[Par-lite] Parshat Bhalotcha - additional shiur

Thu Jun 4 12:57:05 EDT 2015

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     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

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    PARSHAT BHA'ALOTCHA   (shiur #2)

      "CHALSHA DA'ATO SHEL AHARON"

     Why was Aharon depressed?

     The first Rashi in this week's Parsha
deals with this

question as he explains the juxtaposition
between the first

topic in Parshat Bha'alotcha - for Aharon to
light the Menorah

(8:1-5), and the last topic in Parshat Naso -
the twelve day

dedication ceremony of the Mizbayach
(7:1-88):

  "Why is the parsha of the Menorah
juxtaposed to 'chanukat

  ha'nssiim' (the special offering brought by
the princes of

  each tribe)? - When Aharon saw the daily
dedication offering

  by the 'nssiim', he became DEPRESSED,
because neither he,

  nor his shevet, took part in this ceremony.
- God assured

  Aharon saying: Do not worry, YOUR PORTION
IS GREATER than

  theirs, for you are to light and attend to
the MENORAH every

  morning and evening."

IS AHARON REALLY 'LEFT OUT'?

     Ramban immediately questions the basic
assumption of this

Midrash (as quoted by Rashi):

  "Could it be that Aharon is depressed
because he felt 'left

  out'? After all, each "nasi" enjoyed only
ONE day of special

  attention, while Aharon was at the center
of attention

  during each of those TWELVE DAYS! Did he
not offer all of

  the korbanot on each of those days, as well
as the ktoret

  and korban tamid?

       Furthermore, during the miluim
ceremony (see Vayikra

  8:1-36) that preceded that dedication, he
and his children

  enjoyed seven days of 'exclusive
attention'. For what

  possible reason could Aharon have felt
'left out'?

     In this commentary, Ramban is unable to
find a satisfying

explanation of this Midrash according to
"pshat". Instead, he

suggests that the intention of the Midrash is
not to explain

the psukim, but rather to show a biblical
source for the

Hasmonean revolt:

  "Even though Aharon did not participate in
the dedication of

  the mizbayach of the Mishkan, in the merit
of his

  descendants - the Hasmoneans - the
mizbayach of the Second

  Temple will be dedicated. Furthermore, in
commemoration of

  that event, a Menorah will be lit in every
home, even after

  the destruction of the Temple "

                              (see Ramban
8:1).

     One could suggest an alternative
explanation of the

Midrash, without the need of limiting its
significance to the

events of the Hasmonean revolt.COALITION
POLITICS The opening

statement of the Midrash - "chalsha da'ato
shel Aharon"

(Aharon became depressed) - requires
explanation. [Note that

Ramban had raised this question, but did not
answer it

directly.]

     Considering that Aharon is indeed at the
center of

attention and very busy during each day of
the dedication

ceremony, why should he have become
depressed?

     To understand Aharon's reaction
(according to the

Midrash) we must consider the political
realities of his

predicament. Bnei Yisrael are about to leave
Har Sinai and

begin their journey to conquer and inherit
the Land of Israel.

Although Aharon is indeed a very key figure
during Bnei

Yisrael's short stay in the desert, he is
apprehensive about

what will most probably take place once Bnei
Yisrael leave Har

Sinai. The focus of national attention will
shift to the

excitement of military initiatives and
political enterprise.

Har Sinai, and maybe even the Mishkan, will
soon be 'long

forgotten'.

     Once the conquest of Eretz Canaan would
begin, it will be

the twelve "nssiim" (the tribal leaders) who
will hold the

highest positions of national leadership.
They will establish

economic policy; they will make treaties with
foreign

dignitaries; they will make the speeches at
national

gatherings; they will lead the nation in war.
[In modern

phraseology, they will become the Ministers
of Defence and the

Treasury; Secretaries of State and Foreign
Affairs.]

     Thus, it is quite understandable why
Aharon becomes

depressed. When he sees the attention that
the twelve "nssiim"

receive, he realizes the insignificance of
his position within

the emerging national leadership. What
ministry post will he

receive? In his own eyes, he may have begun
to view his job as

merely the "shamash" (a beadle/ attendant)
taking care of the

Mishkan. Indeed, a very technical job at
best.

     Will he have any influence lasting
influence on the

nation? At best, he may possibly be appointed
"sar ha'datot" -

the Minister of Religion. Within a short
time, Aharon fears,

he will be distanced from national
leadership.

AN IMPORTANT CABINET POST

     Thus far, we have suggested a reason for
Aharon's

depression (according to the Midrash). What
is the

significance of God's consolation -that he
will light the

Menorah?

     Although the Midrash is well aware of
Aharon's numerous

responsibilities in the Mishkan, it chooses
specifically the

Menorah to symbolize an additional aspect of
his national

duties, i.e. teaching God's laws to the
people. This double

purpose is mentioned in the blessing to
Shevet Levi in Parshat

v'Zot ha'bracha:

  "They shall TEACH Your laws to Yaakov, and
your instructions

  to Yisrael, they shall offer Your
incense... and offer the

  'olah' ("kalil") on Your mizbayach..."
(Devarim 33:10)

     Once Bnei Yisrael will enter the land,
teaching the laws

of the Torah will become the PRIMARY duty of
the Kohanim and

Leviim. Since their work is divided into 24
week shifts, the

average kohen or levi would find himself
working in the

Mishkan only two weeks a year. Therefore,
most of their time

would be spent teaching and judging the
people (see Devarim

17:8-10).  It was for this reason that their
cities are

scattered throughout the twelve tribes of
Israel (see Bamidbar

35:1-8 and Yehoshua 21:1-40).

     Thus, the Menorah may symbolize
specifically this duty of

the Kohanim - "chinuch", teaching.  If the
purpose of the

Menorah is to spread light, then the purpose
of the kohanim is

to spread Torah to the entire nation. This
understanding can

explain why Aharon is consoled when told that
it is his job to

light the Menorah.

     If we continue with our parallel to the
realm of national

politics, one could explain that Aharon and
his "shevet" are

consoled - for they are given a
responsibility similar to the

control the Ministry of Education and Justice
(in addition to

the Ministry of Religion) - a cabinet
position no less

important than any other!

                                   shabbat
shalom,

                                   menachem

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FOR FURTHER IYUN - PART II:

1. According to pshat, one could suggest a
simple reason for

the juxtaposition of these two parshiot?

     Notice that the final psukim of perek 7,
which summarize

the korbanot brought by the nssiim, are
actually referring to

the first day of the dedication ceremony when
all the nssiim

brought their korbanot together, at the same
time (read 7:10-

11 carefully!). Furthermore, 7:89 - the dibur
to Moshe - also

takes place on the first day.

     Therefore, Bha'alotcha opens in the
'afternoon' of the

first day of the dedication of the Mishkan.
The only avodah

left, which did not begin in the morning, is
the lighting of

the Menorah, for it is lit "m'erev ad boker"
- from evening to

morning! This may explain why this mitzvah is
included at this

time.

2. Compare this juxtaposition between the
dibur to Moshe

(7:89), and his relationship to Aharon
(8:1-5) and the Nsiim

(7:1-88) to the psukim which describe Moshe
descent from Har

Sinai- according to Shmot 34:29-32!Relate
this to the

connection between Har Sinai and the function
of the Mishkan!

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