Parshas Tzav 5778 / Shabbos haGadol

Removing the Ashes

The Torah writes (Leviticus 6:2-4)

Command Aaron and his sons thus: This is the ritual of the burnt offering: The burnt offering itself shall remain where it is burned upon the altar all night until morning, while the fire on the altar is kept going on it. The priest shall dress in linen raiment, with linen breeches next to his body; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. He shall then take off his vestments and put on other vestments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.

The Talmud (Pesachim 26a) explains that the ashes were forbidden:

The Sages derive from the phrase: “And he shall put them” that he may not scatter these ashes; rather, they should be placed gently. “And he shall put them” also indicates that one may not derive benefit from these ashes.

Chizkuni explains who can do it:

The absence of the word “the priest,” here is an indication that even a priest who is disqualified from performing other procedures in the Temple due to physical blemishes, may perform this procedure.

(see also Jerusalem Talmud 8:4 where a non-priest, if he removes the ashes, is not killed) 
 
and where they are taken to:

a ritually pure location” seeing that these ashes had originated in sacred precincts. This is distinct from the stones of a house whose stones were afflicted with tzoraat, which have to be removed to a ritually unclean location, a location which people carrying objects that require ritual purity may not be brought to.

Mizrachi explains it wasn't done everyday:

There is a difference between the commandment of removing the ashes and one of carrying the ashes away, for removing the ashes [from the Altar] was done everyday but carrying out was only when the amount got large

Bechor Shor explains it was done at night:

like our Rabbis explained, this is a service of the night

The Talmud (Yoma 23b) cites an opinion that only two garments of the priest are enough instead of four:

Do you have any Temple service that may be performed with only two garments rather than the full set of four vestments worn by the priests? In the Torah’s description of the garments worn to remove the ashes it says: “And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen trousers shall he put on his flesh”

Tur HaAruch adds about the clothing:

Even when engaged in just הרמת הדשן, the removal of the ash, or incompletely consumed incense, from the golden altar in the Sanctuary itself, an activity that is rated as part of the Temple service, priestly garments must be worn, though they may be of an inferior quality. There is an opinion according to which the word אחרים that we understood as “alternate, others,” but sacred garments, does not refer to inferior priestly garments, but to ordinary garments such as the ones worn by non-priests. The carrying of the ashes outside the Temple precincts was simply not considered as part of the Temple service.

The Talmud (Shabbos 114a) explains changing the clothing is honorable:

From where is it derived that changing clothes is a display of honor? As it is stated: “And he will remove his garments and will don other garments, and he will bring the ashes outside of the camp to a pure location” (Leviticus 6:4). The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: The Torah taught you etiquette. The clothes in which one prepared food for his master, one does not wear to pour his master wine. Since cooking makes one’s clothes dirty, he should wear fresh clothes when serving his master.

(It is interesting to note that other times that they cleaned the Temple such as washing the floors by flooding, whitewashing the Altar, cleaning the vessels, were not considered a priestly service. We also find that the Menorah can be cleaned by a non-priest)

Parshas Vayikra 5778

The reason for Korbanos

The Torah writes (Leviticus 1:2):
Speak to the Israelite people, and say to them: When any of you presents an offering of cattle to the LORD, he shall choose his offering from the herd or from the flock.

The Rambam explains (Guide 3:32):

Many precepts in our Law are the result of a similar course adopted by the same Supreme Being. It is, namely, impossible to go suddenly from one extreme to the other: it is therefore according to the nature of man impossible for him suddenly to discontinue everything to which he has been accustomed ... But the custom which was in those days general among all men, and the general mode of worship in which the Israelites were brought up, consisted in sacrificing animals in those temples which contained certain images, to bow down to those images, and to burn incense before them; religious and ascetic persons were in those days the persons that were devoted to the service in the temples erected to the stars, as has been explained by us. It was in accordance with the wisdom and plan of God, as displayed in the whole Creation, that He did not command us to give up and to discontinue all these manners of service; for to obey such a commandment it would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is used; it would in those days have made the same impression as a prophet would make at present if he called us to the service of God and told us in His name, that we should not pray to Him, not fast, not seek His help in time of trouble; that we should serve Him in thought, and not by any action. For this reason God allowed these kinds of service to continue; He transferred to His service that which had formerly served as a worship of created beings, and of things imaginary and unreal, and commanded us to serve Him in the same manner

The Ramban argues (Leviticus 1:9):

Since the deeds of people are determined by thought, speech and action, God, may He be blessed, commanded that when he sins, he brings a sacrifice and place his hands upon him corresponding to the deed, and confess with his mouth corresponding to the speech, and burn the innards and the kidneys, as they are the instruments of thought and desire. And the limbs [of the sacrifice] correspond to the hands and feet of a person that does all of his work. And he sprinkles the blood on the altar corresponding to the blood of his soul, so that a person think in doing all of this that he sinned to God with his body and his soul, and it is fit for him that his blood be spilled and his body burnt; were it not for the kindness of the Creator, who took an exchange and ransom from him [in] the sacrifice - that its blood be instead of his blood and its soul be instead of his soul. 

