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And they shall take for you pure, pressed olive for illumination, to kindle the lamp continually. (27:20)

In a number of places, Chazal reveal to us that the Menorah and its oil are symbolic of the Torah. The Kohanim represent the keepers of the flame who are to see to it that even the darkest crevices within the spiritual world of the Jewish People are illuminated. With regard to the kindling of the Menorah, the halachah is clear: the Kohen must light the wick until, shalheves oleh mei'elehah, "the wick continues burning on its own." Horav S. R. Hirsch, zl, derives from here that the holy mission of a Torah educator is such that, if he is successful, he will have rendered his future services unnecessary. In other words, he is to establish students who become independent in their thinking, in their ability to study Torah, to go at it on their own. Understandably, while this may be the teacher's responsibility, the student's obligation is to maintain a lasting relationship with his rebbe, turning to him for counsel and guidance.

Moshe Rabbeinu, the nation's quintessential teacher, appears to have had a contrasting approach to education. The Torah (Shemos 21:1) teaches: "And these are the ordinances that you shall place before them." In explaining the words, asher tasim lifneihem, "that you shall place before them," Chazal relate a dialogue which took place between Moshe and Hashem. "Hashem said, 'It should not enter your mind that I simply teach them a halachah or two until they are able to repeat it; but I will not trouble myself to explain every reason, delve into the underlying logic, and the hidden esoteric implications of each halachah.' Therefore, it is written, 'that You shall place before them,' like a table set and prepared for the individual who comes to eat." Just as one does not invite someone for dinner, put the raw ingredients before him and tell him to go at it alone, so, too, must Moshe teach the Torah in its entirety, explaining every aspect of it, so that the nation will properly digest it."

Clearly, Moshe comes across in disagreement with shalheves oleh mei'eilehah Was he really not willing to give Klal Yisrael a full Torah education? Horav Chaim Kamil, zl, explains that it might have entered Moshe's mind not to explain the underlying reasons for the Torah's laws. Why? Because the Torah is not given to explanation through conventional methods. The Torah is not like other bodies of knowledge. In order to understand the Torah, one must work at it, studying it diligently, with toil. Only then will he be blessed with understanding. Torah is Divinely authored and, thus, is not given to standard educational procedures. Moshe was to teach the Torah to the best of his ability. This is the manner in which a rebbe transmits Torah to his student. He explains it according to his derech, approach, thereby imparting to the student the skills needed to understand and, eventually, go approach it by himself.

Horav Simchah Wasserman, zl, adds that a rebbe does not explain the Torah, because Torah cannot be given over in the usual manner like any other discipline. A rebbe's function is to catalyze the student's understanding, to light the fire that will burn on its own.

Spoon-feeding the students will ill-prepare them for later on in life. A rebbe should motivate, inspire, encourage the student to delve deeper, to think, to ruminate over the lesson until he is fluent and fully understands the material. This applies to mussar, the study of ethical character development, as well as halachah. The student who does not stimulate his own quest for perfection will be availed very little from lectures and ethical discourses. While these words of inspiration do inspire, they are, regrettably, short-lived. Their significance is primarily to motivate the listener to think about his life, where he is going, and what he should do to right his course. We are given the tools and the skills. We have to utilize them to develop our lives.

In the Ohel Moed…Aharon and his sons shall arrange it from evening until morning, before Hashem. (27:21)

The whole idea of lighting a menorah before Hashem seems superfluous. Does Hashem need the light? He is the Source of all illumination. The Midrash addresses this question and explains that, indeed, Hashem does not need the light of the Menorah. Rather, He commands us to light for Him, just as He provided illumination for us in the wilderness. Sort of a "tit for tat." He is giving us the opportunity to repay the favor. It is a well-known Midrash, but it takes someone of the caliber of Horav Yeruchem Levovitz, zl, to view the Midrash as teaching us a lesson in etiquette. When we receive a favor from someone, the usual reaction is to want to repay our benefactor. What if he shrugs off the favor: "It was nothing," "Don't bother," "Anytime." "I do not want anything in return." It does not always happen this way, because some of us thrive on recognition, but is refusing payback appropriate?

Chazal teach us that, in fact, it is proper that the benefactor allow the beneficiary to pay him back, to return the favor. Someone who is truly sensitive to his friend's feelings will not want him feeling beholden to him. He will not want him to feel he is indebted to him. This is not mentchlech. He should give him the opportunity to return the favor, regardless of its significance or lack thereof.

