Moshe Rabenu was extremely careful with every penny of other people’s money; therefore, he was trusted by Hashem and brought many blessings to the world.
Blessings in the Merit of Humility:
The Sefas Emes zy”a further explains how a trustworthy man brings blessings to the world by saying that Hashem’s essence is goodness and He desires to send all sorts of good things and Heavenly influences to every person. However, if a person is not trustworthy, he may misuse the good things that Hashem gives him. If such a person is given money or honor, he may fail to remember that Hashem is the One who gave him all that he owns, and he may use what he has for bad purposes and sin.
Hashem is the ultimate truth. He only wants His influences to be used for truly good purposes, and certainly not for sin. If He sees that people are untrustworthy, He will withhold His goodness so that it is not used for bad. But if Klal Yisroel is trustworthy and properly uses the goodness that Hashem sends, they are worthy of receiving all of His blessings.
The Medrash is saying that when Klal Yisroel is trustworthy and can be relied upon by Hashem to make good use of His kindness, they bring blessings to the world and are able to receive Hashem’s great influences.
We further find regarding Shabbos that it is stated (Bereishis 2:3): “And Hashem blessed the seventh day.”
Shabbos is a day of blessing because the entire world returns to its original state wherein Hashem sends His blessings and holy influences to those who act properly.
Emunah as if One Has It All:
This pasuk also hints to a great level of emunah – the level of a person who has everything he needs but still trusts in Hashem. The Zohar Hakadosh (Chelek 1, 197B) states: “’A trustworthy man will have many blessings.’ This refers to a person who trusts in Hashem like Rebbe Yasa Hazakein. Even when he had bread to eat that day, he would not prepare it to eat until he asked Hashem for sustenance. After he prayed and asked Hashem for food, he would then prepare his meal and he would always say, ’I cannot prepare it until it is given to me from the King’s house.’”
A Humble Man Will Have Parnassah:
The Bris Avrohom explains this pasuk by citing the Gemara (Shabbos 33A) that says: “Poverty is a sign of haughtiness.” This is because one who is haughty will end up transgressing the prohibition of engaging in immoral relationships (see Sotah 4B), and the pasuk (Mishlei 6:26) says that one who does this will be lacking bread, meaning that he will become poor. A humble person, on the other hand, will always have bread to eat.
Accordingly, the pasuk can be understood as saying “kikar l’adan” – an “adan”, i.e., someone who treats himself as unimportantly as a hinge for a door and allows everyone to trample upon him, will always have a “kikar” (loaf of bread).
The Kamarna Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Heichal Bracha on Parshas Vayakhel) expounds on the topic of humility and writes that the reason the current exile has gone on for so long is because people chase honor and do not act humbly before Hashem.
He writes that if people would accept that Hashem is in control of everything and recognize their own lowly status, “they would remove from upon themselves all harsh decrees and would come close to reaching a level of rising above gashmius. They would arouse great Divine compassion for Klal Yisroel and would be able to better serve Hashem, with a heart of joy and enthusiasm.”
He goes on to say that one can rectify the sin of haughtiness by committing to be moser nefesh and give up one life in sanctification of Hashem’s name when he recites Kriyas Shema, which is a time of great illumination. He states: “Through doing this – through being Mekadesh Hashem with genuine mesiras nefesh and annulling oneself as if he is nothing - even the worst rasha in the world can turn himself into a true tzadik.”
Decreasing Worry:
Sefer Divrei Yisroel explains the symbolism of hammering the sheets of gold to make them thin as follows:
”Sheets of gold” represent a person’s worries about money. Such worries can cause a person to lose his good frame of mind and make it hard for him to properly serve Hashem.
The solution for this is stated in Mishlei (12:25): “If there is worry in a man’s heart, he should push it down.” The Metzudos explain that when a person is overcome with worries, he should push them away and minimize them as much as he can.
This is symbolized in the hammering of the gold sheets to make them thin. Doing so represents making one’s worries about money smaller and less significant. This is meant to teach us to rely on Hashem and not to worry. This is also hinted to by the fact that “vayiraku”, and they hammered, is similar to the word “rakiah”, Heaven. This hints to the fact that we should trust in our Father in Heaven and not worry.
The Power of Human Will:
Sefer Agrah D’Kallah asks what this entire pasuk is coming to tell us.
