Shabbat-B'Shabbato

Parshat Tetzaveh (Zachor)

9 Adar 5775 (28 February 2015)
AS SHABBAT APPROACHES
The Secret of the Tabernacle - by Rabbi Mordechai Greenberg,
Rosh Yeshiva, Kerem B'Yavne
"And let them make a Tabernacle for me, and I will dwell within
them" [Shemot 25:8]. The Ramban discusses this verse. "The hidden
meaning of the Tabernacle is that the glory which rested on Mount
Sinai is the same as the glory which rests on the Tabernacle, as is
written, 'And the glory of G-d rested on Mount Sinai' [24:16]. With
respect to the Tabernacle, it is written, 'the glory of G-d filled the
Tabernacle' [40:35]. And in the Tabernacle the nation of Yisrael
always kept the glory that they saw at Mount Sinai. One who looks
carefully at these passages will understand the secrets of the
Tabernacle and the Temple."
Similarly, at Sinai, "Moshe approached the thick cloud where G-d
was" [20:18]. In the Tabernacle, "The cloud covered the Tent of
Meeting" [40:34]. Thus, the events at Mount Sinai are not limited to
just giving the Torah but rather involve the revelation of the Shechina
in the entire world.
"And they heard the sound of G-d walking in the Garden" [Bereishit
3:8]. "The essence of the Shechina was down below. When Adam
sinned, the Shechina removed itself and went to the first 'Rakiya,' the
lowest level of heaven (out of seven). When Kayin sinned, it moved
further away, to the second Rakiya... At the time of Avraham Egypt
returned it to the sixth level. At the same time, seven righteous men
stood up. Avraham stood up and brought the Shechina back to the
sixth level... Moshe stood up and brought it from the highest level all
the way back to the bottom." Thus, the descent of the Shechina on
Mount Sinai was not merely in order to give the Torah but was
mainly to satisfy the desire of the Master of the World "The Holy
One, Blessed be He, developed a desire to have the Shechina dwell
down below." "Is there any type of sale where the owner is sold too,
together with the merchandise? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: I
sold my Torah to you, it is as if at the same time as it were I
Myself was sold too, as is written, 'Let them take a contribution'
[Shemot 25:2]. The verse can be read as 'take Me as a contribution,'
as if the word written was 'oti.'
The Torah portion of Tetzaveh ends with the description of the Altar
of the incense. This is the final step in the process of the revelation of
the Shechina which started with the momentous events at Sinai and
ended in the Tabernacle, with the offering of the incense. The sages
have taught us that the final stage in the descent of the Shechina was
burning the incense. The Marahal explains that "ketoret" incense is
related to the Aramaic word "kitra" to make a link. When we link
what is below to what is above, when the incense rises upwards, the
Shechina descends.
This gives a new depth to the well-known passage in the Talmud,
"Where does Haman appear in the Torah? It is written, 'Did you
partake from the tree which I forbid?' ('hamin ha'etz') [Bereishit 3:11].
Where does Mordechai appear in the Torah? It is written, 'mor dror'

[Shemot 30:23] a spice which is translated as 'Merie Dachia'

