DailyHalacha.com

Rabbi Mansour 2012
Shabbat Morning Class
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Parashat Ki Tisah is often read on the Shabbat that follows Purim. In this class we uncover some of the correlations between this Parasha, and the story of Purim.

We begin by analyzing Gemarah (Chulin 139B) that asks "??? ?? ????? ????"-"where is Moshe found in the Torah?" This is a seemingly baffling question considering how often Moshe Rabeinu’s name is mentioned in the Torah?! The Gemarah gives an answer that is even more baffling; "???? ??? ???"- there is a Pasuk at the end of Parashat Bereshit (concerning Hashem’s discontentment with mankind before the flood) that says; "my spirit shall not always be with man, for his is flesh, yet his days will be one hundred and twenty years". The word ???? in the Pasuk has the same numerical value as ???, and this is the hint to Moshe Rabeinu’s name in the Torah.

Obviously this Gemarah must have a deeper understanding as to why it chose to ask this question, and then to answer with such a seemingly obscure source when Moshe’s name is clearly the most mentioned in the entire Torah!

In order to understand, we must first uncover some secrets of the Torah and discover a connection between certain great Sadikim.

Let us begin with Noah.

Noah of course, was the Sadik that lived in the time of the flood and was chosen to build an ark in order to be spared from the impending calamity.
Ultimately however, Noah was considered slightly to blame for the flood that destroyed the world, since a true leader does not "abandon ship". Noah should have demanded of Hashem to save his generation, and he should have told Hashem; "if you take them, you will have to take me as well!" This is why the flood has become known as the "flood of Noah"- it is because Noah did not stand up for his generation and therefore the flood was named after him. Noah was also considered culpable for another act that followed immediately after his departure from the ark after the flood had ended. It was then that Noah had planted a vineyard, drank wine, and became intoxicated resulting in becoming exposed in his tent. This was a very degrading moment for Noah.

Noah needed a Tikkun-(a rectification) for these two incidents (for not stopping the flood and for drinking wine), and the Sefer "Shaar Hagilgulim" (from R’ Menachem Azariah from Pano) explains that Noah was reincarnated into two great Sadikim in the future and they fixed these two matters for him.

The first was Yosef Hasadik. Yosef was sold down to Egypt. He had not seen his brothers for over twenty years. When he finally encountered them, the Pasuk writes; (Bereshit Perek 43 Pasuk 34) "????? ?????? ???"-"and they drank and became drunk with him" implying that from when he was sold until that very moment, Yosef had not drank wine. Yosef’s abstinence from wine rectified Noah’s drinking of wine when he shouldn’t have.

The second Sadik that rectified Noah was none other than Moshe Rabeinu.

Moshe fixed Noah’s failure to stand up for his generation when in this week’s Parasha after the Jews had sinned with the golden calf, Hashem threatened to destroy the entire nation except for Moshe. When Moshe heard this he said; "???? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???-???? ?? ?????"-"and now, if you will forgive their sin; and if not, please erase my name from the book (Torah) which you have written". Moshe stood up for the people, and basically told Hashem "if they go, I go". This was the rectification of Noah’s failure to stand up for his generation.

There are many hints to the connection of these Sadikim to Noah, and to how they provided a Tikkun.

The Pasuk says about Noah; "??? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ???? ????", the Pesukim repeat Noah’s name. This is to hint to us that Noah would come back again in two Sadikim, and who would they be? One would be known as "????", and one known as "????". ???? of course refers to Yosef Hasadik, and ???? (perfect) refers to our perfect leader; Moshe Rabeinu.

In addition the Pasuk continues by telling us that Noah had three sons. The word ?? (son) equals 52. Three sons (three times 52) equal 156, and this is the same numerical value as the name ????. Noah’s three sons alluded to his connection to Yosef.

When it came time for Moshe to stand up, and save his people he declared ???? ??-"erase me". The word ???? can be rearranged to form the words ?? ??-"the waters of Noah". Also ???? ?? can be rearranged to form the words ??? ???-"I am from Noah".
In his argument to save the nation, Moshe purposely included an allusion to the flood of Noah in which he was coming to rectify for him!

