Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Chana bat Shmuel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our parasha begins with the following famous words: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying.” (Sefer Vayikra 25:1, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  They are immediately followed by a pasuk (verse) focusing on the mitzvah of Shemittah (the Sabbatical Year of the Land) that has captured the attention of midrashim and meforshim (commentators) throughout the ages: “Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Sabbath to the L-rd.”  In his Commentary on the Torah, Rashi (1040-1105) cites the Midrash Torat Kohanim on this verse and asks the following famous question: “What [special relevance] does the subject of Shemittah have with Mount Sinai? Were not all the commandments stated from Sinai?” His answer, drawn from the same source, teaches us an overarching concept inherent in the transmission of the Torah from Hashem to Moshe: “[This teaches us that] just as with Shemittah, wherein its general principles and finer details were stated at Sinai, likewise, all of them [the mitzvot] were stated — their general principles [together with] their finer details — at Sinai.”
 
In his work of Torah exegesis, Me’ain Beit Hashoavah, Rabbi Shimon Schwab zatzal (1908-1995) takes issue with the Torat Kohanim’s answer, and asserts that “it would have been quite possible to have referenced any other mitzvah in its connection to Mount Sinai in order to teach this selfsame idea.” (Parashat Behar, s.v. behar Sinai, number one, this and the following translations and brackets my own)  In other words, the Midrash  does not teach us why Shemittah was specifically singled out regarding the Revelation, rather than another mitzvah.  Rav Schwab proceeds to address this problem and, in so doing, provides us with a trenchant teirutz (response) to his kashah (objection) that illuminates the inherent import of Shemittah and the divine nature of the entire Torah:

And it seems that Shemittah is different in kind and degree [from other mitzvot], since the very essence of the commandment teaches us that it must have been commanded on Mount Sinai — and that it is [incontrovertibly] Torah min hashamayim (Torah from Heaven).   
 
Next, Rav Schwab provides us with the conceptual underpinning as to why Shemittah definitionally represents Torah min hashamayim:

Perhaps one might think that the commandments of the Torah were invented by the Sages of the Jewish people and were based upon their own intellectual efforts — just as those who deny the G-d-given nature of the Torah mistakenly believe. Yet, were that to be true, there would never have been a commandment such as Shemittah in the Torah! This is the case, since man’s intellect naturally withdraws from the very idea of this mitzvah...for [from a purely logical perspective,] the Sages never would have decreed that all fields and vineyards should simultaneously lay fallow during the same year — as this would naturally cause a famine in the Land, and bring about a financial crisis!
 
At this juncture, Rav Schwab further explains why Shemittah, and Shemittah alone, was singled out by the Torah:
​
Based upon the above, [we have a better insight as to why] the Torah specifically emphasizes Shemittah and its connection to Mount Sinai, rather than any other of the Taryag Mitzvot (613 Commandments), namely, this particular mitzvah has the seal of Mount Sinai imprinted upon it. As such, everyone must admit that it represents the words of Hashem from Heaven itself — since [it is counterintuitive to man’s basic needs, and, therefore,] it is virtually impossible that it was invented as a result of man’s intellect. [Now we can understand why our Sages said,] “Just like Shemittah was stated at Mount Sinai with all its general principles and finer details, so, too, were all the other mitzvot.”
 
In Rav Schwab’s estimation, Shemittah emerges as the proof case of the divine nature of the Torah. In addition, its pivotal status informs our understanding of all of the mitzvot, for each of them were revealed by Hashem to Moshe, in all their glorious “general principles and finer details,” at Mount Sinai. As a result, each time we perform a mitzvah, we recognize that it is divrei Elokim emet — the authentic words of the Almighty, and that we, like our ancestors before us, are responding to and communicating with the Voice that ever emanates from Mount Sinai. May this always be so, v’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
One of the most prominent segments of our parasha is known as Parashat HaMoadim (Section of the Festivals). Its 44 pasukim (verses) comprise the 23rd chapter of Sefer Vayikra and serve as an encyclopedic presentation of the biblically-based Moadim (Festivals). It begins exactly as we would expect: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: The L-rd's appointed [holy days] that you shall designate as holy occasions. These are My appointed [holy days]’” (23:1-2, this and all Bible and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Following the words, “these are my appointed [holy days],” we would naturally anticipate a listing and exposition of the Moadim ─ beginning with Pesach and concluding with Succot. Yet, the next verse almost inexplicably refers to Shabbat: “[For] six days, work may be performed, but on the seventh day, it is a complete rest day, a holy occasion; you shall not perform any work. It is a Sabbath to the L-rd in all your dwelling places.” (23:3) This, in turn, is followed by the introduction to the Festivals that we originally expected: “These are the L-rd's appointed [holy days], holy occasions, which you [i.e. the Sanhedrin] shall designate in their appointed time.” (23:4)
 
