Transcript
בוקר טוב Boker tov, good morning to everyone and welcome back to Parsha Perspectives for today. Looking forward to the opportunity to learn together פרשת צו Parshas Tzav, and though we're all gearing up and preparing and getting ready for פסח Pesach, we cannot neglect and forget that this שבת Shabbos is a regular פרשה parsha. We have the privilege of learning and reading פרשת צו Parshas Tzav, and only on מוצאי שבת Motzei Shabbos does יום טוב Yom Tov begin, do we get ready for the סדר Seder. So simultaneously this week, we have to prepare both for the סדר Seder and the הגדה Haggadah, as well as to review the פרשה parsha as well. פרשת צו Parshas Tzav can be found on page 568 in the Artscroll Stone חומש Chumash. I want to thank our generous Parsha Series sponsors for the year, dear friends Becky and Avi Katz and family in loving memory of David Grossman, Becky's father. לעילוי נשמת דוד בן מנחם מנדל leiluy nishmas Dovid ben Menachem Mendel. This morning's שיעור shiur is also sponsored by Lisa and Rabbi Dr. Yona Feldman of Plainview, New York in honor of their children. Thank you to the Feldmans, and by Gail Goldman, Joyce Sultan, and Ira Kosman, children of Samuel Kosman, שמואל בן ניסן Shmuel ben Nissan, on his memory and fifth יארצייט yahrzeit. He was an educator and a teacher and a community leader, and his נשמה neshama should have an עליה aliyah. His memory should be for a blessing. Thank you to our generous sponsors.Page 568 in the Artscroll Stone חומש Chumash, פרשת צו Parshas Tzav. We are in תורת כהנים Toras Kohanim. Last week we began to read the story of ויקרא Vayikra, the laws of the Jewish people as a ממלכת כהנים mamleches kohanim. And therefore, they're not esoteric, abstract, archaic, outdated laws for the כהנים kohanim, but we can extract from them lessons that are contemporary, lessons that we can apply in our lives each and every day.פרשת צו Parshas Tzav begins וידבר ה' אל משה לאמר Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe leimor, God spoke to Moshe saying, צו את אהרן ואת בניו לאמר זאת תורת העולה היא העולה על מוקדה על המזבח כל הלילה עד הבקר Tzav es Aharon v'es banav leimor, zos toras ha'olah, hi ha'olah al mokda al hamizbeach kol halaila ad haboker, ואש המזבח תוקד בו v'eish hamizbeach tukad bo. This is the law of the קרבן עולה korban olah. The קרבן עולה korban olah was an elevation offering. The כהנים kohanim did not consume, the owner of the קרבן korban did not eat any part of it. It burned on the altar overnight. The entire animal was offered to God and was consumed by the מזבח mizbeach. So it sat על מוקדה al mokda, on the fire, על המזבח al hamizbeach, on the altar, כל הלילה kol halaila, the entire night, עד הבקר ad haboker, until the morning. ואש המזבח תוקד בו V'eish hamizbeach tukad bo, and the fire, the flame of the altar, תוקד בו tukad bo, had to remain lit, had to remain burning in it.We begin with a comment of Rav Druck. We're still in the אש תמיד eish tamid. Now you understand, this is the פרשה parsha. He names a set of ספרים sefarim on פרשה parsha, אש תמיד eish tamid, from פרשת צו Parshas Tzav, the אש תמיד eish tamid, the fire that is consistent, continual, the fire that used to burn on top of the מזבח mizbeach. That's our mission. We have to be on fire. And we have to be on fire not only in intervals, we have to be on fire not only occasionally, but our mission, our mandate, is to always be on fire, passionate, enthused, energized, and excited by Torah and what it teaches.So Rav Druck says the following. He begins with רש\"י Rashi. רש\"י Rashi on this פסוק pasuk, צו את אהרן ואת בניו לאמר tzav es Aharon v'es banav leimor. רש\"י Rashi says, צו את אהרן tzav es Aharon, command Aaron. אין צו אלא לשון זרוז מיד ולדורות Ein tzav ela leshon zeiruz miyad u'ledoros. That word צו tzav is unusual. Usually the Torah says דבר daber, אמור emor, ואמרת v'amarta. Moshe, your job is to transmit, your job is to communicate, your job are to teach these lessons and ideas. Why does it say צו tzav, to command? So Rashi tells us, according to חז\"ל Chazal, צו tzav is לשון זרוז leshon zeiruz, to act with alacrity and with zeal, don't procrastinate and don't be lazy and don't turn these מצוה mitzva opportunities into חמץ chametz. So number one is זרוז zeiruz. מיד miyad, immediately. Don't delay, don't push off, don't do it later. ולדורות u'ledoros, in perpetuity, for generations. אמר רבי שמעון בר יוסף צריך הכתוב לזרז במקום שיש בו חסרון כיס Amar Rabbi Shimon bar Yosef, tzarich hakasuv lezarez b'makom sheyesh bo chisaron kis. Why specifically here in קרבנות korbanos, why specifically here with the קרבן עולה korban olah, does the Torah need to go out of its way and say לשון צו leshon tzav, do it immediately and do it with enthusiasm, and do it in a way which will last and which will inspire generations? Because, says Rashi, there's a חסרון כיס chisaron kis. There's a loss the כהנים kohanim have. We've discussed in years past, what is that loss? What is the חסרון כיס chisaron kis? What are the כהנים kohanim forfeiting, what are they losing out on, so much so that they have to be told, don't focus on what you're losing out, don't focus on what you're forfeiting, focus on the opportunity and do it with zeal, do it with enthusiasm, do it with alacrity.So in previous years we talked about that other offerings are consumed, they're shared with the כהנים kohanim. Delicious barbecue, meat, they get to go home with some פלייש fleish. Here the entire animal is consumed on the altar. The כהנים kohanim don't get a share, they don't get to enjoy any part of it, and therefore they might have acted with a little delay, they might have procrastinated. That's why they have to be told, don't hesitate, go all in.Says Rav Druck the following. בלשון הפסוק שנאמר צו את אהרן Bi'leshon hapasuk shene'emar tzav es Aharon, from the language of this פסוק pasuk, סמוך לפרשת קרבן עולה samuch leparshas korban olah, נראה כי הוא צריך להיות זיווג וזריזות במיוחד על קרבן עולה יותר משאר קרבנות nir'eh ki hu tzarich l'hiyos zivug u'zerizus b'miyuchad al korban olah yoser m'shaar korbanos. We don't see the word צו tzav with the חטאת chatas and the שלמים shlamim and the תודה todah and the other offerings of our פרשה parsha, we see it specifically in connection with the קרבן korban of the עולה olah. So what is it about the עולה olah that takes that extra level of zeal, that needs that extra little push? וּלְעֵיל פירשנו ule'el peirashnu, he says, we already explained. באמת בקרבן עולה אין כהנים נהנין כלל Be'emes bekorban olah ein kohanim nehenin klal. As we just mentioned, the כהנים kohanim don't get any part of, they don't get to participate in, the עולה olah is consumed on the altar. So the חסרון כיס chesron kis, they lose out. Their effort, their time, their resource, and they don't even walk away with any meal. אולם לפי הפירש אין מדובר בחסרון כיס של כהנים אלא של ציבור עדיין צריך ביאור Ulam lefi hapeirush ein medubar bechisaron kis shel kohanim ela shel tzibur, adayin tzarich bi'ur. However, says Rav Druck, there is another alternative explanation, that the חסרון כיס chisaron kis, the loss is not to the כהנים kohanim, but it is to the one for whom the קרבן korban is offered, the ציבור tzibur, it is for the community offering that קרבן עולה korban olah. So where did the ציבור tzibur lose out? What sacrifice, pun intended, I guess, but what sacrifice are they making? So Rav Druck quotes חידושי הרי\"ם Chidushei HaRim. The חידושי הרי\"ם Chidushei HaRim, the