Answers to this Week’s Riddles
(For riddles see back page)
1)
In this week’s parsha we learn about the mitzvah of lighting the menorah in the Beis HaMikdosh. On the word בהעלתך, Rashi offers two explanations to explain why the Torah uses an expression of “going up”: 1) שצריך להדליק עד שתהא שלהבת עולה מאליה - “When lighting the menorah, it should be lit in a manner that the flame is properly lit and raises by itself, before moving on to the next one” 2)There was a step (מעלה) in front of the menorah, which the kohen would climb up on to light the menorah. The Mishnah in Tamid (3:9) mentions this step and says: “There was a stone in front of the menorah, which had three steps, and the Kohen would stand on it to light the menorah”. The Bartenura explains: “The menorah was eighteen tefochim tall, and in order to be able to reach it, the Kohen lighting it needed to ascend the steps.”
In Parshas Tetzaveh we also learn about lighting the menorah and the pasuk says (27:2): ויקחו אליך שמן זית זך כתית למאור להעלות נר תמיד – “You shall take pure olive oil crushed for lighting, to raise up a constant light.” Here also the pasuk uses and expression of עליה – “going up”, and Rashi comments: שתהא שלהבת עולה מאליה – “So that the flame rises by itself”. The question is: Why in Parshas Tetzaveh does Rashi omit the explanation of their being a step in front of the menorah?
The Mayim Yechezkel (Parshas Tetzaveh) answers: In Parshas Beha’aloscha Aharon HaKohen was instructed to light the menorah, like it says:דבר אל אהרן - “speak to Aharon” and Aharon needed steps to climb up to light, as he was average height of 3 amos (18 tefochim), which is the same height as the menorah which was eighteen tefochim tall. For Aharon HaKohen to be able to prepare the menorah and light it, he needed to climb steps. However, in Parshas Tetzaveh Moshe was serving during the Shivas Yemei Miluim [seven days of inauguration] and Moshe was ten amos tall (60 tefochim) and didn’t need any steps to be able to reach the menorah, therefore, Rashi in Parshas Tetzaveh omits any mention of the steps as they weren’t needed.
[The above is still difficult as Aharon was 18 tefochim tall and the menorah was also 18 tefochim high, so why couldn’t he just stretch his hands a bit in order to reach? Rav Leib Tzintz (Meloi HaOmer) explains: The Gemara in Sotah (38a) rules that although Kohanim in the Beis HaMikdosh recite Birkas Kohanim with their hands raised above their heads, the Kohen Gadol may not do so. Rashi explains that this is because Hashem’s name is written on the tzitz [head-plate], and it is inappropriate to raise his hands above this level. Just as Aharon could not raise his hands above his head for the purpose of Birkas Kohanim, so too was he forbidden to do so to light the menorah, and he had no choice but to stand on a step to light it.]
The Sefer Eser Sachsachos (Mareches 8, ois 23) writes that R’ Tzvi Hirsh of Zidatchov once saw in a certain machzor a picture of Moshe and Aharon, and Moshe was tall and Aharon was short. He went to ask the Bnei Yissoschar what the source for the printers was to decide that Moshe was tall, and Aharon was short? The Bnei Yissoschar answered: We know Moshe was tall from the fact that he was able to spread the curtains over the Mishkan which was ten amos tall, and we know that Aharon was short from the fact that he needed to climb steps to be able to light the menorah. We see from this story, that Aharon needed to use steps as he was short.
However, from the Moishav Zekeinim (Shemos 26:1) it’s clear that Moshe and Aharon were the same height. It’s also clear from the Gemara in Shabbos (92a), at least according to one answer that the height of all the Leviyim was ten amos. R’ Yonason Eibshitz (Tiferes Yonason) writes: Even if the other Leviyim weren’t ten amos tall, Aharon certainly was at least as tall as Moshe. It says: הכהן הגדול מאחיו – “The Kohen, bigger than his brethren” (Vayikra 21:10). Chazal in Chullin (134b) learn from here, that the Kohen Gadol needs to be more elevated than the other Kohanim. This hints to the fact that the Kohen Gadol needed to be taller than the rest of Klal Yisroel. R’ Yonason Eibshitz writes: This would happen when the Kohen Gadol was anointed with shemen hamishcha [special anointing oil]. Even if the Kohen Gadol wasn’t naturally tall, after being anointed he would stretch and grow taller. Therefore, Aharon HaKohen was at least as tall as his brother Moshe, if not even taller.
However, even if we say Aharon was ten amos tall, we can still understand why steps were needed in front of the menorah. At the time the menorah was made, Aharon wasn’t yet anointed, as he was only anointed at the time of the hakomas haMishkan [setting up of the Mishkan] like it says (Vayikra 8:12):ויצוק משמן המשחה על ראש אהרן וימשח אותו לקדשו – “And they poured from the anointing oil on the head of Aharon, and they anointed him to sanctify him”. Therefore, at the time of making the menorah he was still short; therefore, steps were needed to be made. Although once he was anointed there was no longer a need for them, once they were made, they were kept.
