Sunday Everyday

וְאוֹתוֹ יוֹם שְׁמִינִי אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת הָיָה וְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁל נִיסָן הָיָה

The second half of Parshas Nasso speaks about the קָרְבְּנוֹת הַנְּשִׂיאִים which were brought during the days of the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ which immediately followed the שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּלּוּאִים. The Pessukim speak at length about the Korbanos of each Nasi, first telling us which day that Nasi brought their Korban, and then detailing the parts of the Korban—even though they were identical to one another.

At the outset, the Torah tells us: וַיְהִי הַמַּקְרִיב בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן אֶת־קׇרְבָּנוֹ נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָב לְמַטֵּה יְהוּדָה. Nachshon, the Nasi of Shevet Yehudah brought his Korban on the first day. The Medrash tells us that the words בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן have a multiple meanings here: וְאוֹתוֹ יוֹם שְׁמִינִי אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת הָיָה וְרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁל נִיסָן הָיָה. Not only was it the first day of the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, it was also רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן as well as אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת, the first day of the week.

This Medrash begs an important question: why do we need to know what day of the week it was? There is almost no other event in the Torah that is described by the day of the week it occurred. For example, the Gemara tells us that Mattan Torah took place on Shabbos, but there is no direct source for this in the Pessukim—it is a Drasha at best. Here, the Medrash tells us that the Torah chose the words בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן to indicate that the day of the week was אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת . Why is this important for us to know?

There is another Memra, briefly brought here but in fuller form in Beraishis Rabba, that seems to address this question.

The Medrash begins by pointing out that the words וַיְהִי־עֶרֶב וַיְהִי־בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד are somewhat out of place: אִם לְעִנְיַן הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן, לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְמֵימַר אֶלָּא אֶחָד, שְׁנַיִם, שְׁלֹשָׁה, אוֹ רִאשׁוֹן, שֵׁנִי, שְׁלִישִׁי. The rest of the days of Brias Haolam are counted using the terms שֵׁנִי and שְׁלִישִׁי in which case the first day should have been called יּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן. The use of the words יוֹם אֶחָד would indicate that the following days should identified with the words שְׁנַיִם and שְׁלֹשָׁה, which is not the case. Why does the Torah seem to mix terms, calling the first day יוֹם אֶחָד and the second day יוֹם שֵׁנִי?

The Medrash explains: שֶׁעַד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הָיָה יְחִידִי בְּעוֹלָמוֹ נִתְאַוָּה לָדוּר עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים, since the beginning of the wordl, HKBH wished to dwell among the תַּחְתּוֹנִים, those who live on earth. Once the Mishkan was built, וְהִשְּׁרָה בּוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁכִינָתוֹ וּבָאוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִים לְהַקְרִיב, this purpose was complete, and Hashem said: יִכָּתֵב שֶׁבְּיוֹם זֶה נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם.

The next Memra in the Medrash connects this idea to the fact that the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ took place on אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת .

The Medrash points out an anomaly in the Passuk: בַּיּוֹם שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כָּאן. Being that the first day of the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ was also the first day on which the Mishkan was erected, the Passuk could have referred to it as יּוֹם שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן, and the words בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן must therefore have significance.

First, the Medrash tells us once again that it was אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת, but then adds: נִמְצֵאתָ אוֹמֵר עֶשֶׂר עֲטָרוֹת נָטַל אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, the day itself had ten crowns, or unique features, each of which is classified as רִאשׁוֹן. It was the first day of the week, the first day that the Kohanim did the Avodah, the first day of the קָרְבְּנוֹת הַנְּשִׂיאִים, the first day that the Shechinah was in the Mishkan, the first day of the regular Avodah, the first day of Birchas Kohanim, the first day of the first month, the first day that there was an אִסּוּר בָּמָה, the first day that Kodshim was eaten and the first day that the fire came onto the Mizbeach from above.

The message of this Medrash seems to be connected to the unique quality of the day: because it was the first day on which the Mishkan was used in its regular way, there were many instances of רִאשׁוֹן. There is a question that may be asked, however: all the עֲטָרוֹת listed by the Medrash are all related to the Mishkan and its Avodah, other than רִאשׁוֹן לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָם. How is the fact that the יּוֹם שֶׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן took place on אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת relevant to the rest of the עֲטָרוֹת listed here? What is the connection between the day of the week and the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ ?

