Self-Sacrifice That Bears Fruit for Generations
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 35:30
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּ קָרָא יְהֹוָה בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן־אוּרִי בֶן־חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה
Moshe said to Bnei Yisrael, “See, Hashem has called by name Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah.”
1“Moshe said to Bnei Yisrael, ‘See, Hashem has called by name Betzalel son of Uri son of Chur, of the tribe of Yehudah.’”1 Notice the word “See”: it seems unnecessary. We must also ask why the verse mentions Betzalel's lineage. What does the merit of one's forefathers have to do with making the Mishkan?
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רְאוּ קָרָא ה׳ בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן אוּרִי בֶן חוּר לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה (לה, ל). יֵשׁ לְדַיֵּיק וּלְהָבִין הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳רְאוּ׳ דְּלִכְאוֹרָה הוּא מְיוּתָּר. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַדּוּעַ הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב הַיִּחוּס שֶׁל בְּצַלְאֵל, דְּמַה עִנְיַן זְכוּת אָבוֹת לְמַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּשְׁכָּן.
- Shemos 35:30. ↩
In shortWhy does Moshe say “See,” and why trace Betzalel's lineage, as if ancestral merit had to do with building the Mishkan?
2aWe can explain this through a Midrash: “Why did the verse see fit to mention Chur here? Because when Israel sought to worship idols, Chur gave his life for the Holy One, blessed be He, and would not let them, so they rose up and killed him. Hashem said to him, ‘By your life, I will repay you.’ It is like a king whose legions rebelled against him. His general rose up and fought them, saying, ‘Is it against the king that you are rebelling?’ They rose up and killed him. The king said, ‘If he had given me money, would I not have to repay him?’ [This is said as a question.] ‘How much more so now that he gave his life for me! What shall I do for him? All the children descended from him I will make dukes and governors.’ So too, when Israel made the Calf, Chur stood up and gave his life for Hashem. He said to him, ‘By your life, all the children who come from you I will raise to a good name in the world,’ as it says, ‘See, Hashem has called by name Betzalel … and He filled him with the spirit of God.’”2 So far the Midrash.
וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר עַל פִּי מַה דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה מח, ג), מָה רָאָה לְהַזְכִּיר כָּאן חוּר, אֶלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבִּקְּשׁוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבוֹד עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים, נָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הקב״ה וְלֹא הִנִּיחָן, עָמְדוּ וַהֲרָגוּהוּ, אָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה חַיֶּיךָ שֶׁאֲנִי פּוֹרֵעַ לְךָ. מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁמָּרְדוּ עָלָיו לִגְיוֹנוֹתָיו, עָמַד שַׂר הַצָּבָא שֶׁלּוֹ וְנִלְחַם עִמָּהֶם, אָמַר לָהֶם עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ אַתֶּם מוֹרְדִים, עָמְדוּ וְהָרְגוּ אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, אִילּוּ מָמוֹן נָתַן לִי לֹא הָיִיתִי צָרִיךְ לִפְרוֹעַ לוֹ [בִּתְמִיָּה], עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ נָתַן עָלַי, מָה אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ, אֶלָּא כָּל בָּנִים שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אֲנִי מַעֲמִידָם דּוּכָּסִים וְאִפַּרְכִים. כָּךְ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָעֵגֶל עָמַד חוּר וְנָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הקב״ה, אָמַר לוֹ חַיֶּיךָ כָּל בָּנִים הַיּוֹצְאִים מִמְּךָ אֲנִי מְגַדְּלָם שֵׁם טוֹב בָּעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״רְאוּ קָרָא ה׳ בְּשֵׁם בְּצַלְאֵל״, ״וַיְמַלֵּא אוֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹקִים״, ע״כ.
- Shemos Rabbah 48:3; the verses are Shemos 35:30–31. ↩
2bFrom this we learn how great is the power of mesirus nefesh, the readiness to give one's life. Even when an act of mesirus nefesh achieves nothing in practice at the time, the Holy One, blessed be He, still rewards it in full, as though it had achieved its aim. Chur's mesirus nefesh did not keep Bnei Yisrael from sinning; in the end they sinned with the Calf all the same. Yet because he gave his life, Hashem gave him his reward and appointed his grandson Betzalel to make the Mishkan. We find the same with the Akeidah, the binding of Yitzchak. It was never actually carried out; it existed only in readiness and intent. Even so, it left its mark. By the power of the Akeidah, Bnei Yisrael were privileged to have mesirus nefesh as a middah, a character trait, in every generation, because the holy Avos, Avraham Avinu and Yitzchak Avinu, offered their lives to do His will.
