Thursday, March 14, 2024

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Pikudei

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Shemos 38:24, the Torah writes כָּל־הַזָּהָ֗ב הֶֽעָשׂוּי֙ לַמְּלָאכָ֔ה בְּכֹ֖ל מְלֶ֣אכֶת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וַיְהִ֣י | זְהַ֣ב הַתְּנוּפָ֗ה תֵּ֤שַׁע וְעֶשְׂרִים֙ כִּכָּ֔ר וּשְׁבַ֨ע מֵא֧וֹת וּשְׁלשִׁ֛ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֥קֶל הַקֹּֽדֶשׁ . R' Frand commented that he does not know the weight in pounds, but he is sure that it was very significant.

He then quoted a Medrash on Parshas Terumah which states that Hashem had no need to create gold as the world would have been fine without it. (R' Frand quipped We could have used silver as gifts for our spouses). The reason that Hashem created it was to beautify the Mishkan and the Beis Hamikdash. 

R' Frand commented that we learn from this that there are many things which are not truly necessary, but Hashem created them only for a specific purpose.

R' Frand quoted the sefer Yismach Yehuda which writes that the Choftez Chaim said that the reason that Hashem put in the mind of a person to create trains was to make it faster and easier for bochurim to get to yeshiva. Prior to the train, people travelled by horse and buggy and the buggies often got stuck in the mud when it rained. R' Frand theorized that in our generation, if one needed to take a horse and buggy to go to yeshiva he would probably not go.

R' Frand connected this with a Gemara (although he did not mention which mesechta) which told of a man who would travel three months to get to yeshiva and then he would stay and learn for a day, before commencing a three month walk back to his home.

R' Frand also said in the name of R' Aryeh Leb Gurvitz of Gateshead that the seforim today are so plentiful and the print is so beautiful, whereas a few generation back the seforim were scarce and the print was not as clear. R' Frand mentioned that in Slobodka there was one copy of the Ohr Sameach and the boys would take turns learning it. When it was R' Ruderman's turn it was nice and he went out to learn it by moonlight. 

R' Frand also told of R' Birnbaum who when he was learning in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Europe was thought of as having come from a wealthy family since he had a Kitzos HaChoshen. But the truth was that his mother sold her silver candlesticks to buy it for him.

Again, in our generation there would not be this level of Mesiras Nefesh.

R' Frand told a second vort based on a Medrash which states that Hashem said that gold that was donated for the Mishkan was an atonement for the gold donated for the Egel. Hashem said - when you created the Egel you angered Me, as you stated in Shemos 32:8 -אֵ֤לֶּה אֱלֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶֽעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם. But when you built the Mishkan and said in Shemos 38:21 - אֵ֣לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֤י הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ מִשְׁכַּ֣ן הָֽעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר פֻּקַּ֖ד עַל־פִּ֣י משֶׁ֑ה you made Me happy.

What is the connection other than the use of the same word? 

R' Frand answered by quoting the pasuk in Bereishis 2:4 - אֵ֣לֶּה תֽוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִ֣בָּֽרְאָ֑ם. This was Hashem's expression of pride in creating the world. When the Jews used the same term in describing the Egel it showed their level of pride about its creation and that angered Hashem. But when they built the Mishkan and again used that term, Hashem granted them atonement.

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Thursday, March 7, 2024

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Vayakhel

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

In Shemos 35:30, the Torah writes רְא֛וּ קָרָ֥א יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּשֵׁ֑ם בְּצַלְאֵ֛ל בֶּן־אוּרִ֥י בֶן־ח֖וּר לְמַטֵּ֥ה יְהוּדָֽה.

R' Frand noted that the Torah does not generally mention someone's grandfather and he asked why was Hur referenced in the pasuk. He also observed that at the time that Betzalel was selected to work on the Mishkan he was 13 years old! Lastly, he quoted Rashi who states that Hur was the son of Miriam. R' Frand then asked why did Rashi need to tell us this now, after having given the same commentary twice before?

R' Frand first addressed the mention of Hur by quoting the well known Medrash on Vaykhel which states that Betzalel received the honor in the merit of his grandfather who refused to bow to popular pressure when there was a swell of support for building the Golden Calf.

