Supporting Torah - In Memoriam of Mr. David M. Warren (Menachem Dovid ben Harav yosef Z'L)
For twelve days, the Tabernacle was inaugurated by the Princes of Israel. On each day, one prince, representing his tribe, would offer a gift and sacrifice to the tabernacle. Judah, whose descendants would include the kings of Israel, went first. Issachar, the most learned of all the tribes, went second. On the third day, the Prince of Zebulun presented his gift and sacrifice. (Numbers Chapter 7)
The Midrash Rabba (Compilation of Jewish Homiletic; 400 CE - 600 CE; Bamidbar 13:17) explains that the Prince of Zebulun had the merit of bringing his gift after the Prince of Issachar because the tribe of Zebulun financially supported the tribe of Issachar's Torah study. Because Issachar was involved in Torah study, the tribe had no means of supporting itself. Since Zebulun supported the study of Issachar, the two tribes were partners in Torah.
The Medrash explains that the bond of Issachar and Zebulun was a completely forged partnership. The Medrash says, “just as Zebulun had a share in Issachar's Torah, so too, Issachar had a share in Zebulun's money.”
Why did Issachar have a share in Zebulun's money? Zebulun gave him his money for the right to be a partner in his Torah study.
It seems that for Zebulun to have a complete part of the Torah study, as if it were his own, even without actually studying it, he needed to understand that the money he was giving to Issachar always rightfully belonged to Issachar.
Complete support of Torah study, no matter the sum, big or small, does not signify a donation of your own; rather it means giving to Torah what always rightfully belongs to Torah. Only with that mindset can one become the most complete partner of Torah.
Shabbat Shalom
