A Thought On Parshas Tetzaveh
A Thought on Parshas Tetzaveh
"...'kaha'no li..."
"...to serve Me..." (25:1)
"...le'shar'ess ba'kodesh..."
"...to serve with sanctity..." (25:43)
"...pituchei chosem..."
"...engraved like a signet ring..." (28:11)
This week, Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel discloses for us another facet of his interpretative style. While decidedly a great Ashkenazi Rishon and typically presenting us with finely woven elucidations of the words and verses against backdrop of midrashic thought, he at times ventures into the area of remez - the hidden messages which offer further insight into broader applications of our Torah passages.
Some have suggested to me that he appears to have been "chassidish" before his time, in that he finds allusions and hints of the type which we often associate with later movements in the history of Torah thought. While he was likely associated with the movement known as Chassidei Ashkenaz, that early group of pious scholars preceded and was not part of the later movement we now know as Chassidim.
Nonetheless, this week we will examine his reflections on the above verses.
He first ponders the word li (to or for me) which is spoken by HaShem in instructing that the kohanim will serve Him. Why the word li? The verse would have been intact had it said "to serve". What is being added or hinted by this addition of "to serve Me"?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel notes that the word appears not just here but in two other verses! We find li in verse 3 and 4 as well. He interprets this with a double meaning. The word is written three times, and its gematria (the numerical value of lamed is 30 and yud is 10) is forty. Why does the Torah allude three times to forty?
He writes that in our history, there were many Kohaim Gedolim - High Priests. We know of only three of them who served for forty years. One was Aharon, one was Eli (see the book of Shmuel I 4:18), and one was Shimon HaTzadik (Yoma 39b). Three great Kohanim Gedolim led our nation and secured their roles for four decades. HaShem makes mention of this future fact by inserting the word li three times into our parsha as it discusses the role and function of the Kohen Gadol.
Our second verse says that the kohen was outfitted so that he could serve in the sacred place in a sacred manner. He would be dressed in his vestments and would be trained in the ritual service. That is a lot of preparation, yet the former is external (one's attire) and the latter is behavioral or at best cognitive and behavioral (learning a ritual procedure).
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel observes that the first letter of each word (lamed of le'shar'es and bais of ba'kodesh) spell the word lev which means heart or emotions. He writes that the Torah is reminding the kohen that there is a deeper (and often hidden) component of consciousness which must also go into the holy avoda. This deeper component is the engagement of one's heart which must direct and govern the ritual process. The kohen is visibly attired and visibly engaged in the procedure yet he must also serve with the invisible presence of his higher consciousness attuned to what he is doing. This is his avoda b'lev.
The final verse describes how the tribal names were to be engraved within the jeweled ornaments worn by the Kohen Gadol. The Torah emphasizes how the writing was to be embedded in the manner of a signet ring. The names were to be engraved with a permanence.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel views the word pituchei (engraved) as an atypical conjugation. The Torah might have used a different form of the word without posing it in the dependant form modified with the follow-up word chotem. It would have read "engraved" rather than "engraved like a signet ring." What can we learn from this slight alteration of the word form?
He sees within pituchei two words: pito and chai. The former words means "his bread" (as in "pita"). The second means "life." Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel derives from here that one who shares his bread with another person is inscribed for the eternal life. This is the signet or seal of approval which HaShem grants those who help the needy. One who gives pito will be chasum (sealed) in the Sefer HaChaim.
Wishing you a Shabbos with deeper meaning. D. Fox
"...'kaha'no li..."
"...to serve Me..." (25:1)
"...le'shar'ess ba'kodesh..."
"...to serve with sanctity..." (25:43)
"...pituchei chosem..."
"...engraved like a signet ring..." (28:11)
This week, Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel discloses for us another facet of his interpretative style. While decidedly a great Ashkenazi Rishon and typically presenting us with finely woven elucidations of the words and verses against backdrop of midrashic thought, he at times ventures into the area of remez - the hidden messages which offer further insight into broader applications of our Torah passages.
Some have suggested to me that he appears to have been "chassidish" before his time, in that he finds allusions and hints of the type which we often associate with later movements in the history of Torah thought. While he was likely associated with the movement known as Chassidei Ashkenaz, that early group of pious scholars preceded and was not part of the later movement we now know as Chassidim.
Nonetheless, this week we will examine his reflections on the above verses.
He first ponders the word li (to or for me) which is spoken by HaShem in instructing that the kohanim will serve Him. Why the word li? The verse would have been intact had it said "to serve". What is being added or hinted by this addition of "to serve Me"?
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel notes that the word appears not just here but in two other verses! We find li in verse 3 and 4 as well. He interprets this with a double meaning. The word is written three times, and its gematria (the numerical value of lamed is 30 and yud is 10) is forty. Why does the Torah allude three times to forty?
He writes that in our history, there were many Kohaim Gedolim - High Priests. We know of only three of them who served for forty years. One was Aharon, one was Eli (see the book of Shmuel I 4:18), and one was Shimon HaTzadik (Yoma 39b). Three great Kohanim Gedolim led our nation and secured their roles for four decades. HaShem makes mention of this future fact by inserting the word li three times into our parsha as it discusses the role and function of the Kohen Gadol.
Our second verse says that the kohen was outfitted so that he could serve in the sacred place in a sacred manner. He would be dressed in his vestments and would be trained in the ritual service. That is a lot of preparation, yet the former is external (one's attire) and the latter is behavioral or at best cognitive and behavioral (learning a ritual procedure).
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel observes that the first letter of each word (lamed of le'shar'es and bais of ba'kodesh) spell the word lev which means heart or emotions. He writes that the Torah is reminding the kohen that there is a deeper (and often hidden) component of consciousness which must also go into the holy avoda. This deeper component is the engagement of one's heart which must direct and govern the ritual process. The kohen is visibly attired and visibly engaged in the procedure yet he must also serve with the invisible presence of his higher consciousness attuned to what he is doing. This is his avoda b'lev.
The final verse describes how the tribal names were to be engraved within the jeweled ornaments worn by the Kohen Gadol. The Torah emphasizes how the writing was to be embedded in the manner of a signet ring. The names were to be engraved with a permanence.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel views the word pituchei (engraved) as an atypical conjugation. The Torah might have used a different form of the word without posing it in the dependant form modified with the follow-up word chotem. It would have read "engraved" rather than "engraved like a signet ring." What can we learn from this slight alteration of the word form?
He sees within pituchei two words: pito and chai. The former words means "his bread" (as in "pita"). The second means "life." Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel derives from here that one who shares his bread with another person is inscribed for the eternal life. This is the signet or seal of approval which HaShem grants those who help the needy. One who gives pito will be chasum (sealed) in the Sefer HaChaim.
Wishing you a Shabbos with deeper meaning. D. Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 8:07 PM
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