CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS KI SISO 5770 - BS"D
1) Ch. 30, v. 35: "Maa'sei rokei'ach" - Are all the incense ingredients ground to the same consistency?
2) Ch. 31, v. 6: "U'v'leiv kol CHACHAM leiv nosati CHOCHMOH" - It seems that the recipient of Hashem's wisdom already has wisdom in his heart. From where did he get his first level of wisdom?
3) Ch. 32, v. 20: "Va'yashk es bnei Yisroel" - Moshe ground the golden calf into dust and placed it into water. He gave this concoction to the bnei Yisroel to drink and the results were similar to that of the "sotoh waters." If the person was guilty, even though Moshe had no witnesses, let alone witnesses who warned him to not sin, the golden calf waters would bring about the guilty person's death. (Rashi)
Do you have any other explanation of these words of our verse of what was done with the bnei Yisroel to prove their innocence or otherwise?
4) Ch. 32, v. 28: "Va'yipole min ho'om …… Kishloshes alfei ish" - The verse says "Kishloshes," LIKE 3,000 people fell. Exactly how many people were felled by the bnei Levi?
5) Ch. 34, v. 27: "Ksov l'cho es hadvorim ho'ei'leh" - Rashi says that the words "es hadvorim ho'ei'leh," - specifically these words - and no more, are Hashem's response to Moshe's request to write not only the written Torah but to include the future verbal Torah as interpreted by our Sages as part and parcel of the written Torah. We know that the complete Torah "sheb'al peh" was also transmitted to Moshe on Har Sinai (gemara Yerushalmi Pei'oh chapter 1). If so, why wasn't this given to Moshe to write as well?
ANSWERS:
#1
The Sforno explains that these words teach us that the different components of the incense mixture should be ground to different levels of fineness, as the maximum aroma when they are burned is only realized when this is done, as one level of grind is not appropriate for all spices.
#2
The Holy Admor Rabbi Aharon of Belz answers that this comes from "Reishis CHOCHMOH yiras Hashem" (T'hilim 111:10).
#3
It seems that Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer chapter #45 gives a secondary interpretation to the words "va'yashk es bnei Yisroel." He says that it refers back to the golden calf mentioned at the beginning of our verse. People went to the calf and placed their lips on its and received a KISS from the calf. These people's lips miraculously turned a golden colour. The bnei Levi killed them by sword. It would seem that by a Heavenly edict this circumstantial evidence was equated to having been warned and having witnesses testify to their sin.
#4
Ch. 32, v. 28: "Va'yipole min ho'om …… Kishloshes alfei ish" - The verse says "Kishloshes," LIKE 3,000 people fell. The Holy Zohar on parshas Bolok page 194a writes that only Yonis and Yambreis the sons of Bilom were killed by the bnei Levi.
I have come across these two people in the Targum Yonoson on Shmos 1:15, where he relates that Paroh had a dream which they interpreted to mean that a saviour for the bnei Yisroel will be born to them and through him the whole of Egypt will be laid desotale. It seems that they might have later joined the ranks of the "eirev rav."
#5
Ch. 34, v. 27: "Ksov l'cho es hadvorim ho'ei'leh" - Rashi says that the words "es hadvorim ho'ei'leh," - specifically these words - and no more, are Hashem's response to Moshe's request to write not only the written Torah but to include the future verbal Torah as interpreted by our Sages as part and parcel of the written Torah. The Medrash Tanchuma says in the name of Rabbi Yaakov son of Rabbi Sholo-m that Hashem said to Moshe, "If you will write the oral Torah the gentiles will claim that they are the bnei Yisroel, claiming that they received the Torah, just as they will in the future falsely claim that the Torah that I allow you to write is theirs." Thus if it is not written for many generations, until after their false prophets claim Divine revelation, it will be clear to all that the oral Torah is uniquely the bnei Yisroel's. Indeed, history has clearly borne this out.
It seems that since the oral Torah cannot be claimed by anyone else than the bnei Yisroel, this should be a clear indication that the written Torah is uniquely theirs as well, as the oral Torah is clearly needed to understand the written Torah.
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