March 18, 2006 Parshas Ki Tisa

18 Adar 5766 Volume 20, Number 21

Empowerment Hashkafic
Thought
vision of Hashem who is all- The Melacha of
President Richard M. Joel
Parshat Ki Tisa may be the world.

Hashem who empowers us to Zoreah (Part 2)

most dramatic parsha in the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in controlling to a vision of
Torah. Firstly, we build a

Golden Calf. Then, Moshe
asks to understand G-d’s ways,
only to be told that no human
can fully grasp Hashem’s
grandeur. Soon thereafter,
Moshe davens to Hashem and
eventually we return to Divine
grace and receive the second set
of Luchot. If we read the par-
sha carefully, perhaps we can
discern a central theme, which
links many of the parsha’s cen-
tral episodes.
Parshat Ki Tisa is all about
empowerment. The Torah is
telling us that we must not be
passive and wait for Revelation;
we are responsible to partner
with Hashem and perfect the
L
his recently published book, To
Heal a Fractured World (page partner with Him and complete Joshua S. Weinberg
His creation. When we are ast week we discussed the
Although preparing to cross the Yam Suf, time frame in which the
Moshe holds we are initially told to stand still melacha of zoreah occurs. This
week we will discuss the essence
and that Hashem would fight
his arms up to for us. Immediately after cross-
of the melacha, in other words,
focus our the types of intentions deter-
ing the Yam Suf, however, we mine one’s obligation.
thoughts once again face a battle, this
Both Rashi (Shabbos 73b) and the
toward time against Amalek. Unlike
Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos 7:3)
the impending battle against clearly state that the intention to
Hashem, we the Mitzrim at the shore of the facilitate the sprouting of vege-
are the ones Yam Suf, in this battle, we tation (le-tzemach davar hu
who fight the immediately take initiative. miskavein) is the most important
battle. Although Moshe holds his determinant in the melacha of
arms up to focus our thoughts zoreah. In fact, Tosfos (Moed
148-161) notes how central the toward Hashem, we are the Kattan 2b s.v. “ka”) says that the
theme of empowerment is in ones who fight the battle. In a Talmudic argument regarding
the Torah. There is a general similar vein, the Kedusha which the source of the prohibition of
picking weeds on Shabbos is
progression in Torah from a descended upon Mount Sinai
connected to this discussion.
The debate by picking weeds
continued on page 3

seems to stem from the question

Sign Language
I
T abl e Torah
continued on page 2

n this week’s Parsha, Hashem first character- One can answer that perhaps the Torah is hint- Yisrael received the special additional sign of
Yoni Noble

izes Shabbos as “a sign between Me and you
for your generations, to know that I am
Hashem who sanctifies you” (Shemos 31:13).
Hashem appears to reiterate this point when
He says, “Between Me and the Children of
Israel it is an everlasting sign, for in six days
Hashem made heaven and earth, and on the
seventh day He ceased from work and rested”
(Shemos 31:17). Why does the Torah speak of
two signs?
NEW YORK CITY SHABBOS TIMES
Candles Dawn Sunrise Shema (MA)
ing at the fundamentally dual nature of
Shabbos, as reflected in the two recordings of
the Ten Commandments in the Torah. Shemos
20:11 describes Shabbos as commemorating
the creation of the world, whereas Devarim
5:15 enjoins us to keep Shabbos as a remem-
brance of the exodus from Egypt. These two
accounts are not contradictory; while all
humankind can appreciate Shabbos as a sym-
bol of the creation of the world, only Klal
Shema (Gra) Tefilla (MA) Tefilla (Gra)
Shabbos as a commemoration of the exodus
from Egypt that was followed by our receiving
of the Torah. Therefore, Shemos 31:17 focus-
es on the universal significance of Shabbos,
while Shemos 31:13, as explained by Rashi,
alludes to the additional sign that was specifi-
cally for the Jewish people: Hashem’s personal
relationship with the Jewish People, as symbol-
ized by our observance of the Shabbos.
Chatzos Mincha Ged. Shkia Havdala

This issue is sponsored in honor of the recent engagement of Ephraim Messing and Tali Eisenberg. Mazel Tov!
5:46 P.M. 4:50 A.M. 6:02 A.M. 8:27 A.M. 9:03 A.M. 9:39 A.M. 10:03 A.M. 12:04 A.M. 12:34 PM. 6:06 P.M. 6:46 P.M.
 The Melacha of Zoreah