great Gerer Rebbe says, הנה לכל החושים של אדם יש כיסוי ושמירה עליהם Hinei lechol hachushim shel adam yesh kisui u'shmira aleihem. For every one of our senses, there is a covering, there is a filter to that sense. לאוזן יש תנוך האוזן L'ozen yesh tenuch ha'ozen. The ear has the earlobe, the ear has that which filters on the entrance of the ear. ללשון יש את השפתיים שיכול לחסום את פיו בעת הצורך L'lashon yesh es hasfatayim sheyachol lachsom es piv b'eis hatzorech. The tongue, the power of speech has the lips. We can close or seal our lips and not speak. לעיניים יש עפעפיים שיכול לעצום את עיניו כשירצה L'einayim yesh afapayim sheyachol la'atzom es einav k'sheyirtzeh. The eyes have eyelids. So you can, the גמרא Gemara says, why do we have an earlobe? In order to stick inside your ear when there's לשון הרע lashon hara, gossip, negative criticism, negativity, close off the hole, seal it off. Don't absorb it, don't receive it, don't take it in. None of us could use the negativity. If you're looking at an image which is bad for you, close. We have eyelids, close. Your tongue is tempted to say something, seal your lips, lock it, and throw away the key. Each of the senses have a filter, a cover, a seal. רק לדבר אחד אין כיסוי Rak l'davar echad ein kisuy. However, there's one sense that has no cover, and that is המחשבה hamachshava, our thoughts. אין לאדם שליטה על מחשבותיו ובדרך כלל אינו יכול לחסום אותם Ein l'adam shlita al machshevosav u'vederech klal eino yachol lachsom osam. A person doesn't have complete control over their thoughts. There are people who struggle to fall asleep at night. I'm sleeping before my head even hits the pillow. I'm exhausted. But there are people who lie in bed awake because their thoughts constantly spinning, the wheel is constantly moving, they're constantly perseverating on what was, what will be, what is, how will it work out, and the anxiety and the worry and the concern, the review, the nostalgia, the thought. So people whose thoughts can control them. There's no lid, there's no seal, there's no filter, there's no on-off switch to the thoughts. ולכן אף אם בכוחו של אדם לשמור עצמו ממעשים רעים דיבורים אסורים V'lachen af im b'kocho shel adam lishmor atzmo m'maasim raim, diburim asurim, even if a person can successfully engage a filter, not to say things which shouldn't be said, not to listen to things that shouldn't be listened to, not to look at things that shouldn't be looked at, אבל מהרהורים רעים קשה מאוד להינצל ולהימנע aval me'hirhurim raim kashe me'od l'hinatzel u'lehimane'a. However, when it comes to our thought, our fantasy, our lust, our desire, our distractions, it is incredibly challenging not to give in and not to lose ourselves. אלא אם ירגיל עצמו ביותר להרהר בדברי קדושה ומצוה Ela im yargil atzmo b'yoser l'harher b'divrei kedusha u'mitzva. אבל לאדם הפשוט קשה לו להינצל מהרהורי עבירה בכל יום Aval l'adam hapashut kasheh lo lehinatzel mehirhurei aveira b'chol yom. We can change our thoughts, we can redirect our thoughts, we can meditate and we can try to control them, but in the end of the day, it's very, very, very challenging. וְהִנֵּה מוּבָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ v'hinei muva ba'midrash, a מדרש midrash in ויקרא רבה Vayikra Rabbah, a ירושלמי Yerushalmi in יומא Yoma. לא עלה אלא על הרהורי הלב lo olah ela al hirhurei haleiv. Each of the sacrifices atoned, they came in order to repair the damage of a certain עבירה aveira, a certain mistake, certain poor judgment. The קרבן עולה korban olah, the elevation offering, what did it atone for? What did it atone for? הרהורי הלב hirhurei haleiv. The person who had the wrong fantasy, the wrong thought, the wrong temptation. A person who allowed themselves to marinate and perseverate in their thoughts. They need atonement. Ah, there's no action. Person didn't act on those thoughts, didn't follow up on that fantasy, on that urge. Still, the thought itself, indulging the fantasy, indulging the distraction, indulging the desire, itself needs atonement, needs repair, it needs addressing. And that's what the חידושי הרי\"ם Chidushei HaRim, the great Gerer Rebbe says. כיוון שאין העולה מכפרת אלא על הרהורי הלב Kevan she'ein ha'olah mechaperes ela al hirhurei haleiv, since the קרבן עולה korban olah here does not come to repair or atone for a particular deed or action, but for a whole process of indulging inappropriate thoughts, הרי בהרהורים רעים בנקל אפשר להיכשל בהם אחר שאין להם שמירה ושליטה עליהם harei behirhurim raim b'nakal efshar l'hikashel bahem achar she'ein lahem shmira u'shlita aleihem. That is where we can fall prey the easiest. Between the urge and the action, there's a delay, but when the urge is the thought, then we lose ourselves. Sometimes we're not even aware that we're daydreaming, that we're fantasizing, that we're thinking, that we're indulging in that desirous thought. That's incredibly challenging. It's the hardest. There's no lid, there's no cover, there's no filter, unlike the eyes, the ears, and the mouth. אם כן, עולה אדם מחויב פעמים רבות בקרבן עולה Im kein, olah adam mechuyav pa'amim rabos b'korban olah. So a person will find themselves revisiting the obligation for a קרבן עולה korban olah often. Since it's the most difficult to avoid, to prevent, to be able to regulate, one will find themselves revisiting it often. בזה הוא החסרון כיס b'zeh hu hachisaron kis. So the fact that you have to keep coming back to bring the next קרבן עולה korban olah, why? Because you indulge those fantasy, the thought, the desire, the distraction. That's the חסרון כיס chisaron kis. It wasn't cheap, it was not inexpensive to get an animal, to go to the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash, to have it offered and not even to walk away with any of its meat, not to walk away with any of its product, was an enormous expense. So if it was an enormous expense you did once in a lifetime, once a decade, maybe once a year, says Rav Druck, maybe the חסרון כיס chisaron kis, the great expense is, it is the easiest to violate and an expensive proposition, and that is costly. בכך יצטרך להביא פעמים רבות, על כן אצל קרבן עולה צריך זרוז במיוחד Bechach yitztarech l'havi pa'amim rabos, al ken etzel korban olah tzarich zeiruz b'miyuchad. And because it's expensive, and because it's, oh, here we go again, another עולה olah, I made the mistake again, I indulged those thoughts again. I've got to address them and repair them again. That's why we need לשון צו leshon tzav, we need the language of, do it with alacrity, do it with zeal, do it with enthusiasm, do it with, do it with desire. Number one.Number two, the הר צבי Har Tzvi, former chief rabbi of ירושלים Yerushalayim, Rav צבי פסח פרנק Tzvi Pesach Frank, זצ\"ל zatzal, the great הר צבי Har Tzvi. So the הר צבי Har Tzvi says, why do we have the double language? זאת תורת העולה zos toras ha'olah, these are the laws of the עולה olah, היא העולה על מוקדה על המזבח כל הלילה hi ha'olah al mokda al hamizbeach kol halaila. It is the law, this is the פסוק ב' pasuk beis, by the way, we didn't read it. פסוק ב' pasuk beis. We did read it. This is פסוק ב' pasuk beis that we read. These are the laws of the עולה olah, that's the עולה olah that went on the fire, on the altar the entire night. Why כפל לשון keifel lashon, why the double language? This is the law of the עולה olah, the law of the עולה olah. So says Rav צבי פסח Tzvi Pesach Frank, the הר צבי Har Tzvi the following. חז\"ל Chazal teach us, a גמרא Gemara in מנחות