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פרשת שמיני2nd March 2016 כ”ג אדר ב’ תשע"ו
While our hearts and Minds are caught between the world of Purim and Pesach, we can’t help but think about the History, Destiny and Direction of the Jewish People.
But what does Parshas Shmini offer? Kashrus? Animals? Cloven hooves?
The Vilna Gaon quotes a famous yet puzzling Gemara [Yoma 9b]:
Why was the First Temple Destroyed? Because of three [cardinal sins] that were being transgressed; idol-worship, immorality, and murder... But the Second Temple, they were occupying themselves with Torah, commandments, and kind deeds, why was it destroyed? Because there was in it baseless hatred (lit. free hatred) to teach you that baseless hatred is equal opposite three sins: idol worship, immorality and murder…
R’ Yochanan and R’ Elazar both commented; The first ones, whose sins were reveled, their redemption was revealed - the latter ones, whose sins were not revealed, their redemption was not revealed....R’ Yochanan said: Better the nails of the earlier ones, than the bellies of the latter ones.
The initial points made by the Gemara, namely the distinction between the first and second Beis HaMikdash, are poignant as they are famous – and indeed, we are still suffering from the dis-unity of the Jewish People to this day – but what do the second statements mean? Sins revealed? Nails and Bellies?
Back to our parsha:
Famously, while we find many animals who both chew-the-cud and have split-hooves (sheep, cows etc), and conversely we find many animals who neither chew the cud nor split hooves (tigers, elephants, etc). The Torah tells us that there are only four animals who do one and not the other:
But these you shall not eat among those that bring up the cud and those that have a cloven hoof: the camel, because it brings up its cud, but does not have a [completely] cloven hoof; it is unclean for you. And the hyrax, because it brings up its cud, but will not have a [completely] cloven hoof; it is unclean for you; And the hare, because
it brings up its cud, but does not have a [completely] cloven hoof; it is unclean for you; And the pig, because it has a cloven hoof that is completely split, but will not regurgitate its cud; it is unclean for you. [Vayikra 11:4-8]
If we notice, we find that the first three of the animals are missing the “split hooves”, while it is only the chazir, who has the split-hooves, yet lacks the kashrus-sign of “chewing the cud”.
The Midrash connects these 4 animals, to the 4 kingdoms who subject the Jewish People to Exile:
The gamal = This is Babylonia/Bavel…
The shafan = This is Persia/Madai…
The arneves = This is Greece/Yavan…
The chazir = This is Rome/Edom…
Unlike the previous three, the pig shows outward signs of kashrus, but inside is not kosher. Unlike the previous three dominions, Rome attempts to show a kosher outward exterior, but inwardly is not kosher. The first three kingdoms were great kingdoms with great talents and accomplishments, yet their
‘exterior’, the application of their talents were impure. Edom is the opposite. Rome/Western civilisation show a kosher face with their hooves, yet on the inside they are impure. Eisav shows them the way by fooling his father and the entire world, professing to be a tzaddik (“How does one tithe salt?”) but was corrupt and evil.
Let’s recap:
R’ Yochanan and R’ Elazar both commented; The first ones, whose sins were reveled, their redemption was revealed - the latter ones, whose sins were not revealed, their redemption was not revealed....R’ Yochanan said: Better the nails of the earlier ones, than the bellies of the latter ones.
The first three, their sins were revealed – like the full, non split hooves of the first three animals – and therefore their effect on the Jewish people was limited. The final one (Rome, like the pig), his sins are ‘not revealed’ (i.e. – on the inside), and therefore his impact on the Jewish people is unlimited (and results in long exile).
When choosing between the lesser of the two evils, better the Nails of the earlier ones – the full hooves of the first three – rather than the bellies (the hidden impurity) of the last one, because there is nothing worse than pretending to be what we are not.
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The first Rashi on this week’s Sedrah tells us that this day was Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the day that the Mishkan was erected and ten crowns were taken.Rashi could have used another Maamar Chazal telling us something that happened on the day the Mishkan was erected which might be more connected to the number in this Possuk as opposed to ten. What is it and what is the closer connection to the Possuk?
Any comments can be directed to [email protected]. Answer on back page.BY BORUCH
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1. What are the two signs of a kosher animal and what lies behind them?
