Curtain Call

The events found in this week’s Parsha can be seen as a turning point in our history. Yaakov and Eisav are born, and the differences between them are apparent almost immediately. Yaakov is described as the “Ish Tam Yoshev Ohalim” and Eisav as the “Ish Yodeah Tzayid Ish Sadeh”, but there is more to their conflict than divergent interests . By the end of the Sedra it is clear that the brothers had worldviews that were incompatible with one another, leading to a rivalry that persists to this day. If the Parsha serves as an introduction to our dealings with Eisav and his offspring, perhaps we can see the Haftorah in the same light.

The Haftorah itself is taken from Sefer Malachi, the final Sefer in Neviim, and its Pessukim are buoying. Though at times the words of the Navi are stinging, calling into question our commitment to Hashem and the fitness of our Korbanos, the overall message of the Nevuah is clear: despite our shortcomings, we remain the beloved nation of HKBH.

The tone for the Haftorah is established at its outset, as the Navi makes a warm statement: “Ahavti Eschem Amar Hashem.” Above all else, there is a love that persists between Hashem and His chosen nation. The Passuk continues, suggesting that we might not be confident of that love: “V’Amartem Bamah Ahavtanu”. We might ask, how we are to know that Hashem in fact loves us. Though this may seem like an unfair question—the love of Hashem should be apparent to us all—the Navi provides an answer: “Halo Ach Esav L’Yaakov…V’Ahav Es Yaakov.”

This answer is somewhat cryptic. Taken literally, the words mean that Esav was Yaakov’s brother, and Hashem loved Yaakov. How does this answer the question of “Bamah Ahavtanu”? We know that the two were brothers—the question was how we are to know that Hashem loved us, which doesn’t seem to be answered.

Rashi, on the words “V’Ahav Es Yaakov”, tells us that Hashem loved us enough to grant us Eretz Yisroel, a land that was desired by all the Goyim. Now, the gift of Eretz Yisroel is certainly a display of the Ahava that Hashem has for us, but it isn’t clear how this fits into the context of the Passuk.

Radak expands on the Pshat of Rashi. He explains that the Ahava which Hashem has toward Yaakov Avinu was so strong, that although we, his offspring, upset Hashem, the Yerusha of Eretz Yisroel is not taken away. This helps us understand the significance of Eretz Yisroel in answering the question “Bamah Ahavtanu”, but the first half of the Passuk remains: how are the words “Halo Ach Esav L’Yaakov” to be understood?

It is clear that these words, “Ach Esav L’Yaakov”, are an integral part of the Passuk—the “proof” that the words “Ahavti Eschem Amar Hashem” are eternal seems to rest on this premise. In order to properly understand this Passuk, then, we must try to explain how the relationship between Yaakov and Esav is relevant.

As expected, there are scores of Divrei Chazal that speak about the love that HKBH has for Klal Yisroel, many of which are based on these words. There is one Medrash, however, that is a bit surprising, if not difficult to understand.

There is a series of Drashos brought in the Tanchuma in Parshas Terumah that begins with the words “Vasis’a Yerios Izim V’Zeh Mah She’Amar HaKasuv Ahavti Eschem Amar Hashem.” At the outset it is clear that there is a direct connection between the Yerios Izim of the Mishkan and these words. This can easily be seen as a Medrash Pliah: how do the Yerios Izim of the Mishkan show that Hashem loves us, as the Navi here declares?

After a number of Drashon on these words, the Medrash itself answers this question, to an extent.

“Amar HKBH Re’uh Kama Chivavti Eschem” Look, declares HKBH, how much I love you, Klal Yisroel. The Medrash goes on to describe the great distance between the us and the Kisei Hakavod. For example, from the earth to the first Rakiah is a journey that would take man 500 years. A similar distance exists between each subsequent Rakiah, such that the journey to the uppermost Rakiah is over seven-thousand years in length. this would only bring a person to the lowest level Malachim, the Chayos, after which he would have to travel millennia to reach the Kisei HaKavod.

