Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The primary focus of our parshiot is the illness known as tzara’at. The unique nature of this class of disease is emphasized by the Rashbam (Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, 1080-1158) in his introduction to our topic:
 
All of the sections dealing with the negayim (afflictions) affecting people, garments, houses and the manner in which they appear, as well as the number of days requiring sequestering, and the white, black, and golden identifying hairs, may not in any way be understood by following the simple and direct meaning of the text. Neither may we rely upon standard human knowledge and expertise [that is, current medical information]. Instead, we must follow the analysis (midrash) of the Sages, their decrees, and the inherited body of knowledge that they received from the earliest Sages. This is the essence [of this matter]. (Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Vayikra 13:2, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, according to the Rashbam, tzara’at can only be understood from the Torah’s standpoint, rather than from a physiological or medical perspective. This is because its etiology does not follow the normative laws of biology. Instead, it is a spiritually based ailment that manifests in a physical fashion.
 
As the Rashbam notes, one of the forms of tzara’at directly affects a house:

When you come to the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I will place a lesion of tzara’at upon a house in the land of your possession, and the one to whom the house belongs comes and tells the kohen, saying, “Something like a lesion (k’nega) has appeared to me in the house.” (Sefer Vayikra 14:34-35, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)

The pasuk, “When you come to the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I will place a lesion of tzara’at upon a house in the land of your possession,” appears to be quite negative, especially in light of the Torah’s command to “demolish the house, its stones, its wood, and all the [mortar] dust of the house” (14:45) if the tzara’at cannot be removed in any other way. Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon the Talmud and two midrashim, however, notes that the destruction of the house actually results in a very fortunate outcome:

“I will place (v’na’tati) a lesion of tzara’at upon a house” — This was an announcement to them that these plagues would come upon them (Midrash Sifra, Metzora, 14:75, Talmud Bavli, Horayot 10a), because the Amorites concealed treasures of gold in the walls of their houses during the whole 40 years the Israelites were in the wilderness in order that these might not possess them when they conquered Palestine, and in consequence of the plague [tzara’at] they would pull down the house and discover them. (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 17:6, translation, Pentateuch with Rashi’s Translation, M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silberman)
 
At first glance, it is difficult to understand why Chazal and Rashi interpret, “V’na’tati a lesion of tzara’at upon a house,” in this manner.  Rabbi Baruch Halevi Epstein (1860-1941) addresses this problem and suggests a cogent textually based solution:

The reason for this analysis stems from the word, “v’na’tati,” since, in our instance the Torah does not state: “when a lesion of tzara’at will be found in a house in the Land,” as is the case regarding lesions that affect people and clothing. Moreover, in general, [any form of] the expression, “netina,” [giving, such as the word v’na’tati] that is from the Holy One blessed be He, leads to something good. [Thus, we find,] “v’na’tati your rains in their time” (Sefer Vayikra 26:4), “v’na’tati peace in the Land” (Sefer Vayikra 26:6) and “v’na’tati salvation in Zion, to Israel, My glory” (Sefer Yeshayahu 46:13). Therefore, they interpreted this use of our term, v’na’tati, as having a positive valence. (Torah Temimah, Parashat Metzora, note 111, translation my own)
 
In sum, according to Rav Epstein, our Sages’ understanding of v’na’tati” is congruent with Rabbi Akiva’s famous aphorism: “Everything that the Holy One blessed be He does is for the best.” (Talmud Bavli, Berachot 60b)  
 
The next pasuk contains a fascinating nuance: “Something like a lesion (k’nega) has appeared to me in the house.” Why do homeowners need to speak in such an indeterminate fashion, especially if they are well-versed in the laws of negayim and know that their home is afflicted with tzara’at? Why can they not straightforwardly declare to the kohen who comes to inspect their premises: “A lesion (nega) has appeared to me in the house?”
 
Rashi (14:35) draws our attention to this issue when he cites the statement from Mishnah Negayim 12:5 which rules, like our pasuk, that k’nega, rather than nega, is the halachically mandated statement — even for talmidei chachamim. As we would expect, there are many different approaches as to why this is the case. One of the most fascinating is offered by Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi (1455-1525), one of Rashi’s best-known supercommentators:
​
But I have heard from my teachers, that this verse is not being precise in its nomenclature in regard to stating something is absolutely [nega] or doubtfully [k’nega] a ritually pure (tahor) or impure lesion (tamei), rather it is addressing a matter of derech eretz (ethical behavior). That is, a person [should never declare a lesion to be tamei,] even if the matter is crystal clear in their eyes (vadai), instead, they must always state that the lesion is only perhaps (safek) tamei [and leave the determination to the kohen]. This is in congruence with Chazal’s dictum: “One should always teach his tongue to say: ‘I don’t know.’” (Talmid Bavli, Berachot 4a, Sefer Ha-Mizrachi, Sefer Vayikra 14:35, translations my own)
 
The Mizrachi’s explanation is particularly beautiful. In a few short words, he has universalized the Mishnah’s ruling and placed it squarely in the category of derech eretz, an area of our spiritual lives whose import cannot be overestimated. As Rav Yishmael bar Rav Nachman famously said: “Derech eretz preceded the [giving of] the Torah by 26 generations.” (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 9:3) The underlying meaning of this concept was given voice in Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah’s far earlier aphorism: “If there is no Torah, there is no derech eretz; if there is no derech eretz, there is no Torah.” (Pirkei Avot 3:17)  In other words, even though we are blessed with the Torah, it is in addition to, and does not supplant, the fundamental obligation to live lives based upon ethically-suffused actions, for the Torah, itself, depends upon derech eretz.
 