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Vayikra, 11:44-45: “For I am Hashem your G-d – you shall sanctify yourselves and you will be holy, for I am holy; and you shall not contaminate your souls through any teeming thing that creeps on the earth. For I am Hashem who elevates you from the land of Egypt to be a G-d unto you…”
Rashi, Vayikra, 11:45: sv. For I am Hashem who elevates you: “I brought you out so that you would accept upon yourselves My mitzvos.”
At the end of Parshas Shemini the Torah concludes its discussion of the laws of kashrus by reminding us of the fact that Hashem took us out of Egypt. Rashi explains that Hashem is teaching us a fundamental lesson; the whole purpose of the Exodus was so that the Jewish people would accept upon themselves the mitzvos of the Torah. The Kli Yakar asks why the Torah should say this general point davka with regards to the laws of kashrus, it is equally pertinent to all the mitzvos; accordingly he argues with Rashi.1
It is possible to answer this question using the following story. A Rav was once approached by a non-observant Jew; he wanted to increase his Torah observance by taking on one new mitzva; he was prepared to observe either the laws of Shabbos or kashrus.2 Obviously, one should strive to observe all the mitzvos and not pick and choose, yet it was clear in this case that had the Rav suggested that he keep both mitzvos then he would have been unsuccessful. Moreover, the man may then have refused to observe anything new at all. Unsure how to answer this delicate question he asked a gadol3 the question. The gadol replied that he should take on the laws of Kashrus. This answer could seem quite surprising because the punishment for breaking Shabbos is more severe that that for eating non-kosher food. Yet the gadol explained that there was a deeper factor at work: When a person eats non-Kosher food he does not only transgress the Torah but
1 Kli Yakar, Vayikra, 11:44. See there for his alternative explanation of the verse. In truth, Rashi is quoting the Toras Kohanim, Ch.12:3. The Sifra, 170, offers the same interpretation as well.
2 Heard from Rav Dovid Orlofsky shlita. 3 In one version of this story the gadol was Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l.
he brings into himself the spiritual impurity that is contained in that food. This forbidden food causes what is described as
‘timtum halev’ which is literally translated as a ‘blocking of the heart’ On a practical level this means that a person’s spiritual sensitivities are dulled by consumption of non-kosher food. Thus, committing this sin would make it very difficult for a person to increase his spiritual level further even if he was observing other mitzvos. Therefore the gadol explained that he should follow the laws of kashrus with the hope that this would facilitate an ‘unblocking’ of his heart and would enable him to ultimately increase his observance further.
We can now answer the Kli Yakar’s question; he asked why Rashi explained that the Torah’s exhortation that the purpose of the Exodus was to keep the mitzvos, came after the laws of kashrus in particular. It is possible to answer that the people needed to observe the laws of kashrus in order that they would be able to properly keep all the mitzvos. This is because without observing these laws they would suffer from timtum halev which would prevent them from properly serving Hashem in other areas. Thus, the laws of kashrus serve as a kind of prerequisite to observance of all the mitzvos; accordingly, the Torah reminds us of the purpose of the Exodus davke after the laws of kashrus because by observing these laws he would then be able to observe the whole Torah.
This explanation applies to each person in some fashion whatever their level of observance. For some, it teaches the importance of striving to observe all the laws of kashrus in order to keep our souls free of spiritual contamination, and that it is insufficient to only maintain a kosher home whilst eating non-kosher food out of the house. For others whom this is already a given, the lesson may be that not everything with a hechsher is necessarily acceptable to eat.4 It is essential to clarify with a Rav well-versed in both the laws and the ‘facts on the ground’ with regards to what is reliable and what is not. For others, there may be a tendency to be more lenient with regards to what food one gives their children. Apart from the halachic questions involved, one Rav decried this practice given the fact that kashrus has such a powerful effect on our souls. And one final general lesson is that we must remember that observing the laws of kashrus should help facilitate our growth in all areas of Avodas Hashem by keeping our souls pure.
4 Whilst this point is relevant everywhere it is particularly pertinent in Eretz Yisrael where there are a proliferation of hechsherim which are not necessarily reliable.
??livingwithmitzvos.comQ
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Picture the scene. You’ve just walked out of a meeting with the head of your department in your company, to discuss your suitability for promotion. At stake is a significant pay rise, and an even greater increase in self-esteem and pride. You go home that evening, tingling with the excitement of what may lie in store.
Alas, the next day you receive an email to inform you that, unfortunately, you have been unsuccessful, and that one of your colleagues has been deemed more suitable for the role.
