The Blessing Hashem Has Provided You With

Chagigah (1:5) | Yisrael Bankier | 7 months ago

Masechet Chagigah opens with the mitzvah of aliya le'regel, which we discussed previously (volume 2, issue 48), as well as the korbanot that everyone must bring with they come to the Beit HaMikdash. They include the olat re'iya and shalmei chagigah, which are obligatory, as well as the shalmei simcha.

The Mishnah (1:5) teaches that the value and quantity of what one must bring depends. If one has a lot of people in their family, but not a lot of funds, then they need to spend more on the shalmei chagigah in order to have enough to share with the family, yet they can minimise the spend on the olat re'iyah which is fully burnt on the mizbeach. The spend is the opposite if the person has a lot of money, but a small family. If the person is both poor and does not have many people to feed, the Mishnah directs us to the earlier Mishnah that debated the minimum spend on each of the korbanot. If however one has lots of both, the Mishnah explains that they must bring an abundance of both. The Mishnah closes by explains that it is regarding "this" that the Torah instructed, "every man shall give as he is able, accord to the blessing Hashem your G-d has given you" (Devarim 16:17). We shall try to understand this final statement.

Rashi (Chagigah 8b) explains the that first part of the pasuk refers to a person that is a wealthy person -- ish ke'matnat yado -- and that he is required to increase the number of olot.

The Kli Yakar explains that the second part of the pasuk -- birkat Hashem -- refers to the case where there are many people in the house, which therefore requires an increase in the number of shelamim to be brought.

The Emek Davar however cites the Yeruhsalmi that explains the pasuk differently. The first part of the pasuk refers to someone who is not wealthy, but spends money easily -- his matnat yado. That person's attitude should be the same with respect to korbanot. The second part of the pasuk refers to someone that is wealthy but does not spend his money easily. The birkat Hashem, the source of his wealth, should compel him to bring these korbanot.

Returning now to the Kli Yakar, he notes that the Torah writes ish ke'matnat yado -- in the third person. The entire parasha however is written in the context of Moshe speaking to Am Yisrael; matnat yadecha would therefore be more appropriate. He therefore explains that matnat yado refers to Hashem who is the source of that wealth. Considering that this part of the pasuk is referring to the olah offering, which is fully burnt, and the owner derives no benefit, one might hesitate in purchasing them in abundance. Consequently, the Torah is stressing that those funds are really His.

The Kli Yakar continues that the "ochlim merubin" might also be referring to the "stranger, widow and orphan" mentioned in the previous pesukim. It is for them that one is providing more, so they too can partake in the korbanot and enjoy the festival. The Torah is therefore instructing that one should not hesitate to provide for them, because the source of those funds is also the "blessing that Hashem has provided you with".

We find from the Kli Yakar that we have an expanded definition of family. We are people that when we see our people in distress, people in pain, they immediately become defined as bnei beito, part of the family. Perhaps this strong bond that we have is another understanding of the "blessing that Hashem has provided you with."

May we only hear good news.

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