Parshas Pinchas: Tzelafchad the Mekoshesh and Kedushas Shabbos
- In Parshah
- Drasha
AI summary (may contain mistakes)
Why would Tzlofchad, a tzaddik, gather wood on Shabbos? Rashi brings one view in the Gemara that Tzlofchad was the mekoshesh, and a Midrash says he did it l'shem shamayim, so Klal Yisrael would see him killed and keep Shabbos. Rashi, from a Gemara, learns from the yichus of Bnos Tzlofchad that he was a tzaddik. A Gemara in Shabbos, about a chassid who punished himself for one thought on Shabbos, ties back to the name Tzlofchad, since a tzlaf is a caper.
Key points
- A Midrash says the mekoshesh broke Shabbos l'shem shamayim, so others would see and keep Shabbos.
- One commentary calls the act a melacha she'eina tzricha l'gufa, meant to teach kedushas Shabbos.
- The chassid who left his fence unrepaired is presented as fixing the cheit of Tzlofchad.