S
of whether we go after the per- transforming the actual seed (into
continued from page 1
A Material Nation
son’s intention, and thus the a plant) – (nehepach guf ha-zerah).
source would be zoreah (as the Thus, as pruning does not meet
oon after the Jewish transcendental and meta-
Noah Cheses

person is facilitating growth), or this requirement, it cannot be

People experienced the physical nature of the “Sinai whether we follow the person’s considered an av of zoreah.
Divine Revelation at Har experience” was overwhelm- action, and thus the source would This idea can also be used to
Sinai, they constructed and ing for a nation whose psy- be choresh [plowing] (as the per- explain another argument
worshipped the Golden Calf. che was infused with the son is physically removing plant between Rashi and the Rambam
life). It appears that these
It is perplexing that the same physicality of Egypt. It was regarding the measurement of
Rishonim hold that unlike other
individuals who were given impossible for the Jews to go melachos, the melacha of zoreah
zoreah. According to the
Rambam, any amount suffices as
the Torah just a short time from one extreme to anoth- is only dependent on intention a minimum measurement to
earlier could commit such an er. The nature of man will and subjective purpose.
transgress zoreah, precisely
egregious sin. How could not allow him to suddenly The Rambam (Hilchos Shabbos 8:2) because any action that helps a
they fall so far so fast? discontinue everything to paskens that watering plants is plant grow is considered to be an
Rav Nathan Cardozo which he is accustomed. forbidden on Shabbos, as it is “av” of the melacha. However,
under the melacha of zoreah. Rashi seems to list a minimum
explains that the cause for Due to the extreme contrast The Pri Moshe infers that accord- measurement (Shabbos 103a), per-
the sin ironically was the between Egypt and Sinai, the ing to the Rambam, the main pur- haps because his definition of the
“Sinai experience” itself. He Jewish People were over- pose of zoreah is to cause plant “av” is more limited than that of
explains that whelmed growth, and therefore, any action the Rambam.
the Jewish and con- that causes a seed to grow better
People were The nature of fused. They
This is also the reason that the
constitutes zoreah. Although the
Rambam paskens that one who
Rambam himself only defines
consumed
by the physi- man will not did
know how
not zoreah in the context of seeds
moves a flowerpot from its
source of nourishment on the
allow him to to react to
taking root, the Pri Moshe
cal culture of extends the definition to encom-
ground is obligated on a Torah

