Parshas Tetzaveh: The Curious Case of the Missing Medrash

I've only heard stories. I've never seen it. In fact, I don't believe that any man has ever seen it. Legends have it that there was once a group of travelers that sought to discover its existence, and they did find it, but they never lived. To tell the story of this missing medrish, and you will ask locals about the medrish's whereabouts, they will murmur under their breath, not wanting to say or mention its name for fear of what will happen. So they just call it the medrish of Rupshiman Bampazhi. But to this day no one knows of its place. And as I welcome you in to this week's special edition of the weekly Parshah podcast, we may as well title it the curious case of the missing medrish, for I received a tip a week ago that an upcoming Parshah, parshah Satsava, when the carbon tummage was to be discussed, that there is an incredible, supremely potently powerful medrish that packs such a punch. All about the carbon tummage, but this medrish cannot be found. But there is, however, a reference to it, and you will find that at the beginning of Rabbi Yaakov Ibn Khabib's Ayn Yaakov. In his introduction, he will go through the medrish a bit outside, not bringing the entire thing, so I sought quickly running to the Ayn Yaakov to open up, thinking that perhaps this is going to be a tip to figure out where this medrish is. Maybe I'll bring sources on the bottom and I'll be able to have something to say on the weekly Parshah podcast. Perhaps the curious case of the missing medrish will be solved. Sprinting to the Ayn Yaakov, I opened it up. It seemed as though someone had already been there before. The pages were seemingly creased and as soon as I opened it the book seemed to open itself right to the page of Rabbi Shimon Bimpazi's famous medrish surrounding the topic of the carbon tumour. I perused it, glancing my eyes from side to side, understanding the basic reading of the text and then darting my eyes down to the bottom of the page, seeing if perhaps this edition of the Saffer would bring any sources. Perhaps maybe I would find this missing medrish. And there was one source at the very bottom A medrish in Saffri. Perhaps I've discovered it. I walked back into the Otser Hasvahram in the Yeshiva. I found the Saffri. I found the exact page, but to no avail. The medrish was missing, the medrists. Then at the very bottom. There I found another note. It said from an agadic note at the bottom check for this medrists in Michilta. Again, I picked out that book, michilta. The book seemed to open itself. I was racing to find the missing medrists but like a haunted house, no matter every book, every door that I opened to discover this medrists, it led me to nowhere. I found it for right back to the beginning. It seems as though this medrists is never going to be discovered. But not to be deterred for. We can still understand a bit of the power of this medrists based on how the Aene Yakov brings it in his introduction. And I ask that you fasten your seatbelts as we jump in here to this curiously missing medrists. The medrists goes like this it begins with a rather daunting question. I wonder what you would say to it. But the medrists says the Aene Yakov quotes that what is the most central verse in all of Torah? As if someone should ask you what's Judaism about. But give me a verse, don't give me the whole thing. Teach it to me on one foot. The first answer, rebbe Akiva, a good one. Love your fellow as thyself. I reckon many of us would answer that. After all, the goal of life to get out of our own heads, understand things from others' points of view, treat them how they want to be treated. That should hopefully lead us to seeing that life isn't about us, but it's about the creator of the world, it's about others, benazza says. I have even a more integral, more central patek to point to it. It's about the God created Adam with the Celo mellochim. God made humans God's image, genesis, the very beginning, and that idea of having a Celo mellochim that is even more central. It would seem that, the depth of our free will being compared to God, it does also make a lot of sense that that would be the point of everything for all. We are the only ones that have a choice to do the Mishpatim and the Chukim. All the other entities of the world are just cycling about, following their instincts and fulfilling their Chukim, mishpatim. But we have to choose to do it, benzoma. He concludes with a different pasek. He argues I found even more inclusive verse and it is, as the Medrish says, benzoma, you guessed it Shema Yisrael, hashem al-Okayn wa Hashem al-Khod, the very first line of the