Beit Midrash

  • Torah Portion and Tanach
  • Bechukotai
To dedicate this lesson

Trauma, Teruma and Temura

“Temura” has the same letters of both trauma & Teruma: The trauma threatened by our enemies only leads to the Teruma, the contribution we bring to the world, & ultimately contributes to our triumph. Am Yisrael Chai!

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Iyar 17 5782
A tumultuous time in our calendar is soon coming to an end. Careening through modern Jewish history, we mourned the loss of many of our precious people on Yom Hashoa/Yom Hazikaron; we then joyously marked Yom Ha’atzmaut & soon Yom Yerushalayim. Our Sedra this Shabbat also deals in its way with the highs & lows of life.

After detailing the Blessings and Curses, the parsha relates the law of Temura: If one designates an animal to for an offering, then substitutes that animal for another, both animals become holy & must be used as offerings. Chazal explain: When something is made kadosh, its holiness can never be removed. Attempting to do so will fail, & both animals will then achieve an exalted status.

Rav Pam zt"l sees in this law a message for Jewish history: Every time the nations of the world seek to limit or destroy the kedusha of Am Yisrael, they not only fail, but there is a noticeable expansion of that kedusha!

In Egypt, attempts to break our spirit & then kill us off resulted in our growing exponentially; "as they oppressed us, so we multiplied." On Purim, Haman’s plot to wipe us out backfired on him, we triumphed, & many non-Jews joined our people, including even descendants of Haman! And, in our own days, the Nazis & their many murderous accomplices devoted all of their energy trying to kill us, but we survived & we went on to flourish in the Diaspora, as well as to create the State of Israel.

Terrorist groups defame & try to destroy us. But B"H the result is that we’ve grown 10-fold in just 6 decades & built a powerful, prosperous nation. Our population of 9.5 million is projected to be over 11 million by the year 2030. We have the highest fertility rate in the OECD & the high-est number of multiple births per capita of any country; 191,000 babies were born here in the last year! We are the single largest Jewish community in the world & fast approaching (if we’re not there already!) constituting the majority of the world’s Jews. Israel’s vast proliferation of Yeshivot is the embodiment of the blessing, Ki MiTzion Tetze Torah, & we are an inspiration for millions.

We conclude Sefer Vayikra this Shabbat with the words Chazak, Chazak, V'Nitchazek; we should be strengthened by appreciating that all the evil launched against us is doomed to failure. Instead of harming us, it will result in our becoming a stronger, safer, more prosperous People.

"Temura" has the same letters of both trauma & Teruma: The trauma threatened by our enemies only leads to the Teruma, the contribution we bring to the world, & ultimately contributes to our triumph. Am Yisrael Chai!
את המידע הדפסתי באמצעות אתר yeshiva.org.il