He explains that it is teaching us the power of human will and the desire to improve and do good. Chazal tells us (Shabbos 104A) that one takes the first step to purify and improve himself receives Hashem’s assistance. The more desire a person has to do mitzvos, the more Hashem helps him do them. Even if something seems almost impossible, if a person has a genuine desire to do it, Hashem will give him the ability to do it.
This lesson is hinted to in this pasuk. The building of the Mishkan would have been almost impossible for people to do on their own. As Chazal say, many parts of it only could be accomplished through miracles (such as the “briach hatcihon”, central beam, which only could be made through a miracle). The only way Klal Yisroel was able to make the Mishkan was through their intense desire to perform the will of Hashem. Their desire drove them to do whatever they could, and they trusted in Hashem to do the rest. And He did help them to complete the Mishkan.
This is hinted at in the pasuk’s words that the Mishkan was “completed”. The word ”vatichal”, it was completed, is related to the words “kalsah nafshi”, my heart desires. This indicates that the work on the Mishkan was done with great will and desire, and because of that the people were given the ability to do “all that Hashem had commanded Moshe.”
The Power of an Inadvertent Good Deed:
Rashi states: “Moshe blessed them: He said to them, ’May it be His will that the Shechinah should rest in the work of your hands. And may the pleasantness of Hashem our G-d be upon us.’” (Tehillim 90:17)
The Chida zt”l (Sefer Pnei Dovid) explains that every mitzvah must be done with three things: thought, words and actions. In this way, it is performed to the fullest in every sense.
Moshe Rabenu, with his great vision, saw that some people had not had the best intentions. For this reason, it says that he saw that the work had been “done”. He saw it had been done with actions, but some people had not done it properly with their thought. Therefore, he blessed them the Shechinah should rest in the work of their hands.
He was giving them a bracha that even if the work was done without proper intentions. Hashem should still consider it as it was done perfectly and He should place His Shechinah upon it.
One Gets What he Comes to Take:
After the petirah of the Rebbe of Zvalin zy”a, an elderly chasid, who had been traveling to the Rebbe for years, was unsure if he should now go to the Rebbe’s son, the Divrei Yisroel of Modzhitz zy”a, or not. He originally decided not to go, but after a while he told himself, “I should at least go to check out how the new Rebbe leads his court.”
When he went in to see the Rebbe and received his blessing of “Shalom aleichem”, he had the audacity to ask, “Why it is that when I would come to your father, I immediately sensed an atmosphere of holiness, but when I come to you, I don’t feel it?”
The Divrei Yisroel answered, “It is stated: ‘And he took and placed the testimony.’ It should have been enough to say that Moshe took the luchos. Why does it say that ’put them’? This is meant to teach us that when a chasid comes to a Rebbe, however much he wants to take, that is how much he will receive.”
The Entire Month Goes After the Beginning:
Sefer Ahavas Shalom explains this pasuk by quoting the Shlah Hakadosh, who says that when the Torah says that the month of Nissan is “Rosh Chadashim” (the head of all months), the intention is that the entire month has the bechina of Rosh Chodesh. All the days of the month are “Rosh Chadashim.”
The Ahavas Shalom thus says that when the verse states that Nissan is the “first of the months”, it is saying that not only Nissan has this bechina. Rather, every month also can have this sanctity if it is started off properly on Rosh Chodesh, as the entirety of any entity is defined by its beginning (Eruvin 41A). While Nissan is the first month in this regard, every other month can also be made up of “Rosh Chadashim”.
Therefore, it is appropriate to use every Rosh Chodesh as a day of avodas Hashem, as this will serve to sanctify the entire month. Furthermore, even if one only utilizes one hour of Rosh Chodesh properly, it will sanctify the entire month, as the rule is “miktzas hayom k’kulo” – part of a day is considered like the entire day.
Salvations as a Result of Future Merits:
We recite in the piyyut of Parshas Hachodesh: “The month that is surrounded (’makifos’) by Hashem’s salvations.” Sefer Yismach Yisroel quotes Rav Mendel of Vorka zy”a as explaining this to mean that during this month, Hashem pays us “on credit.” (The word “makif” can mean “to surround” or “to give credit”.) Hashem pays us on credit by sending salvations even if we don’t deserve them, with the hope that we will “pay up” by deserving them in the future.