קי Menachos kuf yud. כל העוסק בתורת עולה כאילו הקריב עולה Kol ha'osek b'toras olah ke'ilu hikriv olah. Whoever occupies themselves with the study and with the learning of these laws, it is as if they offered that sacrifice. We don't have a temple, we don't have a בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash today. We are precluded, we are deprived, we are denied the opportunity to come to ירושלים Yerushalayim and to ascend to the holy temple and to bring these sacrifices, whose result will be our feeling of drawn close to God. We don't have it. What is the closest we could come, say our rabbis? כל העוסק בתורה Kol ha'osek b'torah, if we learn, if we study. חפץ חיים Chofetz Chaim writes about this. In his introduction to קדשים Kodshim, the חפץ חיים Chofetz Chaim writes how a person has to not avoid the מסכתות masechtos, the sections and areas of Torah that we feel are unrelatable, that we don't connect with, because we don't apply them, they're not familiar, but they need extra study, because דוקא davka the things we can't do, when we study about them, it's as if we're doing them. So says the הר צבי Har Tzvi, now we understand. Not only do you fulfill as if you do them when you study them, there's a מעלה ma'alah, there's in fact a preference, there's a benefit. What? The קרבן korban can only be brought during a specific time, but you can learn about the קרבן korban any time. You can learn about the קרבן korban all day and all night. So therefore, to a certain degree, when you study and when you learn about the קרבן korban, it's an even greater opportunity than when you bring the קרבן korban itself. Says the הר צבי Har Tzvi, that's what the Torah means. זאת תורת העולה Zos toras ha'olah, the Torah of the עולה olah, learning about the עולה olah, היא העולה hi ha'olah, it is even better, it has a, it has a benefit greater than the offering of the עולה olah itself, namely, that you can study at any time. You're not limited by a place, and you're not limited by a time. You can open up the חומש chumash, פרשת צו Parshas Tzav, you can study about the עולה olah any time, anywhere, and therefore that is a benefit of studying about the עולה olah even above bringing the עולה olah. And that's what it means, homiletically. זאת תורת העולה Zos toras ha'olah, studying the Torah, the law of the עולה olah, היא העולה hi ha'olah, is even greater than the bringing of the עולה olah. It doesn't mean we don't long for the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash. Of course, the ideal is the offering of the sacrifice itself, but lest we be too bothered or disturbed, recognize there is an even greater benefit of studying the Torah, the law of the עולה olah.The בעל הפלאה Ba'al Hafla'ah explained, the בעל הפלאה Ba'al Hafla'ah in his פנים יפות Panim Yafos, says the following. The מדרש Midrash here in ויקרא רבה Vayikra Rabbah on this פסוק pasuk says אמר רבי לוי Amar Rabbi Levi, כל המזגה אינו נידון אלא באש Kol hamizgah eino nidon ela b'eish, שנאמר shene'emar, היא העולה על מוקדה hi ha'olah al mokda. Whoever's arrogant, whoever's has an inflated ego, whoever thinks they're superior, they're greater, they're better, אינו נידון אלא בגיהנום של אש eino nidon ela be'Gehinom shel eish. That person will be judged, that person will be held accountable by the punishment of fire. Where do we learn that from? Our פסוק pasuk, היא העולה על מוקדה hi ha'olah al mokda, because the עולה olah was brought on the fire. So a person who's arrogant, who has an inflated ego, who thinks they're better or superior, the only antidote, the repair for them is on the fire. You see that fire will be what's necessary. To a certain degree, very simply, we can understand that fire is what kasher's, fire is what purges, fire is what removes a contaminant that had previously been absorbed. So my ego, my arrogance made me absorb all kinds of thoughts and judgments that are wrong. How do we get it out? With the fire of אש eish.The בעל הפלאה Ba'al Hafla'ah says differently. The גמרא Gemara in סנהדרין דף צב Sanhedrin daf tzadi beis tells us, why was man created as the final act of creation? We have six days of creation, the heavens and the earth, and each day God creates the creepy crawlies and the birds and the fish and the vegetation and he creates everything. On the sixth day, the final act of creation is, women like to say it's woman because she was created and extracted out of man. But the final act is this androgynous figure, which is the combination of man and woman together, אדם הראשון Adam Harishon, the original man, is the ultimate act of creation, and that's why the creation goes in the order of sophistication. Man is last because man is to a certain degree, or we are to think of man as being best. Says the בעל הפלאה Ba'al Hafla'ah, that's exactly where the ego comes from. When man thinks I am superior, I am better than all other creation. They're all here to serve me, then a person can get arrogant. But there's one last thing that was created after man. On מוצאי שבת Motzei Shabbos we commemorate it each and every week when we recite הבדלה Havdalah. What was created on מוצאי שבת Motzei Shabbos? What did man first discover for the first time on מוצאי שבת Motzei Shabbos? Man discovered fire, power of fire, the gift, the blessing of fire. Fire illuminates, fire brings energy, fire brings warmth, fire can also consume and destroy, it's double edge. But fire is a great gift, fire was a great discovery, fire is the ultimate creation. Says the הפלאה Hafla'ah, that's what's going on. What does it mean כל המזגה kol hamizgah, anyone who becomes arrogant, אינו נידון אלא באש eino nidon ela b'eish, will be judged by fire. It means lest you think you're so great, you're so arrogant, you're so superior, the last creation, no, there's one more creation after you, and you will be held accountable, you will be judged by that last creation, the fire that came when on מוצאי שבת Motzei Shabbos on Saturday night.Okay, back to Rav Druck. Next piece in Rav Druck says the following. Next piece of Rav Druck. The מדרש Midrash of ויקרא רבה Vayikra Rabbah on our פסוקים psukim. צו את אהרן ואת בניו Tzav es Aharon v'es banav, command Aaron and his children, these are the laws of the עולה olah, the עולה olah that sits on the fire, on the altar, all night until the morning, the fire must remain. והכהן ילבש מדו בד ומכנסי בד ילבש על בשרו V'hakohein yilbash mido vad u'michnasei vad yilbash al besaro. The כהן kohein changes his clothing, he puts on a linen tunic and he puts the linen pants on his flesh, and what does he go to do? והרים את הדשן V'heirim es hadeshen, he removes the ash, he removes the pile that had burned the entire night before, אשר תאכל האש את העולה על המזבח ושמו אצל המזבח asher tochal ha'eish es ha'olah al hamizbeach v'samo eitzel hamizbeach. He takes the pile of ash that had been from the עולה olah that sat burning, being consumed on the altar all night long, and he places it next to the altar. We're not going to review one of my favorite דברי תורה divrei Torah of Rav Hirsch, why does the כהן kohein have to change their clothing? It says an עבודה avodah, it's an act of service. It seems very pedestrian, very mundane, taking out the garbage. There's a holiness, a sanctity to it? Why does he have to change his clothing, בגדי כהונה bigdei kehuna? And why does he first put it next to the altar and only then remove it? Imagine you're taking out the garbage in your home, you're taking