(similar to Mordechai)."
It is written in the Midrash: "When the Holy One, Blessed be He,
created the world, he developed a desire to have a dwelling place
down below. He created Adam, and commanded him, 'From the
Tree of Knowledge of good and evil do not eat' [Bereishit 2:17].
When he violated this prohibition, G-d said to Adam, 'I wanted to
have a dwelling-place down below, and I gave you one command
which you did not obey. So the Shechina removed itself and went up
to the first rakiya... Moshe returned it to the earth, as is written, 'And
G-d descended to Mount Sinai' [Shemot 19:20]."
The serpent caused the Shechina to remove itself, and we have seen
in the writing of the ARI, on the verse, "from the root of a snake will
emerge a tzefa, (a viper)" [Yeshayahu 14:29]. The word "tzefa" is the
same numerical value as Amalek. That is the role of Amalek to
cause the Shechina to leave. The sages note that Haman's intention
was to block the construction of the Temple, the place where the
Shechina dwells down below. But Mordechai interfered with the plan
and killed Haman. And that is why Haman, who fought against the
presence of the Shechina down below, is hinted at by the phrase,
"hamin ha'etz," a hint of the tree with which Adam sinned, leading to
the removal of the Shechina. And Mordechai, who destroyed Haman,
is hinted at in a name derived from the incense, which was the
instrument that helped to bring the Shechina back.
POINT OF VIEW
Take a Bottle and Strike it - by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of
the Zomet Institute
"And you shall make holy clothing for Aharon your brother, for glory
and splendor" [Shemot 28:2]. "How do we know that if he is not
wealthy his brothers the priests shall enhance his wealth? It is written,
'And the priest who is greater than his brothers' [Vayikra 21:10]
make him great from what is taken from his brothers" [Yoma 18a].
"Of booty that is taken Half goes to the King and half to the
nation" [Sanhedrin 20b].
Minor Items
The press has gone mad. Insignificant items having to do with the life
of Sarah Netanyahu's family such as deposit bottle returns and
exchanges of garden furniture between private and public residences
have become a legitimate cause for disturbing its balance. There can
be no doubt that the fanning of the flames by the media and the
screaming headlines are what forced the State Attorney and the State
Comptroller to dig into these affairs and others at this time. And the
motive of the press is clear: When elections come, we increase the
joy and the blasts of the horns. (When Adar comes...)
Let me state the following at the outset: It is clear to me that the
instincts of the "nation" are so healthy that the press cannot dampen
them. The nation is not stupid. Those who will vote for Likud

support Netanyahu because of his stand on weighty and vital issues:

The Iranian atom bomb, our country's foreign relations, the political
dispute with the Palestinians, the military struggle against enemies
from all sides, the murderous actions of ISIS in our back yard,
making sure to maintain the growth of our economy and financial
stability, problems with housing and conversion ("diyur" and "giyur"),
the definition of a "Jewish state," and many other matters. One has
to be foolish to think that all these issues will be pushed aside
as a result of alleged unethical behavior, the character of the
Prime Minister's wife, or the great importance of the rule that "the
law of a Peruta is just as important as the law of hundreds of Shekels"
[Sanhedrin 8a].

custom of the land is that no "manager" expects the bottles to come

back to him, they have the status of "hefker" without any formal
owner for everybody, or at the very least for the people who
participated in the affair. Such perks are well within the definition of
"a general acceptance" such as regular use of paper in an office or
an occasional photocopy for private use, the use of telephones and
cars, and so on. A pious approach and moderation should be
practiced with all of these matters, but whoever is not strict about
them will never be brought to court. Such matters, which are "general
practice," lead to a general pardon for the activity.
Here is an idea that came to me by association, based on our sources.
At the beginning of this article we quoted halachic rulings which
give the King and the High Priest exaggerated financial perks,
which go beyond logic and simple justice. (I assume that many
readers were upset by the mention of these super-roles. Take it easy! I
definitely agree that "statehood" is not "royalty" and that the "holy"
clothing does not mean "the priesthood in the Temple.") These laws
cause me to raise an eyebrow in wonder, asking "Where is justice?"
The King is allowed to enrich his treasures with half of all the profits
of war. Similarly, the wealth of the High Priest is enhanced at the
expense of his brothers.

In this case I aim my barbs at the press and not at the competitors in
the race. The candidates prefer (and rightly so) to drag the
competition to side issues, to the alleyways of ethics, "equality before
the law," and legal battles, where they feel that they have an
advantage (at least until the press begins to uncover them in the
bright sunlight...). In my opinion as an amateur political analyst, it will
turn out in the end that the opposite is true: the descent into the
realm "below the belt" will be beneficial for Netanyahu. In
psychological terms, the masses tend to support the one who is
pursued (see Kohellet 3:15) and many sane people will cry out, "Are
you crazy? The country is in flames and you can find nothing
more to worry about than such a paltry sum? We will respond by
voting for the Likud!"

A WOMAN'S ANGLE
For Glory and Splendor - by Terza Frankael, a teacher in
"Tehilla" Evilena de Rothschild, Jerusalem

Public Bottle Behavior

Not Just a Cover

So, my barbs are reserved for the press, which is losing all proportion
to a greater and greater extent, with its fervor for scoops and side
issues. Don't the creators of scoops know that in many public and
institutional affairs it is standard for some patently unauthorized
individual to collect all the bottles for his own benefit, either in secret
or in the open? And it may even be worse: He may even collect the
bottles and give the deposit to the workers committee, without
getting permission from the management! I suggest that young
investigators should be sent on a simple mission, one that will achieve
instant results: Check what master sergeants in the IDF do with
used bottles, and what the source is for all that petty cash available
to the units in the IDF. I am sure that what will be revealed is that a
soldier has been commanded to collect the deposits, to be used for
the next campfire, without obtaining authorization from the head of
the quartermaster division of the IDF or from the budget division of
the Ministry of Defense and not even from the battalion
commander, the deputy battalion chief, or the deputy kitchen
commander.

