There is a connection between this week’s Torah portion of Tzav and Pesach which starts right after Shabbos. The connection is chometz. Everyone knows we may not have chometz, “leavened bread,” throughout Pesach, but also most of the different types of korban mincha, meal offerings, were also made without chometz. As it says, “It shall not be baked leavened, I have presented it as their share from My fire-offering; it is most holy, like the sin-offering and like the guilt-offering” (Vayikra 6:10). But there are some meal-offerings where chometz is in fact included, as discussed in the parsha, like the korban todah, the thanksgiving-offering. (Parenthetically that is why we don’t say the paragraph of Mizmor Litodah during pesukei dizimra the entire Pesach – because this paragraph represents the korban todah which was brought during the year with chometz.)
Why is the meal offering of the thanksgiving-offering different than the sin-offering or guilt-offering?
A korban todah was brought to thank Hashem for saving one’s life in different circumstances. Today we bentche gomel upon recovering from a major illness, traveling overseas or over a desert, and getting out of jail.
The Rabbeinu Bachye in last week’s Torah portion of Vayikra (2:11) explains why chometz cannot be used in the meal offerings for a korban chatas (sin-offering) or korban asham (guilt offering): “According to the simple understanding, the sacrifice is to atone for our sins, and if not for the inciter and instigator, referring to the yetzer hara, then a person would not sin and would not need to bring a sacrifice at all. Chometz (and honey) are the yetzer hara themselves as Chaza”l say, (Mechilta Pesicha 5), in terms of chometz and matza on Pesach that a person must turn away his heart from the yetzer hara and that is why it says, ‘and you shall not eat upon it chometz’ (Devarim 16:3), referring to the korban pesach (paschal lamb). The korban pesach was atonement for the idolatry they worshiped in Egypt, and therefore He distanced them from the yetzer hara in order to not go back to idolatry… and therefore chometz (and honey) were kept far away from the offering because it’s not possible to have two polar opposites in one package, furthermore it’s like purifying oneself in a mikva while holding an unclean rodent.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
We see from here that by the korban todah, the thanksgiving-offering, which has nothing to do with sin, it is appropriate to use chometz as part of the offering. But the korban chatas, or asham, the sin- and guilt-offerings, which atone for sins, do not use chometz, which is the yetzer hara, evil inclination, as it would be a contradiction to use it to atone for sin.
Why is chometz, leavened bread, the yetzer hara? It can still be kosher and eaten everyday besides on Pesach. And for these offerings, why are they even called the yetzer hara, and not at least referred to as a hint to the yetzer hara, or something to that effect?
Rabbeinu Bachye in his Kad HaKemach (chapter on Pesach) explains in more detail that the word chometz comes from the language of “כי יתחמץ לבבי…” (Tehillim 73:21). “When my heart was in ferment though my mind was sharp.” (Parenthetically in Tehillim (71:4) it says אלוקי פרטני מיד רשע מכף מעול וחומץ, “My G-D, deliver me from the wicked one’s hand, from the palm of the schemer and the violent one.”) The heart which is on the verge of sinning is compared to dough on the verge of fermenting (or leavening), also a righteous person on the verge of wickedness is called by Chaza”l as “hechmitz,” one who has fermented, as we see in terms of Koresh in Rosh Hashanah 3b… for this reason the Torah says you shouldn’t be seen or found [with chometz], don’t be seen in action and don’t be found in thought, rather it, [the yetzer hara,] should be nullified in your heart… you can learn that the prohibition of chometz includes the entire mitzva, and since chometz is a hint to the yetzer hara, from here, there is a hint that just as we are commanded by the Torah to nullify chometz in our hearts, so to we are obligated to nullify the evil inclination from the heart and not have it rule over us etc.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