May the Almighty ever guide us on the path of righteousness and justice, and may the derech eretz reflected by our actions enable us to become His authentic servants. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The essence of Hashem’s purpose in gifting the Torah to the Jewish people is imparted immediately prior to the Revelation at Mount Sinai: “And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples, for Mine is the entire earth. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of princes and a holy nation (goy kadosh) …” (Sefer Shemot 19:5-6, this and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  The obligation to attain this sanctified status is writ large in two pasukim in our parasha:

For I am the L-rd your G-d, and you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, because I am holy, and you shall not defile yourselves through any creeping creature that crawls on the ground. For I am the L-rd Who has brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your G-d. Thus, you shall be holy, because I am holy. (Sefer Vayikra 11:44-45)
 
In these verses, ki kadosh Ani (because I am holy) emerges as the basis of Hashem’s command to us to pursue kedushah (holiness). The expression, “Thus, you shall be holy, ki kadosh Ani,” however, does not seem to fit a standard “if x then y” kind of model. This is especially the case, since the Master of the Universe is omnipotent, infinite and eternal, and we are finite and “like a passing shadow.” (Rosh Hashanah liturgy)  What, then, does Hashem’s kedushah have to do with our kedushah?
 
Rabbeinu Shimshon Raphael Hirsch zatzal (1808-1888) helps us formulate an answer to our question:

Ki kadosh Ani Hashem Elokeichem: the source of the possibility that you can be holy and the reason why you should be holy, lies in the fact that kadosh Ani Hashem Elokeichem, that I, Who am Hashem Elokeichem, am kadosh. The kedushah, the holiness to which you are to strive with all the force of your moral free will is, in its true absolute purity, an attribute of Me Myself, and as Hashem have I given you with My Breath, participation in this freedom, and continue giving you constantly strength and assistance for everything which is good. In kadosh Ani Hashem lies the source of your ability for kedushah. (Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Vayikra 19:2, translation, Rabbi Isaac Levy, second edition, page 499)
 
Rav Hirsch’s interpretation of how and why we can and should be kadosh is an exegetical tour de force. In his view, the potential to attain kedushah is an attribute of the Almighty that He bestows upon us at the moment of our creation. As such, ki kadosh Ani, and all that it entails, is the source of our ability to pursue kedushah and actualize it in our lives.
 
Rav Hirsch’s analysis is congruent with a statement of the Midrash Sifra on the above-cited pasukim in our parasha: “Just like I am holy, so, too, should you be holy. Just like I am separate [from all that is antithetical to kedushah], so, too, should you be separate.” (Translation and brackets my own)  The pursuit of kedushah, therefore, is inextricably linked to the mitzvah of v’halachta b’drachov (walking in Hashem’s ways). This idea is also given powerful voice by Rabbi Ovadia Seforno (1475-1550) in his Commentary on the Torah on our verses:
​
I [Hashem] desire that you will sanctify and prepare yourselves for kedushah. It is fitting that you will be holy and ever successful in your recognition of your Creator and emulate His actions, for this is what I desire — that you should model yourselves after Me. (Translation my own)
 
With Hashem’s help and our heartfelt desire, may we ever endeavor to emulate Him in our pursuit of kedushah. May this enable us to live lives that bring honor to the Jewish people, and glory to His holy name. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

 Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Baruch HaMakom baruch Hu. Baruch sheh’natan Torah l’amo Yisrael, baruch Hu (Blessed be the Omnipresent One, may He be blessed. Blessed is He Who gave the Torah to His people Israel, blessed is He).  This is one of the many celebrated and beloved portions of the Haggadah. It is juxtaposed to the Arba’ah Banim (Four Sons), and serves as its hakdamah (introduction). This prompts us to ask, “Why does this section require such a hakdamah?” Our question was addressed by the 9th or 10th century anonymous work, Perush Kadmon, an exegetical analysis of the Haggadah that was utilized extensively by Rashi and many other Rishonim:

One must utter a bracha prior to reciting [and analyzing] a midrashic passage. As we learn [Talmud Bavli, Berachot 11b]: “Many times I stood before Raba to learn a chapter of Midrash Sifra d’Bei Rav from him. Before beginning, he would wash his hands and recite a bracha, at that point he would teach us the chapter.” (Translation and brackets my own. Note: this text follows the version of the Rif)
 
The Perush Kadmon contains two crucial points regarding our question: The Arba’ah Banim is a midrashic passage, and, as such, requires the recitation of birchot haTorah prior to being taught. In some ways, Baruch HaMakom seems to fulfill this role, yet it is missing Hashem’s name and a reference to His universal kingship (shame u’malchut: “Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech HaOlam”), as found in the standard text of birchot haTorah. The editor of the Perush Kadmon printed in the Torat Chaim Haggadah (Mossad HaRav Kook) focuses upon this question and provides us with a fascinating answer:

One might think that the reason why Hashem’s name and a reference to His universal kingship is missing from Baruch HaMakom is because we have already recited the standard birchot haTorah in the morning. This is not the case, however, since Chazal established special blessings before and after one is called to the Torah [that contain shame u’malchut], even though birchot haTorah have already been said. Nonetheless, although they established the recitation of Baruch HaMakom prior to Midrash Arba’ah Banim, it was not enacted as a bracha per se, rather, as a statement [of praise] that is similar [but not the same as] an actual blessing. As such, it does not contain shame u’malchut. (Translation, brackets and underlining my own)
 
In sum, Baruch HaMakom is not, in fact, a bracha; rather, it merely has elements that parallel a standard Torah benediction. As such, Chazal decreed that it be said before the Arba’ah Banim, but without shame u’malchut.
 
