Parashat Ki Tisa
March 6, 2010
20 Adar 5770
Vol. 19 No. 22

This week's Halacha file: Genetic Engineering in Halacha – Part 1

This issue is sponsored by Susan & Ervin Klein on the upcoming marriage of their son Dr. Avi (Kol Torah Editor-in-Chief ’96-‘97) to Rachel Barton.

Why?
by Rabbi Ezra Wiener
There are individuals who occasionally distinguish between a proficient, meticulous Baal Korei and an inexperienced, careless one based on one aspect of this week's Parashah (Shemot 32:11), “VaYechal Moshe Et Penei Adonai Elokav VaYomer Lama Adnoai Yechereh Apecha BeAmecha,” "And Moshe supplicated before Hashem and said: 'Why should Your wrath wax hot against Your people?'" Only rarely is the word “Lama” stressed Milra, on the last syllable. In most instances, Lama is pronounced Mileil, with the Lamed accented. What is the meaning of this quite uncommon pronunciation of the word Lama?

Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch suggests that the word “Lama,” which is usually translated as "why," can essentially be broken down into two parts - Le and Ma - which when literally translated means "to what," i.e., to what purpose. When one asks "why" in response to an individual's action, he is essentially questioning two aspects of the action: 1) For what reason did you perform this action, and 2) What objective did you plan to achieve by your performance of this action? Frequently, both aspects are intended. When stressing the Lamed, one is questioning the pertinence of the entire matter - both the reason and objective. However, when stressing the Ma, one accepts that there is good reason for an action or response but questions whether that action will truly accomplish anything. For example, if a father sees his son hit a friend, and asks, "Why did you hit your friend?" the father is interested in ascertaining if his son's friend did something that warranted a response. However, if the father sees his son's friend teasing him and asks, "Why did you hit your friend," the father understands that there was a reason for a response but is questioning whether hitting will accomplish anything.

Moshe was not challenging Hashem's anger when he declared Lama. The Jews had been warned by the Torah's command to refrain from idol worship, but they chose to disobey by worshipping the Eigel HaZahav. Moshe, however, was inquiring whether Hashem's proposal to annihilate the Jews would really achieve anything. Moshe therefore declared: Lama Hashem Yechereh Apecha. For what purpose are You so angry? What will You achieve by maintaining such an excessive degree of anger?

The Pasuk is immediately followed by the common Lama, when Moshe asks “Lama Yomeru Mitzrayim Leimor BeRaah Hotziam LaHarog Otam Beharim,” "Hashem, You certainly have the right to be infuriated with Your people, but there is no rhyme or reason to generate a Chillul Hashem." This question therefore uses the Lama form.

Similarly, in Parashat Shemot (5:22) when Moshe asks, “Adonai Lama Hareiota La'am Hazeh Lama Zeh Shelachani,” “Hashem, why have You dealt ill with this people? Why have You sent me,” he implies: I understand that You have some reason for making the lives of the Jews more difficult in Egypt before You redeem them. However, as is evident from Paroh's most recent decree of Tichbad HaAvodah (let heavier work be laid upon them), my incompetence as a leader has been confirmed. I have only made matters worse and I question your very reasoning for specifically selecting me in the first place.

Lessons from Hashem’s Tefillin
by Itamar Lustiger

In Parashat Ki Tisa, Moshe makes a seemingly difficult request of Hashem, “Hareini Na Et Kevodecha,” “Please show me your glory” (Shemot 33:18). Hashem responds, “Ani A’avir Kol Tuvi Al Panecha…Lo Tuchal Lireot Et Panai Ki Lo Yireani HaAdam VaChai,” “I will pass before you and show you My glory…but I will not show you My face, because man is not able to see Me and live.” Hashem agrees to pass in front of Moshe, but Moshe will see only Hashem’s back. Many ask an apparently obvious question. How could Moshe make a request to see Hashem’s face? After accepting the Torah, and living in the Anan, the heavenly cloud, for 40 days on Har Sinai during Matan Torah, without seeing Hashem’s face, how could he make the request now? If Hashem wanted to show Moshe His face, why wouldn’t he have done it on Har Sinai?

The Gemara (Berachot 7a) says that Moshe was not asking to see Hashem’s face, per se; rather, he was asking to see the inner workings of Hashem. Moshe was curious to see Hashem’s reasoning in His dealings with the world, and specifically the reason for “Tzadik VeRa Lo VeRasha VeTov Lo,” why bad events befall good people and vice versa. Hashem responds to this lofty request with the answer that He will merely pass by Moshe, and Moshe will get a glimpse into how Hashem runs the world. The answer that Hashem gives Moshe can be a lesson for all of us.

The Chatam Sofer in his commentary on the Torah states that when Hashem passed by Moshe, he saw Hashem’s Tefillin knot on the back of His head. Moshe sees Hashem’s Retzu’ot, His Tefillin straps, and sees what they represent. Hashem’s left Retzu’ah represents the Midah of Din, of judgment. Hashem’s right Retzu’ah represents the Midah of Rachamim, of mercy. (This is also the reason for standing with the right hand over the left hand while davening Shemoneh Esrei, so that Hashem will judge us with Rachamim and not Din.) Hashem shows Moshe his Tefillin with the two Retzu’ot to show that Hashem acts with both Din and Rachamim. Hashem doesn’t act just randomly, but decides carefully how one’s life will go. There is a reason for all of Hashem’s decrees, and even though one may not be able see the reason at the moment, there still is one. Although a Tzadik might appear to be judged with the Midah of Din, there might be a hidden Midah of Rachamim that no one can see at the time. Everything that Hashem does is done for the best, even though it may not appear that way at the time. Gam Zu LeTovah (it is all for the best) is a message that Moshe learned directly from Hashem, and it should be the mantra of how Jews live their lives.