Rashi, based upon several Midrashic passages, notes the anomalous nature of the inclusion of Shabbat in the midst of the Moadim and asks: “Why does the Sabbath [designated by G-d,] appear here amidst the Festivals [designated by man, the Sanhedrin?]” (23:3) His answer is a classic example of Rabbinic analysis: “To teach you that whoever desecrates the Festivals is considered [to have transgressed as severely] as if he has desecrated the Sabbath, and that whoever fulfills the Festivals is considered as if he has fulfilled the Sabbath [and his reward is as great].” As such, in Rashi’s view, the placement of Shabbat at the outset of our chapter is meant to convey the singular import of the Moadim by noting their close equivalence to Shabbat.
 
Rabbi Nissan Alpert zatzal (1928-1986) was one of the great roshei yeshivah of Yeshivat Rabbi Yitzhak Elhanan, and perhaps the most celebrated student of Rav Moshe Feinstein zatzal (1895-1986). In his posthumous work of Torah analysis entitled Limudei Nissan, Rav Alpert presents a deep insight regarding the connection between Shabbat and the Moadim that informs our understanding of Rashi’s gloss:

[The reason why Shabbat appears before the festivals] is to emphasize that it is the mother of all the Moadim, and the holiness of these [appointed] times flows from Shabbat. By way of explanation, this means that it is possible to extend the holiness of Shabbat to the other Moadim. It is as if Hashem said, “I have sanctified the Shabbat, now, I give you [the Jewish people] the power and the permission to consecrate the rest of the appointed times.” Moreover, just as it is the purpose of the Shabbat to cease from the creative activities of the workweek through complete and total [spiritual] relaxation in order to draw near to Hashem, so, too, this should be our orientation on the other Moadim. In other words, our actions and behaviors on these days should be aimed at strengthening our faith and trust in Hashem. (Parashat Emor, page 50, s.v. v’nireh li, translation and brackets my own)
 
Rav Alpert teaches us four important lessons regarding the special connection that obtains between Shabbat and the Moadim:

1. Shabbat is stated before the festivals because it is the “mother” of the Moadim.
2. The holiness of the Moadim extendsdirectly from the holiness of Shabbat.
3. Just as Hashem consecrates the Shabbat, the Jewish people are given the power and permission to sanctify the festivals.
4. The purpose of the Moadim is similar in kind to that of Shabbat; namely, we should utilize the holy moments of both the Shabbat and the festivals to strengthen our faith and trust in the Master of the Universe.

 
A parallel approach toward solving our problem was offered by the leading 14th century Talmudist and posek (halachic decisor), Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin, known as the Maharil (1365-1427). He offers a beautiful kabbalistically-infused explanation as to why Shabbat precedes the Torah’s discussion of the Moadim:
​
We find in the Zohar (Emor 95:1): “Shabbat is called “kodesh” (“holy”) but not “mikra kodesh” (“holy occasion”). Yom Tov (a festival day), however, is called a mikra kodesh [by the Torah].” [Yet,] there is a contradiction here! It states in Parashat Emor: “[For] six days, work may be performed, but on the seventh day, it is a complete rest day, a holy occasion (mikra kodesh); you shall not perform any work. It is a Sabbath to the L-rd in all your dwelling places” ─ Shabbat is also called a “mikra kodesh!” This seeming contradiction, however, can be explained in the manner that we have already written: Yom Tov receives [kedushah, holiness] from Shabbat. This means that within Shabbat there is an aspect of Yom Tov to enable Shabbat’s [kedushah] to positively flow into Yom Tov… Now we understand why Shabbat is called “mikra kodesh” ─ in order to allow Shabbat’s [kedushah] to flow into and affect the Festivals. (Likutei Maharil, Sefer Devarim, Parashat Vayelech, s.v. v’nireh li, translation and brackets my own)
 
