Parshat Emor 5782
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha about the Lechem HaPanim, the loaves which were on the Shulchan in the Heichal in the Beis Hamikdash. Rashi explains in parshat Terumah (Chapter 25, Pasuk 29) that the vessel which the bread sat upon were open from the sides. Since the loaves could be seen the loaves were called Lechem Ha'Panim. Why was it necessary for them to be seen?
The Gemara in Chagigah 26B teaches that the vessels of the Beis Hamikdash needed to be put in the Mikvah after the Chagim in order to purify them. The Gemara asks why the Shulchan should also need to be purified since it was essentially a wooden vessel which was stationary and not moved. Such a vessel cannot become impure. The Gemara answers that it was not stationary and it was moved; the Kohanim would lift up the Shulchan and show the לחם הפנים to all the people who had come to Yerushalayim to perform the mitzvah of Aliyah L’Regel. And they would say, ראו חיבתכם לפני המקום שסילוקו כסידורו. Look at how much Hashem loves you! The לחם הפנים is as fresh when it is removed from the Shulchan as it was when it was placed on the Shulchan the previous Shabbos.
Why was it a significant miracle that the לחם הפנים remained fresh, and why does this miracle specifically illustrate the closeness between Hashem and Clal Yisrael?
The Medrash Rabbah on parshat Ki Sisa on the pasuk (Chapter 31, Pasuk 18) ויתן אל משה, Hashem gave the Luchos to Moshe Rabbeinu, quotes the pasuk from sefer Daniel (Chapter 9, Pasuk 7), לך ד' הצדקה ולנו בושת הפנים. Hashem was giving us the Luchos, through His righteousness, and Clal Yisrael were sinning with the חטא העגל. At Har Sinai, when Bnei Yisrael received the Torah, the Torah describes it as (Devarim, Chapter 5, Pasuk 4) פנים בפנים דבר ד' עמכם בהר מתוך האש. The closeness with Hashem is described as פנים בפנים. Now, after the sin of the golden calf, the relationship is described as בושת הפנים; Bnei Yisrael were embarrassed, so to speak, to face Gd. They received the Luchos, but they didn’t deserve them. Consequently, their ability to “face Hashem” was lost. What is the significance of facing, or not facing Hashem?
The Shulchan in the Beis Hamikdash was the source of sustenance for the entire world. The Yerushalmi on Arlah (Chapter 3, Halacha 1) teaches, מאן דאכיל דלאו דיליה בהית לאסתכולי באפיה. The one who eats from that which is not his, is embarrassed to look the provider in his face. The Sfas Emes teaches that the nations of the word, who don’t have a special relationship with Hashem, receive their sustenance כלאחר יד, in a backhanded manner. They eat, though they don’t deserve. They don’t look their Provider in the face.
Bnei Yisrael are unique among the nations in that their sustenance from Hashem is פנים בפנים, as was experienced at Matan Torah. When the Torah describes the bracha Bnei Yisrael receive from keeping the mitzvos, the Torah says (Vayikra, Chapter 26, Pasuk 9), ופניתי אליכם; I will face you. And this explains the term לחם הפנים; the sustenance Bnei Yisrael receive is sourced in the Beis Hamikdash where we have a direct and deserving relationship with Hashem. Just as we received the Torah and received our spiritual sustenance פנים בפנים, so too our physical sustenance is received through the לחם הפנים.
The Gemara in Chagigah teaches that the Kohanim say, ראו חיבתכם לפני המקום שסילוקו כסידורו. We asked, why was it so significant that the loaves were so fresh? The Sfas Emes answers, the way of the world is for physical matter to change and decay. Only in the upper sphere do things remain constant. The angels are described as עומדים, standing still, as the pasuk says in sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 6, Pasuk 2), שרפים עומדים ממעל לו, while man is called מהלכים, walking, as the pasuk says in sefer Zecharia (Chapter 3, Pasuk 7), ונתתי לך מהלכים בין העומדים האלה.
The fact that the loaves stayed fresh illustrated our relationship with Hashem, and what it means to receive sustenance פנים בפנים. Our relationship is such that even our food is received in a non-physical manner. The closer one is to the Source, to Hashem, the more things don’t change and remain constant. Moshe Rabbeinu was called איש האלוקים (Devarim, Chapter 33, Pasuk 1), and the Torah describes him as (Devarim, Chapter 34, Pasuk 7), לא כהתה עינו ולא נס לחה; his eyes didn’t dim and his skin remained moist. His physical essence remained the same and he didn’t change. This is also the closeness inherent in the לחם הפנים remaining fresh, and this is also the significance of the Shulchan and the Lechem Hapanim being lift up for all to see. And when we look, we can look directly at the Shulchan and see our affection and closeness before Hashem.
Good Shabbos
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