After arriving home that evening, you check in with a friend of yours who happens to be going through exactly the same scenario at the company where he works. You smile through gritted teeth as he tells you that he was chosen for promotion. You’re completely distraught that he succeeded where you failed. He’s been given that career-changing opportunity that you so desperately wanted for yourself.
Now imagine if you already held that post, and the company had demoted you to make way for someone more highly-qualified. Imagine that someone was your friend. It would surely be too much to expect that you would somehow be happy for him.
Even less likely is it, that you would personally welcome your friend into the office, help him unpack his belongings, even advising him where on the desk the picture of his family should sit.
Yet in the very first pasuk of this week’s sedra, the Ohr Ha’Chayim explains how Moshe Rabbeinu did exactly that.
Though it was Moshe who throughout the seven days of inauguration of the mishkan, performed all the avoda, that was the only time during which he was to serve. The privilege of service in the mishkan was reserved for the Kohanim.
The Ohr Ha’Chayim describes how someone might react at having to give up such an honoured role.
They wouldn’t rush to pass the baton; they would almost certainly delay for one reason or another, perhaps justifying themselves by insisting that the role is so important that the transition must be executed in a way that prevents mistakes.
Furthermore, they would undoubtedly be unwilling to hand over to the new candidate in the presence of his replacement’s PA and other junior members of his staff.
Finally, even when the time came to fully hand over, they certainly wouldn’t want to make a song and dance over it; they’d certainly avoid doing so in the public eye, and would probably avoid having to be present themselves.
The Ohr Ha’Chayim explains that in contrast to this, Moshe excelled in all three of these areas.
The pasuk says השמיני ביום and behold it was on the ,...ויהי eighth day… In other words, the first day after the seven days of inauguration, as soon as it was possible, Moshe took advantage of the opportunity to present Aharon with his new task. So excited was Moshe for his brother, he didn’t waste any time in ushering him into his appointment.
Moreover, the pasuk states,קרא משה לאהרון ולבניו , Moshe called to Aharon and his sons. Not only was Moshe excited to welcome Aharon into his new role, he invited Aharon’s sons to be present at the hand-over ceremony. It didn’t even occur to him to feel embarrassed that Aharon’s ’office juniors’ should be present.
Finally, the pasuk concludes, ולזקני ישראל, and to the elders of Israel. Why was it necessary for the elders to be present? Moshe insisted that so grand an event was this, that it was only fitting that it be carried out with all due pomp and circumstance, with an audience to witness this marvellous occasion. This was the greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu.
The Rambam writes in Hilchos Teshuvah 5:2, that one has the ability to achieve the same levels of greatness as Moshe Rabbeinu.
What an impossible task! This surely cannot be done. How on earth could we come anywhere near to his lofty level of spiritual prowess?
Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt’’l explains that the Rambam does not mean to imply that we can achieve the same accolades as Moshe Rabbeinu. Rather, our aim is to discover within ourselves the same level of commitment and dedication that Moshe would have expected from himself.
If we can demonstrate our willingness to rise above our instinctive modes of thought, speech and behaviour, in the manner in which Moshe Rabbeinu did, we will have lived up to the Rambam’s words, and can be truly proud of who we are.
??livingwithmitzvos.comQ
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Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is completely split into double hooves, and which brings up its cud, that one you may eat. … And among the birds, you shall hold these in abomination; they shall not be eaten as they are an abomination … (Vayikra 11:3, 13)
While the Torah goes on to list a number of birds which are not kosher, the Gemara says that a hunter is always believed if he says that a particular bird is kosher, provided that he has a tradition from his rabbi that it is acceptable. Rashi explains that this means we can only eat a bird if there is a tradition that it is kosher.
One example of a bird for which there is some discussion is the turkey. The Shulchan Aruch states that provided a bird exhibits three signs, it is kosher even if there is no tradition, implying that it is permissible to eat turkey (Yoreh Deah 82:3). Although Rabbi Moshe Isserlis disagreed, most authorities are lenient.
The Pri Megadim says that even if one is strict and abstains from turkey, the issue of tradition only applies to birds. Therefore based on the first verse, any animal which chews the cud and has split hooves may be eaten, even if there is no tradition to.
One such animal is the bison, known in America as buffalo. Some kashrus authorities in America have ruled leniently, permitting buffalo meat even though there has never previously been a tradition to eat it.
