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 first observed that the description of the construction of the articles of the Mishkan are meant to be Mussar. By example, the measurements of the Aron are in half measures, which are meant to teach that a Talmid Chacham should be humble.
R' Frand then referenced the Keruvim which were on top of the Aron and which were fashioned to look like children. Why was this the image chosen and not of a sage? R' Frand said that some Mefarshim explain that the message is that we are to approach the Torah like children with their hallmark of enthusiasm and curiosity. When one views children learning, they have exuberance and they want to know more and grow. R' Frand quoted a Pasuk from Navi [I am unfamiliar with the citation] that Hashem says that the Jews are like a Child that and I love them.
R' Frand quoted a story in the Sefer Arzei HaParsha involving R' Elya Feinstein and his grandson, Aaron Soloveichik (who would later become the great R' Aaron). He noticed that his grandson during the Yamin Noraim was not saying the specific line in Shma Koleinu - Al Tashlichenu L'Es Zikna with much fervor. He asked him why and young Aaron explained - because I am seven years old. R' Elya responded that the meaning is not don't cast me aside when I am old - it means don't make me a like an old person when I am young. I don't want to lose my enthusiasm and curiosity.
R' Frand also quoted R' Zalman Leff who observed that if you call a Doctor a Medical Student, he will be insulted. But a sage is called a Talmid Chacham, because if you want to be a Chacham you need to be a Talmid - you need to have the excitement.
R' Frand's second vort related to the Atzei Shittim which were used in the Mishkan. The Medrash states that the world did not require the creation of cedar wood and the only reason cedar was created was so that they could be used in the Mishkan. He quoted a pasuk in Tehillim that uses the term Arzei HaLevanon - the cedar was created for the Beis HaMikdash which is called Levanon.
R' Frand quoted the Sefer Menachem Tzion who observes that cedar is strong, but Hashem does not want us to be like a cedar. He cited the Gemara in Ta'anis which states that a person should be pliable like a reed and not like cedar. However the Beis HaMikdash should be like a cedar. Why the difference? Because a person should be flexible on personal issues, but by matters of Kedushah and Torah, a person needs to stand his ground.
R' Frand quoted R' Avraham Bukspan of Miami who notes that Rashi explains that Ya'akov saw with Ruach HaKodesh that the Jews would eventually be travelling in the desert and would need the Atzei Shittim to build the Mishkan. So Ya'akov took the cedar trees to Egypt and commanded his children that when they leave Egypt they should take the trees with them.
But this did not start with Ya'akov, instead it began with Avraham who planted the trees in Be'er Sheva. R' Frand explained that Avraham Avinu planted the cedars because his message was that you need to be inflexible like a cedar on matters of Keudshah. Avraham was Avraham HaIvri because the entire world was on one side and he was on the other. R' Frand observed that Avraham was an iconoclast and stood separate from the rest of the world when he was the first to separate from idol worship and created the concept of monotheism. Avraham was unflinching and straight like a cedar and would not allow for polytheism. Ya'akov saw this and incorporated it into his thinking and the Jewish DNA.
R' Frand closed the vort by telling a story about the Bikur Cholim shul in Seattle which was founded in 1891 and has been an Orthodox shul since its founding. R' Frand said that there was a prominent family in Seattle called the Genauers and the patriarch was R' Moshe Genauer who went from being a peddler to the owner of a famous clothing store. He had seven sons, including one named Ben Genauer who was involved in all community events including the Mikva and the day school. He also gave a gemara shiur to adults and learned with children.
Mr. Genauer told him a story that took place on Yom Kippur in the early part of the 20th century. The President stood up on a packed Yom Kippur night and said - times are a changing and we need to change with them. We need to get rid of the spitoons and we need to have mixed seating. His father stood up and yelled - Shegitz - get off the Bimah. Ben Genauer said that he wanted to crawl into the floor when he heard that. But the shul did not change, although another Orthodox shul did become Conservative. Because when it comes to Divrei Kedushah, one needs to be like cedar.
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