This is why when Hashem ultimately reconsidered his decision to destroy the nation the Pasuk says "????? ?'"-"Hashem reconsidered". The word ????? can be rearranged to form the words ??? ??-"and the waters of Noah". Hashem was also forgiving for the waters of Noah, and Noah’s failure to stand up for his generation. In addition, later on in the Parasha it says that Hashem was "?????? ???" (Hashem knew Moshe "by name" and he found favor in Hashem’s eyes). The words ?????? ??? allude to the primary son of Noah, ??. Hashem was telling Moshe that he knew him from his connection to Noah and his subsequent emergence from his son ??.

We also find this connection many years earlier in Moshe Rabeinu’s life.
When Moshe was just a baby, his mother Yochebed put him in a ???-ark, in order to save him from the Egyptians.
This of course hints to us Moshe’s connection to the Ark of Noah. Except whereas Noah’s ark was pitched with tar on the inside and outside, Moshe’s ark was only pitched with tar on the outside.
The simple reason for this is because Noah’s ark was needed to protect from raging waters, whereas Moshe’s was needed only to protect him from the gentle waters of the Nile. There was therefore no need for the holy Sadik Moshe to have to suffer the discomfort of the foul odor of the pitch on the inside of the ark, where he would smell it.
On a deeper level we now understand that Moshe Rabeinu would fulfill his mission when it came to saving his people and in order to symbolize this, there was no tar placed on the inside of his ark. This shows us that what was on the inside (Moshe) was blameless.
Noah’s ark however had tar on the inside. This was to symbolize that what was inside (Noah) was to blame for the occurrence of the flood.

This also explains a Pasuk in Parashat Noah (chapter 7 Pasuk 1) "????? ?' ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???"-"and Hashem said to Noah, come you and all your family into the ark, for I have seen you righteous before me in this generation".

There are several points that need to be clarified in the Pasuk. Firstly, why is Hashem repeating to Noah what he already told him earlier - Hashem already told Noah that he would be spared from the flood?
Also, why did Hashem tell Noah that he was a Sadik "???? ???"-"in this generation"? What other generation did Noah live in?! Of course he was Sadik in "his generation"?!
Also, why say all of this a few days prior to commanding Noah to actually enter the ark; it seems this could have been said earlier?? Also, why did Hashem tell Noah that he was a Sadik "????"-"before me"-of course he was before Hashem?!
The explanation is that Hashem was actually referring to a different Sadik, namely Moshe Rabeinu!
Hashem was telling Noah; now that the time has come to enter the ark and you have not "stepped up" to save your generation i am actually going to save you on behalf of another Sadik who is ????-stands before me- (the past present and future is all in front of Hashem of course), "???? ???"-"in this generation" the word ??? equals 17. There were exactly 17 generations from Noah to Moshe (there were 10 from Noah to Abraham and 7 from Abraham to Moshe). Hashem was telling Noah that in 17 generations from now there would be a great Sadik, Moshe Rabeinu who is now before me in whose merit he was being saved, and who would rectify Noah’s current lack of leadership! In addition, if you add the numerical value of the word "???? ???? ???? ???" it equals 603, which is the exact same value as ??? ????-603!

This is explains why when Moshe was born the Pasuk says; "???? ???? ?? ??? ???"-"she (Yochebed) realized that he was good", and she then placed him in the ark. The word ??? equals 17. Yochebed realized that her son was the Sadik that Hashem was referring to that would come in the 17th generation after Noah, and she then placed him in the ark in order to start the Tikkun.

This also explains Moshe’s reaction when Hashem first appeared to Moshe and initially commissioned him to be the savior of Israel. The Pasuk writes that Moshe responded; (Parasha Shemot Perek 4 Pasuk 10) "?? ??? ????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???"-"I am not a man of words not yesterday or the day before, nor since you have first spoken to your servant".
How are we to understand Moshe’s words? This was Moshe’s first encounter with Hashem, how could he say "not yesterday or the day before nor since you have spoken to me"? This was the first time Hashem spoke to Moshe, what did Moshe mean by "yesterday" or by the words "since you have first spoken to me""?!

We now understand that Moshe was referring to the previous two Sadikim that he was part of; Noah and Yosef. This is what Moshe meant by "yesterday and the day before" and this is why he said "since you (originally) spoke to me"- Moshe was making a reference to his original encounters with Hashem.

This is also why it was only Moshe who was able to take Yosef’s coffin with him out of Egypt. This was a hint to Moshe’s direct connection with the soul of Yosef Hasadik as part of the chain between him and Noah.