Like the Perush Kadmon, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, views Baruch HaMakom as a modified form of birchot haTorah. In addition, he emphasizes that these brachot connote the concept of masorah (the passing on of Torah knowledge from generation to generation), a theme that is alluded to in the placement of Baruch HaMakom immediately before the Arba’ah Banim:

We repeat it at the Seder because the concern of the Seder is masorah and kabalah [acceptance of the Torah]. When we are about to proclaim the idea of masorah — “The Torah speaks about four kinds of children” — we offer thanks to the Almighty in the same manner as we do every morning. The blessing is related not only to talmud Torah but to the masorah of Torah as well. (The Seder Night: An Exalted Evening, commentary based on the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Menachem Genack, editor, pp. 45-46, brackets my own)
 
Since, in the Rav’s view, Baruch HaMakom, like birchot haTorah, is strongly connected to the idea of masorah, we must ask ourselves which specific Torah principle should be highlighted during the masorah process? The Rav’s poetic analysis of Pesach night helps us formulate a response:
​
And on Pesach night, man, free, hopeful, and courageous, enhanced by fulfillment, exalted by independence, surges forward, expands, grows, ready to accomplish all that is related to his blessedness and freedom. All selfishness renounced, he forgets himself, rising like the mighty river to do, to practice, and to immerse himself in hesed [acts of kindness]. (Festival of Freedom: Essays on Pesach and the Haggadah, Joel B. Wolwelsky and Reuven Ziegler eds., page 31, brackets my own)
 
For the Rav, Pesach night confers upon the Jewish people a sense of freedom and independence that enables us to recognize the inextricable bonds that join us together. In turn, this recognition produces a powerful desire within our very souls to help others through acts of hesed. As such, hesed emerges as a key element of our masorah that we share on Seder night. After all, the Almighty, Himself, is described by Michah the prophet as “chafetz hesed Hu” (He who desires kindness, 7:18). With Hashem as our guide, may we ever do heartfelt hesed for one another. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.

 Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The term, “tzav,” (command), the namesake of our parasha, is stated by Hashem to Moshe in reference to Aharon and his sons. Rashi (1040-1105), based upon Midrash Sifra, explains it is an expression of alacrity and eternality that urges swift fulfillment of commandments by present and future generations. As such, our parasha prompts us to reflect upon our relationship to the mitzvot. Each time we are mekayam a mitzvah (fulfill a commandment), we demonstrate our loyalty to Hashem. Moreover, we declare that the relationship He forged with our forebears continues until our own historical moment.
 
During the periods of the Tannaim (Mishnah) and the Amoraim (Talmud), Chazal developed at least three over-arching approaches as to how we should approach the mitzvot: l’zakot et Yisrael (to confer merit upon the Jewish people), l’tzrofe et Yisrael (to purify the Jewish people), and l’kadash et Yisrael (to sanctify the Jewish people). One of the most celebrated expressions, of l’zakot et Yisrael given voice by Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia, is recited at the end of each chapter of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers):

Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia says: “The Holy One, Blessed is He, wished to confer merit upon Israel; therefore He gave them Torah and mitzvot in abundance, as it is said: ‘Hashem desired for the sake of its [Israel’s] righteousness, that the Torah be made great and glorious.’” (Sefer Yeshayahu 60:21, translation, ArtScroll Siddur) 
 
This teaching emphasizes that Hakadosh Baruch Hu (the Holy One, Blessed is He) gave us His holy Torah to make us even more worthy in His eyes. Rashi underscores this idea in his comment entitled “l’zakot” on Talmud Bavli, Makkot 23b:

The Torah had no need to command many of the mitzvot and the admonitions (prohibitions) regarding crawling bugs and improperly slaughtered animals, since there is no one who naturally does not pull back from them [in disgust]. The only reason why they were commanded was to [enable one] to receive reward by separating [oneself] from them. (Translation, my own)
 
Rav, one of the major disciples of Rebbi Yehudah HaNasi, champions the idea of l’tzrofe et Yisrael as the rationale underlying the mitzvot in the following pivotal Midrashic statement:

Rav said: “The commandments were only given to purify His creations through [performing] them. Do you really think that HaKadosh Baruch Hu cares if a person slaughters an animal on the underside of its neck or on the back of its neck? [No!] The entire purpose of the mitzvot is to purify His creations.” (Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah 44:1, translation, my own)
 
It is important to note that this source contains the Hebrew words l’tzrofe et Yisrael, and not l’tahare et Yisrael. Although often translated in the same manner, these expressions have entirely different connotations. L’tahare refers to taking something or someone from a state of ritual impurity and, through one of several means, changing that status to one of ritual purity. In contrast, l’tzrofe means to purify, in the sense of purifying a metal, such as gold. Through the metallurgy process, the gold smelter is able to remove the dross and produce nearly pure gold. When Rav explains the commandments as having the purpose of l’tzrofe et Yisrael, he is metaphorically teaching us that Hashem wants us to be “as good as gold,” as pure as the finest gold that we can produce.
 
Rabbi Isi ben Yehudah enhances our understanding of the concept of l’kadash et Yisrael: “When the Omnipresent (HaMakom) gave a new mitzvah to the Jewish people, He added to their holiness.” (Mechilta d’Rabbi Yishmael, Mishpatim, Parasha 20) A second source for the idea of holiness achieved through mitzvot observance is found in Midrash Sifrei Bamidbar:
 
“And you shall be holy to your G-d.” Is this referring to the holiness that is brought about through the commandments in general or is it referring to the holiness that is brought about specifically through the mitzvah of tzittzit? As it is said, this is referencing the idea of the holiness of all of the mitzvot.” (Piska 115, translation, my own)
 
This notion is also underscored by Chazal’s formulation of the first part of every birkat hamitzvah (blessing prior to performing a commandment): “… asher kiddashanu b’mitzvotov vitzivanu” (“[He] who makes us holy through His mitzvot and commands us.”) Chazal clearly are teaching us that one of the reasons Hashem gifted us the commandments was to make us holy.
 
