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THE WEEKLY PARSHA

TZAV

[ Dvar Torah ] [ Passages on Prayer ]
[ Stories of the Sages ] [ Education ]

(Taken from a weekly publication of Hammaayan Institutes.
Translated by Rabbi Shabtai Teicher)

THE WEEKLY PARSHA
"Command Aharon and his sons, to say: This is the law of the burnt offering; it is a burnt offering because it has been burned on the altar all night until the morning..." (Leviticus 6:2).

This is the opening verse of our parsha. However, examination of the parsha reveals a very surprising thing. Although it begins with the statement that "this is the law of the burnt offering," the parsha does not talk about burnt offerings at all. Immediately, it starts to deal with the mitzvah of terumat hadeshen: removing the ashes which have accumulated on the altar during the night by burning the limbs of the sacrifices. Since the parsha does not deal with burnt offerings, it needs to be explained why it begins with the words, "This is the law of the burnt offering"?

In order to understand a homiletic explanation of this question, we first need to understand some important general introductions.

One of the fundamental meanings of the concept of sacrifices is the idea of returning a physical thing to its source and spiritual root. This is especially the case with that particular type of sacrifice called a burnt offering. The Hebrew word for "burnt offering" is "oleh," which also means to ascend or to go up. The Hebrew word "oleh" is also a conjugate of the word "ilah," which means "cause." The cause of anything happening or existing in our world is in the higher, spiritual realm. Therefore, the words for cause and ascent to a higher plane derive from the same root, and a burnt offering, when it is consumed by the fire, ascends and goes upward towards its cause.

Furthermore, in the case of the burnt offering, it is completely consumed by the fire of the altar, as opposed to other sacrifices where parts of the sacrifice are eaten by the priesthood or by the one who brings it to the Temple. In the case of an "oleh" - burnt offering, the inner organs together with its head and limbs are completely consumed on the altar and raised to G-d as a "consumption of fire to be a fragrant scent to G-d."

One of the principles of classical philosophy and logic is that all things strive or tend to return to their source (like a person to his mother, etc.). The source of all things in the creation is the Creator. Therefore, all things, and certainly the human psyche, strive to return to the Creator, and the concept of the sacrifices, especially the "oleh," symbolizes this tendency to return to the ultimate source of all things. "This is the law of the `oleh'."

Now, concerning the mitzvot which we were commanded by G-d, there are two fundamental and non-contradictory viewpoints. In the first one, Chazal claim that the mitzvot are a "tikkun" - a rectification. Their performance in some way enhances the betterment of mankind or the person who is performing the mitzvah. Along these lines they said, "The mitzvot were only given in order that their performance shall purify mankind."

However, in their second aspect, the mitzvot are nothing but the Will of G-d. In this aspect, even if the mitzvot had no benefit whatsoever to mankind or the performer, we would still need to do them because G-d commanded us to do them, and that is His Will, just as a servant needs to fulfill the commands of his master although he cannot fathom the reason for the command and even though he cannot ascertain any benefit that will derive from the activity he was commanded to do.

Chazal have said, "Be scupulous in the performance of small mitzvot as you are in the performance of strict ones, because you do not know the reward for the performance of mitzvot." Although the consequences of performing some mitzvot seem to be enormous and very important, whereas other mitzvot may seem to yield inconsiderable and small results, you do not the true, relative weights of the mitzvot. Therefore, be scrupulous in the performance of both types, because they are both the will of the king which must be fulfilled by his servants.

Indeed, it could even be said that the more inconsequential the activity seems to be, the greater is this aspect of service to the Divine Will. G-d's command is the only apparent reason to do it.

There hardly seems to be a more inconsequential mitzvah than terumat hadeshen - removing the ashes which have accumulated during the night on the altar. It seems to be merely an act of cleaning up after the main work of burning the sacrifices has been completed. However, when the cohanim (priests) perform this act with the same zealousness and diligence that they perform the actual sacrifices, then it is a sign that they are truly "servants of G-d." It is a sign that they are prepared to do the Will of G-d, even if He had told them to grind water. They are not acting in respect of the consequences of the act, but in respect to the One who commanded it. And in this way the cohanim themselves are returning to their Creator!

"This is the law of the oleh." It symbolizes the return of all things to their source in the Creator. When the cohanim perform the mitzvah of terumat hadeshen, they are realizing that they are the servants of the Creator, fulfilling His Will, without egoism or personal importance attached to themselves. By acting as the mere instruments of the Creator, His messengers, so-to-speak, they are merging back into their source; and thus they are eminently fulfilling the essence of "the law of the oleh."

THE PRAYERS OF OUR MOUTH

"Blow upon the great shofar for our freedom..., and gather us together from the four corners of the world to our Land...."