In his Orchos Chaim, the Rosh states that this idea applies as well when someone offends us and wants to excuse himself. Allow him to explain. Do not say, "Forget about it." If he acted horribly and has a reason for his ignoble behavior, let him clear his chest and wipe the slate clean. By forgiving him and ignoring his reason, one is only adding to his heavy heart. Hear him out, even if his excuse is nonsensical. Allow him the satisfaction of thinking that he settled his debt, that he has made amends.

Some of us thrive when others are in our debt - regardless of its negative impact on the debtor. It is all part of the game of manipulating people to satisfy an intemperate ego, the result of insecurity activated by low-self esteem. Chazal are teaching us a way of life that ultimately leads to personal contentment that is not at the expense of another person.

And you shall speak to all the wise-hearted people whom I have invested with a spirit of wisdom. (28:3)

Ramban explains that Moshe Rabbeinu specifically had to be the one to speak to the artisans, because only he was capable of evaluating who had been endowed by Hashem with Divine wisdom. The Chasam Sofer, zl, cites the Chovas Halevavos who remarks that wisdom is planted within the hearts of men. The individual who can inspire them by awakening their potential will succeed in catalyzing their wisdom to see light. If not, it will lay dormant within the person, like a seed that is placed in the ground, but is left unfertilized, untilled and uncared for. It will not properly germinate. This is what Hashem intimated to Moshe. The individuals who are to become the artisans have been imbued with incredible wisdom, but someone must activate this wisdom by stimulating the individual, making him aware of his G-d-given gift. V'atah tedaber - "and you shall speak" - what should you say? Asher mileisiv ruach chochmah, "that I have invested them with a spirit of wisdom." Let them know what they possess. Make them aware of their potential. Stimulate their creativity and motivate their minds, so that their latent talent will sprout forth and bear fruit.

This concept applies to young people - as students and as children- as well Once he has undergone self-evaluation, his self-esteem determines his eventual success. One who feels good about himself, who likes what he sees, will invariably work at succeeding in life by cultivating the talents which he feels he possesses. One who has low self-esteem will flounder, rarely seeking the opportunity to grow. Hashem was instructing Moshe to encourage the artisans by informing them about -- and praising -- their Heavenly-endowed wisdom.

Horav Yisrael Salanter, zl, says that a student who is unaware of his talent, acumen, and ability to succeed is much like the craftsman who does not recognize the tools of his profession. Without tools, one cannot succeed. What makes it more lamentable is that the tools are in plain sight, but the craftsman cannot identify them.

Praise and positive reinforcement are critical parts of child-rearing and education. They reinforce self-esteem and encourage positive growth and development. It would be a grave error, however, to generalize that success and failure are determined by praise and criticism. Inappropriate praise can be as harmful to a child (or an adult) as inappropriate criticism. Psychologists and educators have categorized four forms of ineffective praise.

First, is generalized praise whereby the specific deed or endeavor is not singled out. A simple "well done" leaves the child wondering what was actually praised. In contrast, is the overblown praise of, "You did the best job in the world! You are absolutely the most incredible worker!" While this may sound good, it may actually be counter-productive, because the child knows that he is not really that great. A child becomes so used to receiving acclaim, he actually can become addicted to accolades, feeling rejected when they do not come. Obviously, the best form of praise is specific, factual and descriptive. This allows room for the child to think and comprehend what the praise really means. This form of praise promotes independence and allows for free-thinking.

The opposite of praise is criticism. A child who is frequently criticized soon learns to have self-doubt. This leads to the ultimate destroyers of young lives: lack of self-esteem; lack of self-confidence, lack of self- worth

Some children who receive a minimum of praise often learn to reject or minimize any praise they receive. One who is constantly rejecting praise may indicate an unconscious belief that he is not a worthy or important person. A child should be taught to accept the praise he receives, not to minimize or over blow it. Not all praise is equal, but neither are people. Different people react differently to praise. This is an idea about which an astute parent or teacher should be cognizant. While receiving praise is not common in adults, it is necessary. The beneficiary should learn to make the most of it.

Zeh Keili v'anveihu

This is my G-d, and I will beautify Him.