This concept is seen in the pasuk (Shemos 3:12) that says that Moshe Rabenu asked Hashem in what zechus the Jewish nation would leave Egypt, and Hashem replied that it would be because “they will serve Hashem on this mountain”, meaning that they will be redeemed because they will later accept the Torah. We thus see that during the month of Nissan, Hashem grants us yeshuos ”on credit” for the zechusim we will acquire at a later time.
There is, however, one condition, which the Shem M’Shmuel (Rosh Chodesh Nissan) explains with a moshol of a poor man who wants to do business, but has no money to purchase merchandise, so kindhearted people give him some on credit, with the understanding that he will use it to make money. So too, Hashem is willing to give us credit during this month, but if it is understood that we will “do business” with Him in the future.
One Hour is Like a Year:
In a letter to someone who asked him several halachic questions about Pesach, The Avnei Nezer zy”a writes (Orech Chaim 336): “You approached me on erev Shabbos afternoon and asked me to rule on several questions about Pesach. It is hard for me to take time to answer because these days are so valuable that every hour is worth a full day. Still and all, since you strongly asked me to answer you, as this will provide you with oneg Shabbos and simchas Yomtov, I took a bit of time to do so.”
The Father of All Months:
The Torah refers to Nissan as “the month of aviv (springtime, Devarim 16:1) The Beer Moshe quotes his father, the Kozhnitzer Magid zy”a as stating that the word “aviv” is an acronym for “av yud beis”. This is a hint that Nissan is the av (father) and source of blessing for all yud beis (12) months of the year.
Therefore, one should be very careful to avoid any semblance of sin during this month. If one does so, he will be protected from aveiros all year long. For this reason, the Torah tells us to “guard the month of Aviv”, meaning to be very cautious regarding how we act during the month of Nissan.
Giving Tzedakah Without Investigation:
The Rema (Orech Chaim 429, quoting the Yerushalmi, Bava Basra 1:4) writes that the custom is to distribute wheat to the poor for Pesach, and anyone who has lived in a city for 12 months must donate towards this cause.
The Yismach Yisroel (Parshas Shemini) explains why we have such a minhag specifically for this Yomtov, and not for others, by saying that the sustenance we have is given to us by Hashem purely as an act of chesed, as we don’t really deserve anything based on our own merits. Therefore, if we were to investigate every poor person to see if he really deserved charity, Hashem could rightfully retort that we don’t deserve the money we have. (This is in addition to the halachic prohibition to investigate poor people asking for sustenance, as stated in Bava Basra 9A, and codified in Rambam and Shulchan Aruch.) This is as the Rebbe Rav Zusha zy”a states that Hashem treats a person measure-for-measure, according to the way he conducts himself. If one investigates the poor and only gives to those whom he deems worthy, then Hashem investigates him as well to see if he is worthy of sustenance. But if one gives charity without investigating the recipient, Hashem does not investigate him and He provides for him even if he doesn’t deserve it.
Tzedakah Extinguishes Decrees:
The Chasam Sofer zt”l writes (Drashos, page 266): “It is good to give tzedakah from one’s matzohs or from the flour in order to use the ‘water of the tzedakah’ to extinguish dinim (harsh decrees).”
He writes that a hint to this is the fact that the words “matzoh din” have the same gematriah as the word “tzedakah”.
He goes on to quote a Medrash that says that says that when Avrohom Avinu was sitting by the door of his tent in the heat of the day, he was sitting to determine what kingdoms his offspring would rule. Therefore, he gave tzedakah at this time – by feeding the malachim – because he wanted to extinguish the harsh decrees and increase Divine chesed.
Asking for Parnassah:
The Gemara states (Brachos 35B) that Rava said to his students, “I implore you, during the months of Nissan and Tishrei (the main agricultural periods), do not appear before me. (Instead, engage in work on your fields) so that you will not be preoccupied with your sustenance all year.” The Tiferes Shlomo asks: Were Rava’s student field workers? Why was he talking to them about working in fields?
He answers that Nissan and Tishrei are the best times to daven for parnassah. Rava was telling them to use the time to daven, so that they won’t have to worry about it all year long.