Sforno explains (ibid 1:2):

... G’d is not interested in the fools who offer sacrificial animals if they have not first humbled themselves...By means of this symbolic act, the humility with which the owner of the sin offering is to approach G’d prior to gaining a chance of acceptance and forgiveness, has been demonstrated.

Sefer HaIkarim (3:25) explains:

Or if we say that the purpose of the sacrifices is to bring together and unite the upper powers with the lower,

Shadal (ibid 1:2) explains that these were like food and gifts given to a king

Vayakhel-Pekudei 5778

On Nepotism

The Torah writes (Exodus 35:30):

And Moses said to the children of Israel: See, the L-rd has called by name Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur of the tribe of Judah

Rashi (ibid) adds:

HUR was the son the Miriam (Sotah 11b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 24:14)

The Talmud (Sotah 11b) adds that Chur was a son of Miriam and Caleb:

... And the one who says that it is referring to houses of royalty is referring to David, who also comes from Miriam, as it is written: “And Azubah,” the wife of Caleb, “died, and Caleb took to him Ephrath, who bore him Hur” (I Chronicles 2:19) and, as will be explained further, Ephrath is Miriam ..

(see also the Mizrachi who discussed difficulties with ages of the people involved)

Daas Zeikinim (ibid) explains why this is problematic:

“see! He has called upon, etc.” What does the word: ראו mean here? When Moses had told the people that Betzalel would be the chief architect/craftsman, and that he would be constructing the Tabernacle, there was murmuring among the Israelites who charged Moses with nepotism and assigning every position of importance to members of his family. He therefore repeated here that these men had not been chosen by him but by G–d, personally. In fact, Moses, personally, had originally thought that he himself had been charged with the whole task, seeing that G–d had said to him: ועשית , “you will make,” etc., chapter 25,17, and subsequently. The plural impersonal mode had been reserved for the construction of the Holy Ark (Exodus 25,10). G–d explained to him then already that on the contrary, not as he had thought, he would not build the Tabernacle but a descendant of Chur, who had given his life trying to stop the Jewish people from making a golden calf would be charged with that task. By doing so he would help atone for the murder of his grandfather and for the sin of the golden calf. This is why the Torah traces Betzalel’s ancestry to Chur, i.e. Betzalel son of Uri, son of Chur.

The Talmud (Berachos 55a) writes that Moses asked the people for permission:

... The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: Nevertheless, go and tell Israel and ask their opinion. Moses went and said to Israel: Is Bezalel suitable in your eyes? They said to him: If he is suitable in the eyes of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and in your eyes, all the more so he is suitable in our eyes. ...

Parshas Terumah 5778

What is the Purpose of the Mishkan?

The Torah writes (Exodus 25:8):

And let them make Me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them

As a Place for the Shechina
Bechor Shor (ibid 25:2) writes:

... And G-d commanded him [Moses] to prepare that they should make a Tabernacle and the House of Holy of Holies, and in it an Ark, and in the Ark the Tablets, and there the Shechina will dwell with the Torah and the Jewish people will surround it like the Throne of Glory with the Shechina among them, like it says "that I may well among them" like among the angels...

The Ramban adds (ibid 25:1):

And the secret of the tabernacle is that the glory of God that dwelt on Mount Sinai, [also] hiddenly dwells upon it. And it is like it is written there (Exodus 24:16), "And the glory of the Lord dwells upon Mount Sinai," and it is written (Deuteronomy 5:21), "Behold, the Lord, our God, has shown us His glory and His greatness." And so [too] was it written about the tabernacle, "and the glory of the Lord, filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40: 34)." And with the tabernacle, it twice mentioned, "and the glory of the Lord, filled the tabernacle" - corresponding to "His glory and His greatness." And the glory that was shown to them on Mount Sinai was always with Israel in the tabernacle.