In my estimation, the Maharil’s answer to our question is the most spiritually edifying of all. He teaches us that the Yom Tovim, though consecrated by man, are nonetheless infused by kedushat Shabbat (the holiness of Shabbat). Therefore, each festival day has the potential to draw us closer to our Creator so that we may experience the sanctity of Shabbat on yet another level. With Hashem’s help, may we be zocheh (merit) to feel G-d’s presence every Shabbat, every Yom Tov, and every day of our lives. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
One of the most celebrated mitzvot of our parasha is “v’ahavta l’reicha kamocha” — “and you shall love your fellow Jew like yourself.” (Sefer Vayikra 19:18)  Rashi (1040-1105), citing the Midrash Sifra to Sefer Vayikra, notes: “Rabbi Akiva said: ‘This is an all embracing principle of the Torah.’” (19:45, translation my own)  Perhaps it is Rabbi Akiva’s unparalleled intellectual stature, or his heroic gesture of teaching Torah to his students during the height of the Hadrianic persecutions (130’s CE), that caused his words to become part of the moral fabric of the Jewish nation. Either way, whenever we think of our personal responsibility towards one another, the Torah’s verse, and Rabbi Akiva’s expression, are writ large in the collective consciousness of our people.
 
Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 31a, is one of the best-known sources in Rabbinic literature wherein we find a restatement and implicit discussion of the phrase, “v’ahavta l’reicha kamocha:”

On another occasion it happened that a certain non-Jew came before Shammai and said to him, “Make me a convert, on the condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” Thereupon he repulsed him with the builder’s staff which was in his hand. When he went before Hillel, he converted him and said to him, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor: that is the entire Torah, while the rest is commentary; [now] go and learn it.” (Translation, The Soncino Talmud with my emendations)
 
 
In his commentary on the Torah, Kli Yakar, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz (1550 –1619), maintains that the Talmud’s phrase, “what is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor,” is a reformulation and, in some ways, an interpretation of “v’ahavta l’reicha kamocha.” In addition, Rav Luntschitz carefully examines the interaction between Hillel and the would-be convert, and, in so doing, reveals the underlying intent of the latter’s famous words, “teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.”
 
According to Rav Luntschitz, the non-Jew who came before both Shammai and Hillel was no prankster or joker — even though Shammai apparently viewed him as such. Instead, and this is apparently how Hillel perceived him, the aspiring convert was a potential ger tzedek, a truly righteous individual, who deeply desired to accept the Master of the Universe and His Torah, live according to His mitzvot and join the ranks of our people. As Rav Luntschitz suggests: “[The potential ger tzedek] absolutely wanted [the essence] of all of the Torah’s mitzvot presented to him in such a manner that they would have one [unifying] principle, and this is what he actually meant by the words “on one foot.”  (This and the following translation and brackets my own)  At this juncture,  Rav Luntschitz analyzes the ger tzedek’s ultimate purpose in making his request:
​
As a result of this [“on one foot” notion,] he would be able to understand all of the mitzvot [with particular emphasis upon the proper ethical behaviors that the Torah commands between man and his fellow man]. He desired this so that he would never forget [the meaning of the mitzvot,] since this would be all too easy for a convert who had not studied anything whatsoever regarding the commandments during his youth...Thus, his intention [when he deployed the unusual phrase, “teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot,”] was for [Hillel] to teach him something that could be said quickly and was comprised of few words. This, then, would be the fundamental concept of the Torah, and “the one foot” that he needed; for as a result of this idea, he would be able to remember [and understand] all of Hashem’s mitzvot.   
 
In Rav Luntschitz’s estimation, the ger tzedek was driven by the highest religious ardor to appear before Hillel in order to understand the authentic meaning of the mitzvot, and ever remember their paramount importance.  In many ways, therefore, he serves as an ideal role model for us all, since, far too often, we become overwhelmed by the challenges of daily living and forget that the Torah and mitzvot should appear to us as holy gifts from the Almighty. The ger tzedek helps us refocus our priorities, so that we may redouble our energies and create a vibrant, dynamic and spiritually-infused relationship with the Master of the Universe. With His help, and our fervent desire, may this be so. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Parashat Acharei Mot, known as the parasha of Yom Kippur, focuses upon the manner of observing this Yom Tov in the Mishkan and Beit HaMikdash. One of the many constitutive elements of a Beit HaMikdash-based Yom Kippur is the mitzvah of the Sa’ir Hamish’talai’ach (the Scapegoat) that plays a crucial role in the day’s kapparah (atonement) process:
 
