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Friday, February 15, 2013

Insight 5733-22: The Three Crowns

For Terumah
Not yet available on the Nishma website.

Study Questions

1) In the Insight, I presented a way of possibly showing how the Mizbe'ach could be seen as both connected to Malchut and the Kehuna based upon a distinction in focus between effect and basis of honour. One may wish to consider how this approach could be applied to the Shulchan.

 2) Rabbi Hochman continues in his discussion with a focus on the final statement in the mishna regarding how the crown of a good name is superior to the other three. His question is: why is this fourth crown not then included in the count, namely the mishna should have began with a statement that there are four crowns? 
See comment from Rabbi Hecht
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  1. Rabbi Ben HechtFebruary 22, 2013 at 1:10 PM

    Ruach Chaim 4:13 connects shem tov [a good name] to Yirat Shomayim [Fear of God]. There are those -- I heard this in the name of Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg -- who understand the words in the Hallel of Yomar Na Yirei Hashem [that those who fear God should praise Him] as a reference to righteous Gentiles. Applying this thought here, it may be that the crown of a good name is universal while the other three crowns specifically apply to status within the nation of Israel. There are indeed commentators who refer to the the three crowns as three crowns within Israel.

    This perspective may also have some significance to Purim. The last verse in the Megillah mentions that Mordechai was held in high esteem by most Jews with implication being not all. The gemara explains that this was because, while Mordechai's public office was beneficial to the Jewish nation and he was held in high esteem by the general populace of the empire, he fell in his level of Torah learning. His crown of Torah was thus diminished. It may be, though, that for the majority of the Jewish nation, there was still a recognition of Mordechai's shem tov, good name amongst the nations and that, to them, was still most significant. The minority who disagreed held more, though, of the status of Torah within the nation -- perhaps in disagreement with this mishna.

    Rabbi Ben Hecht

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