Much of the Torah portion of Tetzaveh is concerned with the priestly

garments, and especially the clothing of the High Priest. When I read
this I am immediately struck by a question: Why do we focus in such
minute detail on the priestly garments? Is there any other mitzva in
the Torah that involves clothing in such a detailed manner? For me
clothing is a tool to cover the body, which as a matter of course
should be pretty and esthetic. But with all due respect, should it really
be treated as having its own essence?

And beyond this, what is really important: I harbor a suspicion that

even in the Israeli Police, which has the task of watching over the
norms of abiding by the law and regular behavior, it may be possible
that senior officers are aware that bottles are being collected
without the deposits being sent to the major authority who should
benefit from them and that these people don't even report this to
their superiors! (Note: if a reporter really is sent to investigate this
matter in depth, I demand that I be given credit for the idea!)
The Torah Viewpoint
True to my title of "rabbi," my attitude towards these matters takes its
cue from Jewish tradition, and I sincerely hope that the approach of
Jewish halacha will someday be adopted within the Jewish state. As
far as I can see, the story of the deposit bottles is pure nonsense. The

I searched through the commentators in order to see if this question

is addressed, and I found that the Rambam counts the priestly
garments as one of the 613 mitzvot. That is, he sees the matter of the
priestly garments as having independent moral value. The
commentators on the Rambam give two explanations for the
Rambam's approach. One is that the act of putting on the clothing is
a mitzva because the sanctity of priesthood only takes effect when
the Kohen puts the garments on, and it is not in effect when he does
not wear the clothing. The second approach is that the Kohanim are
required to serve in clothing that is for "glory and splendor." [Shemot
28:2]. That is, according to the Rambam, the garments are not tools
used for another purpose, but rather they are part of the essence of
the task. They are the priesthood, which does not exist without the
clothing, and their task is to complete the act of the priesthood for
glory and splendor.
For me, the granting of moral essence to clothing is an interesting
and meaningful novel approach. It never occurred to me in the past
that clothing is significant by itself, separate from the person wearing
it, and even more, that the one wearing the clothing only assumes his
rightful role while wearing the clothing.
A High Price

I hope my readers will forgive me for my sharp descent from "a high
level to a deep pit" [Chagiga 5b], but the subject of clothing engages
me every day in my educational task, and the value that it has in the
commentaries quoted above with respect to clothing add a level of
depth to many issues that my colleagues and I try to teach our
students at school.
On one hand, I do not believe in absolute forcing of a uniformly
designed and engineered appearance for all students, and especially
for the girls. I am happy about the spiritual health of the girls who
grow up today, who love themselves and their bodies, and who want
to go to school and everyplace else wearing clothing that will serve as
an expression of their own unique internal and external beauty.
However, I cannot ignore the heavy price we pay as a society for
being part of the open western culture, and for our uncontrolled
exposure to provocative fashions whose only goal is to make a
woman into a desirable sexual object.
Adolescent girls grow up in this contradictory world, dumbfounded
and confused by contradicting messages. They want to demonstrate
their independence to the world of the grownups, they want to
openly express their beauty, and they are not exactly aware of the
essential meaning of the way that they dress. And we, the women of
education, in an attempt - as it were - to put our finger in the dykes
and stop the flow of a volcanic mountain, try to explain to them in a
nice and loving way about all the overt and covert messages that the
fashion experts put into their clothing. And they continue on their
way, and the callous and flashy world captures their imagination.
Who are we to understand their world?
Clothing that is an Essence
And then, in an act of desperation, we decide to insist on uniform
dress, which will provide some protection for the girls against their
desire to be beautiful and fashionable, but without any protection
against the dangers of today's world. And our educational world is
transformed into something that is smaller than the world of an ant,
involved in enforcing laws and rules, while we miss the essence of the
values that we so want to teach that a garment is part of the one
who wears it, that a garment passes on messages, that it is best to
choose clothing that is an expression of who you are internally,
garments that will complete and moderate between internal and
external beauty and that will represent you as you really are.
Not a day goes by in school when I do not find myself wondering
what the best way is to approach charming teenage girls who are
trapped in a world that takes advantage of women and harms them. I
have the impression that the matter of the priestly garments has
provided me with a new approach that the garment is the essence,
and without the proper garment there is no proper status and there
can be no glory or splendor. Will we be able to teach our daughters to
dress in clothing that will afford them the status, the glory, and the
splendor that they deserve?
FROM THE TREASURY OF CHASSIDIC STORIES
Channah and the Fiery Circle of Chassidim - by Zev Kitzis,
Kibbutz Hadati Yeshiva and Bar Ilan University
In honor of Purim, we will discuss a small story related to a "drink"
in the courtyard of the Baal Shem Tov. Recently the Israeli National
Library published some documents that indicate that at the time of
the start of Chassidut more than 80% of the Jews of Poland were
involved in the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks of many