מִזֶּה יֵשׁ לִלְמוֹד אֶת גּוֹדֶל כֹּחַ מְסִירוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ אִם בִּשְׁעַת מַעֲשֶׂה אֵין מַעֲשֵׂה הַמְּסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ מוֹעִיל לְמַעֲשֶׂה, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הקב״ה נוֹתֵן שְׂכָרוֹ בִּשְׁלֵימוּת כְּאִילּוּ פָּעַל לְמַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁהֲרֵי כָּאן הַמְּסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁל חוּר לֹא הוֹעִילָה לִמְנוֹעַ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהַחֵטְא, שֶׁהֲרֵי לְבַסּוֹף בְּכָל זֹאת חָטְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּעֵגֶל, אַךְ הֱיוֹת וְהוּא מָסַר נַפְשׁוֹ, נָתַן לוֹ הקב״ה שְׂכָרוֹ וּמִינָּה אֶת בְּצַלְאֵל לִהְיוֹת עוֹשֶׂה הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וְכֵן מָצִינוּ דָּבָר זֶה בַּעֲקֵידַת יִצְחָק, שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא לַפּוֹעַל מַמָּשׁ רַק בְּכֹחַ, וּבְכָל זֹאת עָשָׂה דָּבָר זֶה רוֹשֶׁם, וּמִכֹּחַ הָעֲקֵידָה זָכוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמִידָּה שֶׁל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ בְּכָל הַדּוֹרוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁהָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ וְיִצְחָק אָבִינוּ מָסְרוּ נַפְשָׁם לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
In shortChur's mesirus nefesh failed to stop the Calf, yet Hashem rewarded it in full through Betzalel, just as the unfinished Akeidah left its mark forever.
3This is what Moshe Rabbeinu meant by “See, Hashem has called by name …” Reflect, he was saying: look closely and make an honest accounting of what earned Betzalel this privilege. It was the merit of his forefathers. Because his grandfather Chur gave his life for the honor of Heaven, Betzalel was privileged to set up the Mishkan. That is what Moshe was telling Bnei Yisrael: you must look and take stock of how great the power of mesirus nefesh is.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה ׳רְאוּ קָרָא ה׳ בְּשֵׁם׳ וְגוֹ׳, כְּלוֹמַר הִתְבּוֹנְנוּ וּרְאוּ וְתַעֲשׂוּ חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ לְמָה זָכָה בְּצַלְאֵל מֵחֲמַת זְכוּת אָבוֹת, דְּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁזְּקֵנוֹ חוּר מָסַר נַפְשׁוֹ לְמַעַן כְּבוֹד שָׁמַיִם, זָכָה בְּצַלְאֵל לְהָקִים הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וְזֶה אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, צְרִיכִים אַתֶּם לִרְאוֹת וְלַעֲשׂוֹת חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנֶּפֶשׁ, עַד כַּמָּה גָּדוֹל הַכֹּחַ שֶׁל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ.
In shortMoshe's “See” asks Bnei Yisrael to take stock: Chur's mesirus nefesh earned Betzalel the Mishkan, so great is its power.
4aWe find this same power of mesirus nefesh at Purim as well. At the end of Megillas Esther it says: “For Mordechai the Jew was second to King Achashverosh, great among the Jews and accepted by most of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his offspring.”3 Why does it say “speaking peace to all his offspring,” when just before it says “accepted by most of his brethren”? Chazal's teaching on this is well known: “‘To most of his brethren,’ and not to all of his brethren. This teaches that some members of the Sanhedrin, the great court of sages, parted from him.” Rashi explains that this was because he had stopped learning Torah and taken up public office.4
וְהִנֵּה מִדָּה זוֹ שֶׁל כֹּחַ מְסִירוּת הַנֶּפֶשׁ מָצִינוּ גַּם לְעִנְיַן פּוּרִים, שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּסוֹף מְגִילַּת אֶסְתֵּר (י, ג) ״כִּי מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי מִשְׁנֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְרָצוּי לְרוֹב אֶחָיו דּוֹרֵשׁ טוֹב לְעַמּוֹ וְדוֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל זַרְעוֹ״. וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר ׳וְדוֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל זַרְעוֹ׳, וְאִילּוּ קוֹדֶם לָכֵן נֶאֱמַר ׳רָצוּי לְרוֹב אֶחָיו׳. אֶלָּא דְּהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ דְּרָשַׁת חז״ל (מגילה טז, ב) לְרוֹב אֶחָיו וְלֹא לְכָל אֶחָיו, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁפֵּירְשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ מִקְצָת סַנְהֶדְרִין, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י, לְפִי שֶׁבָּטֵל מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וְנִכְנַס לִשְׂרָרָה.