Two major later authorities, the Chochmas Adam and the Aruch Hashulchan both argue on the Pri Megadim, implying that an oral tradition is needed to allow any land animal to be eaten. In fact, the Chazon Ish ruled this way explicitly in 1950, regarding the importing of the Zebu. The Chazon Ish concludes that the only known animals that we eat are “cows, sheep, and goats”. This understanding would obviously not permit the buffalo either.
While it is not unknown for buffalo to be farmed in the UK, it is not generally found in the wider market. Kosher buffalo meat seems to only be available in the America, although buffalo mozzarella (made from buffalo milk) is apparently available in some kosher shops in the UK. As with all areas of Halacha, one should consult their Rov for a practical ruling.
At the inauguration of the Mishkan, two of Aarons sons – Nadav and Avihu decide unilaterally to bring incense as their own private offering to Hashem. They had not been commanded to do so and tragically this overstep resulted in a fire coming out – ‘תצא אש מלפני ה - which entered their bodies and consumed them internally leaving their bodies intact. Their cousins – Mishael and Elsaphan were handed the task of removing the bodies.
If we look careful at the names of the characters of this episode we can see that perhaps they hint at the issues involved – and as much as we can’t fully relate to these giants of the spirit there are lessons that we can gleam from these events.
Nadav – from Nedava – a gift.
Avihu – he is my father.
They felt that as Hashem is our father we can approach him with a gift of our own volition at any time just like a father will surely always be pleased to receive a token of love from a dear son.
However – although it is true that Hashem is our father. He is also our King and our G-d and there are boundaries that even princes need to understand and respect.
And that is why specifically the cousins were asked to remove the bodies:
Mishael – Mi Shoel – who asked – who requested this gift
Elsaphan – Kel Sphon – A hidden G-d.
There is a balance of the love and attachment we feel with an understanding that there are rules and regulations as laid down in theTorah that govern how we approach our Avodas Hashem. And just like there needed to be hagbalah - boundaries at Har Sinai during kabalas Hatorah so to our conduct has to be always within the parameters of Halachic boundaries.
There is an amazing juxtaposition to this parsha were strikingly the same lashon is used in the pasuk immediately preceding this story [9:24] to denote the acceptance of Aaron’s korban.
ותצא אש מלפני ה ותאכל על המזבח את העלה ואת החלבים וירא כל העם וירנו ויפלו על פניהם:
Perhaps this is recognition of the acceptance of that internal desire that lay behind their action albeit that externally it was out of place.
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Working on Motzaei Shabbos Question I was fixing a button to a jacket that fell off on Shabbos, though my husband said that I shouldn’t be doing this on Motzaei Shabbos. Why is this?
Answer The Gemara (Pesachim 50b) writes that one who does
work on Motzaei Shabbos will not be blessed. Based on this, the Magen Avraham (OC 299:15) quotes the
Abudraham (end of Seder Motzaei Shabbos) who writes that the custom is for women not to perform melacha on Motzaei Shabbos.
The Aruch Hashulchan (OC 299:21), however, writes that this custom is unheard of, and providing that they have heard havdala, can do any melacha. He quotes the Gemara Yerushalmi (Pesachim 4:1) that writes that while there is a minhag for women not to do menial melacha on Rosh Chodesh, there is no such minhag to abstain on Motzaei Shabbos. As for the Gemara that writes about lack of blessing, that is specifically talking about doing melacha before hearing havdala.
Likewise, R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 2:107) writes that as this minhag is not brought in the later poskim, women may do any melacha after havdala.
One of the most ubiquitous words in Judaism. The first word we say when we greet someone is Shalom, Peace. Every day, three times a day, we conclude the amidah with a prayer for peace. On Shabbat we bless each other with a hearty Shabbat Shalom. The last word in the birkas kohanim is Shalom.
Aharon Hakohen’s name is synonymous with peace. Aharon loved and pursued peace and was an expert at resolving fractured relationships. Indeed, Aharon’s death, in contrast to Moshe’s, was marked by the entire Jewish nation; men, woman and children who wept for him for 30 days. His ability to facilitate peace was sorely missed by all segments of the Jewish nation. What was the secret of his success?
