Rabbi Tendler Shiur Notes

Parashat T'zaveh

February 25, 1999

Ata T'zaveh - Moshe's name not mentioned here. Normally we say because of Meheini na msifricha. Wrong emphasis. We have no concept that my suffereng expiates your sin - bes Israel sinned, I should be punished. Martyrdom is an alien concept to Judaism. Israel and God had a mahloket - can we survive without a physical representation. God got angry at Israel for making a physical representation. Moshe is pleading for the life of Israel. Moshe is saying "well I am also a physical representation." They focused on Moshe as the physical representation, therefore Moshe said mehaini na. The luhot teaches that Hashem accepted the teshuva. Seems that Israel won. No. God won because now there is no mikdash or any physical representation - now we jsut have pure thought - thinking torah and concepts, yet we still exist and survive. The midkash is not essential as are the menorah, etc. The Aron had a feature that the carrying sticks could not be removed from it. You can run away and leave the mizbaiach, but the luhot, the aron has to go with you.

Kli HaMikdash - Katit lam'or.- the weight of the olives themselves cause oil to ooze out. That is the katit. When you burst the olives, pulp gets mixed in - those used for minha after it's decanted. We get our moral ethical information frokm many sources. Capital punishment - proper - see in the Torah. Hosexuality is a hiyyuv mita. In the liberal movements who follow the culture, have ethical principle of what is your business? The menorah - the symble of light must have pure oil with no other shmutz. It takes special effort to get it pure. Better don't do the mitzva than to do it wrong.