4bYet this very thing was Mordechai's mesirus nefesh. He gave himself for the people of Israel. He gave up his own self and his own completeness in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, and he interrupted his learning to help the many earn merit. The verse is telling us that he passed this power of mesirus nefesh on to his offspring. That is the meaning of “speaking shalom to all his offspring.” The word shalom, peace, is related to sheleimus, completeness, for by the power of Mordechai's mesirus nefesh all of Klal Yisrael was privileged to reach completeness. It is like Yaakov Avinu's blessing of Efraim and Menashe, “and let my name be called upon them,” meaning that Yaakov's power flowed into them.5 So it was with Mordechai. All Israel was privileged to receive a ray of light from Mordechai's level, and the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, Who is called Shalom,6 was called upon them.
אַךְ הִנֵּה בֶּאֱמֶת זֶה עַצְמוֹ הָיָה מְסִירוּת נַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל מָרְדְּכַי, שֶׁמָּסַר נַפְשׁוֹ עַל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהִפְקִיר אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְאֶת הַשְּׁלֵימוּת שֶׁלּוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, וּבִיטֵּל מִלִּימּוּדוֹ עֲבוּר זִיכּוּי הָרַבִּים. וְאוֹמֵר הַכָּתוּב, שֶׁאֶת הַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה שֶׁל מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ מָסַר לְזַרְעוֹ, וְזֶהוּ ׳וְדוֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל זַרְעוֹ׳, שָׁלוֹם הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן שְׁלֵימוּת, שֶׁמִּכֹּחַ מְסִירוּת נַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל מָרְדְּכַי זָכוּ כְּלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁלֵימוּת, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ (בראשית מח, טז) ״וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי״ שֶׁנִּשְׁפַּע בָּהֶם כּוֹחוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב, כֵּן הָיָה בְּמָרְדְּכַי שֶׁזָּכוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהֶאָרָה מִבְּחִינַת מָרְדְּכַי, וְנִקְרָא בָּהֶם שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה שֶׁנִּקְרָא שָׁלוֹם (שבת י, ב).
In shortMordechai gave up his own learning and completeness for the people, and passed that power on, bringing shalom, completeness, to all Israel.
5From all this we should learn a lesson: how great the middah of mesirus nefesh is. Only by its power can a person achieve anything, small or great, in avodas Hashem and in Torah and mitzvos.
מִן הָאָמוּר יֵשׁ לָנוּ לִלְמוֹד מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל עַל גּוֹדֶל מַעֲלַת מִדַּת מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ, שֶׁכֵּן רַק בְּכֹחַ מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ אֶפְשָׁר לְהַשִּׂיג כָּל דָּבָר קָטָן וְגָדוֹל בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ וּבַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹות.
In shortNothing in avodas Hashem, small or great, is achieved without the power of mesirus nefesh.
6May Hashem grant us this middah, and may we all be privileged to serve Him with a calm and settled mind until the coming of Yinon.7 Amen.
יְזַכֵּנוּ ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְמִדָּה זוֹ, וְנִזְכֶּה כּוּלָּנוּ לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ מִתּוֹךְ הַרְחָבַת הַדַּעַת עַד בִּיאַת יִנּוֹן, אָמֵן.
- Yinon is one of the names of Moshiach (Sanhedrin 98b, from Tehillim 72:17). ↩
In shortMay we acquire the middah of mesirus nefesh and serve Hashem with a settled mind until Moshiach comes.
Takeaway
Chur's stand failed to stop the Golden Calf, yet Hashem repaid it in full, and his grandson built the Mishkan; the Akeidah was never carried out, yet it planted mesirus nefesh in every Jew for all time. Mordechai gave up even his own learning and completeness for the sake of the many, and that sacrifice brought completeness to all Israel. Whatever we hope to achieve in Torah and in avodas Hashem, small or great, comes only by giving ourselves over, and such giving is never wasted.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.