The Medrash continues: “Re’u Kama Chivavti Eschem SheHinachti Es HaKol V’Amarti Lachem Aseh Li Yerios Izim V’Avo Lishkon Etzlachem”. The Tzivuy to make Yerios Izim, concludes the Medrash, is itself a sign of the Chiba that HKBH has for Klal Yisroel. We see this because, despite the great distance of travel, Hashem commanded us to make Yerios Izim so that the Shechinah can be Shoreh in our midst.

Putting aside the calculations of heavenly distance, which are entirely impossible to fathom, this Medrash is difficult to understand. Based on various Divrei Chazal, we think of the Aron Kodesh as the Makom of Hashra’as Shechina in the Mishkan—why does the Medrash seem to imply that the Shechina rests upon theYerios Izim? And, even if we were to understand the role that the Yerios HaMishkan play in the Hashra’as Shechina, we would have to explain why the Medrash points specifically to the Yerios Izim. There were three levels of Yerios in the Mishkan, only one of them being the Yerios Izim—the others were dyed wool. Why does the Medrash single out the Yerios Izim to show the Chiba of HKBH? In fact, the implication of the Medrash is that the Yerios Izim were integral to any Hashra’as HaShecinah—Aseh Li Yerios Izim V’Avo Lishkon Etzlachem—why was this the case and how does it relate to the words “Ahavti Eschem Amar Hashem”?

In order to answer these questions, so that we may understand the Medrash, and by extension our Passuk, we have to examine the symbolism of the Yerios Izim. In understanding any part of the Mishkan, it is always helpful to start at the beginning, with the way it was constructed or formed.

The Passuk in Parshas Vayakel tells us that it was the Nashim Tzidaknios who did the weaving necessary for the various curtains of the Mishkan: “V’Chol Isha Chachmas Lev B’Yadeha Tavu”. Then, the Torah singles out the Yerios Izim: “V’Chol HaNashim Asher Nasah Liban Etena UBiChama Tavu Es HaIzim”. The Gemara in Shabbos tells us that the second Passuk—which implies that the Chamah needed for the Izim came from Hashem—indicates an extra measure of Chachma was involved in the creation of the Yerios Izim: “Shituf B’Izim V’Tavu Min HaIzim”. The hair was rinsed while still on the goat, and then spun directly off the goats’ backs. This was a level of craftsmanship that was used only when creating the Yerios Izim.

The obvious question is: why? Why was it nessecary to spin the wool directly off the animals’ backs, and if this method was somehow preferred, why was it used only for the Yerios Izim and not the other Yerios?

The Chasam Sofer, in Toras Moshe on Parshas Terumah, explains why this level of Chacham was used specifically for the Yerios HaMishkan.

As we have seen, there were two sets of Yerios places upon the Kerashim, which formed the roof of the Mishkan. The lower set was made of colored threads: Techeiles, Argaman and Shesh. These Yerios, explains the Chasam Sofer, were connected to “Devorim Elyonim”, as their colors were Meramez to the Ma’aseh Merkava. The Yerios Izim, which were the upper layer of curtains, were made of plain goats’ wool and were connected more to Olam HaZeh, as indicated by a Passuk in Yeshayahu.

The connections that each of these Yerios engenger can be seen by their positioning. When a person was standing inside the Mishkan and he looked up he would see the lower Yerios—those that were connected to Olamos Elyonim. At that moment, when he was engaged in the Avodas HaMishkan, he could set his sights on those matters. When he was outside, however, he would see the Yerios Izim, which related to Olam Hazeh, the world which he occupies.

It was the outer Yerios, explains the Chasam Sofer, that required extra Chachma, because it takes true wisdom to take create Kedusha in the material world. But the Chachma was used in a way that indicates their significance: the wool was taken directly from the goat, from the animal itself and used for the Yerios. This showed that, when Chachma is applied, the most material object can become Kadosh. It is relatively easy, says the Chasam Sofer, for one to remove himself in totality from the world around him, and devote himself to Devarim Shebekedusha, but that is not the point of this world. Rather, we are to look at the Yerios Izim and understand that our goal is to take the wool directly from the animal, and create the Yerios HaMishkan.