The great and eternal treasure of the mitzvot is a blessing to the Jewish people. May their fulfillment continue to bring us merit and may the purity and holiness we achieve help us draw ever closer to Hashem. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
May Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 
 ​

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The laws regarding the korbanot (sacrifices) are one of the major themes of Sefer Vayikra. The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) discusses their underlying reasoning in two well-known passages in The Guide of the Perplexed:

His wisdom, may He be exalted, and His gracious ruse, which is manifest in regard to all His creatures, did not require that He give us a Law prescribing the rejection, abandonment, and abolition of all these kinds of worship [practiced by the surrounding nations] … Therefore He, may He be exalted, suffered the above-mentioned kinds of worship to remain, but transferred them from created or imaginary and unreal things to His own name… (The Guide of the Perplexed, III:32, vol. II, p. 526, translation and notes, Dr. Shlomo Pines, underlining and bolding my own)
 
The second section in this work that discusses korbanot appears in III:46. In this passage, the Rambam maintains that the entire sacrificial service is a repudiation of the practices and opinions of the surrounding idol-worshipping nations who forbade the offering of sheep (Egyptians), goats (Sabians), and oxen (all nations of the time):

Thus, it was in order to efface the traces of these incorrect opinions [that is, forbidding the offering of sheep, goats, and oxen] that we have been ordered by the Law to offer in sacrifices only these three species of quadrupeds: “When a man from [among] you brings a sacrifice to the L-rd; from animals, from cattle or from the flock you shall bring your sacrifice.” (Sefer Vayikra 1:2) … Thus, wrong opinions, which are diseases of the human soul, are cured by their contrary found at the other extreme. (Pages 581-582, brackets and underlining my own)
 
In sum, the Rambam opines that the korbanot were included in the Torah as a concession to our ancestors and in order to negate the erroneous opinions of the Egyptians, Sabians and other cultures of the Middle East. In essence, he asserts a causal-sociological analysis of this entire class of mitzvot.
 
The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) summarily rejects the Rambam’s position. In his Commentary on the Torah (Sefer Vayikra 1:9), he states that the Rambam’s approach is nothing other than divrei havai (patent nonsense). More substantively, he turns the Rambam’s causal-sociological position on its head:

Behold when Noah and his three sons went out of the Ark, there were no Chaldeans and Egyptians in existence. Nevertheless, he offered korbanot that were pleasing to Hashem, concerning which it is stated: “… and the L-rd said to Himself, ‘I will no longer curse the earth because of man…’” (Sefer Bereishit 8:21)  Hevel also brought a sacrifice from the first born and best of his flock: “And the L-rd turned to Hevel and to his offering.” (Sefer Bereishit 4:4) And, it must be noted, there was not even the remotest thought of idol worship in the world at that time! (Commentary on the Torah, translations, and underlining my own; these and all Tanach translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining and brackets my own).
 
The Ramban concludes this part of his argument with the powerful words: “And G-d forbid that one would even think that the sole purpose and ultimate value of the korbanot is to negate the notion of idol worship in the minds of the foolish!”
 
Nearly all Rishonim and Acharonim (early and later Torah authorities) join the Ramban in his repudiation of the Rambam’s rationale for the korbanot. Closer to our own time, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), explains why this is the case:

While we recognize his [the Rambam’s] opinions on more complicated problems such as prophecy, teleology and creation, we completely ignore most of his rational notions regarding the commandments… [This is due] to the incontrovertible fact that such explanations neither edify nor inspire the religious consciousness. They are essentially, if not entirely, valueless for the religious interests we have most at heart. (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, The Halakhic Mind: An Essay on Jewish Tradition and Modern Thought, pp. 92 and 98, brackets my own)
 
As a result, the Rav conceptualizes the underlying meaning of the celebrated second verse of our parasha, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When a man from [among] you will bring a korban to the L-rd…’” in a very different manner than the Rambam:

What did man bring as an offering? What was man called upon to sacrifice? Judaism gave a straightforward answer to this basic theological and ethical question. Man must offer everything he possesses. Nothing is to be spared and nothing is to be saved for man. The logic of this answer is self-evident… Since there is nothing within the reach of man which he does not have in trust for and from God, there is nothing whose return to God [that] would not be considered a hallowed sacrificial service. Judaism has insisted upon a total sacrificial gesture on the part of man. When the latter is confronted with his Creator, man must return to the Master of the universe not only all he possesses in the form of physical goods but himself as well; his body, mind, spirit soul — the whole of his existence in all its boundless manifestation at all levels. (Community, Covenant, and Commitment: Selected Letters and Communications, Nathaniel Helfgot, editor, page 298)
 
For the Rav, korbanot emerge as a symbolic expression of all that one owns. As such, a korban, which must be the property of the one who offers it, is the perfect representation of that which is “within the reach of man” that he has received “in trust for and from God,” rather than based solely upon his own efforts. Therefore, bringing a korban is considered to be a “hallowed sacrificial service” and an ideal example of that which “man must return to the Master of the universe.” In sum, korbanot demonstrate that our entire existence, “in all its boundless manifestation at all levels,” belongs to the Almighty.
 
Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888) provides us with an etymologically based analysis of the word “korban” that underscores its spiritual meaning:
​
A korban is never used for a present or gift; it is used exclusively with reference to a person’s relation to God and can only be understood from the meaning that lies in its root krv. Krv means to approach, to come near, and to enter into a close relationship with someone… The makriv [the one bringing the korban] desires that something of himself should come into closer relationship to God, that is what his korban is, and the procedure by which this greater nearness to God is to be achieved is called “hakravah. It is kirvat Elokim, nearness to God which is striven for by a korban.” (Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Vayikra 1:2, translation, Isaac Levy)
 
In Rav Hirsch’s view the ultimate goal of a korban is to achieve kirvat Elokim (nearness to God).  This echoes King David’s phrase in Sefer Tehillim: “kirvat Elokim li tov” (“Closeness to God is what is truly good for me,” 73:28).  This is a spiritual level that each of us can try to achieve when we do mitzvot and gemilut chasadim (deeds of lovingkindness), and thereby strive l’takane ha’olam b’malchut Sha-dai (“to perfect the world through Hashem’s kingship”).  With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire may this be so. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

​
 Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Kabbalat p’nei HaShechinah (encountering Hashem’s Divine Presence) is one of the greatest spiritual heights a person can achieve. Chazal compared a variety of mitzvot-related actions to this transcendent experience, including giving heartfelt tzedakah, fulfilling the commandment of appearing in the Beit HaMikdash on the yom tovim, and kiddush levanah (Sanctification of the New Moon).
 