out the trash, and you have a ritual, on the way out when taking out the trash, you stop and pause to put it next to your front door and only then do you take it out? What kind of a ritual, how bizarre is that? You're taking out the garbage, take it right to the garbage, take it right to the curb. Why did the כהן kohein stop to put it down? I'll tell you the questions, I'm not going to tell you the answer. It's a beautiful Rav Hirsch, you can listen to previous years, I love that Rav Hirsch. But the מדרש midrash of ויקרא רבה Vayikra Rabbah says the following. מתחילת הספר ועד כאן כתיב ואכלו בני אהרן וזרקו בני אהרן ונתנו בני אהרן Mi'tchilas hasefer v'ad kan ksiv, v'achlu bnei Aharon, v'zarku bnei Aharon, v'nasnu bnei Aharon. From the beginning of ספר ויקרא Sefer Vayikra until now, the whole beginning of ויקרא Vayikra talks about, command the children of Aaron, the children of Aaron, the children of Aaron. אמר משה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא Amar Moshe lifnei HaKadosh Baruch Hu, הבושנים מניח חביב ממני שאתה חולק לו כבוד בשביל בניו HaBoris no'ah chaviv mimeni she'ata cholek lo kavod bishvil banav... כל העצים כשרים למערכה חוץ משל זית ושל גפן Kol ha'eitzim ksheirim la'ma'aracha chutz mi'shel zayis v'shel gefen. ולאהרן אי אתה חולק לו כבוד בשביל בניו U'l'Aharon ein ata cholek lo kavod bishvil banav? Why don't we mention Aaron? We keep mentioning בני אהרן bnei Aharon, the children of Aaron, what about Aaron? אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא חייך בשבילך אני מקרבו ולא עוד אלא שאני עושה אותו עיקר ובניו תפלים Amar lo HaKadosh Baruch Hu, chayecha, bishvilcha ani mekarvo v'lo od ela she'ani oseh oso ikar u'vanav tfeilim. Because of you, I'm drawing Aaron close, Hashem tells Moshe, and moreover, don't worry, Aaron will get his spotlight when? Beginning of פרשת צו Parshas Tzav. צו את אהרן ואת בניו Tzav es Aharon v'es banav. His בניו banav, his children will be secondary, Aaron is primary. Where and when is Aaron primary? The beginning of פרשת צו Parshas Tzav.So wonders Rav Druck, so takka, why did it take them until now? Why in פרשת ויקרא Parshas Vayikra, why in the beginning of ספר ויקרא Sefer Vayikra, do we not have Aaron addressed directly? Why is it first directed to Aaron's children? ובכל סדר עבודת התורה מצווה רק את בני אהרן u'v'chol seder avodas haTorah mitzveh rak es bnei Aharon, and here it's Aaron. עוד שבפרשת ויקרא מדובר בעיקר עבודת הקרבנות עצמם Od she'b'parshas Vayikra medubar b'ikar avodas hakorbanos atzmam. The beginning of ויקרא Vayikra we're talking about the sacrifices themselves, ושם לא מוזכר אהרן עצמו v'sham lo muzkar Aharon atzmo. And specifically there where we are delineating the sacrifices themselves, we don't mention Aaron directly alone. And now when we're talking about taking out the garbage, now we mention Aaron, now Aaron gets invoked? What's going on? ובכלל יש לעיין בעיקר עבודה זו של תרומת הדשן u'v'chlal yesh la'ayein b'ikar avodah zu shel trumas hadeshen, and the questions we just asked. Taking out the garbage? Why is that a holy endeavor? What is the big deal? It should just be a necessary evil. Remove the garbage so that there's room on top of the altar for the next sacrifice. Good. Good. So what's going on? So listen to what Rav Druck says. He begins by quoting the חובות הלבבות Chovos Halevavos, רבינו בחיי אבן פקודה Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Pekudah in his שער הכניעה Sha'ar Hakni'ah, in his chapter having to do with modesty and humility and deference. ביאור עניין זה, פרק ו' אומר כדלהלן Bi'ur inyan zeh, perek vav omer k'delahalan. Says the following, quote, שיכנע לפני הבורא ויניח הגאוה והכבוד לבורא Sheyikana lifnei haBorei, v'yanich ha'gaava v'hakavod la'Borei. ויעזוב הגדולה והיקר והזריזות על נפשו בעת שהוא עושה לו יתברך v'ya'azov hagdula v'hayakar v'hazerizus al nafsho b'eis she'hu oseh lo Yisborach. A person has to defer, a person has to submit, a person has to surrender to the Almighty and to his great honor. Abandon your sense of greatness, abandon your sense of rights and entitlements, abandon that sense of ego, and take all that you have and all that you are and dedicate and devote it to the service of God and to molding and repairing this world in his image. בין לבדו בין מתוך קהלות בני אדם Bein l'vado, bein mitoch kehalos bnei adam. Whether you're by yourself and you're doing a מצוה mitzva alone and you're not doing it about you, but you're doing it about him, or if you're found among a great group. כמו שאמר הכתוב על אהרן הגדול במעלתו, והורהו לטהר את הדשן k'mo she'amar hakasuv al Aharon hagadol b'ma'alaso, v'horahu letahar es hadeshen. There רבינו בחיי Rabbeinu Bachya in חובות הלבבות Chovos Halevavos says, and where do we see an example of a great person with every right to say, do you know who I am? I am the high priest. I am Aaron. I'm the number two in the nation. I'm the older brother of Moshe. Do you have any clue who I am? I'm a prophet. Take out the garbage? It's beneath me. Are you crazy? So the Torah goes out of its way and it says, no. You know who takes out the garbage? We haven't addressed Aaron alone until now. We've been addressing the קרבנות korbanos, the great distinction and prominence of the sacrifices, that we've addressed to the children of Aaron. But now, the lowly, taking out the garbage, now we talk about, now we think about, now we invoke Aaron. שיקר עניין של עבודת תרומת הדשן she'ikar inyan shel avodas trumas hadeshen, that the core and the essence of the service of removing the garbage is to lower us, is to recognize there's nothing beneath us. There's nothing beneath me when it's לעשותו לכבוד שם יתברך la'asoso lichvod Shem Yisborach. When all that I'm doing is to honor God, there is nothing beneath me. מהשפיל אדם את עצמו ומעביר גאוה מלבו Mashpil adam es atzmo u'ma'avir ga'avah mi'libo. When it's all about you, you say, pick up the garbage, clean the toilet, turn off the light, lock the door. What are you talking about? I'm the CEO, I'm the president, I'm the rabbi. What are you talking about? I make the big donations, my name is in lights. Who do you think I am? I'm going to do those things? I would never lower myself to do those things. But when it's really all about the ריבונו של עולם Ribono shel Olam, it's about the Almighty, when it's about the cause, not about you, then there's nothing beneath you. There's nothing beneath you. There are countless biographies of great people who paused and stopped and picked up the garbage, who exemplified and taught and modeled for everyone around them, there is nothing beneath me, because when it comes to the community or the cause, when it comes to the effort, it's a noble destination, there's nothing I'm not willing to do. So therefore, specifically taking out the garbage, ooh, the great Aaron, the great Aaron, he was humble and he was modest and he was ready. שהכהנים הממונים על מלאכת הקודש Shehakohanim hamemunim al meleches hakodesh. You can imagine for the כהנים kohanim it would go to their head. They have this position of distinction. They don't have to go to work like everyone else, they're supported by the community so that they can lead and serve the community. Everyone else comes to the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash, the temple, they are spectators to the כהנים kohanim and the priests, they're the ones who get to do the עבודה avodah. You can imagine that goes to their head. You can imagine they could start to believe the hype. So therefore