Towards the beginning of this week’s parsha (Ki Sisa), we learn about the kiyor [wash basin]. The pasuk says:ורחצו אהרן ובניו ממנו את ידיהם ואת רגליהם – “Aharon and his sons would wash their hands and feet from it”(30:19). The Teshuvas HaRashbah (1:191) explains that the reason we wash our hands every morning, is because it is fitting for one to sanctify his hands before serving the Ribbono Shel Olam, similar to the way kohanim would wash their hands from the kiyor before performing avodah.
The question is, the kohanim would wash both their hands and feet, so why is it that we only wash our hands in the morning, surely we should wash our feet as well?
The Machatzis HaShekel (Orach Chaim 4:1) really asks this question, and he answers, we are only trying to be “similar to the kohanim”, therefore, it’s enough that we just wash our hands.
However, the Shu”t Rav Peolim (Vol. 2, Orach Chaim 4) says something amazing in the name of the Yefeh Sho’ah. He says, feet attract more external klippos than the hands, and they hold on much more strongly to the feet than they do to the hands, and merely washing the feet is not enough to remove them. In the Beis HaMikdosh the zechus of the avodah and Beis HaMikdosh helped and allowed them to be removed, therefore, the kohanim washed both hands and feet, however, we don’t have this zechus, therefore, there is no point.
He then writes, on erev Shabbos, the zechus of Shabbos allows these klippos to be removed, therefore, on erev Shabbos there is a mitzvah for one to wash his feet.
It’s worth noting however, that R’ Chaim Vital (Shaar Kavanos, Derush Haleilah 1) brings that one should wash his feet during the week, and is mentioned by the Kaf HaChaim (Orach Chaim 4, s.k 5).The Ohr HaChaim (31:16) writes on the pasuk which this week’s sheet (Ki Sisa) was based on:ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת לעשות את השבת, that we are only mechalel Shabbos to save someone’s life if he will be able to keep another Shabbos. If, however, he won’t make it till next Shabbos, even if the refuah will help for a few hours or even a few days, we still aren’t mechalel Shabbos to save him.
This seems to directly contradict the Gemara in Yoma (85a). The Mishnah says that if rubble falls on someone and he is still alive, we remove the rubble on Shabbos. The Gemara asks: It’s obvious, and the Gemara answers, the novelty is, that even if he will only live for: חיי שעה – “a short while”, we still do it. We see that we are mechalel Shabbos even for a few minutes?
The Minchas Chinuch (Mosach HaShabbos, Mitzvah 32) answers, the Gemara in Yoma is talking about violating issuray derabonon, when it comes to חיי שעה, we are lenient with derabonon’s, however, we are stringent when it comes to de’O’raisa’s. The Ohr HaChaim is talking about issuray de’O’raisa, which are more stringent, and that we only do if one will make it till next Shabbos.
The Ohev Yisroel answers, the Ohr HaChaim is talking about a case of someone who got ill towards the end of Shabbos, and by the time we are mechalel Shabbos it will already by motzei Shabbos. In such a case we are not mechalel Shabbos, as we are only mechalel if he will end up keeping Shabbos, in this case he won’t. If one is ill, however, at the beginning of Shabbos, then we are mechalel Shabbos for חיי שעה.
However, the Minchas Elozor (Orach Chaim 9) argues on the above, as he doesn’t see any reason to differentiate between the two cases.
The Shu”t Beis She’orim (Yoreh Deah 355) says, the Ohr HaChaim agrees we are mechalel Shabbos even for חיי שעה, however, we are talking about one who wants to be machmir not to. On that the Ohr HaChaim says, if the cholah can end up living for many Shabbosos it’s forbidden to be machmir, as it’s a chumra riddled with a kulah, as it’s causing the ill person to miss out on many Shabbosos. If however, he won’t make it till next Shabbos, then it’s ok for one to be machmir.Which three items mentioned in this week’s parsha got broken?
When Moshe witnessed the Jewish people dancing around the golden calf, he threw down the Luchos and broke them (Shemos 32:19). He then proceeded to break the calf itself by burning it and grinding it into a fine powder (32:20). Additionally, Parshas Ki Sisa begins (30:13) with the annual mitzvah of contributing a half-shekel to help cover the cost of that year’s communal sacrifices (Rashi). The Abarbanel and Akeidas Yitzchok both write that the mitzvah is to take a complete shekel, break it in half, and donate one of the two pieces to the Beis HaMikdosh. The Ichud B’Chidud notes that this also appears to be the opinion of the Ibn Ezra and Chizkuni.