We see from Rabbeinu Bachye’s Kad HaKemach, that in fact chometz is more of a hint to the yetzer hara, even though in his commentary to the Torah, Rabbeinu Bachye calls chometz the yetzer hara. In fact, the Alshich also treats chometz as the yetzer hara itself, as we find in the beginning of the Migdal Eder HaChodosh Haggada, paraphrasing the Alshich: “Chometz is the yetzer hara for it is sour (חמוץ) and blemished (פגום). So to we also find that the gematria of chometz (חמץ) is פגימה, (blemish, fault, defect). The yetzer hara is the one who ruins (מחמיץ) a person and distracts him from serving Hashem. A person has to overcome him and not let him rule over him at all, only use him when needed, when there is no other choice (like for basic needs of eating, sleeping, clothing etc.), but for all other matters find ways to distance oneself from him, for he is forbidden to get any benefit from when not needed. One might ask why is chometz permitted the entire year and just burned for these days, on the contrary, it should be the opposite, that one should benefit from it for only a small amount of time, and the rest of the year stay far away from it and destroy it? However, this really isn’t a question because all one has to do is stay away from [chometz] a little bit, for there really is no mitzvah where a person is not fighting against and doing whatever he can to stop the one who is trying to stop you from performing that mitzva. This is the intent of Hashem to give you more good, reward for your actions, and because [the yetzer hara] is needed for every part of the existence of this world [in order for us to earn our reward through our tireless efforts], then he can’t be nullified. But a hint was given to anyone with a soul and mind to burn him [the yetzer hara], and therefore one who is of soul and mind should put in all his efforts to do so when appropriate.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Chometz is not forbidden to be eaten all year round like pig, shellfish, and other non-kosher animals, but is only prohibited at certain times of the year and in certain circumstances. However, this ban is indeed because chometz is the yetzer hara; meaning the essence of chometz and the essence of the yetzer hara are the same. Just as grain when fermented or leavened will rise and be distorted, and in fact if you add yeast to flour you might get the perfect rise for a good bread, however if it is left too long it becomes very sour and even inedible. So too, when fermenting any vegetable or fruit, there is a phase of it being edible but if left too long or in too much it’s ruined. So too there is a need for the yetzer hara in the world, for a basic drive for physical needs. Without it a person would not want to eat, sleep, get married, etc. and would not be able to survive. But too much of it, and too lavish, can also be deadly. Therefore Hashem fashioned into this world a week that even the essence of the yetzer hara should be erased from all the Jews, in order to focus us on what’s important in the purpose of our lives. This reinforces our combat skills to fight the unneeded yetzer hara during the rest of the year.
It also makes more sense why chometz was not used for meal-offerings of the sin- and guilt-offerings. Because the essence of the yetzer hara should not even be mentioned or hinted at in those offerings, since they would not have to be even needed if the yetzer hara didn’t exist.
Good Shabbos HaGadol and Happy Pesach,
Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder
Tzav -Alacrity After a Long Speech
Around this time of the year, specifically on the 23rd of Adar, which is April 2nd this year, Moshe started practicing erecting the Mishkan according to the Ramban in this week’s Torah portion of Tzav.
The Ramban says, “Rather, the correct interpretation is that we say that Moshe was commanded about the assembly of the Tabernacle (Mishkan) on the twenty-third day of Adar, and he assembled it [on that day]. As soon as the Tabernacle stood in its position, G-D, blessed be He, Who sits upon the Keruvim, called Moshe and commanded him about the actions involved in the bringing of the offerings — all those sections from the beginning of the Book of Vayikra until here. [This was because] He wanted to teach him the actions and statutes of all the offerings before he offered up any of them, since among the initiation-offerings were the sin-offering, burnt-offering and peace-offering, and they could only know all their laws from these sections with which He preceded [to command him]. Afterwards He said to him, Take Aharon and his sons with him etc., to urge him on when the time came for performing what He had told him at first — And this is the thing that you shall do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me etc., adding here, And you shall assemble all the congregation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, so that it should be done in the presence of all of them, that they should know that G-D, blessed be He, chose Aharon and his sons [to minister unto Him].