different types. That is, 80% of their work was related to alcohol. But
this does not mean that intoxication was prevalent among the Jews.
Just the opposite is true they were given the alcohol industry
because they were the only ones who could be trusted by the masters
of the land not to drink up all the merchandise. The Jews drank wine,
which was mainly used on such occasions as Shabbat and holidays,
along with Chassidic gatherings, as a way of getting into the mitzva of
the day and "lubricating" spiritual activities.
The story below involves Chassidic drinking, but in reality it is a story
about the relationship of a couple. First, it is important to note that in
general Chassidut and companionship or family life were not always
the most compatible things. For many generations, Chassidim were
often torn between their families and the true "family" that they
missed so much their Chassidic friends. Many Chassidic wives paid
(and still pay) a very high price for this. Some of them admired the
Chassidic world of their husbands but even so remained external
onlookers, far removed from the experiences of the active masculine
inner circle. There are many stories about open tension between
Chassidim and their frustrated wives. With this as a background, it is
remarkable to learn about the warm and natural relationship that the
Baal Shem Tov had with his (second) wife, Channah. The story
below illustrates the strong link between them, and as far as I can see
it is told in jest, on the occasion of having a drink or two.
******

One time on Simchat Torah the followers of the Baal Shem Tov
were joyous and danced, and they drank generous portions of
wine, which they took from the cellar in the home of the Baal
Shem Tov. His righteous wife saw that if the men would
continue to drink there would be no wine left over for Kiddush
and Havdallah. So she went to the Baal Shem Tov and said:
"Tell them to stop drinking and dancing, or otherwise there will
not be any wine for Kiddush and Havdalah." The Baal Shem
Tov replied with a smile, "You are right. Go and tell them to
stop and to go home." When she opened the door the men were
dancing in a circle, and she saw that they were surrounded by
flames like
a chuppah, a wedding canopy. She immediately took some
utensils and went herself to the cellar and brought them all the
wine they wanted. Afterwards, the Baal Shem Tov asked her,
"Did you tell them to leave?" She replied, "You should have
told them yourself..."
["Sivchei HaBesht," Mintz edition, pg 75].
******
The conversation between the Baal Shem Tov and his wife can be
viewed as satire which indicates a measure of bitterness or frustration
on her part. But with your permission I would suggest that the
opposite is true, and that the mildly sarcastic discussion between
them is first and foremost a normal conversation between a married
couple. They talked. In addition, Channah is putting her husband, the
Baal Shem Tov, to a test. Does he belong to "her" or to "them" to
all the Chassidim who are dancing on the other side of the closed
door? With mild scolding, the Baal Shem Tov tells her to go into the
room herself, to be able to understand the ecstasy of the Chassidim.
Channah enters the room and is immediately captivated by its magic.
She understands the drawing power of the circle. She sees flames
surrounding them, "like a chuppah," reminiscent of holy mating,
which is not related to family life. Even now Channah remains on the

sidelines looking in at the circle, which is closed to her, but now her
heart is closely linked to her husband's Chassidic group. And as noted
above, it was not obvious in advance that this would happen.
And specifically because of the experience that she just had, I am
amazed at Channah's comment. The cynical discussion that she
continues to have with her husband shows that she has not suddenly
become a submissive admirer who silently supports her husband and
his followers, but rather that she keeps her normal relationship with
her husband. Channah cannot and does not want to become just
another Chassid who follows her husband. She refuses to become a
shadow wife who is submissive, tormented, or obedient. She takes
care to maintain the conversation and the intimate encounter
between them, and there is no stronger proof of the close
companionship that they have developed.
Lechaim!

