We are in the midst of learning the parshiyos of the Mishkan, the dwelling place of Hashem in this world. Interestingly these parshiyos fall during the month of Adar. The sefarim explain (see the Shlah haKadosh) that this is no coincidence. All the Moadim relate to the parshiyos in which they fall, and this is no exception. Let us examine the connection between Adar, a time of simcha and celebration, and the building of the Mishkan. We will also include Purim Katan and the climax of Shovevim TAT in our discussion.
Living with Hashem
The Sefas Emes cites the Midrash on Parshas Terumah which relates that Hashem commands us, “Asei li kiton echad v’adur b’scocho - Make me one small room and I will dwell within it”. The word “adur - I will dwell” is related to the word “Adar”. In other words, Adar relates to Hashem’s living among us, to His hashra’as haShechina. Adar is a time when we invite Hashem to come down to live with us in our world, a time of “avo ladur beynechem”.
As we have explained in previous weeks, the Mishkan was a place of connection to Hashem within this world of gashmiyus. Today, when we do not have a Mishkan or Beis Hamikdash, our avodah is bilevavi mishkan evneh - to build a sanctuary, a place of dveykus deep within us. But why is Adar, in particular, such an opportune time for hashra’as haShechina?
Simply understood it is because the Shechina only rests in a place of simcha. Since Adar is filled with simcha it is suitable for hashra’as haShechina. However, it goes deeper than that.
Adar
The Tur explains that the twelve months of the year correspond to the twelve shevatim. The month of Adar corresponds to Yosef haTzaddik - the consummate man of kedusha, of the avodah of shovevim.
Harav Chanoch Karelenstein discusses this further. Yosef Hatzadik was tremendously great. He represented kedusha and hashra’as haShechinah, and surpassed any level of ayin ha’ra. The mazal of the month of Adar is a fish, which is not susceptible to ayin ha’ra.
A Leap Year
This year is a leap year with two Adars. What is the significance of these two months and how do they connect to the current parshiyos?
As we explained, the month of Adar is the month of Yosef haTzaddik. Ya’akov blessed Yosef that each of his two children would shevatim in their own right, which means that the two months of Adar represent the two sons of Yosef, Menashe and Efraim.
Every time we bench our children we say “yesimcha Elokim k’efraim u’Menashe”. Why do we bless our sons to emulate Efraim and Menashe rather than any of the other shevatim? And why did they, in particular, deserve to become shevatim in their own right, more than any other grandson of Ya’akov?
The answer is that Efraim and Menashe lived in the lowest and deepest place of tumah - Mitzrayim - yet they did not fall. They held onto the high levels of kedusha of their father, despite their surroundings - there was no yeridas ha’doros. They used the difficult surroundings of tumah to grow closer to Hashem.
Let us explore this further in the context of this week’s parsha.
When We Are Bashed
The Midrash begins the parsha by describing the comparison between Klal Yisrael and an olive: “Just as an olive - when it is squeezed and bashed it nevertheless produces oil, so do Klal Yisrael: when the nations come and drive them from place to place, strike them and beat them, they nevertheless do teshuva and Hashem answers them.”
The Darkey Musser explains the comparison more deeply. An olive contains olive oil; squeezing it does not create the oil or summon it from elsewhere - it brings it out from within. Klal Yisrael are the same. Their special qualities are not from elsewhere; they are from their penimiyus - their hearts. When they are struck these special qualities come out.
This special middah of Klal Yisrael was especially evident by the nes of Purim. Klal Yisrael had drifted from their closeness to Hashem, they where being pulled down by society. Hashem then brough Haman and Achashverosh who bashed them and battered them – what was the result, they did Teshuva and returned to Hashem with greater closeness than ever.
When to Do a Bris
R’ Chaim Kaufman zt”l used this idea to beautifully explain another Medrash in our parsha: “Teach us Rebbe: a katan - at what age does he have a bris? Our Rabbis have taught us: a katan is nimol at the age of eight days. What is the reason? We learn it from Yitzchak.” This is a perplexing Medrash. The source for performing milah on the eighth day is an explicit passuk in the Torah!