By way of the proper interpretation of Scripture, Moshe was commanded about the building of the Tabernacle prior to the incident of the golden calf [as is the order of these chapters in the Book of Shemos], and when the Holy One, blessed be He, became reconciled to him and promised him that He would cause His Divine Glory to dwell among them, Moshe understood of his own accord that the command concerning the Mishkan remained valid as before, and he then commanded Israel regarding it, as I have explained in the section of Vayakheil. After they had completed the work, he was then told the section of, On the first day of the first month shall you set up the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and he was then told, And you shall bring Aharon and his sons unto the door of the Tent of Meeting etc. Thus Moshe knew that Aharon and his sons also remained in their esteemed and beloved position before G-d. Here, He urged them again on the first day of the consecration, at the time of performing the command [And you shall bring Aharon and his sons etc.] Thus all the sections of the Torah are in chronological order, except that He placed before its sequence the verse, And the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting (Shemos 40:34), which in the opinion of our Rabbis was on the eighth day of the initiation, in order to arrange in order the whole matter of the assembly of the Mishkan, it being the customary way of Scripture in all places to finish a subject that it has started to explain.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Ramban is of the opinion that the Torah for the most part is written in chronological order therefore, Hashem first told Moshe about building the Mishkan (in Ki Sisa) before the sin of the golden calf. Then, after Hashem was appeased by Moshe’s prayers on behalf of the Jewish people and promised to rest his Shechina amongst them, meaning that He wanted the Mishkan built, then the Jews started building the Mishkan (in Vayakhel 35:1). After they finished building it, Hashem told them to put it together and they will start using the Mishkan on the first of Nissan at its consecration (this is mentioned in Pekudei 40:2, 12). Hashem then taught many of the laws about the various types of sacrifices that will be used in the inauguration of the Mishkan, (this is mentioned in Vayikra and the beginning of Tzav.) Finally, at this point (perek 8 in Tzav) on the 23rd of Adar, Moshe anoints Aharon and his family and practices, for the next 8 days, putting together and taking apart the Mishkan, as well as performing parts of the service until the ultimate inauguration of the Mishkan in the beginning of the Torah portion of Shemini, that will be read next week.
Among all this, the Ramban mentions after Hashem told Moshe to teach everyone about the laws of the sacrifices that Moshe should, “Take Aharon along with his sons, and the vestments, the anointing oil, the bull of sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread (Vayikra 8:2). Hashem told Moshe this, according to the Ramban, in order “to urge him on when the time came for performing what He had told him at first.” Meaning, Hashem told Moshe to ensure that Aharon and his sons acted with zrizus, alacrity, when performing G-D’s service. Why did Hashem, at this juncture, have to urge the kohanim to act with alacrity (zrizus) when performing G-D’s service? They were proven to be committed to serving Hashem, as the Ramban himself mentioned right before this request to urge them to perform with alacrity as he said, “Thus Moshe knew that Aharon and his sons also remained in their esteemed and beloved position before G-d.” Also, how can they let anyone down at such an ostentatious time, isn’t it obvious that they should get to work with the utmost speed and alacrity, why do they have to be reminded? If so, what does the Ramban mean when he says, “He urged them again on the first day of the consecration, at the time of performing the command?”
However, if you look at the chronology of events where Hashem just taught a whole slew of laws of how to work in the Mishkan, i.e, the sacrificial service, then it’s the proper thing to refocus and urge them to perform with alacrity. This is because it is human nature for people to become overwhelmed when thrown at them a whole bunch of rules, no matter how great they are, so by reenforcing the resolve to perform with zerizus (alacrity) it refocused them to start off on the right foot.
This is an incredible lesson in communication that, when giving a whole list of instructions, review the general purpose of the instructions at the very end so that the person being instructed can regain his or her baring and quickly get onto fulfilling what they were instructed to do.