(Otzar Pelois HaTorah)
2)
i) See what we mentioned above from R’ Yonason Eibshitz in the previous answer. R’ Yonason Eibshitz continues and explains: Aharon HaKohen after being anointed with the shemen hamishcha was ten amos tall, and he had no need to use the steps to light the menorah. Nonetheless, he used the steps, and he had to bend down in order not to hit his head on the top of the Mishkan. It would have been easier for him not to use the steps, however, he didn’t want to act differently to other Kohanim who were short and would need the steps, therefore, he used them as well. This was the special praise of Aharon, that שלא שינה. Even though he didn’t need to use the steps and they made things more difficult for him, he used them anyway not to be different to all the other Kohanim.
ii) The Otzar Pelois HaTorah offers another peshat, but before doing so he brings a story that happened with the Butchatcher. The Butchatcher writes a story about himself in Eishel Avraham (679): I was once running late coming back from the mikveh on erev Shabbos which was first night Chanukah, and I hadn’t yet lit menorah. There were no birds flying in the sky, and I already saw a star come out, and due to the doubt that it was already Shabbos I didn’t light menorah, as even mitzvos de’O’raisa such as shofar and lulav we refrain from doing at such times. However, I asked a child to light for me, as it was a shevus deshevus [double derabonon], as it was a doubt if it was dark, and the melachah was being carried out by a child, and Chazal are lenient with a shevus deshevus when it comes to fulfilling a mitzvah derabonon. See inside for what the Butchatcher did regarding the berachos.
Certainly, the Butchatcher wasn’t treating mitzvos lightly and he must have been very busy with other important mitzvos. There is a similar story with the Rema, that he was once very busy with something and he was only able to be mesader kiddushin for a kallah who was an orphan two hours after Shabbos came in, and he refused to daven Maariv until the chuppah took place (cited in Shu”t Rema, siman 125).
With this we can explain Rashi: Even though Aharon HaKohen was:אוהב שלום ורודף שלום – “Loved peace and pursued peace”, and he was also:אוהב את הבריות ומקרבן לתורה – “Loved everyone and brought them close to Torah” and it must have taken up lots of his time, he was very careful with the mitzvah of lighting menorah, and not once did he need to find an agent to light in his place, or light late.
This point that Aharon lit menorah every day is clear from the Ramban. The Ramban explains that even though Aharon’s sons could have lit the menorah in his stead, he was careful with the mitzvah and made sure to do it himself every single day. The special praise of Aharon HaKohen that שלא שינה, is that not once did he miss out on the mitzvah and have to appoint an agent in his stead.
iii) The Chasam Sofer (Toras Moshe) offers another peshat: Hatovas haneiros [preparing the menorah] and the offering up of the ketores were carried out at the same time, like it says (Shemos 30:7): בהטיבו את הנרות יקטירנה- “when preparing the menorah, offer up the ketores”. If one prepared the menorah he couldn’t offer up ketores, and if one offered up ketores he couldn’t prepare the menorah.
Chazal (Shabbos 23) say that one who is careful with the mitzvah of lighting candles will merit having children who are talmiday chachomim. Chazal also tell us that offering up ketores was a great segulah for great wealth. If we were in Aharon HaKohen’s shoes, we would have probably taken a day off from lighting menorah and offered ketores instead, in order to get the segulah of wealth. However, Aharon HaKohen appreciated the value of Torah so much: טוב לי תורת פיך מאלפי זהב וכסף – “The Torah is more important to me, than thousands of gold and silver”, that not even once did he give over the avodah of the preparing and lighting a menorah to someone else, as he was so desperate to have sons that are talmiday chachomim. לא שינה – not even once did he give over the avodah of lighting menorah to attain wealth, as Torah was so much more valuable for him.
3)
The Medrash Rabbah (26:9) brings that a Kohen Gadol must be strong, and proves it from the fact that Aharon HaKohen managed to wave 22,000 Leviyim in one day. In a 24-hour day, there is a total of 86,400 seconds. If Aharon was able to wave the Leviyim by day and night, then it comes out that for each Levi he had 3.927 seconds to wave them.
If, however, he was only able to wave them in the day, which is the halachah by korbanos, that tenufah can only be done in the day, then he had only 43,200 seconds to wave them. It would then come out that he had only 1.963 seconds per Levi.
To do such a thing requires tremendous strength. Rabbeinu Bechayeh speaks this out, and he writes that from the fact that Aharon was able to wave 22,000 Leviyim all on his own in one day, we see his tremendous strength.
However, Rabbeinu Bechayeh offers a second peshat, and says that perhaps it was a miracle, and Hashem provided a special miracle to help Aharon be able to achieve this. Whilst discussing the tenufah of the Leviyim, it’s worth mentioning something R’ Chaim Kanievsky brings in Tama Dekra. He writes: When I was younger and my father (the Steipler) taught me Chumash, he explained how Aharon was able to wave all the Leviyim in one day. Aharon made a big scale, and on one side he put big stones, and on the other side he put the Levi. Aharon then tilted the scale to the side with the