Yishmael underwent bris milah at the age of thirteen and was very proud of it. He came to Yitzchak with the claim that a bris at age thirteen without protesting was of greater significance than Yitzchak’s bris at the age of eight days when he was not old enough to protest.
Yitzchak responded: “You are boasting about your sacrifice over one limb, when I would be willing to sacrifice my entire life to Hashem if He would ask me to.” This conversation was soon followed by the akeda.
The Meaning of the Argument
What was the basis for this seemingly strange argument between Yishmael and Yitzchak? Yishmael claimed that one cannot determine the greatness of a person when he is small and without the ability to protest. Perhaps in reality he is not willing and does not want it - the sacrifice is taking place without a desire. This is no indication of greatness. However, Yitzchak responded that this is not the case with the descendants of Avraham Avinu. We are aware of their greatness and strength in advance - we know about the special qualities they possess from birth. For this reason we do not need to wait until they grow up and have da’as in order to choose to make a sacrifice for Hashem. Already at the age of eight days we can give them a bris, knowing that they are giving their blood to Hashem entirely b’ratzon.
This explains the Midrash above. The Chachamim were asking Rebbi Tanchuma: “Katan l’kamah nimol - meaning, how do we decide the age and according to whose reasoning to follow? Yishmael’s view that you should wait because you are unable to determine in advance whether the sacrifice is willing. Or Yitzchak’s view that we are already aware of his gadlus from the start. Rabbi Tanchuma responded that the correct view is eight days. We learn this from Yitzchak who underwent a bris at eight days and, moreover, the akedah that took place later was proof that he was willing to sacrifice everything to Hashem. Likewise, when we perform a bris we are relying on the inherent gadlus within the child, which will be manifested later in his life.
This is the gadlus of every yid. Deep within him lie tremendous kochos, possessed by no other nation. Our job is to tap into this greatness and activate it.
At times the Yetzer haRa tries to pull us down. He makes us believe that we have little value - no greatness. Especially as times go on and society engages in deeper and deeper levels of tumah, it is easy for the Yetzer haRa to convince us that we are affected by it. However, the more we remember this yesod, the more we remember that we are descendants of Yitzchok and not Yishmael, the more greatness we can reach from within us.
Current Times!
How do we access our inner greatness? Interestingly it is the umos ha’olam, particularly Yishmael who bring it out. On 7th October, Klal Yisrael endured one of the greatest makos in recent history. Yishmael came and began battering and bashing us, attacking, beating, and capturing us, doing everything to break us. However, astoundingly this had the opposite effect. Klal Yisrael in their masses began keeping Shabbos, putting on tefillin, davening, and coming closer to Hashem. Everyone, whether they were far from or close to Yiddishkeit, even those who did not feel connected at all, found the oil within them. Those who had already been closer came even closer, made kabalos and chizukim. With the battering of Yishmael, the oil of the olive came out.
We are in the times of ikvesah d’meshicha - we are reaching the lowest ebb. What is our avoda in these times? Do we just simply flow with the times? Surely not.
This is the time for the midah of Yosef and the lessons of Shovevim. Regardless of the situation, regardless of what around you is pulling you down, keep on pushing forward, pushing aside the tumah, and coming closer to Hashem. In this way we build a mishkan within the darknesss, a sanctuary of kedusha within our hearts.
As we continue through the special month of Adar, a time of connection to Hashem, a time of building a mishkan of closeness to Hashem, especially in the double dose of Adar we have this year, let us regale in the the months that represent no yeridas ha’doros, just the gadlus within. Let us hold strong and not let go.
As the war continues, as Yishmael’s aggression increases, let us tap in deeper, let us become greater, and build a real place of hashra’as haShechinah and may we merit to see the gadlus within us amid easier times b’karov.