insists that the verses must be read in the correct sequence (Shulchan
Aruch, ibid, 6). Since those who listen fulfill their obligation by virtue
of the rule that "one who listens is the same as one who speaks," it is
clear that the listeners must hear the entire Megillah in the proper
sequence.
What is the halacha of a person who missed hearing one word?
According to the RIAZ (Rabbi Yeshaya Margaliot), only one who
missed a word or a letter that changes the meaning has not fulfilled
the obligation (Megillah 2a), but in his Responsa the Rashba notes
(1:467) that anybody who misses one letter or one word has not
fulfilled the obligation. This is also the opinion of the RAN (Megillah
5a in the pages of the RIF). The Mishna Berura (5) agrees with the
Rashba, adding that when the person reads the Megillah for the
second time he must repeat the blessing (5).

HALACHA FROM THE SOURCE

What should One do if He Didn't Hear every Word of the
Megillah? - by Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, Director of the Center
for Teaching and Halacha and a Teacher in Yeshivat Har
Etzion

Based on the above rulings, it is important to listen to every word

of the Megillah. This is especially important when the listeners
are tired, such as in the morning, since one who dozes off during the
reading has not fulfilled the obligation (Shulchan Aruch 690:12). In
addition, it is forbidden to talk during the reading of the
Megillah (Shulchan Aruch 692:2), because one who talks will not
hear all of the words (aside from the problem of this being an
interruption BACH 692:2; Levush 690:5 among other things).

Reading the Megillah by Heart

A Person who Misses a Word from the Megillah

According to the Mishna, one who reads the Megillah by heart does
not fulfill the obligation of the reading (Megillah 17a). The Talmud
adds that the source for this is the verse, "Write this down as a
memory in the book" [Shemot 17:14], which implies that
remembering must take place from a book and not by heart. This also
leads to the conclusion that reading from an invalid Megillah (or a
printed copy) is considered as reading by heart and does not fulfill the
obligation (Mishna Berura 690:6).

If a person misses a word because of the noise when the name of

Haman is mentioned or if he spoke during the reading, and so on, he
should repeat the words that he missed by heart or from a printed
Chumash (even if what he missed are the words at the beginning or
the end of the Megillah), since as we have seen one is allowed to
repeat some of the text by heart:

However, further on the Talmud quotes a Baraita which deals with

writing a Megillah and which implies that one is allowed to read part
of the Megillah by heart:
"The rabbis have taught us: If the scribe left out some letters or
verses, and the reader read them and the translator translated them,
his obligation has been fulfilled" [Megillah 18b].
That is, if when the scribe wrote the Megillah he left out some letters
or some verses, the Megillah is still a valid one and a person who
reads from it fulfills the obligation, as long as most of the text is
written. This means that it is possible to read some sections of the
Megillah by heart (on condition that all of the proper words are
recited, see below). This is indeed the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch
(690:3).
Hearing Every Word
The Talmud continues with another Baraita:
"The rabbis have taught us: If the reader leaves out one verse, he
should not say, I will read the rest and then read the verse, rather he
should read from that verse on" [Megillah, idid].
This means that it is necessary to read the entire Megillah, and that
the obligation has not been fulfilled if even one verse is missing. This
is also the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch (ibid). The Baraita also

"Even if a person misses only one word, some of the rabbis feel that
he has not fulfilled his obligation, and it is therefore very important
for every person to hold a Chumash, because while the youths make
noise for Haman's name and for other reasons it may not be possible
to hear several words from the reader, and then one can read 'by
heart,' from the Chumash, and in this way he fulfills the obligation
after the fact." [Mishna Berura 690:19].
In view of the above, the Pri Megadim writes (689:11; 690:19) that
whoever can have a kosher Megillah should use it and read from it
any words that he missed. "Happy is he who has a kosher Megillah,
and another one to be used in the women's section." But even
without a kosher Megillah it is possible to make up for a missing
word by reading "by heart."
Why is it Necessary to Hear every Word?
As opposed to reading the Torah, where anybody who misses part of
the reading is not required to fill in the missing words (according to
most of the rabbis), we have seen that the law of the Megillah is
different. The reason is that while the Torah reading is an obligation
of the community, the Megillah reading is a personal obligation for
each and every individual. And therefore every person must hear the
entire Megillah, from the beginning to the end.
What is the significance of the fact that specifically for the Megillah it
is important to hear every single word? This is evidently related to the
fact that the miracle of the Megillah is a hidden one, such that every
small point, no matter how minor it seems, demonstrates the