One of the better-known Rabbinic discussions of kiddush levanah that relates to this concept is found in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 42a:

And Rabbi Acha bar Chanina said in the name of Rabbi Asi who said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: “All those who bless the [new] month in its [proper] time k’ilu mekable p’nei HaShechinah (it is as if they have encountered Hashem’s Divine Presence). It states here [in Parashat HaChodesh], ‘this (zeh) month,’ and it states there [Kriyat Yam Suf], ‘this (zeh) is my G-d and I shall extol Him.’”
 
What is the Gemara communicating to us by emphasizing the Torah’s use of the word “zeh” when referencing the new moon of Chodesh Nissan and the Almighty’s palpable presence at Kriyat Yam Suf? Additionally, how is this a proof to the statement, “all those who bless the [new] month in its [proper] time k’ilu mekable p’nei HaShechinah?” Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein (1860-1941) addresses these questions in his commentary, Torah Temimah, providing us with an incisive analysis of our passage:

One can say the matter of noting the textual similarity of these two verses [zeh] and their subsequent comparison, [is predicated upon the recognition] that the moon’s renewal teaches us that the Holy One blessed be He runs the world and His endless changes [in Creation] are new each morning. As such, a person who blesses the new month [when viewing the new moon] bears witness, as it were, to this explicit manifestation of the way the Holy One blessed be He runs the world [and simultaneously proclaims] their recognition of His honor and glory. So, too, in the instance of “this (zeh) is my G-d and I shall extol Him,” for they [the Jewish people] uttered this when they witnessed the incontrovertible glory of His Divine Presence at Kriyat Yam Suf. (Sefer Shemot, Parashat Bo, 12:2, translation and brackets my own)
 
In many ways, Rav Epstein’s presentation is an exegetical tour de force. In the context of discussing kiddush levanah, he reveals to us the intrinsic meaning of chiddush levanah (renewal of the new moon in the heavens). In his estimation, it demonstrates to us that Hashem continuously runs the world, and His creations “are new each morning.” Moreover, based on the word, “zeh,” chiddush levanah, which operates within the laws of nature, joins the one-time miraculous event of Kriyat Yam Suf in proclaiming the ineffable presence of the Almighty in our lives. This, then, Rav Epstein asserts, is the reason Chazal declared: “All those who bless the [new] month in its [proper] time k’ilu mekable p’nei HaShechinah.”
 
Approximately 300 years earlier, Rabbi Shmuel Halevi Eidels zatzal (1555-1631), known by his Hebrew acronym as the Maharsha, explained this phrase in a different manner. In his view, the statement gives voice to the seemingly unbridgeable distance between the Almighty and the Jewish people that powerfully pervades our lives in galut (exile), and expresses our concurrent hope for complete reconciliation with Him:
​
The Jewish people in their exile do not merit to gaze upon the countenance of the Divine Presence, since [as a result of the galut,] it is too distant to be encountered. Nonetheless, chiddush levanah is a sign to the Jewish people that in the future, they, too, will be renewed and once again bring glory to their Creator when they meet His Divine Presence anew… [Therefore,] when we bless the [new] month in its [proper] time, it symbolizes that we will be renewed like it [the new moon]; as such, it is as if we have encountered the very countenance of the Divine Presence… (Chidushei Aggadot, Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 42a, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, for the Maharsha, chiddush levanah is a promise to us of our future spiritual union with the Almighty, and kiddush levanah presages the time when we will once again be zocheh (merit) to see and feel His presence, just as our ancestors did at Kriyat Yam Suf.
 
With Hashem’s help, may we witness the ultimate fulfillment of the stirring words of kiddush levanah soon, and in our days: “To the moon He said that it should renew itself as a crown of splendor for those borne by Him from the womb [that is the Jewish people], those who are destined to renew themselves like it, and to glorify their Creator for the name of His glorious kingdom.” (Translation with my emendations, The Complete ArtScroll Siddur)  V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

​
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 

 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The mitzvah of the parah adumah (Red Heifer) is the focus of this week’s additional Torah reading. It begins with the following well-known words:

This is the statute of the Torah that the L-rd commanded, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for you a perfectly red unblemished cow, upon which no yoke was laid.” … It shall be an everlasting statute for the children of Israel and for the proselyte who resides in their midst. (Sefer Bamidbar 19:2 and 10, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The purpose of this commandment is to purify an individual who has become tamei (ritually impure) as a result of contact with a corpse. It is a mystifying commandment, as those who are tamei become tahor (ritually pure) through the sprinkling of the ashes of the parah adumah upon them, while those who assist in this purification process are paradoxically, rendered tamei. Little wonder, then, that this mitzvah is widely viewed by chazal as the ultimate example of a chok — a commandment whose rationale currently eludes us.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, presents the following trenchant analysis of how to approach chukim such as the parah adumah:

The laws concerning chukim were classified as unintelligible, enigmatic, mysterious… However, even though it is forbidden to ask for motivation, for the motives or the reasoning pertaining to certain Divine categorical imperatives, we may yet inquire into the interpretation of the law. There is a difference between explanation and interpretation. (This and the following citations, Derashot HaRav: Selected Lectures of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, summarized and annotated by Arnold Lustiger, pages 226-227, underlining my own)
 
At this juncture, the Rav focuses upon a crucial difference that obtains between explanation and interpretation of the mitzvot in general, and chukim in particular: “I believe that regarding chukim (as well as mishpatim) [mitzvot whose rationale are apprehendable] we must not ask the question of ‘why,’ because ‘why’ is in general a foolish question to ask, even in regard to mitzvos which in our opinion are quite meaningful.” (Brackets my own)  If “why” is an inappropriate inquiry regarding the mitzvot, what, then, may we ask? The Rav identifies “what” as the proper approach in mitzvot interpretation: “However, the question of ‘what’ can be asked. What is the meaning of this chok as far as I am concerned? What does the chok tell me? Not why did Hakadosh Baruch Hu ordain that law? [Instead,] what is the spiritual message that I can assimilate in my world view?”
 