Shema. I won't even begin to explain it off cuff For my monotheist Ram Bam and Safer Murray. Nivuchim says even if one should contemplate it for many years, deeper and deeper lessons will sprout forth. I'll leave that to you. Benanis. He argues there's even one more that is even more inclusive, and, in a strange turn of events, he quotes Rabbi Akiva's pasek. We have to l'Riha Kamochah. Perhaps he would agree. Perhaps this is all part of this curious case of the missing Medrish that will never be able to know the answer of. If Benanis is reiterating Rabbi Akiva, perhaps he meant something different. But then it happens. My eyes feasted upon the glorious words of Rabshiman bin Pazi. Who would stand up and say that we have found an even more inclusive Pasek than all of these? It is the most central verse in all of scripture. Where is it found? In our partial part is titzava. What is the Pasek, you ask? Es hakeves haechod taasev vabokir. Ve'es hakeves ha'shene taasev bein haraboyim. That's the Pasek, the most central to all of Torah. This is what you shall offer upon them as bayek to sheep within their first year, every day, continually, the Tommad offering the daily sacrifice. How can this be this going toe to toe? The Shema Yisrael as the most central verse. This is a pause like that probably you are very Well acquainted with, for it has reiterated every Roche Chodesh. And again, when we read parashas pinchos, you probably, if you were on the spot and asked to lay in it, you probably could, as hakeves haechod taasev vabokir ve'es. Hakeves ha'shene taasev bein haraboyim ve'es ha'ron toh alas. But yet One thinks about it. He sound interesting, but hardly the most central, the most all-inclusive verse in all of Torah. So like a hidden treasure map. I Knew that this was the key to discovering perhaps the secret of the missing Medrish, for it makes sense to me that the power of this Medrish, the secret that was explained to me as to why this is the most important and central apostate in all of Torah, it was probably the real medrish locked away Because of how dangerously powerful the idea is. What's more, that in any ackob, when he cites this Medrish, he does give us one more detail that the medrish concludes that Rabbi Ploney stood up and said the halacha is in accordance. We pasken lahalacha like a shimen ben pazi. The most inclusive verse in the Torah Is that the first lamb you shall sacrifice in the morning, the second lamb you shall sacrifice in the evening. I was distraught. I was distraught and, like I said, I was given the secret to this medrish because I took my distress to the nearby sage who explained to me my yes, you have discovered the secret that without rip shimen ben pazi, without a sense of consistency, then your shema Yisrael may prove Hardly dedicated Serves to Hashem. He continued to explain to me that the secret is here, that every day Dedicated service to Hashem, that's how you prove yourself to be a proper soldier in Hashem's army. And then he said now the rest is for you to think about. Think about it. I did research, I did Research. I did that. It makes a lot of sense that, well, if you are in fact trying to prove yourself as something. So I debated in my head if, if you're not consistent, well then maybe you aren't. That. And I thought, maybe that was what rip shimen ben pazi meant Consistency shows that you aren't a chameleon, but you are goal through and through. Not changing Real gold, no matter how far you dig into its structure, it will never change, for it is gold through and through. Then I thought no, it's more misstover, it's more likely that the idea is that overnight, sensations take many years to develop, that growth only happens as a slow growth process, that all the sages that I look up to, they all have white beards. For how many years, how much consistency, how many lamb offerings in the morning and the evening have they stuck to? The process continued without fail. Every day, I step forward, my Draga, my Draga, until they have reached where they are. I thought that Rupshinbem Pazi is telling us that the only way to success, the only Hatslacha to be in Evrat Hashem is if you stay consistent with it. I then opened up a couple books, fact-checking understanding it seems. Well, it's a hard safer to read that. The great of Naftali Tzvihuda, berlin and its Siv. He points to this, a similar idea. But even the carbon tumble that's given to us here this Pasek, it is oddly placed. It's stuck in right after the Kohanim's clothes. His priestly vestments were delineated, described and then constructed. And then we get the carbon tumble and right afterwards the Nayata Tishama Levne Yusra