suddenly dis- the

level. For the Rambam, even the
Egypt for Divine pass all activities that facilitate
smallest amount of change in
two hundred Revelation, plant growth.
and ten continue or how to The Pri Moshe also uses this idea
growth conditions obligates a
person in the melacha of zoreah.
years. Egypt everything to sustain the of the intention to facilitate plant
The Pri Moshe also notes that
growth to explain the argument
was known spiritual
which he is
this Rambam parallels the Rosh
between the Rambam, Rashi, and
as a heavily loftiness of who holds that the reason it is
accustomed. the “Sinai
Rabbeinu Chananel regarding the
materialistic nature of zomer (pruning). Rashi
forbidden to take oil from a lit
lamp is because you are hastening
society, and experi- defines zoreah as planting some-
its extinguishment. (On the other
as a result, e n c e . ” thing in the ground that can help
hand, Tosfos says it is forbidden
the JewishPeople were Their instinctual response a tree sprout. As pruning does
because you are decreasing the
indoctrinated with a deeply was physical in nature, as the not involve planting anything in
amount of light.) It is clear from
the ground, according to Rashi it
physical world perspective. It Jews wanted to concretize cannot be considered an action
this Rosh and Rambam that any
was not only the Jews’ hands the experience into a physi- that resembles planting. As we
sort of change that brings an
and feet that were weighed cal symbol, a symbol that saw previously, the Rambam is
object closer to a desired purpose
constitutes a transgression, even
down by the shackles of would represent and encap- not as concerned with drawing an
if the change is very small in
servitude; the minds of the sulate the omnipotent G-d exact parallel to planting. Rather,
nature. It can be seen from this
Jews were “bound” as well. whom they had encoun- anything that helps cause growth
can be considered an “av” – pri- that the Pri Moshe’s novel sug-
Traces of this materialistic tered. mary category of the melacha of gestion in the Rambam regarding
mentality remained with the The sin of the golden calf zoreah. Thus, pruning, which zoreah can be extended to other
Jews for many years and indicates that the materialis- does help assist future plant melachos.
engendered numerous chal- tic outlook that had become growth, might meet this require- Next week we will discuss the
ment. However, Rabbeinu case of the flowerpot in greater
lenges. One particular chal- a way of life in Egypt was
Chananel requires an exact paral- depth and important principles
lenge was the experience of still an active force at Sinai. lel to planting, and an “av” of regarding the melacha of zoreah
receiving the Torah. The The Jews were unable to zoreah can only be defined as will hopefully emerge from the
continued on page 3 something that causes growth by discussion.
EINAYIM L’TORAH • 2
A Material
vhv, ohn, Nation
abandon their past and change their
way of looking at the world in only a
matter of months. Such a transforma-
tion would have to take place over
many years during the transitional stage
in the wilderness.
Empowerment
came entirely from Hashem. After
Mount Sinai, however, we are told to
build our own place of Kedusha, to
take ordinary wood and gold and fash-
ion it into a Mishkan. Interestingly,
the Kedusha of the Mishkan, which we
built ourselves, endured. In contrast,
after the giving of the Torah, Mount
Sinai lost all of its sanctity.
This same theme of empowerment can be
seen by contrasting the two sets of Luchot
mentioned in our parsha. The first set of
Luchot were fashioned completely by
Hashem, as it is stated, “Stone tablets fash-
ioned, written and hewn completely by
Hashem.” These Luchot were broken, and
do not contribute to the Torah which we
study today. The second Luchot, in con-
trast, were fashioned by Moshe Rabbeinu,
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continued from page 2
The sin of the Jewish People in this
week’s Parsha was a human sin. Human
beings are not able to change so far so
fast. The human condition is such that
change is slow. The Jews needed many
years to purge themselves of the
Egyptian mentality and to become the
continued from page 1
as it says, “P’sol Lecha Shemei Lucot Avanim
KaRishonim.” Hashem instructs Moshe to
hew the stone for the Luchot himself.
Surprisingly, these second Luchot, which
represent human involvement, were more
permanent. As the Beis HaLevi notes, the
way we must study Torah—through labor
and exertion—is a direct outgrowth of the
second set of Luchot.
There is yet another advantage of human
initiative which is highlighted by the sec-
ond Luchot. The Torah tells us how
Moshe’s face radiated with a special glow
after he brought these Luchot down from
Mount Sinai (Shemos 34:29). This glow
was not present after Moshe delivered the
first Luchot. Human involvement not only
produces a more permanent Kedushah, but
it changes us as well. As Rabbi Sacks
Tzvi Simcha Cohen • (646) 387-8573
moral and spiritual nation that they are.
Every human must appreciate the fact
that change requires patience and time;
we must recognize that
continued from pageself-improve-
1
ment is a slow process as we strive to
become the best people we can be.
notes, “We are changed, not by what we
receive, but by what we do.”
Perhaps this is part of the lesson of
Moshe’s perplexing conversation with
Hashem (Shemot 33:18-23). After Moshe
asks Hashem to reveal His splendor, he is
told, that as a human, he is incapable of
perceiving Hashem’s glory. However, the
story does not end there. Hashem tells
Moshe to come and join Him on the rock.
Perhaps the message is that as humans our
job is not to see Hashem, but to see as
Hashem sees. Our challenge is not to per-
ceive the Divine in this world, but to make
our vision more like the Divine vision. Or
as my daughter Kira aptly puts it, “Our
responsibility is not to move to another
world, but to move this world.” Good
Shabbos.
PARSHAS KI TISA • 3
Parsha Points in Ki Tisa
Ephraim Meth
• All Jews must donate a half-shekel for the Mishkan’s construction.

• Moshe is instructed in the fashioning of the kiyor (priests’ washbasin), the anointing oil (for the priests and
the Mishkan), and the incense.
Einayim L’Torah
• Betzalel and Oholiav should be appointed to oversee the Mishkan’s construction. 500 W. 185th Street
• Violators of Shabbos are punished by stoning (if they were warned and witnessed) or by kareis, premature New York, NY 10033
death (if they were not warned or witnessed). www.einayim.org
• In Moshe’s extended absence, Aharon forms a golden calf (eigel ha-zahav) at the Jews’ behest. Hashem
editor@einayim.org
wants to destroy the Jewish Nation, but Moshe appeases Him. When Moshe descends, he breaks the
Editor-in-Chief
luchot, demolishes the eigel, and purges the nation of sinners with the Levites’ help. Editors In Chief
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• Moshe ascends once more to further appease Hashem. As a result, Hashem reinstates his promise to per- Yehuda Brand
M a n a g i nFriedman
Pinchas g Editor
sonally guide the Jews onwards, instructs Moshe to fashion a new set of luchot, and teaches Moshe a
Josh Weinberg
prayer to calm divine wrath. Hashem also allows Moshe to partially glimpse His glory. However, Jewish
Executive Editors
stature decreases and Moshe is forced to remove his tent from their camp.
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• The Jews must not make a treaty with the Canaanite inhabitants of Israel, lest they come to worship for- DovidVogel
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EINAYIM L’TORAH • 4 PARSHAS KI TISA