As a Palace like an flesh-and-blood king
Shadal (ibid 25:1) writes:

After they accepted all of the judgements and the Torahs and G-d became a King in Jeshurun, it is fitting that they should make a Temple to Him, like Kings so He can dwell among them and this will strenthen the unity of the nation and its intense attachment to the Torah ...

To Atone for the Golden Calf
Sifrei Devarim (1) writes:

Rabbi Benaya says: when the Jews served an idol they deserved destruction, comes the gold of the Tabernacle and atones for the gold of the [Golden] Calf

Showing Forgiveness for the Golden Calf
Rabbeinu Bachya (25:6) writes:

In order to show that the sin had been completely forgiven, the Torah commences the list of contributions to be donated for building the Tabernacle with gold. This means that the very means which had caused their disgrace would now become the means by which G’d would express His goodwill. A Biblical verse expressing the same sentiment is found in Hoseah 7,3, ברעתם ישמחו מלך, ”with their very malice they make a king merry.”

As a Place to Connect with G-d after the Golden Calf
The Sforno writes (Exodus 31:18):

after the Torah described all the spiritual accomplishments which should have resulted from the many days Moses had spent on the mountain with G’d, the Torah now has to explain why all these spiritual accomplishments G’d had envisaged did not in fact materialise so that it became necessary to build a Tabernacle, etc., in order to achieve these spiritual accomplishments via a different route. The Torah explains that the cause of this detour in the spiritual ascent of the people was the abuse they had made of the freedom of choice. They, who had been about to receive the set of Tablets made and written by G’d Himself at the end of Moses’ stay on Mount Sinai for forty days, who were all to personify the ideal of being priests, and a holy nation, rebelled, corrupted themselves, as testified in Exodus 33,6 when they divested themselves of the signs of the covenant G’d had made with them, removing the garments emblazoned with the blood of that covenant.

(see also another explanation in the name of Rabbi Y. B. Soloveitchik as related to Adam)

As a Way to Adopt from Idolatry
The Rambam writes (Moreh 3:32):

... It is, namely, impossible to go suddenly from one extreme to the other: ... Now God sent Moses to make [the Israelites] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. 19:6) by means of the knowledge of God ... But the custom which was in those days general among all men, and the general mode of worship in which the Israelites were brought up, consisted in sacrificing animals in those temples which contained certain images, to bow down to those images, and to burn incense before them; religious and ascetic persons were in those days the persons that were devoted to the service in the temples erected to the stars, as has been explained by us. It was in accordance with the wisdom and plan of God, as displayed in the whole Creation, that He did not command us to give up and to discontinue all these manners of service; for to obey such a commandment it would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is used; it would in those days have made the same impression as a prophet would make at present if he called us to the service of God and told us in His name, that we should not pray to Him, not fast, not seek His help in time of trouble; that we should serve Him in thought, and not by any action. For this reason God allowed these kinds of service to continue; He transferred to His service that which had formerly served as a worship of created beings, and of things imaginary and unreal, and commanded us to serve Him in the same manner; ... He made it obligatory that certain gifts, called the gifts of the Levites and the priests, should be assigned to them for their maintenance while they are engaged in the service of the temple and its sacrifices. By this Divine plan it was effected that the traces of idolatry were blotted out, and the truly great principle of our faith, the Existence and Unity of God, was firmly established; this result was thus obtained without deterring or confusing the minds of the people by the abolition of the service to which they were accustomed and which alone was familiar to them. ...

The Ramban argues (Vayikra 1:9):

Since the deeds of people are determined by thought, speech and action, God, may He be blessed, commanded that when he sins, he brings a sacrifice and place his hands upon him corresponding to the deed, and confess with his mouth corresponding to the speech, and burn the innards and the kidneys, as they are the instruments of thought and desire. And the limbs [of the sacrifice] correspond to the hands and feet of a person that does all of his work. And he sprinkles the blood on the altar corresponding to the blood of his soul, so that a person think in doing all of this that he sinned to God with his body and his soul, and it is fit for him that his blood be spilled and his body burnt; were it not for the kindness of the Creator, who took an exchange and ransom from him [in] the sacrifice - that its blood be instead of his blood and its soul be instead of his soul. And the central limbs correspond to his central limbs. And the portions with which to sustain the teachers of Torah [are so] that they will pray for him. And the daily sacrifice is because there is no saving the community from always sinning. And these words are tenable [and] grab the heart, like the words of classic homiletic teachings (Shabbat 87a). And in the way of truth (mysticism), the sacrifices contain a hidden secret...