Beauty seems alien to the spirit of the Torah. Beauty is tzurah, form, while the Torah stands for chomer, content; beauty seems to emphasize the external, while Torah stresses the internal, the intrinsic. On the other hand, we find beauty playing a significant role in the Mishkan and, especially, in the Priestly vestments. Additionally, the Gaon, zl, m'Vilna points out that the fact that the Torah sees fit to relate that the Imahos, Matriarchs, were physically attractive, as well as spiritually admirable, indicates that beauty is an asset that should not be ignored. Shlomo Hamelech's expression: Hevel ha'yofi, "Beauty is vain," (Mishlei 31:30) refers to beauty alone - without its integration with ethics and morality.

Horav Aharon Soloveitchik, zl, explains that the Torah's attitude toward beauty is poignantly expressed in the above pasuk: "This is my G-d, and I will beautify Him." In the Talmud Shabbos 133b, Chazal dissect the word, v'anveihu into two words: ani, v'Hu, "I and Him," meaning that one should emulate the Almighty. Hence, the meaning of real beauty is to follow Hashem's ways; "As He is merciful and compassionate, so should we be merciful and compassionate." Beauty goes hand in hand with sanctity. Beauty embodies morality, sanctity with honor and beauty, the extrinsic with the intrinsic. It forms a harmonious synthesis of all good qualities blended to perfection - almost G-d-like."

L'zechar nishmas ha'isha ha'chasuva Glicka bas R' Avraham Alter a"h niftara b'shem tov 8 Adar II 5760

In loving memory of MRS. GILKA SCHEINBAUM BOGEN by her family

From Rabbi Yissocher Frand [e-mail] & [e-mail]

To [e-mail]

Subject Rabbi Frand on Parsha

Rabbi Yissocher Frand on Parshas Tetzaveh
Many Can Have “Urim” - Power; But Few Have “Tumim” – Power

A large part of Parshas Tetzaveh is devoted to the Bigdai Kehunah [Priestly Garments]. One of the Bigdai Kehunah is the “Choshen Mishpat.” The Choshen Mishpat, or Choshen as it is commonly called, is a Breastplate that contains the names of the shevatim [Tribes] of Israel, engraved on twelve stones.

The Urim V’Tumim is a writing of the Shaim HaMif’or’ash [Explicit Name] of G-d, that was placed into the Choshen. The Urim V’Tumim gave the Choshen the ability to convey communications from HaShem [G-d].

The Choshen, which the Kohen Gadol [High Priest] wore, served an invaluable role. Whenever the Jewish nation was faced with a critical issue affecting their national welfare (for example, a question of whether to go to war or not), the Kohen Gadol would seek the advice from HaShem and the answe r would appear on the Choshen.

I remember as a child, thinking that this was the greatest thing in the world. “If only I had my own Urim V’Tumim, I would pass all my tests and I would know if the Yankees would win” - it was a wonderful dream. Of course, the Urim V’Tumim was not used for such frivolous matters. It was used for matters of utmost importance.

The Ramba”n gives us an insight into the workings of the Choshen and the Urim V’Tumim: The word Urim means ‘lights’. Whenever the Kohen Gadol needed to receive an answer, the letters (of the names of the Tribes, inscribed on the twelve stones of the Breastplate) would illuminate. That was the ‘Urim’ part. But the letters would be scrambled. It was not as simple as reading out: G-O T-O W-A-R. One needed to break the code—what were the lights of the letters of the Breastplate saying? The Ramba”n explains that there are secondary holy names called the ‘Tumim’. These ‘Tumim’ gave the Kohen Gadol the ability to interpret the ‘Urim’. The ability to use the ‘Tumim’ to interpret the lights of the ‘Urim’ was a form of Ruach HaKodesh [Divine Inspiration].

The Talmud says [Berachos 31a] that, in fact, there were times when the Kohen could not figure out what the letters were saying. There is a famous Gemara about the High Priest Eli, who misread the letters of the Urim v’Tumim regarding Chana. Eli read the letters appearing on the Breastplate to be Shin-Cof-Reish-Hay (Shikorah—drunken one) when in fact the correct reading was Cof-Shin-Reish-Hay (Kesheira—worthy one). At that precise moment, Eli lacked the power of ‘Tumim’.

The sefer Bais Av, by Rav Elyakim Schlesinger, mentions that nowadays there are people who are blessed with the power of ‘Urim’. What is the power of ‘Urim’ nowadays? Orah [Light] -- This refers to Torah. There are people who are steeped in Torah, have knowledge of Torah and can bring proofs from Torah. But not everyone who has the power of ‘Urim’ - - who looks at the Torah and sees the light of the Torah – also has the power of ‘Tumim’. It does not immediately follow that most anyone has the power to interpret what the Torah is in fact saying. The people who have the power of the ‘Tumim’ are a few treasured individuals in each generation.