This is the tenth blessing of the Amidah prayer, where we pray for the gathering of the dispersed of Israel. This will happen when G-d blows upon a great shofar, as it is written, "In that day He will blow upon a great shofar, and those lost in the land of Asshur and dispersed in the land of Egypt will come..." (Isaiah 27:13).

"Raise a standard to gather our exiles...," as it is written, "...When He raises a standard the mountains will see, and when He blows upon the shofar they will hear" (Isaiah 18:3).

"...And gather us together from the four corners of the world to our Land." In this place, according to the Arizal, there is included a prayer for the nullification of the sin of discharging semen in an unholy and unwholesome way.

"Blessed are You, G-d, who gathers the dispersed of His people, Israel." You should have the following in mind: I am giving to You, G-d, praises and thanksgiving because You will definitely gather together the dispersed of Israel. However, I am beseeching that in Your mercy and love You should gather us together quickly and speedily.

"Return our judges as at first.... And rule over us, G-d, You by yourself...." This is the eleventh blessing. It is quite proper that a person should pour forth tears when reciting this prayer.

"...And justify us by Your statutes" in order that we will be worthy for You to have mercy upon us.

(Yesod Veshoresh Ha'avodah)

STORIES OF OUR SAGES

"...This is the law of the burnt offering; it is a burnt offering because it has been burned on the altar" (Lev. 6:2).

Rabbi Yisrael Ba'al Shem Tov once went with his disciples to a study hall in a distant town. When he arrived at the entrance to the study hall, he stopped, stood still, and said, "It is impossible to enter because the space in the study hall is brimming with Torah."

When his disciples looked inquiringly at him, he explained, "It is written, `This is the Torah (Law) of the oleh (burnt offering, which also means "to ascend").' In other words, which Torah ascends upward? It is the Torah which is studied earnestly for the sake of G-d, because `it has been burned on the altar....'

"However, it has been taught in the Tikunei Zohar that Torah which is not studied with awe and love of G-d `does not fly upward.' The Torah which is being studied by those learning in this study hall remains within its walls. Therefore, the space within the study hall is packed with Torah, and there is no place left for us to enter within...."

"He shall take off his garments, and wear other garments, and remove the ashes to outside the camp, to a place of holiness. And the fire upon the altar shall burn upon it..." (Lev.6:4-5).

Rabbi Meier of Primilshan was accustomed to say that every person must remember that there will come a day when he must "take off his garments, and wear other garments" which will be white linen (in other words, his burial shroud). Then, the ashes -- his body -- will be removed to a place outside the camp, outside the city, to the cemetery, "to a place of holiness," where all living men end their days.

"The fire upon the altar will burn upon it...." This is the fire of gehennom (hell). Therefore, every person must repent while there is still time....

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN

"A son gives merit to the father."

Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian told the following.

During the First World War I was a young man, but I already had several children. At that time the Germans ruled over Lithuania. The Germans took everything, and the famine there was very great. They only gave the residents oats to eat, and that in very small amounts. The situation was terrible.

At that time my sons were studying in the Telz Yeshivah, and they, too, were famished for bread. We forced ourselves to send them packages of food to whatever extent we were able. Once, neighbors entered our house and saw the great poverty we were in. They said to my wife, "You have nine children. Why do you have to suffer so much hunger in order for all nine of them to sit and study? Send a few of them to work in order that you will not have to suffer such terrible poverty and hunger."

My righteous wife answered, "In this world I do not want them to help me at all. I have G-d to help me. But I very much want them to help me when I am in the next world, the world of eternal truth....

(Lev Eliyahu, Vayigash, p.175)

When parents command their children to do good deeds, and they do them, then it is as if the parents themselves also did these good deeds. Thus Chazal said, "Anyone who causes another person to do a mitzvah will be considered as if he did the mitzvah."

It seems to me that it is the same with education. If the parents educate and accustom their children to go in a good and straight way, and consequently the children grow older and go in a good way, and even add to it, then certainly the parents have a good portion in the deeds of the children because the main thing depends upon education. This is what is written, "A wise son is the instruction of his father..." (Proverbs 13:1), and as Chazal said, "If you see a wise son, then know that his father disciplined him in his youth and directed him into a good way."

In the same way, we can better understand how a child, through the good deeds which he does in this world, even though he does them for himself, saves his parents from the judgement of gehennom and opens the door for them into Gan Eden. It is because they brought him to do these good deeds. Thus it is written, "My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will also be happy" (Proverbs 23:15). The Metzudat David explained this verse, "Since it is from my hand that wisdom has come to you, my heart will also be happy in this world and in the world to come."

(Chanoch Lena'ar, The Testament of the Rebbe Reshab of Lubavitch, p.33)

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