[A list of sources for this article were partially based on this article at AlHatorah.org - see further for a fuller explanation of sources and their differences]

Parshas Beshalach 5778

Who Was Pharaoh Talking To?

The Torah writes (Exodus 14:3):

Pharaoh will say to the Israelites, “They are astray in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.”

Rashi (ibid) explains:

לבני ישראל means על בני ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. Similarly. (v. 14) “The Lord will fight לכם”, i. e. עליכם for you; (Genesis 20:13) “Say לי, he is my brother” i. e. say about me.

However, Targum Jonathan (ibid) explains differently:

And Pharoh said to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Israel, who had remained in Mizraim, The people of the house of Israel are bewildered in the land: the idol Zephon hath shut them in close upon the desert.

Midrashim (Midrash HaGadol Korach, Shemos Rabbah 1:29) also write that Dathan and Abiram ultimately rejoined the Jewish people prior to the Splitting of the Sea and they were the ones who complained to Moshe (2:11).

Beer Mayim Chaim writes that the Sea split for them a second time, because they cross AFTER the Egyptians were drowned and that's also explains the discrepancy of the order of the verses right before the Song.



(There is also discussion in Sefer haHefetz [2:13] that Moshe asked Hashem to save some of the Jewish children being killed, and Dathan and Aviram were choosen; also Sefer Rokeach writes that Dathan and Aviram did not die during the plague of Darkness because they believe in the Exodus)

(It is also interesting to note that Moshe's children and wife did not experience the splitting of the Sea according to the some opinions)

Why Did the Wind Blow Before the Sea Split?

The Torah writes (Exodus 14:21):

Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split

The Ramban (ibid) writes:

It was G-d's will that the sea should be split with an east wind so it looked like that wind caused the splitting .... for it was because of this the Egyptians thought that the wind caused the splitting and not the hand of G-d that did it because of the Jews...

The Rashbam (ibid) disagrees:

G’d used natural means, i.e. an east wind which always brings dryness and on occasions dries out ponds and rivers.

The Sforno (ibid) explains that it wasn't for the splitting:

the east wind had frozen the mud on the bottom of the sea

(see also this journal article that describes how a land bridge could have stayed open for 4 hours due to wind)

How Was the Manna Cooked?

The Torah writes (Exodus 16:23):

he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy sabbath of the LORD. Bake what you would bake and boil what you would boil; and all that is left put aside to be kept until morning.”

However, above it says it would melt (Exodus 16:21):

So they gathered it every morning, each as much as he needed to eat; for when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

Whom Did Amalek Attack?

The Torah writes (Exodus 17:8):

Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.

The Torah writes later on (Deu. 25:17-18):

Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt - how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear.

Midrash Tanchuma (Ki Seitzei 10) explains:

Rabbi Yehuda says: anyone who gave up hope was attacked; Rabbi Nechemiah says: anyone who was expelled by the cloud was attacked; And the Rabbis say: the entire tribe of Dan was expelled by the cloud for they all were idol worshippers and they were attacked

Midrash Mekhilta (17:8) writes:

R. Elazar Hamodai says: "And Amalek came": Amalek "sneaked" under the edges of the cloud, kidnapped Jews and killed them

Haftorah - How Could Yael Kill Sisera if They Had a Peace Treaty?

(This question was originally asked by my daughter)

 

Tanach writes (Judges 4:17-21):

Sisera, meanwhile, had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was friendship between King Jabin of Hazor and the family of Heber the Kenite. Jael came out to greet Sisera and said to him, “Come in, my lord, come in here, do not be afraid.” So he entered her tent, and she covered him with a blanket. He said to her, “Please let me have some water; I am thirsty.” She opened a skin of milk and gave him some to drink; and she covered him again. He said to her, “Stand at the entrance of the tent. If anybody comes and asks you if there is anybody here, say ‘No.’” Then Jael wife of Heber took a tent pin and grasped the mallet. When he was fast asleep from exhaustion, she approached him stealthily and drove the pin through his temple till it went down to the ground. Thus he died.

Chomas Anach (The Chidah - ibid 4:21) answers:

And Mahari z"l answers that there was peace with Jabin and no one else. And he also answers that Sisera attacked Yael and she killed him in self defense ...

The Malbim (ibid 4:17) answers:

And I say according to my opinion that the peace between Jabin and Heber was a general peace with the Kenites who dwelled in the desert of Judah ... but now that Heber separated from the rest of this brothers and pitched his tent among the Jews he was no longer obligated to keep the treaty of the Kenites for he left them.