That is a special ability. Many people have Urim. They see the Torah and can proclaim something is HaShem’s will and this is “the opinion of Torah” (Da’as Torah). But that is not always the case. To truly perceive Da’as Torah, one needs the power of ‘Tumim’. Many times, people sincerely and honestly say “This is the ‘Urim’—this is what the Torah wants,” but sometimes these people do not have the power of ‘Tumim’.

A profound example of this is found in the Haftorah from Parshas Zachor [Samuel I; Chapter 15]. We see an unbelievable thing in this Haftorah. Shmuel HaNovi [Shmuel the Prophet] told Shaul HaMelech [King Shaul] to go and eradicate Amalek. Shmuel HaNovi was ex tremely explicit. Shaul was instructed to have no mercy. He was to kill man, woman, and child. He was to kill out all the animals—camels to donkeys!

Shaul HaMelech went to war and smote Amalek, but he had mercy on the King of Amalek and on the animals. HaShem became angry with Shaul and ordered Shmuel HaNovi to strip the monarchy from him. When Shmuel came to deliver this message to Shaul, the King came out to greet the prophet. Shaul HaMelech’s first words to Shmuel HaNovi were “I have fulfilled the word of HaShem.”

How is this possible? Shaul HaMelech could not bring himself to kill them all. He had mercy. So the first words out of his mouth should have been, “Shmuel, I am sorry. Shmuel, I blew it—I have a soft heart.” However, that is not what Shaul said. Shaul HaMelech bragged about fulfilling the letter of the law!

HaShem made a clear inventory of what he wanted accomplished. Shaul was supposed to kill all the animals. He did not kill all the animals. How could he claim he fulfilled the word of HaShem?

There can only be one answer. Shaul HaMelech believed that this was the Will of HaShem. He believed that by saving the animals and eventually sacrificing them, that would be a sanctification of HaShem’s Name. Shaul believed that this is what HaShem really intended. This was Shaul’s understanding - based on the power of the ‘Urim’.

This is a classic example of having the power of ‘Urim’ but not the power of ‘Tumim’. A person can sometimes be blinded, whether it is for reasons of personal motive or out of fear of people or for any other reason. For some reason, Shaul HaMelech misinterpreted the ‘Urim’. He looked at the words of the Torah and said, ‘This is what HaShem means; this is what HaShem wants’ - - and yet was completely wrong.

The power of ‘Tumim’ is reserved for the select few. That is why we need a leader, a Gadol [a Great Torah personality]; that is why we need a Rav; that is why we need a Rosh Yeshiva [Dean of a Yeshiva]. As much as we think we may be able to figure out the ‘Urim’ on our own, we still need guidance—because we do not always know the ‘Tumim’.

We can be well intended and think we have textual proofs, but if we do not have the guidance of a person who is gifted with the insight of ‘Tumim’, we can make tragic errors.

The end of the book of Shoftim contains one of the most sordid incidents in Jewish history, that of Pelegesh B’Givah [the Concubine in Givah]. The aftermath of that incident was that the other shevatim gathered against Benyamin. They were justifiably outraged. They wanted to fulfill the will of HaShem and ensure that justice was served.

However, after the fact, they realized that they had gone too far. They repented, they offered sacrifices, and they tried to make amends to preserve the Tribe of Benyamin. If their intentions had been noble, how did it happen that they became so carried away with their ac tions?

The last pasuk [verse] of the book of Shoftim provides an answer. “In those days there was no king in Israel, every man did as he saw fit in his own eyes.” That is the bottom line. One can be well intended. He can act for the sake of Heaven. He can prove that “this is what it says to do in the Torah”. He can see the lights of the ‘Urim’ as clear as day. But if he does not have the ‘Tumim,’ he will not know how to interpret the ‘Urim’. He will not know how far to go and what to do. He will not know when to stop and when to go.

When do such things happen? When there is no ‘king’ in Israel. Unless we have a bona fide leader, the worst of things can happen.

The power of the ‘Urim’ and the ‘Tumim’ combined is reserved for the few of a generation. HaShem should have Mercy upon us and direct us to the guidance of the people who not only have the power of the ‘Urim’ but also the power of the ‘Tumim.’

Transcribed by David Twersky Seattle, WA; Technical Assistance by Dovid Hoffman, Baltimore, MD

RavFrand, Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Yissocher Frand and Torah.org.