On the day of the inauguration of the Tabernacle, Nadav and Avihu, the two eldest sons of Aharon, met an untimely death as a result of offering incense which they had not been commanded to offer. The Torah’s description of
Aharon’s reaction to the death of his two sons is profound: “Vayidom Aharon”, “And Aharon kept silent”. Being that Nadav and Avihu were attempting to draw near to Hashem, Aharon could have questioned the fairness of their deaths. Instead, he remained silent and resigned himself to the just sentence Hashem had imposed upon his sons.
Aharon has just lost his eldest two sons, who were engaged in serving Hashem and he doesn’t even question Hashem? Astoundingly, Aharon retains his composure and willingly accepts the Divine Decree. He receives the most tragic news with such equanimity and serenity. He was at peace with the situation and with himself. Aharon clearly demonstrates his accepting and peaceful character. Peace is being able to tolerate and respect other people’s decisions in life and Aharon’s nature epitomised this quality. When two dissenting parties would observe Aharon they would be reminded how to accept the trials and tribulations of life and be respectful of other’s views and opinions.
The first step to being at peace with others is to be at peace with oneself. When one works on accepting challenges in life, when one uses the difficulties in life as springboards for success, then he can begin to be at peace with others.
‘Hillel said: be of the students of Aharon: Love peace and pursue peace; love people and bring them close to the Torah’ (Pirkei Avos 1:12).
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5. What is the connection between Parshas Shemini and Parshas Tzav?
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AHMY WEEKLY HALACHIC QUESTION
Rabbi Avi WiesenfeldRosh Kollel, Yerushalayim and Rav at Kav Halachah Beis Horaah H
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MILK SPLATTERS ON A MEAT POT
A large pot of goulash was bubbling on the stove. Mrs. Neufeld
removed the lid and placed it on the countertop because she
wished to season the food. As she tasted and readjusted the
seasonings, one-year-old Dassy, who was tottering around
in the kitchen, shook her bottle of milk vigorously. Some milk
drops splattered onto the outside of the meat pot.
“Baruch Hashem the milk only went onto the outside of the pot
and low down too, so there’s no chance it actually got inside
the pot!” exclaimed Mrs. Neufeld to her husband who walked
in right then. “Just imagine the milk would have gone into the
goulash. We’d have had a real halachic question on our hands.”
“Actually, it’s not so simple,” Mr. Neufeld remarked. “The poskim
debate whether the taste of the milk travels through the walls
of the pot and into the food or remains embedded in the pot.
The conclusion is to be stringent to cover both possibilities. Therefore, in such a case as ours, the status of both the food and the pot has to be verified, even though the milk only touched the outside of the pot.”
“Oh dear, then what is the halacha?” cried his wife. “Can the food be eaten? Is the pot treif?”
ANSWER
If the volume of the food and liquids in the pot is at least sixty times the amount of splattered milk, the food remains kosher. However, all the food should be poured out immediately, in one continuous pouring (so that at no time will the food be less than sixty times the milk) via the side of the pot opposite the splatter.
If the food is less than sixty time the milk, the food is forbidden.
In both cases, the pot requires kashering.
NE’ITZAH
Berel and Mottel were reviewing together for their upcoming test on the halachos of meat and milk. “What is the halachah if I cut cold meat with a dairy knife?” Berel asked Mottel.
“Well, if the knife was clean, the meat may be eaten,” began Mottel.
“Correct,” confirmed Berel. “But what if the cold meat was cut with a greasy, dairy knife?”
“Well, then the meat must be rinsed well to remove any grease. Also, it’s best to cut off a thin layer of meat from both sides of the cut,” answered Mottel.
“You’re a hundred percent right! Well done!” Berel congratulated his friend. “Now just tell me what the halachic status of the knife is.”
Mottel looked unsure. “I think there’s no problem with the knife. It doesn’t need kashering because it was used to cut cold food.”
“You’re only partially right there,” said Berel. “The knife may not require kashering, but it does need ne’itzah, especially if it was dirty to begin with. And even if the knife was clean, but it was used to cut something hard, it may still require ne’itzah.
What is ne’itzah and how is it done?
ANSWER
Ne’itzah is a method of removing greasy residue from a knife in order to restore it to its initial status as pareve/meat/dairy. This method applies only to a knife used to cut cold or warm (but not hot) non-sharp food and can only be done for a knife with a smooth blade.
Ne’itzah is performed by thrusting the knife into hard earth ten times, each time in a different place. This wipes the knife clean. Some poskim question this method nowadays since we are unsure as to which type of earth is necessary for this process.