existence of G-d. The strict requirement to hear each and every word
hints that we are aware of Divine guidance even if we don't always
understand the way events develop in the world.
THE CLEAR VISION OF RAV KOOK
Joking Around - by Rabbi Chagai Londin, Hesder Yeshiva in
Sdeirot and Machon Meir
Here it is, the middle of the month of Adar! Many teachers and
parents have already started tearing out their hair (which has been
turning white in any case). Adar is a month of chaos parties,
performances, and mostly wild laughter. A lot of laughter.
What is laughter? We laugh when something "shatters" the expected
logical sequence of events. For example, we will break out laughing
when we suddenly find that something which we thought was
"important" is not so after all. Little children roll around in laughter
when a large balloon bursts near them. Similarly, adults "explode" in
laughter when somebody mimics a famous politician. From one point
of view there is a problem here. If everything is accessible and there
is no authority which must be regarded with fear and respect, then
"one act of a clown takes precedence over a thousand proofs." And
that is the laughter which the sages found so disgusting. However,
there is another type of laughter. We might suddenly find that
something which appeared to us to be very serious and grandiose and
was therefore perceived to be distant and estranged from us
suddenly becomes approachable and closer than before. This is a
positive type of laughter, based on happiness and close friendship.
Humor means that we refuse to accept the existing
surroundings. Negative humor is an expression of humiliation of
present reality without any attempt to construct any alternative. The
amused person then remains with cynicism and clowning. Positive
humor, on the other hand, also expresses a refusal to accept the
current situation, but it is a result of delving into the depths of the
situation about which we are laughing. Thus, positive laughter can
serve as a spiritual and even a physical cure (as in the case of medical
clowns). Laughter helps us overcome the most difficult and
threatening situations in our lives: "She is dressed in glory and
strength, and she will laugh until the last day" [Mishlei 31:25].
Adar is the month when we can use laughter as a wedge to be able to
strive for an entry into the depths and in order to get closer to other
people. If humor is used in the proper way, it is possible to reach out
to wider and wider circles of people. The question is whether you
laugh about the person opposite you or if you laugh together with
him. A person of faith is a person who laughs meaning one who
searches for greater depths all the time, for close attachment to
others. This is a person who is modest, wise, and critical in the
positive sense of the word.
And he will also throw out a joke now and then. Why not?
STRAIGHT TALK
Be Happy! But don't be Fooled! - by Rabbi Yoni Lavie,
Manager, "Chaverim Makshivim" Website
The complete handbook on how to reveal fraud with respect to
the most highly prized product of the month of Elul.
It is not easy to make counterfeit money. Various mechanisms have
been developed to make it difficult for scoundrels who want to make
a profit from creating fake money. Happiness, on the other hand, can
be faked in a fairly easy way. It is not hard at all to put on a smiling

face accompanied by vigorous laughter, and to fool everybody

(including yourself) into thinking that you are the happiest person in
the world.
But this lie will eventually be detected. Sooner or later the balloon
will burst, and when it does it will usually extract a high price.
Whoever accepts a fake product will be missing an opportunity to
experience the real thing deep and honest internal joy, which
cannot be surpassed by anything else in the whole world.
How can the two types of joy be differentiated? How can we expose
the fraud? Here are a number of signs to check for.
True happiness does not depend on external props loud music or
alcoholic beverages in order to "fuel" it. It is also not connected to
the question of how much money you earned and how many "likes"
you obtained on this day. It is gentle but independent, felt externally
but stemming from within. It is not based on what you possess but
rather on who you are...
True happiness doesn't wait for special days or exceptional events.
It is present even during the grey mundane days of the autumn, and
even during the gloomy and cold days of winter.
Fake happiness depends on distancing yourself and fleeing from
day-to-day reality. You must "go out" in order to "have a ball." It is
necessary to search in further places than in the close circles such as
family, the workplace, and familiar surroundings.
Fake happiness is short-lived. It does not last more than a few
minutes, at most for an hour. Quite often after it has gone it leaves
behind a bitter aftertaste, almost as if you had eaten something that
was spoiled...
Fake happiness often comes at the expense of somebody else. It is
the sister of cynicism, the cousin of a lack of caring and haughtiness,
and its family name is "selfishness."
True happiness does not involve making fun of somebody else or
humiliating them. It is not the exclusive possession of a closed and
elitist group, rather it is enhanced when it is shared with others. Such
happiness gives you the strength and motivation to continue, and its
expiration date is not "the next day."
True happiness can burst out and be expressed in a spontaneous
dance or free laughter, but this is not a requirement. The existence of
this happiness is strong and stable, no matter whether somebody on
the outside sees it or not.
True happiness is intimately linked to faith and a good outlook, to
being happy with one's lot and to always seeing the full half of the
glass. It does not ignore what is lacking and what is difficult in reality,
but it knows to keep them in the proper perspective.
Fake happiness is like that of Haman. The man was on the top of
the earth, the King's deputy, the owner of infinite riches and honor
when everybody bowed down to him, but one minor incident that
did not go his way was enough to shatter the perfect fantasy that he
had built for himself and to turn off in an instant the movie in which
he lived.

