This week's parashah discusses the twelve stones that were placed in the choshen. The twelve stones correspond to the twelve shevatim. One of the stones was יהלום.
Rabbeinu b’Chayei (Shemos 28:9) writes, “Zevulen's stone was the יהלום. It is entirely white, like כסף, silver, and since its color is כסף, it is a sign to Zevulen’s wealth, as it states (Bereishis 49:13) לְחוֹף וְהוּא יִשְׁכֹּן יַמ ִּים לְחוֹף זְבוּלֻן צִידֹן עַל וְיַרְכ ָתוֹ א ֳנִיֹּת, 'Zevulen shall settle by seashores. He shall be at the ship's harbor, and his last border will reach Tzidon.'
The יהלום stone [which represents wealth] was given to Zevulen, who is successful with his business. The segulah of this stone is that it brings sleep onto people.”
We understand from Rabbeinu b'Chayei that the יהלום has two segulos. It was white and silverish, and the silver (כסף) represents wealth. Also, it has a segulah that helps sleep.
We can explain (b’derech tzachus) that these two matters – sleep and wealth – go together. This is because the more a person trusts in Hashem, the more parnassah he will have. Sleep means that one realizes that he can go to sleep, and Hashem will give him parnassah. It represents that he knows that his success doesn't come from his intelligence or from his actions, and that if it weren't for the obligation to make hishtadlus, he could simply go to sleep and succeed just as well. However, if a person feels awake, which means he thinks that he earns parnassah on his own, the wealth becomes distant from him, chas v’shalom.
This is the reason the יהלום represents wealth and sleep, because wealth and sleep go together. When one believes that parnassah is from Hashem, he will become wealthy.
The Symbolism of the Pearl
Rabbeinu b’Chayei writes that the יהלום is a pearl (פנינה). I heard from a tzaddik that it was appropriate that Zevulan's stone on the choshen was a pearl, because a pearl represents the concept of elevating the mundane to something special. Zevulan did that. As we wrote, Zevulan's tribe wasn't able to be in the beis medresh all day. They were in the workplace, making a living. But they had to remind themselves that הלום ה"י, Hashem is there. Hashem is with us in our endeavors. Their work wasn't mundane because they sanctified their work when they gave tzedakah to Yissachar so they could learn Torah. This is represented by the יהלום, the pearl, which is a very beautiful item, made from something that doesn’t appear attractive.
This is because a pearl is made in the following manner: An oyster lies in the sea, and if a speck of sand gets into its shell, it sends forth a white liquid that covers the intrusive sand. This continues for some time, with more and more of this white liquid covering the sand. Finally, the liquid hardens and out comes a beautiful white pearl. So, the pearl represents the creation of something beautiful from simple materials. This is appropriate for Zevulan, because although his mission in life didn’t seem so spectacular, they turned their mundane acts into holiness and beauty.
Reb Yaakov Meir Shechter Shlita once came to beis medresh on erev Shabbos, close to the time of davening Minchah. Sitting there was Reb Shmuel Shapiro zt'l. Reb Shmuel was reciting Shir HaShirim with a lot of kavanah and deveikus, and at first, Reb Yaakov Meir was jealous of him. Reb Yaakov Meir needed to help a lot at home. He had just spent two hours of Friday afternoon cleaning the home, preparing the food, taking care of the children, etc., and he was jealous of Reb Shmuel Shapiro, who had spent two hours in the beis medresh, studying Torah, saying Shir HaShirim, and doing other holy deeds to prepare for Shabbos. But then Reb Yaakov Meir said to himself, "Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted that Shmuel Shapiro should serve Him in beis medresh, pouring out his soul before Hashem, and from me, Yaakov Meir, Hashem wanted that I should clean the house." The trick is to remember that הלום ה"י, Hashem is with them, no matter what they do.
There are infinite ways to serve Hashem, and when one does that which Hashem wants from him, Hashem is there, with him, and he is serving Hashem.
Effort in Ruchniyus vs. Parnassah
The literal explanation of Rashi is as follows: There are two ways to get olive oil. One way is to press the olives; the other is to grind the olives. When one presses the olives, the olive oil that emerges is very pure. That oil was used for the menorah. Another method to get olive oil is to grind the olives. A lower grade of oil comes from that. This can be used for the menachos. One doesn't have to use the best oil for the menachos.
Rashi (Shemos 27:20) writes כתית ולא למאור כתית למנחות, pressed olives to light the menorah, but not pressed olives for the menachos (meal offerings).
Chasam Sofer zt’l explains that כתית, pressed, means to invest effort. למאור represents ruchniyus, and מנחות represents parnassah. למאור כתית, one should work hard for ruchniyus, למנחות כתית ולא, but one doesn’t have to work hard for parnassah. He can work less, and Hashem will support him.
Choshen and Efod: Atonement for Lack of Emunah
The choshen and the efod are two pieces of clothing belonging to the kohen gadol. It states (39:21) הָא ֵפֹד מֵעַל הַחשֶׁן יִזַּח וְלֹא, "the choshen won't be separate from the efod." The choshen was tied from its top and from its bottom to the straps on the efod, and in this manner, the choshen didn't separate from the efod.
Reb Moshe Feinstein (Darash Moshe, Titzaveh) explains that the choshen and the efod can’t be separated because they are both related. They both atone for a lack of emunah. Chazal (Zevachim 88b) say that the choshen atones for הדין עיוות, when there is corruption in money matters, and the efod atoned for avodah zarah. Reb Moshe Feinstein zt’l explains that both factors are a lack of emunah. Obviously, avodah zarah (which is atoned for with the efod) represents a lack of emunah, but also any kind of theft shows that one doesn't have perfect emunah. If he did, he would know that there is no reason to take away someone else's money. He will anyway receive what is bashert for him, and not a penny more, so why take from others?
Therefore, the Torah says מֵעַל הַחשֶׁן יִזַּח וְלֹא הָא ֵפֹד, "the choshen shouldn’t separate from the efod."