With this in mind, we can well understand the Tanchuma.

Hashem told us to create a Mishkan so that he can dwell in our midst, but we may have assumed that the Mishkan would stand alone. We would have to segment our lives: Kedusha in one place and Chol elsewhere. HKBH therefore tells us: “Re’u Kama Chivavti Eschem SheHinachti Es HaKol V’Amarti Lachem Aseh Li Yerios Izim V’Avo Lishkon Etzlachem”. Hashem loves us so much, that he wishes to be with us always, and everywhere. By constructing the Mishkan with Yerios Izim, we would understand that we could take the wool straight off the animals back, so to speak, and create a place for Hashra’as Hashechina. The purpose of the Mishkan was to teach us that HKBh could be Shoreh B’Chol Echad V’Echad, in each of us, wherever we stand.

We now understand, the significance of the Yerios Izim, and why the Shechina could not come to dwell amongst us unless they were present, for a central message of the Mishkan lay in these Yerios. We can also understand how this relates to the Ahava that Hashem has for us: he so loves us, that he wishes to dwell in our midst always. Perhaps this idea can help us understand out Passuk as well.

It is clear from various Divrei Chazal that Yaakov and Eisav did not suffer from mere sibling rivalry—they looked at the world completely differently, a dichotomy that is perhaps best seen during their final meeting. The Torah tells us that when Yaakov approached Esav on his way back to Eretz Yisroel, Esav saw all that Yaakov had—possesions, slaves and servants—and asked: “Mi Eleh Lach?” Yaakov answered: “HaYeladhim Asher Chana Elokim L’Avedecha.”

The Tana Divei Eliyahu Zuta explains this exchange. When Yaakov and Esav were together in Rivka’s womb, they made a pact: Esav would have possession of this world, and with it all matters pertaining to our physical existence, while Yaakov would maintain the right to Olam Habaah and the spiritual realm. This agreement was solidified a number of years later when Yakkov “bought” the Bechorah from Esav for the Nezid Adashim.

When Esav encountered Yaakov, and with him a large family, multitudes of possessions, flocks and slaves, he was therefore confused: “Mi Ela Lach?” Esav was asking: “What right do you have to these physical possessions? Did we not agree that I would have control over the physical world and you over the spiritual? Esav assumed that Yaakov had reneged on their deal, focusing not on his Ruchnias pursuits, but on amassing fortunes. Yaakov responded to Esav that these possessions were indeed his, but they were “Asher Chanan Elokim Es Avodecha” , they were given to him by Hashem to serve his purposes in this world.

Esav understood that life was a choice: one can pursue Ruchni or Gashmi, but the two had nothing to do with one another. Yaakov, on the other hand, understood that the Gashmi has a place on this world as well: it could be used for purposes of Kedusha. Yaakov had the Chachma to take the wool off the goat, and make Yerios Izim, a place for Hashra’as Hashechina. This was the central point of conflict from which the two brothers diverged.

The Passuk says: “V’Amartem Bamah Ahavtanu”, and as Rashi explains, the answer is that we see the love of Hashem through the gift of Eretz Yisroel. But the Passuk also explains why this love is so strong: “Halo Ach Esav L’Yaakov…V’Ahav Es Yaakov.” Yaakov and Esav were brothers, they grew up in the same surroundings and the same milieu, but Yaakov understood that which Esav did not. He knew that he could be connected to Hashem no matter the circumstances, and use Olam HaZeh to create a Makom of Hashra’as Hashechina. He passed this awareness on to his children, which ensured that we were able to maintain a connection to HKBH at all times, and the Chiba therefore endured.

As we Lein the Parshios of Yaakov, especially when contrasted with the life of Esav, we must keep this dialectic in mind. The Koach of Yaakov comes from his ability to understand that the purpose of Gashmius “Asher Chanan Elokim Es Avodecha”, allowing us to create a Makom for Hashra’as Hashechina from whatever lays before us.