The simplest answer is that this Medrash is explaining that it was not coincidental that the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ took place on אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת. Because it was considered רִאשׁוֹן לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָם, because it was the day that the goal of נִתְאַוָּה לָדוּר עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים was fulfilled, it was appropriate for it to take place on אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת , the same day of the week that the world was initially created.

If we think about it, however, this requires explanation. Whichever day the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ had occurred upon would be the רִאשׁוֹן לַשְּׁכִינָה and therefore רִאשׁוֹן לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָם. Why was it in fact important that this take place on the first day of the week? In fact, the inclusion of both רִאשׁוֹן לַשְּׁכִינָה and רִאשׁוֹן לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָם in the עֶשֶׂר עֲטָרוֹת seems to indicate that they are not one—that there was a specific purpose to the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, which was the first day that HKBH was דוּר עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים, take place on אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת . Why is this so?

It seems that we must understand what happened on יוֹם אֶחָד, the first day of בְּרִיאַת הָעוֹלָם, in order to properly explain this Medrash.

As we know, there was only one thing created on the first day: וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר. The light sources that we have today, however, were created later, on the fourth day. The Medrash in Berashis Rabba exaplains that the אוֹר created on the first day could not be used during the day because was so powerful that it would have affected the גַּלְגַּל הַחַמָּה. At the same time, it could not be used at night because it was made for the daytime, as the Passuk says: וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹקים לָאוֹר יוֹם. The Medrash therefore asks the next logical question: וְהֵיכָן הִיא, where is this light, and answers נִגְנְזָה, וְהִיא מְתֻקֶּנֶת לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא. The אוֹר of the first day was hidden away, and will be revealed in the future.

It emerges that the creation of the first day does not affect us today. We have light from the sun and moon, but not from the אוֹר created with the words וַיְהִי־אוֹר.

There is, of course, an important question to be asked on this Medrash: what was the purpose of creating this אוֹר, just to hide it לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא. If there needs to be a specific light that will shine לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, it could be created then, or maybe it should have been among the דְבָרִים שֶׁנִבְרְאוּ בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. Why was it the first thing created, just to be hidden?

Rav Dessler, in Michtav M’Eliyahu, answers this question with a startling insight: when something has already existed and goes away, it is easier to return to it than to approach something new. He illustrates this idea with a well known Chazal: the Gemara in Niddah tells us that while a baby is in his mother’s womb, מְלַמְּדִין אוֹתוֹ כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כּוּלָּהּ, he is taught the entirety of Torah, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁבָּא לַאֲוִיר הָעוֹלָם, בָּא מַלְאָךְ וְסֹטְרוֹ עַל פִּיו, וּמְשַׁכְּחוֹ, when he is born the Malach causes him to forget it all. One may wonder why this is necessary, but Rav Dessler explains that the same Yesod applies: the impression remains even without recollection of what the baby had been taught.

Our entire lives are devoted to reaching a specific goal: to be among the צַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא to be counted among those who will in fact benefit from the אוֹר that was created with the words וַיְהִי־אוֹר. In order to make it easier to do so, the אוֹר had to first exist, so that its impression—though latent—exists in this world. This was the purpose of creating the אוֹר only to hide it.

Perhaps we can understand the Medrashim based on this idea.

The message of the יוֹם אֶחָד , the first day of creation, was that sometimes the very fact that something once existed creates an enduring effect.

When the world was created, HKBH has one desire, לָדוּר עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים, and that day has finally arrived. The Mishkan was complete and had been anointed, and on this day, the רִאשׁוֹן לַשְּׁכִינָה , the goal would be achieved. But, as we know, that was not a permanent arrangement: our shortcomings lead to times at which the Shechina was no longer דוּר עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים. One may think that all was therefore lost.

It was for this reason that the חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ took place specifically on אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת , the day of וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקים יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר. The message of that day is that when something exists, even if it is fleeting, is leaves an impression that is accessible to us forever. The light was hidden, only to be revealed much later, to the צַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא. Its impact persists nonetheless, allowing us all to benefit from its hidden light, and work on returning to it.

The same is true of the הַשְׁרָאַת הַשְּׁכִינָה that took place on that day: it was not permanent, and we are sadly lacking its presence. But we must know that it came on אֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת , the day that teaches us this lesson. The desire לָדוּר עִם בְּרִיּוֹתָיו בַּתַּחְתּוֹנִים still exists and we may each create that reality in our own lives. We can connect back to that day, the יּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן that was both רִאשׁוֹן לַשְּׁכִינָה and רִאשׁוֹן לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָם and welcome its impact into our world.