Vdektashti Bekhvaydi. We then get the summation of all of our efforts Bekidashhti as Ol Moe Bekam Asbeach Aran Bezbana Bekharashlahaynli Bechokhanti besoich Benay Yisrael Zokh Denetsiv. For without consistency, for without Rupshimem Ben Pazi's daily dedicated lamb, offering sacrifice, not missing a day, staying steady, staying the course, sticking to the process, without it there can be no Vishakhanti Besoich Benay Yisrael. Judaism is based on consistency. I began to then think. Of course this medjush would be locked away. How precious is it? For it's the secret how many of us take on large initiatives but without any sort of consistency. Nothing will show, but small, step by step. The same way that we are taught that Rebya Kiva saw drops of water dripping step by step, drop by drop could carve out a rock. That's how winning is done, that's how Torah is done every single day. And even if you should try to bring all the water in the world and smash it upon that rock to change it overnight, nothing will happen to that rock. The only way is to take it. So I thought that's about it. How powerful, but it doesn't stop there. I don't believe that We'd be off course to suggest that this is why the 10th of Tavish, another negative holiday, or one of the fastest of the year, is commemorated because of B'atul HaTumid. That was when the temple fell, that was the day that this daily sacrifice was halted. And wouldn't it all lead us, because, to the conclusion of consistency as what we're after no off days, no off season, but staying the course day after day, and now that that had finally come to a screeching halt? Something too fast about something to mourn over. So, until the day that one man does discover the ins and outs, the back and forth and all the different words and the depth of this real medrish with all of its glory. Until that day, this is what we have. But what we have is plenty and we can conclude many different nafkaminas, many different new approaches to our own service, and this is what we're talking about the B'atul HaTumid, we're talking about the Tavish Barhu. Based on this medrish, one of the nafkaminas is going forward. It seems one should air on the side of less and more consistent than more and less consistent. Perhaps that would already be obvious to you. I'm not in the mood, not feeling it. That day I won't even pray. Well, but still going through the motions, still keeping to the asakav, asakha, tasa babokar that keeps your drops dropping and keeps your consistency up. That shouldn't be overlooked, but showing up every day. That's what we're to do. And also, when it comes to the study of Musur, we don't even need to guess, because there'll be Shrull Salantar when he delineates the ten principles of Musur study. One of them is Afrega Katanashal Musur B'chul Yaim V'yaim. Don't overlook even a minute or two of Musur study, but make sure to do it every day, because the fruits are plentiful, every single day, when we do it every single day, when we stay consistent, when we stay steady, when we stay dedicated, when we solidify good habits, that's when we reach Vashakhanti Besocham, an inauguration of God living in our midst. So we're all trying to build something, some trying to build themselves, some trying to manifest objects. Great things eradicate negative things inside of them. You should remember that great things do not happen overnight and if they did, it would be painful, unnatural. So, just like orthodontics, when you're trying to stag, you put braces on, put on some rubber bands. Slowly the teeth shift into place. When we stay consistent, you wear the braces for long enough, the teeth straighten out. Great muscle from Abel Lopansky. The Mishkan was to be the central rallying point for the Jewish people, to be the heartbeat of the nation, and the day was to be bookended by this carbon-tomad, this routine. And until we were able to rebuild the Besocham Mekdash and reinstall the carbon-tomad, well then we can. In our building of our Mishkans, of our manifesting the Shachanti Besocham of God living in our lives, it's only right that we mimic the procedures of the Mishkan and stay consistent in our dedicated divine devotion. This has all been concluded from this curiously missing Mekdash. This is really all that we have of this Mekdash Down in the introduction of the Enyakovan. Until the day comes that we get more information, we are left to conclude that just how powerful this Mekdash is may be a proof as to why he was locked away forever For us. We just need to remember stay consistent one offering in the morning, one offering in the evening, for consistency is key to bring Hashem into your midst.