The Rav continues to address the crucial distinction between explanation and interpretation, and, in so doing, teaches us what our approach to all chukim should ideally encompass:

We have no right to explain chukim — we have a duty to interpret chukim. What does the mitzvah mean to me? How am I to understand not the reason for the mitzvah, but the essence of the latter as an integral part of my service of God? Why the mitzvah was formulated we don’t know. But what the mitzvah means to me, how I can integrate and assimilate the mitzvah in my total religious consciousness, world outlook and I-awareness — that is a question that is not only permissible… I am duty bound to raise this question.
 
The question of “what does the mitzvah mean to me?” is writ large in the Rav’s works. Asking it before undertaking each commandment enables us to engage in authentic avodat Elokim (service of the Almighty). Unfortunately, if we fail to do this, we risk having our mitzvot actions reduced to the mechanical and formulaic performances that Yeshayahu the prophet decried so long ago: “… And the L-rd said: ‘Because this people has come near; with their mouth and with their lips they honor Me, but their heart they draw far away from Me, and their awe of Me has become a command of people (mitzvat anashim melumdah), which has been taught.’” (29:13)  The Rav formulated this concept in the following manner:

Avodas Elokim means not only to discharge the duty, but to enjoy, rejoice in and love the mitzvah. But the avodas Elokim is unattainable if the chok does not deliver any message to us. If there is no idea suggested by the chok, how can you be an oved Elokim [servant of the Almighty]? In order to offer God my heart and my soul, in order to serve Him inwardly with joy and love, one thing is indispensable — the understanding of the logos [human reason] in the ma’aseh hamitzvah [mitzvah action] We cannot experience the great bliss, the great experience of fulfilling Divine commandments if the logos is neutral, shut out of that involvement. (Brackets my own)
 
With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire, may we ever be focused upon the question, “what does the mitzvah mean to me?” May it lead us on the path of true avodat Hashem as we strive to encounter His Divine presence and fulfill His will. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The final chapter of our Torah portion, Parashat Tetzaveh, contains the mitzvah to construct the mizbeach haketoret, the incense altar:

You shall make an altar for bringing incense up in smoke; you shall make it out of acacia wood. It shall be one cubit long and one cubit wide, a square, and two cubits high; its horns shall be [one piece] with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, its walls all around, and its horns; and you shall make for it a golden crown all around. (Sefer Shemot 30:1-3, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
Three chapters earlier, Parashat Terumah presents the commandment to build the mizbeach hanechoshet, the copper altar upon which korbanot (animal sacrifices) were offered:

And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height [shall be] three cubits. And you shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be from it, and you shall overlay it with copper. And you shall make… all its implements of copper. (27:1-3)
 
The placement of these passages raises an essential question: “Why is the mizbeach haketoret found in our parasha, instead of in Parashat Terumah?” As Rabbi Michael Rosensweig, a rosh hayeshiva of Yeshiva University makes quite clear, this is an exegetical challenge with deep historical roots:

The conclusion of parshat Tezaveh delineates the laws and role of the mizbeach ha-ketoret. Many of the commentators (Ramban, Ibn Ezra, Seforno, Meshech Chochmah, Haamek Davar on Shemot 30:1) were puzzled by the fact that the Torah did not previously incorporate this crucial component in its otherwise comprehensive chronicle of the mishkan in parshat Terumah. (http://www.torahweb.org/torah/2005/parsha/rros_tetzaveh.html)
 
In his Torah commentary, Kli Yakar, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz (1550-1619) examines the differences that obtain between the mizbeach hanechoshet and the mizbeach haketoret. In so doing, he helps us understand why they are not juxtaposed to one another in Parashat Terumah. He notes that while both altars were constructed to enable those who violated various laws of the Torah to attain expiation, they focus upon two completely different aspects of our being:

The mizbeach hanechoshet comes to atone for different physical matters, as the body has [metaphorically] stumbled on the stone of sin…[and] the animals that are offered [on this altar] are the equivalent of the animal-like soul in man (nefesh habehamit sh’b’adam) [that commits such sins]. This animal-like soul, therefore, needs to realize kapara (atonement) through the medium of an animal sacrifice (nefesh temurat nefesh) …as if the sinner had offered himself [upon the altar].
 
… the neshama [the higher-level soul of a human being that spiritually dwarfs the nefesh habehamit] also needs atonement, as it has become besmirched in the body that has stumbled [in sin]. It, however, cannot achieve kapara by offering the soul of an animal sacrifice, as these souls [the animal’s and humankind’s neshama] are not equivalent to one another… Therefore, the Living G-d commanded us to construct the mizbeach haketoret… in order to atone for violations of the spirit of man that [has the potential] to rise to the highest heights [of the Heavens] — just like the smoke of the incense [itself]… (Translations and brackets my own)
 
Rav Luntschitz’s analysis of the fundamental dissimilarity between these two altars (mizbachot) helps us understand why they are not found in proximity to one another: The mizbeach hanechoshet assisted in the process of achieving kapara for violations of physically based prohibitions (guf), while the mizbeach haketoret helped obtain forgiveness for violations of the spirit (neshama). Since these mizbachot address such divergent facets of humankind, it is little wonder they are not found in the same parasha.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, explains the depth-level significance of ketoret in a manner that complements Rav Luntschitz’s interpretation:
​
The incense represents the hidden and the intimate, the mysterium magnum [great mystery] of creation and the mysterium tremendum [terrifying mystery] of the Divine Presence in creation and beyond… Ketoret, incense, tells us a great story of the human craving for God, the quest and yearning for the makor [Ultimate Source], the beginning of all. Ketoret tells a marvelous story of the tragic human waiting for ecstatic unity with the Almighty… (Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Vision and Leadership: Reflections on Joseph and Moses, page 205, brackets my own)
 