The Third of Nissan:
The Munkatcher Rov zy”a writes (in Sefer Chaim V’Shalom) that he heard the Shinever Rov zy”a say that the third day of Nissan, when we read the kriyah of the Nasi of Zevulun, is an auspicious time to pray for parnassah and wealth.
The First 12 Days of Nissan:
Sefer Agra D’Kallah asks why it doesn’t simply say “b’echad lachodesh harishon”, on the first of the first month. Why does the pasuk seem to have superfluous words?
He answers by quoting Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zy”a as saying that the first 12 days of the month of Nissan, the days when the Nesi’im brought their korbanos, contain within them the power of all 12 months. Each day represents one full month, and those with ”a pure vision” can see on each day what will occur on the month that it represents.
He added that on each of these days, the Chozeh of Lublin zy”a would write what would occur on the corresponding month. On the year that he was nifter in the month of Av (on Tisha B’Av), he only wrote what would occur until the beginning of Av. According to this, the first day of Nissan corresponds to the entire first month. Thus, the pasuk is saying that “b’yom chodesh harishon”, on the day of the first month – on that day, which corresponds to the entire first month – which is “b’echad l’chodesh”, the first of the month.
The Apta Rov Sat with the Balhabos:
Every Rosh Chodesh, the Apta Rov zy”a would make a seudah on Rosh Chodesh for the balhabatim, and he would pawn his Shabbos candlesticks to pay for it. His son, Rav Yitzchok Meir of Zinkov zy”a once asked him why he went to such trouble to make a seudah for working men, and he answered, “It is worthwhile to make this meal so that at least once a month, they stop working and think about where they are holding spiritually.”
The Toltchova Rov’s Will:
Rav Moshe Dovid Ashkenazi zy”a, Rov of Toltchova, spent his final years in the holy city of Tzefas. He writes in his will: “The houses that I own should be rented specifically to other people, not to my sons... and the rent should be distributed every Rosh Chodesh because I did not arrange seudos on Rosh Chodesh and invite people, and this distribution should serve to rectify that.”
We see that this holy man felt that he needed a tikkun for not inviting others to his seudah on Rosh Chodesh.
The Pogrom Caused by Not Celebrating Rosh Chodesh:
Rav Yisroel of Stolin zy”a said that the pogroms in Russia that destroyed many chasidishe batei medrash happened because they did not organize seudos on Rosh Chodesh.
A Kaparah Like Korbanos:
The Ohev Yisroel (Parshas Bo) writes that on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, Yidden can obtain tikkunim for the future and past. He quotes the Gemara (Rosh Hashanah 2A) that says that Rosh Hashanah is the New Year for kings. The Gemara asks what difference that makes, and Rav Chisda answers that it makes a difference for shtaros (documents), which must have the correct year written on them. For such documents, the year of the king’s reign changes on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, and if the previous year or the future year is written on them, they are invalid.
He explains that when the Gemara says that the first of Nissan is the Rosh Hashanah for kings, the intent is that on this day, it is considered as if the world is recreated anew. The world was originally created on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, and it is recreated every year on this anniversary.
The Gemara then asks what difference this makes. The question is: What do we benefit from this recreation of the world?
The Gemara continues to quote “Rav Chisda” – whom he calls “the Rov of Chesed”. He says that this is relevant for “shtaros”, as documents with the previous year written on them are invalid. He explains this to mean that since the world is recreated in Nissan, everything written and decreed before that is canceled. All Divine harsh decrees are no longer valid. Additionally, shtaros with the future year written on them are also invalid, meaning that the new decrees of the new year will all be good and pleasant if Klal Yisroel takes advantage of this auspicious time to influence good decrees and make the necessary tikkunim.
The Ohev Yisroel adds that one shouldn’t think this means that he doesn’t have to do teshuva. Of course, one must atone for his sins. However, one is exempted from the punishment as soon as the world is recreated. Furthermore, this is an auspicious time for the geulah and all yeshuos.
With all this in mind, he explains the Medrash (Shemos Rabbah 2:15) that states: “’This month is for you.’ This is as is stated (Mishlei 5:15): ‘Kings reign with Me.’” The meaning of this is that when the pasuk says that “kings reign with Hashem”, it means once Nissan starts, a new kingdom comes to the world and allows it to start anew, with the previous years pushed aside. From then on, Klal Yisroel can merit having only goodness, salvation and comfort.