R' Frand then asked - in hindsight, was it proper for Hur to stand up against the masses when they did not listen to him and ultimately killed him for saying no? R' Frand answered that Hur did do the right thing, because sometimes a person needs to stand up for what he believes in, and even if he does not think that others will listen to him.

Where did Hur learn this from? The answer is that he saw this in his mother Miriam.

R' Frand identified four specific moments that Miriam stood up for ideas, even though unpopular and they seemed unlikely to succeed.

The first event was when Amram divorced Yocheved because Amram saw all the Jewish babies being killed by the Egyptians. Although Amram was the lead Rabbi for the Jews in Egypt, his toddler daughter Miriam reproached him for divorcing Yocheved and told him he was worse than Pharaoh. Although Miriam could not have believed that she would succeed in convincing her father, she knew that he was wrong and that she needed to try to influence him.

The next event took place when Moshe was placed by Miriam in the basket in the water. After Miriam saw that the daughter of Pharaoh had retrieved Moshe, Miriam approached her and told her that she should give the baby to a Jewish midwife. Again, this must have seemed like a longshot - why would the daughter of Pharaoh listen to a slave girl? Still Miriam stood up and spoke about what she believed in.

The third event involved the singing after the Jews crossed the Yam Suf. The women were upset and expressed to Miriam their displeasure in not being able to sing. The Tosafos Harosh explains that Miriam picked up a tambourine and encouraged them to sing - because she knew that they wanted to sing and that the noise of the tambourine would drown out their singing.

The final event involved the spinning of thread for the Mishkan. The gemara relates that the women spun thread into wool while it was still on the sheep. Miriam actually taught them to do this because the women wanted to participate, but were concerned that they would be unable to do so if they were niddos. To solve the problem, Miriam taught them to spin thread while it was still on the sheep and not capable of becoming tamei.

This is what allowed Betzalel at the tender age of 13 to become the architect of the mishkan - because he was the grandson of Miriam and lived her message. 

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Friday, March 1, 2024

Friday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Ki Sissa

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha last evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand asked in his first vort about the use of singular and plural forms in Shemos 31:13 -  אַ֥ךְ אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ כִּי֩ א֨וֹת הִ֜וא בֵּינִ֤י וּבֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ . He first gave an answer in the name of the Ramban who states that  אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י refers to the Shabbosim of the year as a unit. 

But R' Frand quoted the Sefer HaKsav V'HaKaballa who says that there two aspects of Shabbos - one is to stop doing work and the other is to have a spiritual elevation from Shabbos. There is more to Shabbos than not to drive or turn on lights. But beyond your body not doing the usual work of the week, there is also a "Shabbos" for your soul. By not doing what you usually do during the week, there is more of a spiritual elevation for your soul. 

This is the meaning of the Gemara that says that if the Jews would only keep two Shabboses Moshiach would come. Why specifically two? He answers that it is not two discrete Shabboses, its that if the Jews will keep both aspects of Shabbos, Moshiach would come.

R' Frand said a second vort related to the breaking of the luchos. The Torah writes in Shemos 32:19 - וַיְהִ֗י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר קָרַב֙ אֶל־הַמַּֽחֲנֶ֔ה וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הָעֵ֖גֶל וּמְחֹלֹ֑ת וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֣ף משֶׁ֗ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ מִיָּדָו֙ אֶת־הַלֻּחֹ֔ת וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר אֹתָ֖ם תַּ֥חַת הָהָֽר. But since Moshe knew before he came down that the Jews had worshipped the Egel, why did he bring the luchos down? Why didn't he just leave them on the mountain?

R' Frand quoted R' Cooperman of Michlala who quoted the Seforno who states that Moshe knew that they had made the Egel, but he thought that if he came down with the luchos they would stop and repent. But when he came down and saw that they were dancing around the luchos and had made it into a holiday, he thought they were too far gone. So he broke the luchos.

R' Frand said that there is a connection between the two vorts. Just as Hashem wants us to elevate ourselves for Shabbos, there is a mirror image of the enthusiasm for Avodah Zara which is the antithesis. People make mistakes all the time, but if they turn it into a simcha which is done with passion, that is the opposite.

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Thursday, February 22, 2024

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Tezaveh

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand focused his vort on the Mizbeach HaKetores which is the last Mitzva in the parsha. He noted that many meforshim, including the Ramban, Ibn Ezra and Seforno all ask why this is commanded in Parshas Tezaveh, since the Klei HaMikdash are all mentioned in Parshas Terumah?