they're, they're given service that lowers, that humbles, that offers context and perspective. ולכן צריכים הכהנים לעסוק גם כן בעבודה של תרומת הדשן V'lachen tzrichim hakohanim la'asok gam kein ba'avodah shel trumas hadeshen. Take out the garbage, put on holy clothing, and realize that even taking out the garbage is a holy activity. I love to quote, in NASA, if you stop a janitor or custodian in NASA and you say, what do you do, they are trained to answer and to believe, I put man on the moon. I, what's my contribution? I'm not a scientist or an engineer, I don't work in the control room, but everybody who works there, the person who sends the space shuttle off, the pilot, to the one who empties the garbage, we put men on the moon. So להבדיל lehavdil, every one of us in the community have a mission, we have a charge, we are מרבה כבוד שמים marbeh k'vod Shamayim, we make a קידוש השם kiddush Hashem. Our mission is to increase godliness in this world, spirituality and sanctity in this world, and there's nothing beneath us. And if that's why we're in it, then we're willing to do whatever it takes for it, and there's nothing that is beneath us. And therefore we can understand דוקא כאן davka kan, writes Rav Druck, קודם הציווי על תרומת הדשן kodem hatzivui al trumas hadeshen, now we have Aaron and not בני אהרן bnei Aharon. בני אהרן Bnei Aharon, those are the קרבנות korbanos, those are the privileges. Taking out the garbage, lest you think that was beneath Aaron, what a lesson. There is nothing beneath anyone. Everyone should get their hands dirty. Everyone's ready to get involved. There's nothing that is beneath us when it's all about the cause and not about the כבוד kavod. It's about the cause and not about the כבוד kavod. When I speak to young rabbis, I tell them that what I try to do, what I aspire to be, and the people who I love and admire within the rabbinate, take what they do seriously, but never take themselves too seriously. Our job is to take what we do seriously, but not to take ourselves too seriously, because when we do, we get into trouble. That's when we believe the hype, believe the honor, we think things are beneath us, and that's the mistake that we make. So Rav Druck, I think very beautifully points out, again, this comment of the חובות הלבבות Chovos Halevavos, this comment of רבינו בחיי Rabbeinu Bachya, that why did we go from בני אהרן bnei Aharon throughout all of פרשת ויקרא Parshas Vayikra, we never mentioned Aaron alone once? And the first time we mention him alone is the תרומת הדשן trumas hadeshen, the taking out the garbage? Because this lesson of leadership, a lesson of humility, a lesson of nothing being beneath us, a willingness and an eagerness to get involved in everything and every opportunity. פרק ו', פסוק ה' Perek vav, pasuk hey. Back on page 568. ואש על המזבח תוקד בו V'eish al hamizbeach tukad bo לא תכבה lo sichbeh, וביער עליה הכהן עצים בבקר בבקר וערך עליה העולה והקטיר עליה חלבי השלמים u'vi'er aleha hakohein eitzim ba'boker ba'boker v'erach aleha ha'olah v'hiktir aleha chelvei ha'shlamim. I hope you notice I'm trying to read slower. My father told me, got to keep it at home. So when you read the text, read it a little bit slower for everybody. The fire on the altar should remain burning, לא תכבה lo sichbeh, don't allow it to extinguish, don't allow it to burn out. וביער עליה הכהן עצים בבקר בבקר U'vi'er aleha hakohein eitzim ba'boker ba'boker, the כהן kohein has to put new wood on, keep that fire going every morning, so that you can place the עולה olah on it and you can cause the fats of the peace offering to go up in smoke.Wonders the שפת אמת Sfas Emes. ואש על המזבח תוקד בו V'eish al hamizbeach tukad bo, the fire of the מזבח mizbeach should burn בו bo. The fire of the מזבח mizbeach should burn בו bo. What's the בו bo? תוקד בו tukad bo. תוקד בו tukad bo, בו bo means on it. What is the on it? What are the possibilities? תוקד בו Tukad bo, to burn on it, on it could mean on the altar, on it could mean in the כהן kohein. Says the שפת אמת Sfas Emes, the חידושי הרי\"ם Chidushei HaRim quotes from his father, the שפת אמת Sfas Emes, who says תוקד בו tukad bo, it should have said תוקד על המזבח tukad al hamizbeach. If it meant keep the fire burning on the altar, it should have said תוקד על המזבח tukad al hamizbeach. It doesn't. It says תוקד בו tukad bo. The בו bo is the כהן kohein. When we do an activity, you got to keep that fire burning, not in the fire, the fire burning in us. You light the שבת Shabbos candles, the יום טוב Yom Tov candles, you're not just lighting candles to keep that fire burning, but the goal is to keep that fire burning in us. The בו bo says the שפת אמת Sfas Emes, is a description of us. פרק ו', פסוק ו' Perek vav, pasuk vov. Moving right along. אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח לא תכבה Eish tamid tukad al hamizbeach lo sichbeh. Here is the obligation to have an אש תמיד eish tamid, the name of Rav Druck's ספר sefer, to keep a fire burning on the מזבח mizbeach תמיד tamid, always and regularly. Says the ירושלמי Yerushalmi in יומא Yoma, אש תמיד eish tamid, תמיד tamid, it should be burning regularly, אף בשבת af b'Shabbos. It has to burn even on Shabbos. תמיד Tamid, always, אף בטומאה af b'tumah, even when there's contamination and impurity, that fire has to burn. fire has got to keep going. לא תכבה אף במסעות Lo sichbeh af b'masa'os. It should never go out. It means that even when you're carrying the altar, even when you're transporting it, when the people travel between their destinations, the fire must remain lit. Comments of Druk. מבואר בירושלמי שהפסוק בא להשמיענו, כי האש היתה דולקת תמיד Mevo'ar b'Yerushalmi she'hapasuk ba l'hashmi'einu, ki ha'eish haysa dolekes tamid. The fire was always burning. ולא כבתה אפילו במסעות v'lo kavsa afilu b'masa'os, it never went out even when they were journeying. ובה פשטה כוונה u'ba pash'ta ha'kavanah that even while they traveled. But it's very I I would understand why on Shabbos it has to be burning because the משכן Mishkan is still, משכן Mishkan is still open for business. Even בטומאה b'tumah, when there's impurity, it still has to be burning, משכן Mishkan is still open for business. But while it's being transported, wonders Rav Druk, what does the ירושלמי Yerushalmi in יומא Yuma mean that the fire has to burn even while you're between destinations, even while the, while the altar and the whole משכן Mishkan are journeying and are being transported. And he has a beautiful, beautiful insight.The near the, I want to give you a few more on the חומש Chumash and then I'm going to share with you the אמרי חיים Imrei Chaim's יארצייט yahrzeit was yesterday. We'll do a few אמרי חיים Imrei Chaim on the הגדה Haggadah. It's ערב פסח Erev Pesach too, so we'll give you a little פרשת צו Parshas Tzav. I'll also throw in some bonus הגדה Haggadah material, maybe even a little שבת הגדול Shabbos HaGadol. We'll see. So says Rav Druk, what's this notion that the fire burns even during the journeys, even during the travels? ונראה לפרש על פי יסוד גדול V'nireh l'fareish al pi yesod gadol. There's a core foundational value. That כל אדם חי את שגרת חייו במצבו בביתו ובמקומו הטבעי, בדרך כלל אפשר לומר שהוא מחוסן מנסיונות גדולים ומסכנה של סטיה מדרך הישר kol adam chai et shigras chayav b'matzavo b'veiso u'vimkomo ha'tivi, b'derech klal efshar lomar shehu mechusan m'nisyonos gedolim u'misakana shel stiyah miderech hayashar. We are creatures of habit. And if we can form