Alternatively, the knife may be thoroughly cleaned with something abrasive, such as steel wool, and lots of soap.
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6. What is a source of Aveilus learnt out from Parshas Shemini?
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Rav Eliyahu Shapiro – אליה רבהThe period of the Elya Rabba’s lifetime, parallels one of the most difficult tekufos in the history of Prague Jewry. By 1680 there were 11,000 Jews in the ghetto, which made it the largest Jewish community in Europe and which the Christian authorities found to be unacceptable. They therefore drew up a decree of expulsion for 1/3 of them. While the Jews tried to stall for time, a plague broke out across the city and the ghetto gates were sealed on orders of the local government, preventing medical attention from reaching the Jews. 2600 of them would die over the next 6 months.
Scarcely had they begun recovering from this, when a fire broke out in the Jewish quarter in 1689, resulting in the destruction of 300 out of the 318 houses and 9 shuls (a figure which would unfortunately be repeated in the fire of 1754 – and in which many of the kisvei yad of the Elya Rabba would be consumed, including his droshos and teshuvos). This gives even more meaning to his comment (quoted by the Mishna Berura): “Woe to those who talk during Chazaras HaShatz, as many Shuls throughout Jewish history have been destroyed due to this sin.”
The plight of the Jews was made worse by a strong Jesuit presence, who sought to curtail Jewish life in Prague, adopting a two pronged attack against them. Sefarim were targeted. Records show that during the Elya Rabba’s rabbonus, over 1200 books were seized, of which 500 were burnt (mostly sifrei talmud or kabbala) and 350 were censored; typically having entire pages torn out or parts blacked. Naturally Jews attempted to smuggle sefarim into Prague, but this was made difficult
by the presence of government informers. So that the city that had been home to one of the earliest Jewish printing presses in the world in 1512, now became notorious for censorship. The second element of abuse, was the relentless missionary activity (which included forcing the Jewish community to attend inflammatory sermons), as a result of which 120 Jews were baptised r”l, at the beginning of the 1700s.
The Elya Rabba often explains existing minhagim and practices, as he mentions in the name of the Magen Avraham
]אליה רבה סימן רעא[ שאין לשנות שום מנהג כי לכל מנהג יש לה טעם
and for which he quotes sources from halacha, Kabbala and other areas of Torah.
He notes that every letter in the Alef-Beis appears in Birkas Hamozon with the exception of the ‘final’ pei, and explains that according to Kabbala this letter is associated with ‘sheidim’ and other harmful spirits, but that Chazal teach that anyone who says these brochos with kavono will be shielded (he then goes on to describe in kabbalsitic terms the reward given in Gan Eden for this).
The Elya Rabba also paskens that one is allowed to reverse the retzuos of tefilin (meaning taking the top part that was connected to the Bayis and placing it at the bottom). He explains that this does not diminish the kedusha, because the strap is one single unit, and within one object there is no greater or lesser kedusha, since all parts of a single item are equally kodosh. He proves this from the well-known Gemoro in Chullin which says that Yaakov Avinu placed several stones around himself
before he went to sleep, but that when he awoke, a miracle had taken place and the stones had become one, in order to solve the argument of each stone wanting Yaakov to lay his head upon them.
The Elya Rabba’s grandfather asked why the miracle of combining all the stones into one would actually help, given that the tzaddik’s head was still on only one part of the stone, and each of the other parts of the stone should still have complained that they wanted the tzaddik’s head to be placed upon them. He answered that this proves that when there is one joined item, there is no concern as to which part of it is closer to the kedusha; rather, all parts are considered equally adjacent.
Written to the Rov of Prague by the non-Jewish (Christian) censor!
Please could you ensure that there are ample sheets left in shuls for Shabbos before taking one home -as there have been few left in shuls.
This newsletter contains Divrei Torah and may contain Sheimos - please dispose of accordingly.
PAR
SH
AHNOTHING WILTS FASTER THAN LAURELS
THAT HAVE BEEN RESTED UPON
Rabbi Mordechai AppelShomrei Shabbos Chevra Mishnayos & דרכים בפרשה
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ויאמר אל אהרן קח לך עגל בן בקר לחטאת )ט:ב(
And he said to Aharon, “Take for yourself a calf for a sin offering.”(9:2)
Rashi comments that the purpose of this korban was to act as a kapara/atonement for Aharon’s role in the golden calf. This comment poses a difficulty because in Parshas Tetzaveh, Rashi told us that the sacrifice of the ox and two rams was meant for the very same reason. If Aharon already had his kapara, why was he required to bring yet another korban?
