Rabbi's Corner

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Tetzaveh, we read the following: “And you shall put into ‘Choshen HaMishpat’ (the Breastplate of Judgement) the ‘Urim’ and the ‘Tummim,’ and they shall be upon the heart of Aharon in his entering before HaShem; and Aharon shall carry the judgement of B’nei Yisrael (the Children of Israel) upon his heart continually before HaShem.” (Shemot 28:30) The Urim and the Tummim were a small piece of folded parchment with Hashem’s Holy Name written upon it.  This parchment was folded in a special way and inserted into the Breastplate of Judgement as the Torah commanded to be done.  However, at the end of this verse we also find that the Torah commands that the Urim and the Tummim shall continually be upon Aharon’s heart.  How can this be possible with the High Priest being required to wear four layers of clothing (the “Ketonet” [tunic], the “M’eel” [robe], the “Ephod,” and the “Choshen” [breastplate]). There is no possible way he could place the Urim and the Tummim upon his heart.  Perhaps what is really being said here is that the High Priest was not to allow any other thoughts come between him and Hashem when he was bringing himself closer to HaShem.  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will help us to understand this concept a little bit better:

Herschel was the “vasser traeger (water carrier) of Kalinovka, a small hamlet between Breslov and Berditchev in central Ukraine.  His life was rather difficult for many reasons, among them the backbreaking work and the constant jeers and insults he endured from the villagers simply because he was so unlearned.  Frequently, having filled his two wooden pails with water from the river, he would place the yoke on his back and carry the water into the village presumably to the home of the customer who had placed the order.  Most of the time, however, Herschel would forget to which house he was supposed to bring the water, so, more often than not, he would knock on the wrong door.  Usually, he would receive several comments and slammed doors in his face until he found the right address.

This made Herschel disgusted with his lot in life.  “If only I had an ox,” he said to himself.  “Then I would be much more efficient in delivering the water to my customers.  So, Herschel pawned his heirloom silver etrog box and bought himself an ox.  Herschel transferred the yoke and the wooden buckets from his own back to the back of the ox.  The ox certainly did make life easier for the “vasser traeger’s” arms and back, but it did nothing to improve his brain.  With the efficiency of an ox, Herschel was now not only carrying water to the wrong houses, he was carrying water to the wrong streets as well.  “This is ridiculous,” thought Herschel. “Oxen are obviously good for plowing a field, but they are failures at home delivery.  I need a horse!”  He begged and borrowed, sold his ox, pawned his wife’s wedding ring, and finally scraped up enough money to purchase an old draught horse.  In spite of its age, the horse was certainly faster than the ox, but now Herschel was carrying water from the river to the wrong shtetl.

Years later, after the invention of the automobile, people in the shtetl would joke with each other and say, “Lucky that Herschel did not have a car, otherwise he would have been shlepping water to the wrong country!”

We see by way of this parable that Herschel made small mistakes when traveling on foot by going to the wrong house.  With the use of an ox, he made bigger mistakes by going to the wrong street.  And with the use of a horse, his mistakes were compounded by going to the wrong shtetl.

It is a well-known fact that a small error made in navigating a jet airplane has far more serious effects than doing the same when “navigating” a mule.  The Torah tells us that we are to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”  As with the “Kohen HaGadol” (the High Priest), we must keep our thoughts focused upon the Torah, upon the People Israel, and upon HaShem.  Rabbi Nachman of Breslov teaches that our thoughts have far-reaching implications: like nuclear power, they can either build or destroy an entire world.  Let us keep our hearts focused upon our Tradition and our G-d so that we can rid ourselves of the tension, stress and anxiety that dominate our lives.  Let us focus our thoughts and prayers and efforts on “Tikkun HaOlam” (the Repair of the World) so that we may enjoy true Shalom!