the right habits, says Rav Druk, then when we are in our normal habitat, when we are in our normal neighborhood, when in our normal context and community, we simply keep up those good habits and we're good to go. I've got my מנין minyan, I've got my מקום קבוע makom kavua, I've got my דף יומי Daf Yomi, I've got my חסד chesed I volunteer for. I have my friends who bring out the best in me. I have my normal environment and my normal environment enables and empowers and allows me to live my best self without too much complication. כי הוא חי ומתנהג כפי מורגל אצלו ללא עליות ומורדות קיצוניים Ki hu chai u'misnaheg k'fi muragal etzlo l'lo aliyos u'mordos kitzoniyim. There are not external forces and variables, though every one of us are in the roller coaster called life. But if I'm in my normal habitat and environment, I can be my creature of habit and go through my routines, and those routines are very effective in helping me do the right thing. But what happens, says Rav Druk? כאשר יוצא אדם ממקומו הטבעי והולך למסע כלשהו Ka'asher yotzei adam mimkomo ha'tivi v'holeich l'masa kolshehu. What happens when you're on a vacation, when you're on a business trip? What happens when a pandemic interrupts and disrupts? What happens when God forbid an illness or God forbid some natural event or disaster knocks us off course? ולדרך אשר איננו מורגל בו U'l'derech asher einenu murgal bo. And now we're on a journey. Now we're on a trip, now we're traveling. We're out of our normal habitat and environment. And now we're going somewhere else. שם במקום שאין איש מכירו Sham b'makom she'ein ish makiro. We're in a place where nobody recognizes us, and there are no reinforcements, and there may not be a מנין minyan, and there's not necessarily a דף יומי Daf Yomi. עלולים לתקפו נסיונות שלא נתקל בהם במקומו הרגיל Alulim l'tokfo nisyonos shelo nitkal bahem b'mkomo ha'ragil. Now we're going to encounter challenges. Now we're going to encounter tests that we didn't have to endure in our normal place. ובזאת יבחן האדם אם עומד בצדקו או שמא נופל חלילה לבאר שחת U'v'zos yivchan ha'adam im omed b'tzidko o shema nofel chalilah l've'er shachas. And those are the moments of the true test. Who are you when you're home? You have a normal routine. But who are you when you're on the road? That is the test. That the proof is in the pudding. When you're on the road, do you still make an effort to find a מנין minyan? When you're on the road, do you still do the noble deeds and behave in the correct way? When you're on the road, are you still a proud Jew making a קידוש השם Kiddush Hashem? When you're out of your environment and you're on the road, that is the rubber meeting the road of the proof and the evidence of who you really are. בזה יש לפרש בדרך רמז את הפסוק בתהילים B'zeh yesh l'fareish b'derech remez es ha'pasuk b'Tehillim. So Rav Druk, with this we can understand a verse in Tehillim. אשרי כל ירא ה׳ ההולך בדרכיו Ashrei kol yerei Hashem haholeich b'drachav. Praiseworthy is the person who's God-fearing, who walks on their way. כלומר Klomar, it's in פרק קכ״ח Perek Kuf Chaf Ches. It's in chapter 128 of Tehillim. כלומר ירא ה׳ אמיתי Klomar yerei Hashem amiti, who is the true God-fearing? הוא שירא את ה׳ גם כאשר הולך הוא בדרכיו Hu she'yerei es Hashem gam ka'asher holeich hu b'drachav. What are you watching in that hotel room? What are you watching on the way? Where do you eat? What do you think about? Where do you go? What time do you make for a noble activity? אם גם אז עומד בצדקו ואינו נופל בנסיונות שמציב לו הדרך Im gam az omed b'tzidko v'eino nofel b'nisyonos shematziv lo ha'derech. Do you persevere? Do you rise up? Do you still stretch and strive to be your best? Then you're called a ירא השם yerei Hashem. על דרך זה נוכל לפרש עוד את הפסוק Al derech zeh nuchal l'fareish od es ha'pasuk. Furthermore, we can understand another pasuk. אשרי תמימי דרך ההולכים בתורת ה׳ Ashrei temimei derech haholchim b'soras Hashem. Praiseworthy, fortunate are the pure of the path who walk in the Torah of Hashem. Again, the idea that when is the greatest evidence, affirmation of who we are, what we believe, how we want to behave, when we are not in our normal routine, when we are broken, when we are disrupted from our routine, can we persevere nonetheless? מעתה יש להבין ולפרש את דברי הירושלמי Me'ata yesh l'havin u'l'fareish es divrei ha'Yerushalmi. So now you can understand. אפילו במסעות Afilu b'masa'os, that fire has to burn. The fire on the altar can't go out. Even בּשבת b'Shabbos, and even בטומאה b'tumah, okay I understand. But the fire on the altar also can't go out במסעות b'masa'os when you leave your environment. That fire has to burn. You don't say I'm on fire when I'm home and I have my routine. I'm on fire when I have my reinforcements. I'm on fire when I have my regular people around me, but when I go on the road, what can I do? What's what choice do I have? I just try to get by with the bare minimum. No. The fire must burn. אש תמיד תוקד Eish tamid tukad, אפילו במסעות afilu b'masa'os, even when you're out and about, even when you are on the road, even when you are disrupted. I would add to Rav Druk, humbly, that the notion of במסעות b'masa'os, even when you're journeying, can also be when you're home. This entire year for us has been a year of abnormal, a year of disruption. It's been an entire year of not being allowed to do our normal routine. And there are some, there are many who have yet to become adjusted again. Some people lost, I'll give you an example. I just read an article that suggests we should all adopt what was the equivalent of the time it took us to get to work. The, uh, what do you call that? My commute. Everybody should adopt voluntarily, go for a walk every morning and at the end of your day for the equivalent of your commute. Why? Because the commute's a very healthy thing. For some that's when they're listening to this Parsha shiur. They haven't heard a Parsha shiur in a whole year because they haven't had to commute anywhere. For some people that's when they make phone calls and check in on people they love. For some people that's when they can meditate, reflect, and have a conversation with the Almighty, practice some התבודדות hisbodedus. So for a whole year, how many people have lost a commute and lost as much as we complained about the commute, the opportunity the commute presents. And so you can be knocked out of a routine. This this insight, אפילו במסעות afilu b'masa'os, being on fire even in the journey can be even while you are home. When knocked out of a routine, when disrupted from the patterns that we've made for ourselves that support ourselves, we have to try to find a way to be on fire nonetheless, to keep that fire going.Okay. פרק ו פסוק י״ד-זיין Perek Vav, Pasuk Yud-Zayin. Moving along. Now to the next קרבן korban. וידבר ה׳ אל משה לאמר דבר אל אהרן ואל בניו לאמר Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe leimor, daber el Aharon v'el banav leimor. זאת תורת החטאת Zos toras ha'chatas. The next korban is the sin offering. A קרבן חטאת korban chatas, a person makes a mistake בשוגג b'shogeg, they violate a prohibition of the Torah, and they did it accidentally, mindlessly. They have to bring a קרבן חטאת korban chatas. Where is it brought? The pasuk tells us, page 572. במקום אשר תשחט העולה תשחט החטאת לפני ה׳ קדש קדשים היא Bimkom asher tishachet ha'olah tishachet ha'chatas lifnei Hashem kodesh kadashim hi. In the same place where the עולה olah was offered, that's