Darga, the greatness of Shiftei Yeshurun. When the Yashar was lost that is exactly when the lessons, the Mussar of Bein Adam L’chaveiro had to be given over to another people, to learn it form someone who is not even Jewish. And so, we have a lesson within a lesson and a completion of a story. That is a story that has to do with the Choshen, the Avnei Ha’eiphod.

2. A second story and the rest of the story. The second story is not as well-known. Dama Ben Nesina’s story is in Gemara so it is known. This story is in Kesuvim so it is not well-known. So let me tell you the story and the rest of the story. In Daniel, we read that Nevuchadnetzar built an extraordinary statue. It is a Machlokes if it was an Avodah Zorah Mamash or if it was an image of him. It is a Machlokes Baalei Tosafos in Pesachim on 53b (Dibbur Hamaschil מה ראו חנניה מישאל ועזריה). He decreed that everyone is to bow down to it. Many Jews did. Chanania Mishael and Azarya refused and we have the story that they were thrown into the Kivshan Ha’aish. The only reason that is known is because it is in Selichos. But at any rate, this is the story of this great image which many Jews bowed down to. It is hard to understand that in such a generation only three people would be Moser Nefesh.

The rest of the story. Chazal tell us that Nevuchadnetzar who had the Keilim of the Bais Hamikdash took the Heilige Tzitz and put it in the mouth of this Avodah Zorah. Miraculously through Kochos Hatumah, the Tzitz caused the image to say Anochi Hashem Elokeichem Asher Hotzaisi Eschem Mai’eretz Mitzrayim. This image spoke the words of Hashem at Har Sinai. Because of that, many Jews were susceptible to the influence to bow down to it. The Gemara says that Daniel came and Daniel was not persecuted even though he refused to bow down. So Chazal say, Daniel Heichan Hoisa. The Gemara tells us that Daniel was not prosecuted because he had found favor in the eyes of Nevuchadnetzar earlier. Anyone who learned the first and second Perek of Daniel would know that. At any rate, Daniel came and he went over to this image and said to the people there that I want to kiss the image. They allowed him to. He didn’t kiss it. He put his mouth to the mouth and sucked out the Tzitz. Then the Tzelem no longer spoke. That is the rest of the story of the Tzitz. There is a message here too.

The Bigdei Kehunah were not just Begadim, not just clothing. Not just things that clothed. They were Kodesh. They had a tremendous holiness. The Kochos Hatumah could have them say Anochi Hashem Elokecha, what a Davar Pele. It had tremendous level of Kedusha. I don’t know if when it says Kodesh Lashem on the Tzitz, did it mean the Tzitz said Kodesh Lashem on it or did it mean that the Kohen Gadol who wore it was Kodesh Lashem. I don’t know Pshat. I don’t know Teitch. Be that as it may, one way or the other it is a lesson into the Kochos of the Bigdei Kehunah.

3. One last story. After the Holocaust, my father came to this country with three siblings and three first cousins. They together built a family, were part of building Klal Yisrael in our family here. Today, my uncle, the last of the seven passed away. Today I am going to a Levaya at 2:30. That is the rest of the story. Many of you may be wondering why my words today to you are not as clear as usual. That is because I am sitting in a car outside a place where the Levaya will take place. I am Malei Hakaros Hatov to my father, to my uncle, to a generation that built that which we have here.

With that thought worthy of discussion at the Shabbos table as much as any Dvar Torah, I leave you to give a Kavod Acharon and I hope that this generation leaves as HKB”H takes them, we should get the lesson from what they built and look to become builders ourselves. A Gutten Shabbos to one and all!