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Shabbat Parashat Vayakhel- Pekudei 5769The Intersection of the Intellect and EmotionEin Ayah(based on Ein Ayah, Berachot 1:136) Gemara: “Who is like the wise, and who knows the pesher (literally, the deeper understanding, but here, compromise) of the matter?” (Kohelet 8:1). Who is like Hashem Who knows how to make a compromise between two tzaddikim, Chizkiyah (the king) and Yeshaya (the prophet)? Chizkiya said: “Yeshaya should come to me, as we have found that Eliyahu went before Achav …” Yeshaya said: “Chizkiya should come to me, for we have found that Yehoram the son of Achav came before Elisha…” What did Hashem do? He brought afflictions onto Chizkiya and said to Yeshaya to go visit the sick. Ein Ayah: The power of prophecy that Hashem bestowed upon The power of the monarchy was to strengthen Following an extreme is always difficult and dangerous. If the nation is concerned only with future success and pays no attention to present needs, marauders will come to plunder and kill in a way that will endanger the people’s spiritual status and their hopes for eternal existence. On the other hand, the destruction can be immense if the heart of the nation is seduced to place its concerns only on short term life and strength. In so doing, they will trip and fall after a generation. Hashem, Who guards Therefore, Yeshaya was concerned that if he gave precedence to the power of the monarchy [by going to Chizkiya], the nation’s spirit might fall and forget their efforts for eternity. Chizkiya was concerned that if the nation would see the power of the kingdom as weak in relation to that of prophecy, they would lose political strength. This could cause bad outcomes for their moral status, even in regard to Torah, fear of Hashem, and good middot, which the king’s power supported. Hashem made a compromise between them. The eye of providence saw that according to the status of Top of page
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This edition of Hemdat Yamim is dedicated to the memory of R ' Meir ben Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld o.b.m
Hemdat Yamim is endowed by and Louis and Lillian Klein, z”l. .
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