where the חטאת chatas is offered. קדש קדשים היא Kodesh kadashim hi. It is קדש קדשים kodesh kadashim. So says Rabbeinu Bachya here, במקום אשר תשחט העולה תשחט החטאת bimkom asher tishachet ha'olah tishachet ha'chatas. So the שחיטה shechita, the עולה olah is brought where, the שחיטה shechita, the slaughtering of the קרבן עולה korban olah is done בצפון b'tzafon, in the north of the altar. And it comes for הרהור הלב hirhur haleiv. We spoke about that the קרבן עולה korban olah repairs, it atones for the damage done through fantasy, through thought, through indulging distraction, desire. And וכדי שלא יבוש החוטא הזהיר הפסוק כי קרבן חטאת הבא על חטא מעשה שישחט באותו מקום עצמו שהעולה נשחטת כדי שלא ירגישו בני אדם בזה שמביא קרבנו אם חטא בהרהור או במעשה v'chedei shelo yevosh ha'choteh hizhir ha'pasuk ki korban chatas haba al cheit ma'aseh she'yishachet b'oso makom atzmo she'ha'olah nishchetes kedei shelo yirgishu bnei adam b'zeh she'meivi korbano im chata b'hirhur o v'ma'aseh. Rabbeinu Bachya, it's Rabbeinu Bachya David. Rabbeinu Bachya's got a great insight. Why are they offered in the same place? The קרבן עולה korban olah and the קרבן חטאת korban chatas? Why are they associated with being offered in the same place? Because just think about it for a moment. The עולה olah was offered for internal thoughts, desires, distractions. The חטאת chatas was offered for action. So if you saw someone else online to bring the קרבן korban where the שחיטה shechita happened בצפון b'tzafon, in the north, you didn't know whether they were atoning for an act or a thought, and that person was saved from humiliation and embarrassment. You didn't know, did they just think the wrong thing or did they do the wrong thing? And because you didn't know, the individual was spared from a sense of shame, from a sense of embarrassment, and that was therefore by design in the, in the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash, in the משכן Mishkan, in that, in that way.Why do we associate the תורת חטאת toras chatas with the עולה olah? Just say זאת תורת החטאת שחיטתה בצפון zos toras ha'chatas, shechitasa b'tzafon. This is the law of the slaughtering of the חטאת chatas. Where is it done? In the north of the altar. Why do we have to invoke and associate it just like the עולה olah is there, so too is the חטאת chatas? And that's what Rabbeinu Bachya is saying, it's by design so that spectator wouldn't know why they're there, and it would save the person a sense of embarrassment. Okay. We're moving along. Oh.פיגול Pigul. פרק ז׳ פסוק י״ח Perek Zayin, Pasuk Yud Ches. Page 576. ואם האכול יאכל מבשר זבח שלמיו ביום השלישי לא ירצה המקריב אותו לא יחשב לו פיגול יהיה והנפש האוכלת ממנו עוונה תשא V'im hei'achol yei'achel mibsar zevach shlamav bayom ha'shlishi lo yeiratzeh ha'makriv oso lo yeichashev lo pigul yiheyeh, v'hanefesh ha'ocheles mimenu avona sisa. If some of the flesh of some of the meat of the peace offering of the שלמים shlamim was intended to be eaten on the third day, it's not acceptable. פיגול Pigul means that while, it's a big discussion in the גמרא Gemara, we just had it at the end of פסחים Pesachim for the דף יומי Daf Yomi. פיגול Pigul means you had erroneous thoughts while you were bringing the sacrifice. Depends when, is it in the moment of שחיטה shechita, in the moment of זריקה zerikah, but in some part of while bringing the sacrifice, you thought the wrong thing. You thought I'm going to eat it in the wrong place at the wrong time. So now you have violated the law of the קרבן korban, you had the wrong thought in terms of how it should be executed, pun intended again. And therefore פיגול pigul, it invalidates the קרבן korban. It invalidates the קרבן korban. Rashi there quotes, במחשב בשחיטה לאכלו b'machshev b'shchita l'ochlo. It means that you were thinking during שחיטה shechita that you'll eat it on the third day, which it's ineligible to eat it then. Since it's ineligible to eat it then, it was the wrong and an extraneous thought, and therefore it invalidates the entire thing. Rav Druk wonders, our last year's Rav Druk of the day, Rav Druk wonders, since when does a thought invalidate? Shouldn't we just care about the action? You got it right. You made it to the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash, you made it to the temple. And you spent a lot of money, you got the animal. And they took the animal and it was slaughtered. And you collect the blood and it's sprinkled. And you do everything to a T. Everything accurately, diligently, everything correctly. So who cares what's going on in your head? Who cares if not only did you have no thought, you had the wrong thought. But so what? My wife asked me to take out the garbage. And while taking out the garbage, I wasn't thinking about, well the garbage day is tomorrow, and the garbage belongs in the on the uh, on the curb right now, so they'll pick up the garbage correctly. Or that this act will bring me close to my wife. She wants me to do it. I don't really feel like doing it, but if she wants me to do it, it's going to bring me closer. Instead, I was thinking all about, I can't wait for vacation after Pesach to relax and sleep. My mind went somewhere else. So in the end of the day, did the garbage make it to the curb or not? In the end of the day, was the korban offered or not? Who cares about the thought that happened in the meantime? So Rav Druk says, in order to answer this, you have to understand the Ramban. The Ramban in last week's parsha talks about יסוד טעם הקרבנות yesod ta'am ha'karbanos, the reason for the korbanos. And the reason for the korbanos is symbolism. The word korban comes from the word קרוב karov. We're trying to draw close to God. And it's all about the intent, and it's all about the mindfulness. I'm taking the animal in me and slaughtering it to you, God. God, there's an animal impulse and animal desire in me. When I bring the sacrifice, I am sacrificing the animal in me to you. When I sprinkle the blood, I'm sprinkling, I'm redirecting my passions to you. When I burn the fats, I am burning, I am destroying my indulgences in me so I can better serve you. The whole system, the whole way the korban works is it's all about mindfulness, thoughtfulness, symbolism, intent. So that's why we have a rule called פיגול pigul here. Because specifically in an act that is connected to a relationship, thoughts matter. If you had the wrong thought, if you had a violating thought, if you had an extraneous thought, if you had the no thought, then you have in fact compromised the act. We measure, in the context of a relationship, we don't just measure the act by the result, but we measure the act by the intent within the act. Let's say you had the right result, but you did it by accident altogether. You didn't even plan it. Do you get credit for it? No, it was an accident. So you see that it's not only about the act, it's also about the intent that goes in as well. I wanted to share one insight from the Rav, but I don't want to run out of time. I just want to remain use our little time remaining to give you a few insights on the הגדה Haggadah. After all, this is ערב פסח Erev Pesach as well, and yesterday was the יארצייט yahrzeit of the הייליגע אמרי חיים heilige Imrei Chaim, the great אמרי חיים Imrei Chaim of ויז'ניץ Vizhnitz, the ויז'ניצער רבה Vizhnitzer Rebbe. You know that one of my favorites, I share with you the ויז'ניצער רבה Vizhnitzer Rebbe often because I find his insights