True happiness knows how to be amazed and excited even about

mundane and small things, and it doesn't wait for a great "boom" in
order wake up. It refuses to accept as obvious the infinite sea of gifts
in which we swim, and it remembers every morning to turn its eyes
up towards heaven and to say, "Modeh ani" I thank You, G-d.
True happiness does not show any jealousy. It knows to encompass
and not even to bear a grudge against its fake double, but that is not
enough for it. It constantly tries to reach the deep and wonderful
place which is the simplest and most accessible place in the world the upright and healthy place where "those with an upright heart are
happy" [Tehillim 97:11].
Happy Rosh Chodesh, full of joy!

Answers for last week. The riddle was: Where does the following
equation appear? (X 2) + X + 2X = 42
The answer is: The Menorah.
X = 11. In the Menorah there were nine flowers six (one on each
side branch), and three on the main bar. There were eleven "buttons"
(kaftorim) six for the six branches, three on the body of the
Menorah where the branches were attached, and two more on the
Menorah body.
There were twenty-two goblets eighteen for the six branches (three
on each one), and four on the body of the Menorah.
In all, there were 42 decorations on the Menorah.
(Based on Menachot 28b and Rashi in the Torah portion of Teruma.)

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ITEMS FROM "IN THE TENTS OF SHEM"
His Name in Yisrael will be... - by Dov Rozen (Summarized by
Yisrael Rosenberg)
Reb Menachem Mendel was the only remaining mohel in the entire
area. One night there were loud knocks on the door, and a squad
from the Secret Police appeared. They searched the house and took
him to the terrible place they put him in a dungeon underneath
their offices, in solitary confinement. Reb Mendel was held in the cell
for two days. They questioned him, demanded answers, and
threatened him.
On the third day, as dawn broke, he was brought to the office of the
chief. There were only two men in the room: Reb Mendel and the
commander himself, Nikolai Nikolaivich Podorkin.
The commander spoke: "We will not do anything to you. All you
must do is to tell us for which Jews did you perform
circumcisions?" "I will not tell you!" "Don't you know what is in
store for a criminal like you? A man who refuses an order from the
Soviet authorities? Do you understand or not?" "I understand, I
understand. But it does not matter. G-d is the only one that I fear!"
And then the commander said: "Okay, I see that you are indeed
strong, Reb Mendel, you know how not to break under pressure. You
can keep a secret, we can depend on you. Well, listen to me, not even
your wife can know anything about this. I am a Jew like you, my
name is Natan Neta Ben Noach Sheftel. A son was born to me. It is
up to you to circumcise him."
The circumcision was performed without any problems. Reb Mendel
turned to the father when he blessed the child. "And his name in
Yisrael will be..." The officer said to him, "Brit!" But Reb Mendel
didn't understand. "Brit?" "Yes, yes. His name will be Brit Ben Natan
Neta. We will call our son Boris Nilolaivich. And the secret will never
be revealed to anyone."
(Source: Mordechai Chenzin, "Three Circumcisions," Maariv, 5728
1968.)
RIDDLE OF THE WEEK
by Yoav Shelosberg, Director of "Quiz and Experience"
Tetzaveh
This description of those who perform the labor
Also fits one who continues after finishing the Torah.

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