Parshas Shemos 5778

Some interesting points regarding Parshas Shemos:

1. Who Was Exempt from the Labor in Egypt?

According to many Midrashim, the entire Shevet Levi was exempt, either because they were consider a priestly class and were exempt as per Joseph's original decrees, OR because they did not show up during the first day when the "volunteer" rebuilding efforts started, and were not enrolled as "volunteers" who later became slaves. In return, however, they population did not experience a great increase in numbers.

However, we also know that parts of Shevet Ephraim tried to leave Egypt 30 years before the Exodus, and they were killed during a war with the native population of Canaan. The valley where they were killed was the valley of "dry bones" that Yehezkel saw in his dream. How did they leave if they were slaves? Some midrashim state that parts of Shevet Ephraim were except from slavery because they were descendants of the royal viceroy - Joseph.

2. How Many Children Did Yocheved Have?

According to the Torah, she had three children: Miriam, Aharon and Moshe. However, Targum Jonathan writes that after the birth of Aharon, Amram and Yocheved were divorced, and she married someone else (Elizaphan) with whom she had two sons: Eldad and Medad. She divorced Elizaphan and re-married Amram, at which point she gave birth to Moshe. Thus, Yocheved had five children: Miriam, Aharon and Moshe with Amram, and Eldad and Medad with Elizaphan.

3. Yisro, Tziporrah and their relatives.

After Moshe ran away from Egypt, he ended up living in Yisro's house and marrying his daughter, Tziporrah. Many meforshim point out that Yisro is a descendant of Midian. It is interesting to note that Midian was a son of Avraham from his third wife, Keturah, which would make Moshe and his wife distant cousins.

There are also some Midrashim that discuss that Tziporrah and Basya, the daughter of Pharaoh, were in fact sisters who were orphaned and ended up being adapted by Yisro and Pharaoh respectively. This must have taken place when Yisro was still living in Egypt and was Pharaoh's advisor.

There is also an interesting connection between Tziporrah and Balak. According to the some midrashim, Balak was a grandson of Yisro, which would make his father, Tzipor a brother to Tziporrah, with their names being identical.

Parshas Vayechi 5778

How Could Yakov Give Shechem to Yosef?

The Torah writes (Genesis 48:22):

And now, I assign to you one portion more than to your brothers, which I wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”

The division of the Land did not happen until the time of Yehoshua, about 14 years after they entered the Land. Thus, how could Yakov give away any part of the Land to Yosef prior to the division - was there a legal mechanism as to how Yakov came to posses Schechem?

1. As per Rashi here, this doesn't refer to the city of Shechem but rather the fact that the double inheritance that Reuven was supposed to get, instead went to Yosef. Thus, Yosef received two portions in the Land but they were given out by Yehoshua later on, and Yakov simply transferred one of the portions to him.

2. As per Rashi, Yakov and his children conquered Schechem by force.

3. As mentioned earlier, Yakov bought the field in front of the city of Shechem and that field is what he transferred to Yosef to be used for his burial in the future. The city itself wasn't transferred.

4. As per midrashim, Shechem gave the city to Dinah as part of her marriage contract when he married her. After he was killed along with the rest of the city, Dinah's daughter from Schechem inherited the city. She was Asnath who later became the wife of Yosef, and her two children who were Ephraim and Menashem inherited Shechem.

What Did Reuven Do?

The Torah writes (Genesis 49:4):

Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer; For when you mounted your father’s bed, You brought disgrace—my couch he mounted!

1. As per Talmud (Shabbos 55), this refers to the incident between Reuven and Bilhah earlier on. The Talmud cites multiple opinions as to the exact nature of the incident and what exactly was the sin of Reuven.

2. Other commentators explains that this refers to the story of the Dudaim which ended with Leah and Rachel trading.

3. Some Midrashim cite this as a reference to the switch between Leah and Rachel when Yakov married them originally, which caused Reuven to be born, although it is unclear why this is counted against Reuven since he wasn't born yet.

Where was Yosef buried?

The Torah writes (Genesis 50:26):

Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

1.  According to some Midrashim his coffin was placed in the Nile, until Moshe got it out before the Jews left Egypt.

2. Some opinions say he was buried on a river bank but in a place that was secret.

3. According to the Talmud (Sotah 11a), he was buried in the royal burial chambers of the Egyptian kings (pyramids?).