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Orthodox Union / www.ou.org

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb

Parshas Tezaveh - The Stigma of Fame
People are motivated by many things. The search for pleasure is certainly one of the great motivators of human beings. So are the search for power and the search for riches. There are also those among us who seek to be liked by others, to the extent that the search for adulation is their primary motivation in life.

Others, and this is particularly true with religious people, hope for a place in the World to Come. For them, a vision of eternity is a major motivation. Still, others devote their lives to the search for meaning, wisdom, or spiritual enlightenment.

For me, while all of the motivations listed above are interesting and deserve study, there is yet another human motivation that is more noteworthy: the search for fame.

We all know individuals who are devoted, sometimes even obsessed, by their urge to become famous. For them, just to be mentioned in a newspaper article or to be glimpsed on television for a fraction of a minute is a powerful reward.

This particular motivation is hard to understand. Fame does not necessarily bring material rewards. Not every famous person is rich, nor is he powerful. Famous people are often not popular people; indeed, they are often disliked. And there are certainly no spiritual or intellectual achievements that come with fame. Furthermore, fame is notoriously fleeting. Yesterday's famous person often dwells in oblivion today.

Since the beginning of the Book of Exodus, we have been reading about Moses. Surely he is the most famous person in the Jewish Bible. Yet for him, fame was of no consequence whatsoever. He was not motivated by a need to make headlines, to be immortalized for all eternity, or even to be popular and well-known. He would be the last to be concerned if a weekly Torah portion did not even contain his name.

This week's Torah portion, Tezaveh, is the only one, since we are introduced to the newborn Moses, in which he is not mentioned by name. Tezaveh, a Torah portion rich in all sorts of particulars and details, fails to mention Moses.

Long ago, some keen Torah scholar noted this fact and attributed it to a verse in the next week's parsha, Ki Tisa. There, we read of how Moses pleads to God to forgive the Israelites who worship the Golden Calf. He says, "If You will forgive their sin [well and good]; but if not, erase me from the book which You have written."

"Erase me from the book!" I have no need for fame. Insightfully, this keen scholar found Tezaveh to be the book from which Moses was indeed erased.

I suggest that Moses learned how unimportant fame is from his personal experiences with stigma. For you see, just as fame is no indication at all of the genuine worth of the famous person, so too negative stigma do not reflect the genuine worth of the stigmatized individual.

One of the most perceptive observers of human relations was a writer named Erving Goffman. Almost fifty years ago, he authored a classic work entitled Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. There, he describes the psychology of stigma and of how society assigns negative labels to people, spoiling or ruining their identities as valuable members of that society.

A person who has suffered from being stigmatized learns how meaningless the opinions are that other people have of him. Should he shed these stigmas and gain the positive opinions of others, he would know full well how meaningless those opinions are.

Moses was a stigmatized individual earlier in his life. Goffman distinguishes three different varieties of stigma, and all three were experienced by the young Moses.

The first of these conditions, Goffman termed "abominations of the body". Physical deformities result in such a stigma. Moses had such a physical deformity; he stammered and stuttered.

The second condition, Goffman called "blemishes of individual character". In the eyes of the world, Moses was a fugitive, a criminal on the run, who was wanted by the pharaoh for the murder of an Egyptian citizen.

Finally, the third source of stigma: "tribal identities". Moses was a Hebrew, a member of an ostracized minority.

In contemplating what the life of Moses was like in the many decades he spent as a refugee before returning to Egypt as a redeemer, it’s clear that he suffered from a triple stigma: fugitive, stutterer, and Jew.

I suggest that one of the greatest achievements of Moses, our teacher, was his ability to retain a sense of his true identity, of his authentic self-worth, in the face of the odious epithets that were hurled at him.

This is how, in his later life, when fame and prestige became his lot, he was able to retain his self-knowledge and eschew fame. This is what enabled him to say, "Erase me from the book…" This is why he was able to not only tolerate but to value this week's portion, where his name is not mentioned.

"The man Moses was humbler than all other humans." (Numbers 12:3) The deeper meaning of Moses' humility was his ability to understand himself enough to remain invulnerable to the trials of stigma and insult, and to remain equally unaffected by the temptations of glory and fame.

When we refer to Moses as Rabbenu, our teacher, it is not just because he taught us the law. Rather, it is because he told us how to remain impervious to the opinions of others and to value our own integrity and character. Would that we could be his disciples in this teaching.