Good Intentions Gone Bad
by Ariel Felsen

It is very surprising that Aharon would betray his brother Moshe and decide to make the Eigel HaZahav. When Moshe asks Aharon why he did so, Aharon responds (Shemot 32:22-24), “Al Yichar Af Adoni Ata Yadata Et HaAm Ki VeRah Hu VaYomeru Li ‘Asei Lanu Elohim Asher Yeilechu Lefaneinu Ki Zeh Moshe HaIsh Asher He’elanu MeiEretz Mitzrayim Lo Yadanu Meh Hayah Lo’ VaOmar Lahem LeMi Zahav Hitparaku VaYittenu Li VaAshlicheihu VaAish VaYeitzei HaEigel HaZeh,” “Please, my master [Moshe], do not get angry. You know these people are evil-bound. They asked me, ‘Make us a god before us in place of Moshe, for we do not know what happened to him.’ I told them to give me any gold they possessed. They removed it and gave it to me, I drew it into the fire, and this calf emerged.” Rashi explains that when the Pasuk states, “and this calf emerged,” it means that Aharon did not know that it would become the Eigel HaZahav. In this case, why did Aharon ask for gold in the first place? What was his intended purpose for the collected gold?

The Sheim MiShmuel explains that Moshe’s absence from Bnei Yisrael caused a great nationwide crisis. However, what was so important about Moshe that without him havoc erupted? Moshe managed to unite the whole nation as one. Without him there was no unity or harmony. Aharon understood this, and wished to calm Bnei Yisrael by emulating Moshe. Consequently, he commanded everyone to partake in a community-wide event to unite Bnei Yisrael. The primary issue with this plan was that certain people were not interested in unity, and were more focused on causing trouble. This group was known as the Eirev Rav, the Nochrim who had joined Bnei Yisrael during Yitziat Mitzrayim.

A proof of Aharon’s good intentions was Hashem’s subsequent reward to him—delegating him as the Kohein Gadol as a result of Midah KeNeged Midah, a fitting reward for his actions. Since Aharon intended to unify the people at Cheit HaEigel, he was appropriately rewarded the position of Kohein Gadol, a position which unifies Bnei Yisrael in their service of Hashem.
One of the important lessons we learn from this incident is the great impact, positive or negative, individuals can have on ther peers. Sometimes, we may act selfishly and not contemplate our actions’ impact on others. Our actions’ potency is manifested by the episode of Cheit HaEigel. Aharon’s actions of unifying the community were successful at first, and carried out with the proper objective (thus meriting his reward). However, when the Eirev Rav interrupted and corrupted Aharon’s intentions, they managed to persuade Bnei Yisrael to commit a sin great as Cheit HaEigel. Therefore, we see how our deeds can alter an entirely benign action to a hostile exploit.

Benefiting as a Whole
by Binyamin Segal

In Parashat Ki Tisa, Hashem commands all men in Bnei Yisrael who are at least 20 years old to give the Machatzit HaShekel. We often pose the celebrated question - why half a Shekel and not a full Shekel? While there are many answers to this question, the one that is most well known is that a Jew is not complete without having care and concern for his brethren. We give only half a Shekel to show that we can be whole only when we are together with someone else. Everyone is equal; no one can give more and no one can give less.

I would like to suggest an extension of this approach. A Pasuk in Parashat Mishpatim states (Shemot 23:25), "VaAvadtem Et Hashem Elokeichem UVeirach Et Lachmecha VeEt Meimecha VeHasiroti Machalah MiKirbecha," "If you (plural) worship Hashem your God, He shall bless your (singular) bread and water and He will remove all illness from you." Why does this Pasuk start in the plural and end in the singular? The answer is that when one small group that is committed to Torah and Mitzvot serves Hashem, all of Bnei Yisrael benefit; Bnei Yisrael receive all of Hashem's blessings as one people. The plural reference in the Pasuk refers to the members of the small group, and the singular reference represents the entire Jewish people. A similar use of pronouns can be found in Hallel. When the Kohanim (House of Aharon) praise Hashem, the Pasuk says (Tehillim 118:3), "Yomeru Na Veit Aharon," referring to the group in plural. Also, the Pasuk for God-fearers (118:4), "Yomeru Na Yirei Hashem," is in plural. However, when referring to Bnei Yisrael in general, the Pasuk states (118:2), "Yomar Na Yisrael," in singular. This is further proof that those dedicated to the worship of Hashem are referred to in a plural sense, and those receiving the reward - Bnei Yisrael - are a singular entity.

This Pasuk in Mishpatim upholds the idea that we learned from Ki Tisa. A Jew is dependent on his fellow. When Jews who are careful to observe Mitzvot do so, then the entire nation reaps the benefits of Hashem's blessings.