יום רביעי, 4 במרץ 2015

Dig?! - Tetzaveh 5774

Let me end with the question of the week. It has to do with Rashi (אבל מזבח העולה לא היה לו גג, אלא ממלאים חללו אדמה בכל חנייתן) at the end of the Parsha in Posuk 3. Rashi teaches us that the great Mizbaiach which stood in the Chatzeir was not made of any specific material. The form was made but wherever they went Klal Yisrael took earth and filled the inside of this great Mizbaiach giving it its form. So that wherever they travelled they would empty the earth from the Mizbaiach travel with the outside structure and when they arrived at their destination they would fill it with earth again. This is Rashi's description of the Mizbaiach.

The question is the following. In Hilchos Shabbos we have a concept of Melacha She'ain Tzricha L'gufa. A person is only Chayuv for a Melacha he does on Shabbos if he does it for the same purpose as it was done in the Mishkan. The Gemara in Maseches Shabbos 73b (17 lines from the bottom) says (החופר גומא בשבת ואינו צריך אלא לעפרה פטור עליה) if one digs a hole on Shabbos, he digs a pit and he doesn't need the pit all he needs is the earth, that is a Melacha She'ain Tzricha L'gufa and he is Patur. Why? Because it is not for the purpose of the hole. The Gemara seems to be saying that the digging was done to plant seeds, to make a hole with which to plant seeds or with which to replant a tree and that tree would give the wood for the Mishkan or some dye for the Mishkan, whatever it was. The Kasha is how can you say that, how can you say that by digging you don't need the earth and it is Melacha She'ain Tzricha L'gufa. They did need to dig for the earth. When they arrived at any destination to set up the Mishkan they had to dig for the purpose of the earth. The earth would fill the Mizbaiach. It seems to be a great Kasha and I don't have a Teretz for you now which is all just as well since my time is up for today's Shiur.

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