Similarly, the Ramban writes that Moshe minted a one shekel coin, and he adds that throughout their sojourn in the wilderness and during the period of the first Beis HaMikdosh there was no half-shekel coin, it only came into existence during the time of the second Beis HaMikdosh. How were they able to fulfill the mitzvah of giving a half-shekel if there was no half-shekel coin? They broke a one-shekel coin in two and donated one of the halves.
The Ichud B’Chidud also cites the refrain in the Yotzros recited on Parshas Shekolim in which we request:אור פניך עלינו אדון נשא ושקל אשא בבית נכון ונשא – “Master, lift the light of Your face upon us, and I will raise a shekel in the firm and exalted Temple.” Why do we ask Hashem for the opportunity to contribute a shekel to the Beis HaMikdosh when the Torah specifically emphasizes (30:15) that no Jew may give more than a half-shekel? This teaches us that the custom was to bring a full shekel, break it in two, and contribute one of the halves. (R’ Ozer Alport)The Medrash (Tanchuma 30) says that as long as the letters were on the first set of Luchos, Moshe carried them without any difficulty. When he saw the golden calf, the letters flew off the Luchos, and they became so heavy that he could no longer carry them, so he threw them down and they broke (32:19). Rashi writes (Devorim 34:12) that Hashem praised Moshe for his decision to smash the Luchos in response to the sin of the golden calf. How could Moshe be commended for shattering the Luchos if he was compelled to do so because they became too heavy for him to carry?
Rav Yisroel Salanter notes that there were two Luchos [Tablets], with one side representing bein adam l’Makom [mitzvos between man and Hashem] and the other corresponding to bein adam l’chaveiro [interpersonal commandments]. Rav Yisroel Reisman explains that when the Jewish people sinned with the golden calf, the Luach that contained the mitzvos bein adam l’Makom became too heavy for Moshe, leaving him holding only the other Luach. Upon reflection, he realized that neither set of mitzvos can independently exist without the other, so he decided on his own to break the bein adam l’chaveiro Luach as well. The Torah alludes to this by stating that Moshe threw the Luchos מידו. Although it is read miyadav (from his hands), it is written miyado (from his hand), hinting that he only cast down one of them on his own, while the other fell under its own weight. (R’ Ozer Alport)The Gemara in Beitzah (16a) learns from the pasuk in this week’s parsha: ביום השביעי שבת וינפש- ”Hashem ceased from work and was refreshed” (31:17), that Hashem gives us a neshomah yeseirah on Shabbos. The Yesod Veshoresh HoAvodah (Shaar HaElyon, Perek 1) famously writes, that there is a big mitzvah to go to mikveh on erev Shabbos, as tevilah on erev Shabbos brings the neshomah yeseira, and without it one won’t feel it. If one doesn’t go to mikveh does he still get a neshomah yeseira? And is there any need for him to smell besomim on motzei Shabbos?
I heard from R’ Naftoli Kophsitz, that R’ Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld was asked this shailah and he said, when Shabbos comes everyone gets a neshomah yeseirah. Going to mikveh on erev Shabbos, just helps one receive an “erev Shabbosdika neshomah yeseirah”, however, when Shabbos comes everyone receives the “Shabbosdika neshomah yeseirah”. Therefore, even if one never went to mikveh on erev Shabbos, he should still smell besomim on motzei Shabbos.The Torah records (32:3) that the entire nation donated their gold earrings to Aharon for the purpose of making the golden calf. Klal Yisroel alone were at least 600,000, and the eruv rav were at least double that, which means we are talking about a tremendous amount of gold. To make one golden calf, there was no need for so much, what did they do with it?
R’ Aharon Leib Steinman (Ayalas HaShachar) asks the above and he brings the Yerushalmi (Sanhedrin 10:20 which says that Klal Yisroel made thirteen golden calves. Twelve for the twelve shevotim, and an additional one for the entire Klal Yisroel.
If they made thirteen golden calves, we can understand why they needed so much gold.
R’ Aharon Leib then asks, that surely shevet Levi never took part in the chet hoegel, so why did they make a golden calf for shevet Levi, they should have only made twelve?
Perhaps we can answer, this is the ways of the wicked in every single generation. When they come to sin, they like to make out like the tzadikim are on their side, therefore, to make out as if shevet Levi was on their side, they made a golden calf for shevet Levi as well. (Pikudecha Dorashti)