very succinct, very short, but very beautiful and very inspiring. I love the הייליגע ויז'ניצער רבה heilige Vizhnitzer Rebbe. So his yahrzeit was just yesterday, the אמרי חיים Imrei Chaim. He says the following. Number one, the גמרא Gemara in ראש השנה Rosh Hashanah tells us that in anticipation of a holiday, חייב אדם לטהר את עצמו ברגל chayav adam l'taher es atzmo ba'regel. A person must purify themselves for the holiday. This is where there's a custom to go to the מקוה mikvah on an ערב יום טוב erev yom tov, on ערב חג erev chag. Says the אמרי חיים Imrei Chaim, פירוש, להטהר ולהתקדש בדברים שהורגל בהם ודש בעקביו Peirush, l'hitaher u'l'hiskadesh b'dvarim she'hurgal bahem v'dash b'akeivav. What does it mean חייב אדם לטהר את עצמו ברגל chayav adam l'taher es atzmo ba'regel? It means how do we purify ourselves? By examining and looking at our רגל regel. רגל Regel means a foot, a leg, it means a holiday, but it also can mean הרגל hergel. הרגל Hergel means a habit. So how do I purify? חייב אדם לטהר את עצמו Chayav adam l'taher atzmo. How do you purify yourself? ברגל ba'regel. Examine your habits. Examine your hobbies. Examine the things that you've taken for granted. Examine the patterns and routines that you've fallen into. Are they the best, are they the best of who you could be? That is the method and that is the manner through which to elevate and purify ourselves. Seder night we begin. קדש ורחץ קרפס יחץ Kadesh U'rchatz Karpas Yachatz and so on. קדש Kadesh, קדוש kiddush, and then ורחץ u'rchatz, we wash. Says the Vizhnitzer, רמז להקדים עשה טוב קודם סור מרע remez l'hakdim asei tov kodem sur mei'ra. This is an illusion, which comes first? Maybe it should have been ורחץ u'rchatz. You're sitting down to the הייליגע, the holy Seder table, you're wearing white, you're wearing a kittel, the tablecloth is white. It's royal, it's regal, it's magnificent. Maybe you should wash, first purify your hands, and then begin with Kiddush. Why do we start Kiddush and then ורחץ u'rchatz? Says the Vizhnitzer, why? קדש עצמך ראשית ואחר כך רחץ. כי אם תעסוק בסור מרע אפשר שלא יגיעו חס ושלום אף פעם לעשה טוב Kadesh atzmcha reishis, v'achar kach r'chatz. Ki im ta'asok b'sur mei'ra, efshar shelo yagi'u chas v'shalom af pa'am l'asei tov. We start with עשה טוב asei tov and then סור מרע sur mei'ra. First we do the good. Kiddush. We elevate, we sanctify, we do something positive, and then ורחץ u'rchatz, then we wash our hands. Because if we were beginning with the סור מרע sur mei'ra, we may, we may never conclude we're ready for the עשה asei. We may be so, have so much work to do in order to abandon or leave or distance from the bad that we never come to do the good. Number three. שלא אחד בלבד Shelo echad bilvad, in והיא שעמדה V'hi She'amda we say, שלא אחד בלבד עמד עלינו לכלותינו shelo echad bilvad amad aleinu l'chaloseinu, that it wasn't only once they wanted to destroy us. בכל דור ודור B'chol dor vador, every generation they come after us, and in every generation they try to destroy and eliminate us, but הקדוש ברוך הוא מצילנו מידם HaKadosh Baruch Hu matzileinu miyadam, Hashem saves us from their hand. So says the אמרי חיים Imrei Chaim, listen to this. שלא אחד בלבד עמד עלינו לכלותינו Shelo echad bilvad amad aleinu l'chaloseinu. אחד בלבד הוא הקדוש ברוך הוא, האחד יחיד ומיוחד Echad bilvad hu HaKadosh Baruch Hu, ha'echad yachid u'meyuchad. When we talk about שלא אחד בלבד shelo echad bilvad, the one alone, who is the one alone? Hashem, the רבונו של עולם Ribono Shel Olam, the Almighty God. הוא לא אמר עלינו לכלותינו Hu lo amar aleinu l'chaloseinu. No matter what you're going through, a pandemic, anti-Semitism, illness, Hashem is not in it to get rid of us. לא חפץ שנכלה חס ושלום Lo chafetz she'nichleh chas v'shalom, He does not want to exterminate or eliminate his people, his children. לכן לעולם לא הצליחו שונאינו לבצע זממם Lachein l'olam lo hitzlichu soneinu l'vatzea z'mamam, and therefore our enemies were never successful. Our enemies have never been able to obliterate us. כי הקדוש ברוך הוא מצילנו מידם Ki HaKadosh Baruch Hu matzileinu miyadam. Because HaKadosh Baruch Hu saves us from their hand. Why does Hashem save us from their hand? Because שלא אחד בלבד אמר עלינו לכלותינו shelo echad bilvad amar aleinu l'chaloseinu. Because the שלא אחד shelo echad, Hashem doesn't want our demise. He prophesizes and he promises our future. And even though there are difficult patches and rough times, even though we have sustained horrific loss throughout our history, he does not ever want to eliminate us. He has plans for us and he loves us. שלא אחד Shelo echad, the one who is אחד echad, בלבד bilvad, לא אמר עלינו לכלותינו lo amar aleinu l'chaloseinu, he never wants to eliminate us, and therefore he's מצילנו מידם matzileinu miyadam. And lastly, הלל Hallel. Says the great Vizhnitzer, בליל הסדר אומרים פעמיים הלל B'leil ha'Seder omrim pa'amayim Hallel. On the Seder night, different people's minhag, certainly the חסידישע מנהג Chassidishe minhag is to say Hallel in shul. So we say Hallel twice. We say Hallel at the end of Maariv, and then we say Hallel again at the Seder. Why do we say Hallel twice? A lot of reasons are given. Classic reason is that the Hallel in shul is the Hallel like on Pesach morning, commemorates the miracle from years ago. The Hallel in the Seder is because חייב אדם לראות את עצמו chayav adam lir'os es atzmo, we have to see ourselves as if we've just been liberated. We've just been freed. So the Hallel of the Seder is not commemorative of something of the past. The Hallel of the Seder is to sing with gratitude for what we feel is happening right here and now. But the Vizhnitzer has a different answer. Says the אמרי חיים Imrei Chaim, the two Hallels on Seder night, כי בתפילה אומרים הלל מיוחד על הזכות הרבה שנפל בחלקינו לומר הלל בשעת הסדר ki b'tefillah omrim Hallel meyuchad al ha'zchus harbeh she'nafal b'chelkeinu lomar Hallel b'shaas ha'Seder. You know what the כוונה kavanah, you know what the intent you should have while you're singing Hallel on Seder night? Wow, Hallel, thank you Hashem that I'm going to say Hallel later. Thank you, I have a Seder. Thank you, I have a family. Thank you, I have a Haggadah. Thank you that I can say thank you. This is similar to Modim. מודים אנחנו לך Modim anachnu lach. We thank Hashem in our davening. Among the things we're grateful for, מודים שאנחנו מודים לך Modim she'anachnu modim lach. We're grateful that we feel gratitude. How many people are walking around for and miserable, negative, ungrateful ingrates who never can see the positive and never can appreciate any blessing in their life. Modim, I'm grateful. We're so grateful that I can be grateful. Hallel, that I'm going to be saying Hallel. I think we can appreciate this particularly this year, because last year, how many people had the Seder all alone? How many people had Seder and Pesach in a way which was such an aberration, so unusual, such a departure from the way we normally do? This year, for those who have the minhag, when we sing Hallel Seder night, we say Hallel, that we can say Hallel. Hallel, that we can please God, hopefully in some way go back to what we once had. Wishing everyone a חג כשר ושמח chag kasher v'sameach. We are off next week, no parsha shiur next week. We resume after Pesach. Till next time, stay happy, stay healthy, stay holy. Continue tomorrow morning 8:15 with 10 minutes of מסילת ישרים Mesilas Yesharim, and 8:45 with Living with Emunah. Have a fantastic.