And the male goat upon which the lot “For Azazel” came up, shall be placed while still alive, before the L-rd, to [initiate] atonement upon it, and to send it away to Azazel, [that is, into the desert]...And Aaron shall lean both of his hands [forcefully] upon the live male goat’s head and confess upon it all the willful transgressions of the children of Israel, all their rebellions, and all their unintentional sins, and he shall place them on the male goat’s head, and send it off to the desert with a man, a prepared individual (ish itti). The male goat shall thus carry upon itself all their sins to a desolate land, and he [the ish itti] shall send off the male goat into the desert. (Sefer Vayikra 16: 10, 21-22, these and all Torah and Rashi translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach, with my emendations, underlining and brackets)
 
The mitzvah of the Sa’ir Hamish’talai’ach, like all Chukim (mitzvot whose rationales currently elude us), contains many mysterious elements that are difficult to understand. One of these is the meaning of the expression, “ish itti,” which may be translated as “a man, a prepared individual.” (See Talmud Bavli, Yoma 66b)  The key word in this phrase is “itti,” a noun similar in kind to “tzaddik” (righteous one) or “chacham” (wise individual). From a grammatical perspective, each of these stands on their own without the word “ish” preceding them; therefore, why does the Torah combine ish and itti in our verse? (Analysis based upon the exegesis of our term by the Torah Temimah and the Malbim.)
 
Our question appears to be the driving force behind a Mishnaic period statement found in Talmud Bavli, Yoma 66a-b: “Our Rabbis taught: [Why does the Torah write] ‘ish’ — To teach us that even a non-kohane [that is, any Jewish male, can fulfill the obligations of the itti.]” (Translation and brackets my own)  In other words, even though the Sa’ir Hamish’talai’ach is central to effectuating kapparah, and a kohane is necessary throughout the remainder of the atonement process, the itti that brings the Scapegoat to the desert wasteland need not be a kohane. Based upon this approach, itti does not modify ish; rather, the word “itti,” itself, is the essential term.
 
In his article entitled, Sacred and Profane, my rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal, known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, understands the expression ish itti in a very different manner. He maintains that it is actually a compound noun wherein itti modifies the word ish and, therefore, connotes the idea of the “man of the moment,” since the Hebrew root letters of itti are ayin followed by taf, and spell the word “time.”
 
In the course of his explication of ish itti, the Rav notes that there were significant contrasts between the Kohane Gadol in the Beit HaMikdash, who offered the S’air la’Shem (male goat to Hashem) as part of the kapparah process, and the ish itti who transported the Sa’ir Hamish’talai’ach to the cliffs of the desert wasteland. The former, like his sacrificial offering on behalf of the entire Jewish people, was a “symbol of tradition and eternity, of qualitative time,” whereas the latter, like the animal under his charge that was removed from the holiness of the Beit HaMikdash, was a mere “man of the moment, symbol of temporality and quantitative time.”
 
In his posthumous work, The L-rd is Righteous in All His Ways, the Rav expands upon the differences between quantitative and qualitative time in a profound manner. He states that for Kant and other philosophers:

...a day is nothing. Time is nothing more than a frame of reference, part of a coordinate system. For them, an event is registered in the context of space as well as time. You locate or localize an event, separate it, and study it. That is all. But there is no essence, no substance to time...It is a number, nothing whatsoever but a number. (Page 210, underlining my own)
 
In stark contrast to the philosophic view of time, the Rav asserts that Judaism views this dimension of existence as a precious entity with potential value unto itself:
​
In Yahadut (Judaism), time is something substantive. It has attributes. There is a “good time,” Yom Tov. There is something called yom kadosh, “holy time.” Indeed, the whole concept of kedushat ha-yom (holiness of the day) is reflective of our approach. It indicates that there is substance to the day that can be filled with sanctity. Days and hours are endowed or saturated with holiness...The day is not just a number. It is a creation in and of itself. (Page 211, parentheses and underlining my own)
 
