Shemos

Allow me to share with you an alternative answer to why the word 'shama' is used based on the creative insights of the Mai Hashiloach, the Admor HaRav Mordechai Yosef of Izbatzah zt"l. The underlying reason the Kohanim washed their hands before their service was not for cleanliness but to remove any personal bias and agendas they might have had. This concept, that washing the hands represents washing away subjectivity and prejudice, can be found in the Parsha of "Egla Arufa" (Devarim 21:6). When a murdered Jew is found abandoned along the way, the elders of the city must wash their hands over an axed heifer and pronounce, "Our hands have not spilled this blood". Through washing their hands, the leaders of the closest city declare that they are not personally responsible and therefore, are not culpable for the murder. We see, that the washing of hands is a symbolic affirmation and reminder that no subjective or personal interests were involved. When the Kohanim serve in the Mishkan, they must focus on being the dedicated proxies of both the people and Hashem, totally cleansing themselves of any personal agendas.

This explains why we ritually wash our hands before many daily events. We do so before eating, in order to focus our meal "l'shem shamayim", to serve the Almighty and not for any personal designs. One of the Chofetz Chaim's students, HaGaon HaRav Yaakov Moshe Shurkin zt"l overheard the Chofetz Chaim ask his rebbetzin, "Please give me another portion of potatoes, so that I can have more strength to serve Hashem." Similarly, we wash our hands and say the Parsha of the Kiyor before Shacharis, in order that our Tefillos be inspired by the proper values and not by our personal agendas. Upon waking every morning, we wash "negel vasser", in order to cleanse our entire day of bias and subjectivity, motivating ourselves to focus on others and the service of Hashem instead. Parenthetically, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l said over in the name of the Vilna Gaon, that after the Graf (German title of nobility) Pototski was murdered by the Church, his holy sanctification of the name of Hashem minimized the "tumah" (i.e. defilement) that rests on our hands upon rising in the morning. This is consistent with the Izbatzah's idea of the purpose for washing our hands. The totally self-effacing act of Kiddush Shem Shamayim by the great ger tzedek, Count Pototski, for his belief in Hashem, helped cleanse the hands of all the Jewish People to serve Hashem sincerely, without personal bias, for time immemorial.

With this, we can answer the Meshech Chochma's question. The word "shama", not only means "there" but can refer to future and sundry places, too. For instance, the Gemara in Shabbos 88a says, "Hashem placed the mountain above the Jewish People and said, 'If you accept the Torah, fine, and if not, "sham" (i.e. there) will be your demise." "Sham" can be interpreted to mean, that in any future generation that you abandon the Torah, this will immediately precipitate your destruction. Perhaps, this is what the Torah means, in this week's Parsha by using the phrase, "and place 'shama' water." The concept of washing your hands to remove personal bias is not only relegated to the Mishkan, rather "shama", there, i.e. upon waking up, before davening, before eating and learning, one must also wash his hands of personal agendas and perform these essential functions "l'shem shamayim". May we be zoche to cleanse our hearts and serve Hashem with truth.

1) This week’s Parsha, Ki Sisa, is unusual in that the first two Aliyos take up a majority of the Sedra. This is so because it is customary to give a Levi the Aliyah dealing with the sin of the Golden Calf (Magen Avraham O.C. 428,8). The Sefer Kenesses Hagadolah explains the underpinnings of this custom. The Sefer Chassidim tells us (768) that one should not call up to the Torah a blind or lame person for the Aliyah that mentions the blemishes of blindness or lameness for this would embarrass the one who was called up. Similarly, if we would call up anyone other than a member of the tribe of Levi for the Aliyah dealing with the sin of the Golden Calf, this would embarrass the Olah, for only the tribe of Levi was innocent of that sin. This teaches us the extent of our obligation to show sensitivity to our fellow Jew.

2) The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 685:7) quotes an opinion that the reading of Parshas Parah is MeDeoraisa (a Scriptural commandment). For lack of any Scriptural source, this opinion is rejected by the Magen Avraham and Vilna Gaon. The Malbim (Artzos Hachaim 1:4), however, creatively offers the following Scriptural source for the reading of Parshas Parah. The Torah instructs, “Remember, do not forget, that you provoked Hashem in the wilderness...you made a Golden Calf.” (Eikev 9:7,12). However, the incident of the Golden Calf is not remembered through public recitation because it reflects negatively on the Jewish People. Rav Moshe Hadarshan teaches us that the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer) is the atonement of the sin of the Golden Calf. “Let the mother clean that which the child sullied.” The mother is the Red Heifer and the child the Golden Calf. Therefore, posits the Malbim, in lieu of the public reading of the sin of the Golden Calf we read the cathartic atonement provided by the Parah Adumah. The Scriptural source of Parshas Parah is the Scriptural requirement to remember and read the tragic event of the Golden Calf. This reading is set aside to avoid the public disgrace of Jews and is therefore subtly remembered through the reading of Parshas Parah.

Although Reform and Conservative Judaism are halachically not valid expressions of Avodas Hashem (Divine Service), Reform and Conservative Jews are full-fledged Jews and are to be loved and respected. In the words of the Chazon Ish (2:16 Hilchos Shechita) “We are to draw them near with chains of love and reveal to them a ray of light.” The lesson of Parshas Parah is clear. Avoid any overt expression of the shame of Israel (Golden Calf) and instead highlight creative and positive avenues of return and outreach (Parah).