Tzav – A Party for Hashem’s Superstars
The Mishna Berura (429:2:7) says we don’t say tachanun the entire month of Nissan because on Rosh Chodesh Nissan began the dedication of the Mishkan where each of the 12 tribes brought their sacrifice each day, which was considered 12 days of yom tov. Then comes preparing and slaughtering the korban Pesach, Pesach itself, and most of the month is completed, so for the whole month we don’t say tachanun.
It’s very apropos then that this week’s Torah portion of Tzav discusses the preparations for the dedication of the Mishkan, which took place for seven days prior to Rosh Chodesh Nissan. In fact Chassidim have a custom to not say tachanun for these 7 days as well. The end of the Torah portion discusses the process of installing Aharon and his sons as kohanim to serve in the mishkan. Anointing them, the process of dressing them in their priestly garments, and the offerings that were brought for their inauguration. The pasuk says “Then Moshe took them from on their palms and caused them to go up in smoke on the alter after the burnt-offering; they were inauguration offerings, for a satisfying aroma; it was a fire-offering to Hashem” (Vayikra 8:28).
The Moshav Zekeinim, who is one of the Baalei Tosfos, comments on this pasuk: “the inauguration offerings were called a satisfying aroma, meaning Hashem was joyful and made a yom tov (a holiday) with the inauguration because He acquired a loved one who He had chosen, as it says in Megilla 10b: ‘And it was on the 8th day’ that day was like no other for Hashem ever since He created His world. And [the gemara] learns it out from a gezeira shava it says there the word ‘vayehi’ and it says before in Breishis perek 1 ‘vayehi erev vayehi boker’ (it will be evening and it will be morning). Isn’t it a kal vachomer, fortiori, for just as a human king acquires a loved one and throws a party for him, all the more so The King of Kings, The Holy One Blessed Be He, who appointed a kohen and chose him to serve Him.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
One can relate to a king being happy over acquiring a loved one and throwing a party. It’s like an NFL franchise signing the best quarterback in the league. After the signing no doubt there would be champagne, and an elaborate party amongst the owners, staff, and the quarterback and his family. It is a time of joy because so much potential for success is being bet upon the signing. But why does it then make sense that Hashem’s appointing Aharon and his family as the kohanim who will be in charge of the service in the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash is such an excitement for Him that it’s compared to when He created the world? When Hashem created the world, He set nature into motion in the most perfect way possible. All of nature did and does Hashem’s bidding, flawlessly. The sun rises and sets at the right time, the seasons happen exactly how Hashem wants them to happen, each species of animals and vegetation have a specific purpose in the grand scheme of things, and do their jobs as Hashem precisely programmed them to do. This incredible work of art, this world that Hashem created with all that is inside, is understandably a joyous masterpiece worth celebrating. How then are the kohanim, who are only human beings, granted, are charged with doing Hashem’s service, but it’s certainly not as thrilling and “earth shattering” of a feat as creation itself, to be equally as joyous and exciting the creation of the world?
However, the reality is that we underestimate the greatness of man and the potential they can reach. Hashem was so excited about appointing priests that would lead the way in serving Hashem the best possible way frail human beings can, and the potential for them to reach great heights and create such a bond with their Father in Heaven for themselves and on behalf of His children is so incredible and inexplicably exhilarating that Hashem justly equated it with when He created Heaven and Earth.
We must appreciate gadlus ha’adam, the greatness of mankind, and how much Hashem believes in us and the success He expects us to accomplish. With this attitude we can indeed have much success and reach the height of perfection that Hashem expects His loved ones to attain.
Tzav – For the Honor of the Children
This Dvar Torah is dedicated in memory of my Rosh HaYeshiva, Moreinu viRabbeinu HaRav Alter Chanoch Henoch ben Chaim Dovid Leibowitz ztzk”l, Rosh Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim, upon his yahretzeit which was Yud Nissan.
Only because of Moshe Rabbeinu’s prayer was Hashem willing to send a message to Aharon in the beginning of this week’s Torah portion of Tzav. If not for this prayer, Hashem would not want anything to do with Aharon Kohen Gadol after his involvement with the sin of the Golden Calf.