We now get back to the question we started with. Why does the Gemarah choose the Pasuk of "???? ??? ???" as the source of Moshe Rabeinu from the Torah?

We now understand that the Gemarah was actually asking about where Moshe is hinted to in the story of the flood! The Torah mentions these words "???? ?? ???" as Hashem decided to send down a flood and the Pasuk continues; "yet his days will be one hundred years" this alludes to the life span of Moshe Rabeinu, 120 years.
Hashem, in deciding to destroy the world with a flood, was already hinting to the final act of Tikkun on the part of Moshe for the failure of the Sadik Noah to save his people!
???? which equals Moshe, and his 120 years that the Pasuk continues with, show us that it was Moshe who provided the rectification for this matter.

Now, how does all this tie into Purim??

The answer is that there was another link in this chain of Sadikim, and that was Mordechai Hasadik.

Mordechai was called Sadik like Yosef. He saved his entire generation like Moshe. He also established the holiday that results in the proper consumption of wine (similar to that which Yosef rectified). These acts show similarities to the great Sadikim’s acts of rectification on behalf of Noah. As a matter of fact, when we count how many times Mordechai’s name is mentioned in the Megillah it totals 58-the exact numerical value of ??-58!

In the Megillah ????? is called "??? ?????". This is the same numerical value as "???". Also, "????? ??? ?????" has the same numerical value as the words: "??? ?????".

When Moshe killed the Egyptian in Parashat Shemot it says that he told the Egyptian "??? ??? ??? ????"-"evil one, why have you struck your fellow?"
There are 72 three letter names of Hashem that emerge from three Pesukim in Parashat Beshalah. Each name has a unique power. One of the names is ?-?-?, and this name has the power to destroy the wicked. It was this name that Moshe used to kill the Egyptian. We see this from the words "??? ??? ????"-the word ??? contain the letters ?-?-?, and it was with this name that Moshe actually killed him.

In the story of Purim, when Esther wanted to send a messenger to Mordechai she chose a servant called ???. She did so in order to try and hint to Mordechai that just as he used this name in his previous life as Moshe, he should use it again to kill the wicked Haman. Mordechai realized however that this was not the way it was supposed to end for Haman.

We also find a connection between Mordechai and Yosef in the Pasuk mentioned earlier pertaining to Yosef’s rectification of Noah;"????? ?????? ???"-"they drank and became drunk with him". Right before these words the Pasuk describes how Yosef had given each of his brothers a portion as a gift, and how Yosef gave his brother Binyamin five times as much as the other brothers.
Why did Yosef give Binyamin exactly five times as much?
This was a sign to Binyamin that his great grandson Mordechai would be adorned with 5 types of clothing after the Jews were saved ( ????, ???, ???? ???, ???, ??????).
Why would Yosef do this now? Why was this moment- when Yosef drank with his brothers- the moment he chose to bestow Binyamin with five gifts alluding to Mordechai?? It was because that day was none other than the day of Purim!!

They all drank together that day, and became intoxicated to fulfill the requirements of drinking on Purim and therefore this was the perfect day to inform Binyamin of the future miracle that will occur through Yosef’s future Gilgul- Mordechai, a descendent of Binyamin!

Now that we see the connection between Mordechai-Moshe-Yosef-Noah, we can understand an otherwise puzzling act on the part of Zeresh (the wife of Haman). Zeresh instructed Haman to erect a tree 50 Amot high to hang Mordechai on it.
Where did Haman find such an enormous tree? (50 Amot is about 100 feet high)
The Rabbi’s explain that Haman took it from Noah’s ark! One of the measurements of the ark was 50 Amot and Haman took a giant beam of wood from the Tevah.
Zeresh was a very learned lady and knew many secrets of Torah. Her intention was to reawaken the story of Noah (the origin of the soul of Mordechai), and cause a judgment on Mordechai from heaven for Noah’s lack of standing up for the generation!
She purposely advised Haman to obtain a tree from Noah’s ark in hopes of causing a downfall to Mordechai by reconnecting him to the incident of Noah and the flood!

In the end of course, it was the power of the Sadik that overcame all of her evil tactics.

Beezrat Hashem we will always be saved from the evil plans of the wicked, and may Hashem provide us with the ultimate salvation in the coming of the Mashiach speedily in our days Amen!