For the Rav, ketoret “…tells us a great story of the human craving for God, the quest and yearning for the makor,” and, “a marvelous story of the tragic human waiting for ecstatic unity with the Almighty.” In sum, ketoret symbolizes humankind’s desire to achieve devekut (attachment and communion) with the Almighty, the highest rung on the spiritual ladder of existence. As the celebrated pasuk states: “V’atem hadveikim b’Hashem Elokeichem chayim kulchem hayom.” (“But you who cleave to the L-rd your G-d are alive, all of you, this day,” Sefer Devarim 4:4)  With Hashem’s help and our fervent desire may we, too, be accounted among those who are hadveikim b’Hashem, now and forevermore. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimah of Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The word, “terumah,” appears in the second pasuk of this week’s Torah portion and is the namesake of our parasha: “Speak to the children of Israel and have them take for Me an offering (v’yikaku li terumah); from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.” (Sefer Shemot 25:2, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, underlining my own)  This terumah differs from the agriculturally-based offering that is given to the kohanim, as it consists of the various objects donated by the dor hamidbar (Generation of the Desert) for the construction of the mishkan (Portable Desert Sanctuary). The phraseology of our pasuk is of particular interest, since it could have been written v’yikaku terumah, rather than v’yikaku li terumah. Rashi (1040-1105), therefore, interprets “li” as the functional equivalent of “lishmi” — in My Name. In other words, this contribution was to be given in fervent dedication to the Almighty.
 
Midrash Tanchuma (Warsaw), Parashat Terumah, Chapter III, includes a passage that further advances our understanding of the term “li:”

“Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me (li) an offering…” In all instances in the Torah wherein the Holy One Blessed be He utilizes the word “li,” it refers to a connection [that exists in] olam hazeh (this world) and olam habah (the world to come), between the Almighty and that which is mentioned. How so? “The land [of Israel] shall not be sold permanently, for the land belongs to Me (li) … (Sefer Vayikra 25:23) — this refers to olam hazeh and olam habah. [Another example:] “For all the firstborns are Mine (li) (Sefer Bamidbar 3:13) — this refers to olam hazeh and olam habah. [Another example:] “… and the Levites shall become Mine (li) — this refers to olam hazeh and olam habah. The Jewish people [are G-d’s holy possession] in both this world and the world to come. As it is written: “And you shall be to Me (li) a kingdom of princes and a holy nation… (Sefer Shemot 19:6).  Therefore the Torah states: “and have them take for Me (li) an offering…” — this refers to olam hazeh and olam habah. (Translation my own)
 
Herein we find five entities that are designated as belonging to Hashem in perpetuity (that is, in olam hazeh and olam habah): Terumah, the Land of Israel, the first born among the Jewish nation, the levi’im, and the Jewish people.
 
When did the election of the Jewish people begin? At first glance, one might think it began when Hashem took us out of Egypt: “…We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd took us out of Egypt with a strong hand.” (Sefer Devarim 6:21)  In such a view, the Almighty, having conquered Pharaoh and his army, thereby “earned the right” to demand our loyalty as His people. My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as the Rav by his students and followers, however, suggests an entirely different rationale as to how and when we became the am hanivchar (Chosen People):

The election of Israel in Egypt did not come about through conquest, through the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, through signs and wonders, but rather through the divine revelation of a still, small voice in the soul of the nation, through the fulfillment of “You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood” (Ex. 12:22), through the sudden elevation of soul and spirit, through “And all the people bowed low” (Ex. 12:27), through the acceptance of the sanctity of Israel and of the commandments, … through being transformed into G-d’s Temple — and just as the sanctity of the Temple is never annulled, so too the election of Israel exists forever… (Festival of Freedom: Essays on Pesah and the Haggadah, p. 87, underlining my own)
 
We most often think of ourselves as having been chosen by the Creator to be His people. It might seem that we were passive objects rather than free-willed volitional subjects. This, according to the Rav, is simply not true. Instead, “The eternity of the Jewish people was not created through the signs and wonders of the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, but rather through the dipping of the bunch of hyssop in blood, through the heroic behavior of the Jews in Egypt when they brought the paschal sacrifice.” The Jews in Egypt were heroic figures! How so? They kept the Almighty’s commandment to sacrifice the paschal lamb, the god of the Egyptians, even though this act put their very lives in danger. The Rav is teaching us a truly novel idea — without our heroic actions, without our willingness to keep His commandments, we would never have become Hashem’s chosen nation! We needed to assert our spiritual and psychological independence from Pharaoh and his people, “…not by military force and not by physical strength…” (Sefer Zechariah 4:6), but rather, by beginning to live lives dedicated to the Torah and its mitzvot. As the Rav so beautifully states:
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… the great sanctity of the night-of-watching [Passover] is grounded not in the miracles and wonders which G-d displayed that night, not in the acquisition through conquest accomplished with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, but rather through the divine revelation of a still, small voice. The Jews themselves created the greatest miracle: they raised themselves to the level of a holy nation. Only after that miracle took place did the redemption through conquest and miracles of a mighty hand and an outstretched arm first begin. Had the Jews not first redeemed themselves by self-sanctification on that night-of-watching in Egypt, the redemption through conquest would not have been complete. (page 88, underlining my own)
 
A new and deeper understanding of the Exodus and bechirat yisrael (the Election of Israel) emerges based upon a careful analysis of the Rav’s ideas, namely, our progenitors’ self-sanctification led to their redemption and, subsequently, to their election. This transformative process laid the foundation for our ancestors’ spiritual self-sacrifice and willingness to ignore potential physical danger in order to fulfill Hashem’s will. We must always remember that as great as Hashem’s role in the Exodus indisputably was, we had to act first in order to gain our physical freedom. We had to incontrovertibly prove to the Master of the Universe that we were committed to His goal of creating the world anew through the vehicle of His holy Torah. We had to demonstrate our belief that He, alone, ran the world. When we rose to this challenge and heroically offered the korban pesach (paschal lamb), we ensured our role as G-d’s chosen people for all time.
 