The Maharil Diskin offers an answer that there was in fact a need for two separate korbonos. The first ones that are mentioned in Parshas Tetzaveh were brought as a communal korban from communal funds. This served as a general kaparah for all of the Kohanim, as they were now preparing to for their new role in the mishkan. Our possuk refers to the private korban of Aharon HaKohen, meant to atone for his own personal role that he played in the eigel hazahav. Although it was true that his motivation was purely to stop it from happening, thus, entirely leshem shamayim, as an active participant, he still needed a kaparah.
The wording of our possuk seems to suggest this difference as well. In Parshas Tetzaveh, the possuk says “לקח”to take; in our possuk, Moshe personalizes it by saying “קח לך” take for yourself.”
On a practical level, there is a tremendous lesson that can be learned. In life, there are those that are happy to be “yoitze zain” with everyone else, and perhaps at times this may be the right approach. But for the most part, the Torah is teaching us that we must learn to look at ourselves in a personal light as well, never being satisfied with just “going with the flow”, and always seeking self-improvement.
If we dig deeper into this possuk, we can take home another great lesson. The Sifra comments on our possuk that the purpose of this korban was a gift to the Satan. The Malbim explains this based on a well known principal that the severity of an aveirah is dependent upon the level of the sinner. For a great person, even the most minor aveirah will have a most drastic effect, necessitating teshuva on the highest level. By contrast, a person of a lesser stature committing the same sin, may be “let off the hook” much easier.
Moshe told Aharon that now that he had been elevated to a much higher position; his teshuva that we learned about in Parshas Tetzaveh was no longer enough. Now the Satan would try and prosecute him again based on his new exalted level. Of course the original korban was accepted by Hashem, but the Satan would still try and cause problems. It is for this reason that the korban shelamim (peace offering) was left out here, because peace had already been made between Aharon and Hashem. But for this new level, there was still room to look back and improve on the past.
With the realization that in life we must always strive for growth, we can never be content with our achievements of yesterday. It has been said over from the Chozeh of Lublin that he used to do teshuva daily for the day before’s service of Hashem. “On my new level, I now realize that yesterday’s avodah was not enough”.
We must seek continued growth. It cannot be that our commitment to davening and the kavanah that we have today is no more than when we davened ten years ago. Have we advanced in our learning? Do we approach chessed with the same juvenile approach as when we were younger?
A great 18th century British poet once wrote: Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon. If we continuously demand more from ourselves, we will be zoche to reach greater levels and all new heights. Hashem never asks of us to be a Moshe or Aharon, but He does ask that we reach our own unique potential, and to get there we must never stop climbing!
1. The two kosher signs for an animal are completely split hooves and chewing the cud. Perhaps the significance and the need for two signs are to show an important Jewish quality. Chewing the cud is an internal sign while split hooves are an external sign. A Jewish person needs to be kosher both internally and externally – “piv velebo shovin”.
2. The two kosher signs for a fish are fins and scales. If you only find scales you can assume that it also had fins since any that have scales certainly have fins. (Y.D. 83:3)
3. Sinaitic oral tradition provides signs to identify non-kosher fowl. However, since we lack experience to apply these rules we are only permitted to eat those fowl traditionally accepted as kosher. (See Y.D. 82:2)
4. It does not stick its nails and trample its prey; it has an extra finger at the back of its feet; it has a zefek (the first place where the food reaches after going down its gullet as the start of the digestive process); its korkivon can be peeled by hand and does not need a knife. (Y.D. 82)
5. Parshas Tzav finishes discussing the seven days of the inauguration of the Mishkan (from the 23rd Adar until the 29th of Adar). Then Parshas Shemini continues with the eighth day, the first proper day of the permanent avoda on the 1st of Nissan.
6. It is learnt from the Aveilus of Aaron over his two sons, Nadav and Avihu, (10:6). These include not tearing clothes and not having a haircut.
ANSWERSRiddle Answer
The Gemara tells us in Gittin 60a that the day the Mishkan was erected eight different Parshios were mentioned. Our Possuk says Vayehi
Bayom Hashemini (8) and 8 Parshas are mentioned
If you think I have missed any off any or wish to make any other observations/
comments please feel free to email me direct on [email protected]
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