In fact, the Rosh summarizing a Medrish Rabba (Vayikra 7:1) in the beginning of this week’s parsha of Tzav which asks, “’Why wasn’t the name of Aharon mentioned in the Torah portion of Vayikra? It was because he was reprimanded for the action of the golden calf, only his sons [were mentioned, ‘Bnei Aharon’ or ‘hakohen.’ And the two times (2:3&10) in last week’s parsha that it says Aharon and his sons was only because the Torah had to differentiate between the kohen gadol and the other kohanim so Hashem felt it was not worth using extra ink just to punish Aharon.] Moshe said before Hashem, ‘Master Of The World is a pit ever hated and it’s water pleasant? Didn’t you have mercy on the olive and warned not to cut olive wood for the sake of the oil which is needed for light and meal offerings? So to, the children of Aharon are beloved before you and you don’t have mercy on the honor of their father?’ Only then did The Master acquiesce to the student and said, ‘Command Aharon’ (Vayikra 6:2).’ One can ask, what does hatred towards the father have to do with loving the sons? This can be answered with a parable to a king who had servants and two lads were guardsmen who were handsome and very strong who always walked with him. Their father was a villager. The king said it is better to make the father a knight in order to call the children sons of knights, even though the father was appalling in the king’s eyes. So too, the children of Aharon were beloved by Hashem and in their honor He called to their father and commanded him what He commanded.” (Click here and here for Hebrew text.)
We must put into perspective Aharon’s involvement in the sin of the golden calf. He by no means had any intent of creating an idol or in fact doubted that his brother Moshe would come back. Indeed, he only advised the ringleaders of the rebellion to make the golden calf in order to buy time for Moshe to come back, because they had miscalculated Moshe’s return. Aharon told them to collect gold jewelry from their wives, who he knew would refuse, but he did not realize the men would force it off them. This was after his uncle, Chur, was already killed by the mob trying to calm them down. So, whatever got Hashem upset and therefore decided to not address Aharon in the Torah portion of Vayikra, and only do so after Moshe beseeched Him to do so for his children’s sake, it must have been because of some very slight misjudgment that lead to the whole debacle. Aharon is known to have been one who ran after peace, a rodef shalom; but Hashem judges his righteous strictly, according to their level. This is analogous to a concept the Ramban mentions in the beginning of his sefer about reward and punishment, Sha’ar HaGemul, where he talks about the famous Chaza”l of when Hashem judges the world on Rosh Hashana, those who are righteous go straight to life, those who are wicked go straight to death and those in the middle are held in limbo until Yom Kippur. The Ramban mentions that included in ‘the wicked’ are “those of good deeds who transgress only one sin but are sentenced on Rosh Hashana to death, meaning they will die this coming year or live through some challenging illnesses, a life of suffering and tribulation, which just means he was sentenced to a judgement of a totally wicked person even though he is in fact righteous and deserving of life in the World to Come.” We see that a person can be viewed in “the eyes of Hashem” as being wicked at this moment, even though he is in fact very righteous. For this reason Aharon fell out of favor with Hashem after his involvement with the sin of the golden calf.
But what did it help to ask Hashem to elevate Aharon’s status for the sake of his children, out of respect for them, which really is for Hashem’s honor as well? Isn’t it a game, doesn’t it sound like a lack of truth to promote someone who doesn’t deserve a promotion on his own merits?
However, of course that can’t be true. Hashem is absolutely honest and by definition He is perfectly truthful. Rather it must be that granted on his own personal merits Aharon did not deserve to be addressed at that time, which when thinking about it is a great travesty for him because the Book of Vayikra, the service of the Kohanim in the Mishkan is Aharon’s whole essence. It’s his most important role in life and now Hashem refuses to talk to him about it, only to his children?! However, the very fact that he has children so beloved to Hashem is a merit for his promotion and that is duly justified.
Coincidentally (or not so coincidentally…) this week’s haftorah for Shabbos Hagadol concludes, “that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers” (Malachi 3:24).