Based upon the Rav’s analyses of the ish itti, Kohane Gadol and Judaism’s concept of time, we are in a much better position to understand a life choice that we face on Yom Kippur and, perhaps, each and every day. The Torah, I believe, is subtly asking us to choose between engaging in the ephemeral and fleeting life of the ish itti, for which time is a mere number, or, with the Kohane Gadol, as our model, living in a manner that sanctifies and endows life with meaning and the potential of unlimited possibilities. The choice is truly within our grasp, for if we choose to keep Hashem’s Torah, our entire people can ultimately serve Him as “a kingdom of Kohanim and a holy nation.” (Sefer Shemot 19:6)  With the Almighty’s help and our heartfelt desire, may this be so. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The Yom Tov of Shevi’i shel Pesach (Seventh Day of Pesach) is a continuation of Pesach, rather than a Chag (Festival Day) in its own right. Both the Midrash and Rashi (1040-1105) make it quite clear, however, that this seemingly secondary status in no way diminishes its singular import, since it commemorates an overwhelmingly miraculous moment in our nation’s history, namely, Kriyat Yam Suf – the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds. In turn, this amazing event generated the song of thanksgiving known as the “the Shirat HaYam” ─ “the Song of the Sea:”

…On the fifth and the sixth [days after the Jewish people left Egypt], they [the Egyptians] pursued them. On the night preceding the seventh [day], they [the Jewish nation] went down into the sea. In the morning [of the seventh day], they [the Jewish people] recited the Song [of the Sea]. Therefore, we read the Song [from the Torah] on the seventh day, that is the Seventh Day of Passover. (Rashi, Commentary on the Torah, Sefer Shemot 14:5, this and all Bible and Rashi translations with my emendations, The Judaica Press complete Tanach)
 
On a certain level, Rashi’s statement, “they [the Jewish nation] went down into the sea,” conceals more than it reveals, as this matter-of-fact phrase hides the drama that ensued immediately prior to our forebears’descent into the Yam Suf. The best-known Talmudic version of the “story behind the story” is found in Talmud Bavli, Sotah 37a:

Rabbi Yehudah responded to him [Rabbi Meir]: What you suggested is not what happened, instead [when the entire nation was standing at the Yam Suf,] this person said, “I am not going down into the water first!” and another responded, “I am not going to go into the water first!” [During this time of endless inaction,] Nachshon ben Aminadav jumped up and became the first one to descend into the waters of the Yam Suf. As the text states: “Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah [Nachshon ben Aminadav’s tribe] still rules (rad, literally, “has gone down”) with G-d, and with the Holy One He is faithful.” (Sefer Hoshea 12:1, Talmud translation and brackets my own) …
 
The notion that “Nachshon ben Aminadav jumped up and became the first one to descend into the waters of the Yam Suf” is found throughout Midrashic literature. For example, in Bamidbar Rabbah, Parashat Naso 13, we find: “‘Nachshon ben Aminadav of the tribe of Yehudah’ — why was he called ‘Nachshon?’ This is because he was the first to descend l’nachshol sh’b’yam — into the surging waves of the Sea.” Midrash Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 22, takes a different approach than that of Bamidbar Rabbah, and focuses its primary attention on the powerful outcome of Nachshon’s heroic behavior:
​
And Nachshon was the first to jump up and go into the Sea. In so doing, he sanctified His great Name in the eyes of all. [As a result,] under the Tribe of Yehudah’s leadership [that was led by Nachshon], the entire Jewish people followed them and entered the Sea. As the text states: “Judah became His holy nation, Israel His dominion.” — This means under the rulership of the Tribe of Yehudah. (Translation my own)
 
In his work, Netivot Olam (Ahavat Hashem, chapter II), the Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Yehudah Loew ben Bezalel, 1520-1609) notes that Nachshon performed a very special kind of kiddush Hashem (sanctification of G-d's name), in the sense that he did so “b’pharhesia” — before the entire world. In the Maharal’s view, this is the highest form of kiddush Hashem, and is thereby categorized as, “kedushat haShem l’gamrei” — complete and total sanctification of the Divine Name.
 
Clearly, not all of us have the opportunity to undertake Nachshon-like public actions that will lead to a kedushat haShem l’gamrei. None-the-less, each of us can emulate him on our own level. As the Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) teaches us in a celebrated passage in his Mishneh Torah: “Anyone who refrains from committing a sin or performs a mitzvah for no ulterior motive, neither out of fear or dread, nor to seek honor, but for the sake of the Creator, blessed be He...sanctifies G-d’s name.” (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah V:10, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger)  Therefore, with the Almighty’s help and our fervent desire, may each of us dare to be like Nachshon! V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher v’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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
One of the best-known parts of the Haggadah is the section known as “Mah Nishtana,” wherein one or more children at the Seder ask the Four Questions. It is based upon the following Mishnaic statement:

Now we pour him [the Seder’s leader] the second cup of wine. At this juncture, the son asks his father [the Four Questions.] If the son lacks the ability to ask (im ain da’at b’ben), his father teaches him, “mah nishtana halailah hazeh mekol halai’lot…” (“how different is this night from all other nights…,” Talmud Bavli, Pesachim 116a, translation and brackets my own)
 
 
The great Chasidic master, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev (“the Berdichever,” 1740-1810), asks a fascinating question on this Mishnah: “Why does the son ask Mah Nishtana on Passover, and not on the Festival of Succot as well?” (This and the following quotes, Kedushat Levi, Drushim l’Pesach, translations my own)  This is a very powerful query, since, like Pesach, Succot has many mitzvot, including sitting in the Succah and the Arba’at Minim (Four Species), that differentiate it from the rest of the year. As such, a child’s interest would surely be piqued, and it, too, should generate the recitation of Mah Nishtana.
 
In order to answer this question, the Berdichever introduces a well-known Talmudic dispute regarding the creation of the world, namely, was the world created in the Spring, in the month of Nissan and Passover, or in the Fall, in the month of Tishrei and Succot? (Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 10b) In his analysis of this Talmudic debate, the Berdichever submits that Hashem rules the world in two different ways, corresponding to these two seasons of the year. In his view, Tishrei is universal in nature, in the sense that it is the time when Hashem approaches the entire world b’tuvo u’b’chasdo — in His goodness and mercy. In contrast, Nissan is primarily the time when the Almighty relates to the world through the vehicle of Tifferet Yisrael (the glory of the Jewish nation), and exalts Himself through His inseverable connection to Israel, His chosen people. As the Berdichever suggests: “He [Hashem] performs their will [the Jewish people’s] by providing them with all that is positive, in response to that which they request from Him.” Little wonder, then, that Pesach, in the month of Nissan, was the time when we experienced “the miracles and great wonders” of the 10 Plagues and the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds, when we cried out to Him, “O L-rd, save [us]; may the King answer us on the day we call!” (Sefer Tehillim, 20:10, translation, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)
 
At this point, the Berdichever proceeds to answer his initial question, “Why does the son ask the Mah Nishtana on Passover, and not on the Festival of Succot as well?” by introducing the idea of Tzimtzum. This concept maintains that Hashem contracts His Infinite Being in order to communicate with, and be “a part of,” our finite world:

This, then is intimated by the [Mishna’s] phrase, “the son asks on Pesach:” For in truth, [the notion] that the Holy One Blessed be He runs the world through [the principle] of Tifferet Yisrael actually means that He contracts Himself [in such a manner that His Divine Presence inheres] in the Jewish people’s worship of Him. He, in turn, has “great pleasure” (ta’a’nug gadol) from this [worship and adoration] and consequently fulfills their will and desire.
 
The Berdichever asserts that when the son asks his father the Four Questions at the Seder, the two of them are engaging in the exact same approach that has always existed between the Jewish people and Hashem:
​
And this model [of the Jewish people requesting their needs from Hashem,] is repeated [at the moment] of the son’s question to his father [at the Seder table]. For, [in truth] the intellectual capacity of the father far exceeds that of the son, and it is only because of the father’s love for his son that he “contracts himself” to provide answers to his son’s [conceptual] difficulties (kushiot). This is the selfsame model that we have already discussed, wherein the [Infinite] Holy One blessed be He “contracts Himself” within [the finite] boundaries of the Jewish people, in order to glorify Himself amongst them (l’hitpaer imahem) by fulfilling their will [and providing for their needs].
 
 
The Berdichever has now provided us with a solid understanding as to why the son asks the questions of the Mah Nishtana solely at Pesach. During this Yom Tov, the principle of Tifferet Yisrael is particularly pronounced, for, as we have seen, this is the time when Hashem performed His countless wonders and miracles for us, both in Egypt and at the Sea of Reeds. We beseeched Avinu sh’b’Shamayim (our Father-in-Heaven), and He answered us in an unprecedented manner. What better moment exists, therefore, for children to ask their father to explain the amazing events of the Exodus other than at the Seder itself, for this, too, must surely bring joy to Avinu sh’b’Shamayim.
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher v’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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
Our natural inclination at this time of the year is to focus upon the phrase, zacher l’yetziat mitzraim ─ a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt. After all, one of the major mitzvot of Pesach evening is none other than l’saper b’yetziat mitzraim ─ to tell the story of the departure from Egypt. While this is surely a key element of our thoughts during the course of the Seder, the Torah also reminds us, no less than five times, “And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt...” (Sefer Devarim 5:15, 15:15, 16:12, 24:18 and 24:22, this and all Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  In sum, while we are certainly obligated to focus upon our joyous march to freedom on the night of Pesach, we are equally mandated to remember our 210-year ordeal of backbreaking servitude and abject misery at the hands of our heartless Egyptian taskmasters.