May it be His will and our heartfelt desire that we, like our ancestors of old, have the strength to be true spiritual heroes. May each of us become an unbreakable link in the great chain of Jewish being — now and for evermore. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world.
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.
 

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Rabbi David Etengoff
  
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, Chana bat Shmuel, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, Chaya Sarah bat Reb Yechezkel Shraga, Shmuel Yosef ben Reuven, the Kedoshim of Har Nof, Pittsburgh, and Jersey City, and the refuah shlaimahof Mordechai HaLevi ben Miriam Tovah, Moshe ben Itta Golda, Yocheved Dafneh bat Dinah Zehavah, Reuven Shmuel ben Leah, and the health and safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The first two chapters of our parasha focus upon mishpatim — laws that are crucial for the maintenance of a just, moral and righteous society. As such, the concluding pasuk of the second of these two chapters seems quite incongruous: “And you shall be holy people to Me, and flesh torn (basar treifah) in the field you shall not eat; you shall throw it to the dog[s].” (Sefer Shemot 22:30, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270) suggests the following rationale for our pasuk’s position in our sidrah:

The reason for [the placement of] this verse is because until this point the Torah mentions the rationally apprehensible laws (mishpatim) and warns us against morally reprehensible matters. And now, however, when the Torah is poised to introduce its discussion of food-based prohibitions [that are found in later parshiot], it begins by stating “And you shall be holy people to Me.” It is fitting that a person should be able to eat anything that would enable him to live; and the only reason for the prohibitions is to maintain purity of the soul. The one who eats only spiritually clean foods will not develop inflexibility and arrogance of the soul. Therefore, it states: “And you shall be holy people to Me.” This means that I [Hashem] desire that you should be holy people in order for you to be fitting for Me, to cleave to Me, for I am holy… (Commentary on the Torah, translation my own)
 
In the Ramban’s view, the laws of kashrut are a spiritual shield that guard our soul’s holiness and purity. Intransigence, conceit, and haughtiness represent the polar opposite of kedushah (holiness). Perhaps the single greatest threat to kedushah is ga’avah (arrogance). Little wonder, then, that the Ramban, strongly warns us against this toxic middah(character trait) in his celebrated Iggeret HaRamban:
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And now, my son, understand and observe that whoever feels that he is greater than others is rebelling against the Kingship of Hashem, because he is adorning himself with His garments, as it is written (Sefer Tehillim, 93:1), “Hashem reigns, He wears clothes of pride.” Why should one feel proud? Is it because of wealth? Hashem makes one poor or rich (Sefer Shmuel I:2:7). Is it because of honor? It belongs to Hashem, as we read (Sefer Divrei Hayamim I:29:12), “Wealth and honor come from You.” So how can one adorn himself with Hashem’s honor? And one who is proud of his wisdom surely knows that Hashem “takes away the speech of assured men and reasoning from the sages.” (Sefer Iyov 12:20) So, we see that everyone is the same before Hashem, since with His anger He lowers the proud and when He wishes He raises the low. So, lower yourself and Hashem will lift you up! (Translation, http://www.pirchei.co.il/specials/ramban/ramban.htm)
 
The Ramban is teaching us that human pride is antithetical to kedushah and constitutes rebellion against the Kingship of the Almighty. Wealth, honor, and glory are merely passing shadows that can be taken away from humankind, just as they are bestowed upon us, by the Creator. How, then, can we avoid the pitfalls of ga’avah, so that we may achieve kedushah and draw closer to Hashem? The Ramban provides us with very practical advice:
In all your actions, words and thoughts, always regard yourself as standing before Hashem, with His Shechinah [Divine presence] above you, for His glory fills the whole world. Speak with fear and awe... Act with restraint in front of everyone. When someone calls you, do not answer loudly, but gently and softly, as one who stands before his master. 
 
In sum, when we recognize we are always standing before the Almighty, we will act with humility before Him, and restraint and dignity toward others. 
 
The words of Michah, the eighth century BCE prophet, provide strong underpinning for the Ramban’s ideas: “Higid lecha adam mah tov, umah Hashem dorash memcha ki im asot mishpat v’ahavat chesed v’hatznayah lechet im Elokecha” (“He has told you O’ man what is good! What does G-d require from you except to perform acts of justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your G-d?” Sefer Michah 6:8)  Michah teaches us that good and, by extension a good life, are defined first and foremost by actions that embody justice in our dealings with others. This is an essential aspect of Jewish living. We are all created b’tzelem Elokim (in G-d’s image). As such, we are all the same in His eyes. By maintaining a constant awareness of the intrinsic value of our fellow human beings, we emulate Hashem (imitatio Dei). 
 
The next middah that is stressed by Michah is kindness. While this quality appears to be an “extra” in many quarters of modern life, Michah categorically states that it is part and parcel of what Jewish living should represent. As such, he urges us to love acts of kindness, and ardently practice these behaviors with all humankind. The navi concludes his famous words with the expression, “and to walk humbly with your G-d.” Anavah (humility) is one of the most important aspects of Jewish life. As the Ramban states in the Iggeret, when we act humbly, Hashem’s Divine spirit and glory rest upon us, and we merit Olam Haba (the World to Come). May we ever seek to draw near to Hashem in kedushah, and may His countenance shine upon us all. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom, and may Hashem in His infinite mercy remove the pandemic from klal Yisrael and from all the nations of the world. 
 
Past drashot may be found at my blog-website: http://reparashathashavuah.org
They may also be found on http://www.yutorah.org using the search criteria Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
The email list, b’chasdei Hashem, has expanded to hundreds of people. I am always happy to add more members to the list. If you have family or friends you would like to have added, please do not hesitate to contact me via email mailto:rdbe718@gmail.com.
 
*** My audio shiurim on the topics of Tefilah and Tanach may be found at: http://tinyurl.com/8hsdpyd
 
*** I have posted 164 of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s English language audio shiurim (MP3 format) spanning the years 1958-1984. Please click on the highlighted link.