R' Frand answered based on the Sefer Simchas Mordechai who explains that the reason why the Mitzva is in this parsha is because essence of being a Kohain is the Ketores.

R' Frand mentioned many sources including two thoughts from the Medrash Tanchuma. The first was a ma'amar of R' Yitzchak Ben Elazar who noted that the Kohanim did many acts of avodah, but the Shechina did not descend until they brought the Ketores. The second ma'amar was a statement that Hashem said that of all the sacrifices that are brought, none is as dear to Him as the Ketores. The Medrash explains that all of the sacrifices come in order to atone, such as the Chatas and Asham, while the Ketores is just Simcha for Hashem.

R' Frand also noted that on Yom Kippur, the only sacrifice that is brought in the Kodesh HaKodashim is the Ketores.

R' Frand quoted the Medrash that when Moshe went up to receive the Torah there was an argument with the angels. After the argument subsided, each angel gave Moshe a present and the gift from the Malach HaMaves was to teach Moshe that Ketores can abate a Mageifah.

[R' Frand noted that at the beginning of Corona, people were saying Parshas HaKetores as a Segulah].

R' Frand also observed that the Ketores was the test when Korach chose to challenge Moshe and Aharon.

R' Frand then pivoted to discuss how the Ketores was emblematic of Aharon. He quoted Pirkei Avos which states that Aharon was Ohev Shalom and Rodef Shalom and would bring Jews together. As a result he was Zoche to wear the Choshen on his heart. Much like Aharon who brought people together, the Ketores was made of 12 spices, including the Chelbanah which had a foul smell, but with the other spices created such a sweet aroma that women did not need to wear perfume. So too, the Jews need to be united and to include all kinds of Jews when we come together on Ta'anis Tzibur as taught by the Gemara in Kerisus as well as we see in the beginning of the Kol Nidrei prayer.

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Thursday, February 8, 2024

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Mishpatim

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand noted that R' Yisrael Salanter passed away on the 22nd of Shvat in 1883 which was Erev Shabbos of Parshas Mishpatim. His greatest talmid, the Alter of Kelm said at his levaya that it was no coincidence that R' Yisrael died on that Erev Shabbos, as Parshas Mishpatim is all about Mitzvos Ben Adam L'Chavero and that is what the Mussar movement is about.

R' Frand then told a story about the recertification of Ner Israel recently by the State of Maryland. This occurred at the same time that ARTS (a Yeshiva accreditation organization) was visiting as well. R' Frand met with the women who were visiting from the State of Maryland and told them that this institution is not only interested in intellectual growth, it also is interested in producing good human beings and that we devote significant time for introspection and personal growth.

R' Frand also discussed the crossover of the two visiting bodies. He mentioned that ARTS had sent R' Yisrael Reisman from Torah V'Daas and after sitting in on some shiurim, he went to visit the Kollel where the boys were learning Hilchos Ribbis. As R' Reisman had written a sefer on Hilchos Ribbis, the 40 members of the Kollel were firing questions at him on Hilchos Ribbis, as one of the women from the State of Maryland was observing from the back of the room. She remarked "I have never seen a thirst for knowledge as I have seen in this session."

R' Frand also quoted R' Hutner who quoted a Rashi in this week's parsha that Hashem said all 10 dibros simultaneously - a feat that is impossible to say and impossible to comprehend. So why did Hashem do this if people cannot understand it? R' Hutner answered that it was done to demonstrate that no one Mitzva has priority over another.

R' Hutner also cited a Rashi on the pasuk in Shemos 24:6  וַיִּקַּ֤ח משֶׁה֙ חֲצִ֣י הַדָּ֔ם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם בָּֽאַגָּנֹ֑ת וַֽחֲצִ֣י הַדָּ֔ם זָרַ֖ק עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ. Rashi explains that an angel came down from Shamayim to make the exact split of the blood so that precisely half would be on the Mizbeach and half would be sprinkled on the people. R' Hutner explains that this was symbolic that the Ben Adam L'Chavero was as important as Ben Adam L'Makom.

R' Frand also noted that in 1983 the Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel (which bears the Israel name after R' Yisrael Salanter) said a shmooze on the 100th yahrtzeit of R' Yisrael. He recalled that when he was in Europe he had been in a shul where the minhag was to wear a Kittel on Hoshana Rabbah. One year the Ba'al Mussaf did not wear a Kittel because the Shamash forgot to bring it to shul. A member of the kehillah laced into him publicly. The Rosh Yeshiva lamented that the wearing of the Kittel was a minhag, but not embarrassing another Jew is a D'Oraysa.

R' Frand closed the vort by telling a story about a group of students in the Mirrer Yeshiva in Poland who were being chased by a group of people. They ran into a dormitory and locked the door, but the people pounded on the door and it turned out to be the police. They opened the door and the police demanded to see everyone's papers. One of the boys did not have his papers and explained that his papers were in a different dormitory. The police went with him to see his papers and then let him go. 

The following day, R' Yerucham Levovits said that he was ready to close the yeshiva. He explained that he was aghast that the boys would allow one bochur to be escorted by the police by himself, without others making sure that he would be Ok. The yeshiva was not closed, but this shows the level of concern that R' Yerucham had that the boys should have looked out for each other.

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

Thursday's Parsha Tidbits - Parshas Yisro

The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.

R' Frand began the vort by quoting the Gemara in Kiddushin 31a about the story of Dama Ben Nassina. The Gemara recites the story about how the Kohanim needed the precious stones for the Urim and Tumim and Dama's father had them in a safe and the keys were under his father's head. The Gemara relates that Dama "Lo Tziaro" which can be translated as he did not "trouble him" and as a result, he lost the ability to sell them for 600,000 coins. Dama was rewarded a year later with a Red Cow and when they came to buy it from him he said that all he wanted was the money that he lost from not being able to sell the stones.

The question that many meforshim ask is why is it that we learn the mitzva of Kibbud Av V'Aim from Dama Ben Nassina? 

R' Frand quoted the Avnei Shoham which explains that we don't learn any rules of the mitzva from the story. Instead, we see how far a person is willing to go in order to honor his parent. 

R' Frand noted that this mitzva is one of the hardest in the Torah because it is a constant mitzva and when a parent ages it becomes more difficult to do the mitzva. We learn from Dama Ben Nassina that a person can be willing to forego a fortune just to honor his parent. But not only did he give up the money, but it did not bother him. The Avnei Shoham explains Lo Tziaro as - it did not trouble Dama to pass up the sale.

R' Frand then quoted the Sefer L'Meromem which stated that the Chazon Ish would go to sit and visit with his mother for an hour every day. Even though the Chazon Ish was scrupulous never to waste time, he felt it important to sit and shmooze with her daily.

R' Frand said that his father's mother came over from Germany with his own mother. The grandmother lived in their home until she needed more care and was placed in a nursing home. But every day, his father would go visit her. R' Frand said that he could not do the same for his mother as they lived on different ends of the country, but every time that he had a West Coast trip he would make an effort to visit her.

R' Frand recalled the last time that he visited his mother. She had Parkinson's and was no longer able to speak. When R' Frand could not keep the entire conversation by himself they sat and watched the US Open golf tournament, even though his mother hated golf. But this was the tournament where Tiger Woods wrecked the field and they sat together and watched.

R' Frand also told a story about someone who traveled from Jerusalem to Bnei Brak to get a beracha from the Chazon Ish. At the time it was a difficult and expensive journey. When the man was complaining about his illness, the Chazon Ish asked him - was this an expensive trip? The man replied that it was. He then asked - are your parents alive? The man said, yes. And are they well off? No, the man replied, they struggle financially. The Chazon Ish then asked - why are you spending money to visit me for a beracha that may or not be successful? Spend the money on your parents and then ask Hashem to heal you as he promises a reward of long life for honoring your parents and I am just flesh and blood.

R' Frand told a final story about the Sar Shalom (original Belzer Rebbi) whose mother joined him for a seder. When the soup pot came out, she dipped her matza in the soup because she had no teeth and needed to soften it. The Chassidim watched as the Belzer Rebbi not only did say anything, but he took from the soup that the matza had been soaked in. They asked the Rebbi - gebruchtz - chametz! He responded, gebruchtz is a chumra, Kibbud Av V'Aim is a D'Oraysa. 

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