Two of the five instances wherein the Torah enjoins us to “remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt...” explicitly discuss our responsibility to treat the stranger, orphan and widow in an equitable and righteous manner:

You shall not pervert the judgment of a stranger or an orphan, and you shall not take a widow's garment as security [for a loan]. You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the L-rd, your G-d, redeemed you from there; therefore, I command you to do this thing. (Sefer Devarim 24:17-18)

When you beat your olive tree, you shall not pick all its fruit after you; it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan and the widow. When you pick the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean after you: it shall be [left] for the stranger, the orphan and the widow. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt: therefore, I command you to do this thing. (24:20-22 with my emendations)
 
These verses urge us to guard the rights and privileges of the most vulnerable members of Jewish society by reminding us, in no uncertain terms, that our entire nation was once completely vulnerable, subject to the diabolical control of Pharaoh and his vicious henchmen. As such, as a people and as individuals, we must build upon the historical consciousness of our Egyptian servitude and be acutely sensitive to the needs of those who require our assistance to live dignified and meaningful lives. In other words, the Torah is commanding us to practice the highest standards of social justice.
​
The Rambam (Maimonides, 1135-1204) codifies our moral and halachic imperative to actively provide for the needs of those most at risk. In the context of a famous halacha regarding the mitzvah of simchat Yom Tov (rejoicing during the Yom Tov meal), he states:

When a person eats and drinks [in celebration of a holiday], he is obligated to feed converts, orphans, widows, and others who are destitute and poor. In contrast, a person who locks the gates of his courtyard and eats and drinks with his children and his wife, without feeding the poor and the embittered, is [not indulging in] rejoicing associated with a mitzvah, but rather the rejoicing of his belly. (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yom Tov 6:18, translation, Rabbi Eliyahu Touger with my emendations)
 
The Rambam is teaching us a profound life lesson that goes far beyond the purview of a specific Yom Tov-based halacha, namely, kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh — every Jew is personally responsible for the welfare of every other Jew, and no one should ever be left behind. Little wonder, then, that in the opening words of the haggadah we declare as one:
​
This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All those who are hungry, let them enter and eat. All who are in need, let them come celebrate the Passover. Now we are here. Next year in the land of Israel. This year we are enslaved. Next year may we be free. (http://www.mazoncanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2015-Passover-Resource.pdf)
 
B’shanah haba b’yerushalayim habanuyah! — may we all join as one united people in the rebuilt Beit HaMikdash soon, and in our days. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Kasher v’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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, Peretz ben Chaim, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The primary focus of our parasha is the illness known as tzaraat. 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, 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 [i.e. 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, translation and brackets my own)
 
In sum, according to the Rashbam, tzaraat 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.
 
The Torah presents us with three types of tzaraat: “If a man has a se’et, a sapahat, or a baheret on the skin of his flesh, and it forms a lesion of tzaraat on the skin of his flesh, he shall be brought to Aaron the kohen, or to one of his sons, the kohanim.” (Sefer Vayikra 13:1, this and all Bible translations, with my emendations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, Tazria 15:9, identifies each of these categories as metaphorically representing one of the ancient nations who either violently injured, or sought to harm, our people. Thus, “Se’et [a rising] is Babylonia... Sapahat [a scab] is [the kingdom of the] Medes... and baharet [a bright spot] is Greece.” (This and the following translation, Darosh Darash Yosef: Discourses of Rav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik on the Weekly Parashah, Rabbi Avishai C. David editor, pages 227-228) 
 
Our Midrash notes that Haman, who attempted to eradicate our people, was the most infamous member of the ancient Medes: “[The kingdom of the] Medes raised Haman the wicked, who crawled like a snake, as it is written, ‘On your belly you shall go.’” (Sefer Bereishit 3:4)  My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, builds upon our Midrash, and describes Haman in the following fashion:

...[he] slithered like a snake but was puffed up with arrogance. A fawning personality, he lacked dignity. His sycophantic behavior resulted in his becoming prime minister to King Ahashverosh. Yet, Haman was no leader. A weak and spineless man, he used flattery to get ahead. Thinking that it would save his life, he behaved in a servile manner toward Esther even after she exposed him. Like other haughty people, he did not realize how base he was, that he was actually a form of sapahat. (Darosh Darash Yosef, page 231, underlining and italics my own)
 
In the Rav’s view, the haughty and arrogant Haman emerges as a base and slithering being who lacked all manner of dignity — to the extent that “he was actually a form of sapahat.” What does it mean for a person to be a form of sapahat, to be a scab on the body of humanity in general, and an enemy of the Jewish people in particular? The Rav indirectly addresses this question in his analysis of those who demonstrate ga’avah (arrogant pretentiousness) and pursue kavode (in this case, false honor):
​
If, however, one pursues these qualities, then they are false and reprehensible. This is particularly the case if one actively deceives himself and pretends to be someone other than who he really is...The greatest falsehood takes place when a person lies to himself. (Rabbi Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik, Yimei HaZikaron, page 208, Sifiriyat Elinor, editor, translation and brackets my own)
 
Haman is the ultimate example of an individual who “actively deceives himself and pretends to be someone other than who he really is.” He convinced himself that he had geut — grandeur, when in fact, he was merely “puffed up with arrogance” born of self-delusion and grandiose visions. Moreover, the Rav asserts, Haman’s ga’avah was nothing other than “a negative character trait, a form of spiritual tzaraat...Therefore, we must avoid ga’avah and be careful not to behave like Haman, who thought that only he was worthy of honor.” (Darosh Darash Yosef, page 231)  Clearly, for the Rav, Haman epitomized the notion that “the greatest falsehood takes place when a person lies to himself.”
 
The Rav continues his presentation and emphasizes that, in stark contrast to the spiritual tzaraat of ga’avah demonstrated by Haman and others of his ilk, Hashem has true geut and, therefore, must be recognized as He Who acts with grandeur. As King David and Yeshayahu the prophet taught us so long ago:
 
The L-rd has reigned; He has attired Himself with majesty (geut)... (Sefer Tehillim 93:1)
 
In the land of uprightness, he [the evil one] deals unjustly, and he does not see the majesty (geut) of the L-rd. (Sefer Yeshayahu 26:10)
 
Sing to the L-rd for He has performed majestic deeds (geut); this is known throughout the land. (Sefer Yeshayahu, 12:5)
 
As the Rav underscores many times, “The principle of imitatio dei [imitating Hashem’s behaviors] demands that we emulate G-d’s attributes.” (Darosh Darash Yosef, page 231) Therefore, may we always reject ga’avah and the spiritual tzaraat it represents, and embrace the authentic majesty of Hashem and follow in His noble ways. V’chane yihi ratzon. 
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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 for Women 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.

​Near
 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
Dedicated to the sacred memories of my mother, Miriam Tovah bat Aharon Hakohen, father-in-law, Levi ben Yitzhak, sister-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
This week’s parasha contains one of the Torah’s most difficult passages:
And Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu, each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the L-rd foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. And fire went forth from before the L-rd and consumed them, and they died before the L-rd. (Sefer Vayikra 10:1-2, this and all Bible translations, The Judaic Press Complete Tanach)
Many Talmudic sages, Midrashim and mefarashim (biblical exegetes) struggle to explain this tragedy by diligently searching for clues regarding the improper behaviors that led to Nadav and Avihu’s untimely deaths. One such suggestion is found in Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 52a:
Moses and Aaron once walked along, with Nadab and Abihu [k'var - already] behind them, and all Israel following in the rear. Then Nadab said to Abihu, “When will these elderly men die, so that you and I will be the leaders of our generation.” But the Holy One, blessed be He, said unto them: “We shall see who will bury whom.” (Translation, The Soncino Talmud, with my emendations, brackets my own)
 
It should be noted that Rashi (1040-1135) understood this narrative in a very direct fashion, and therefore states: “Because they wanted [to acquire] power and authority [upon the demise of Moshe and Aharon,] they [Nadav and Avihu] died.” (Translation and brackets my own)
 
At first blush, the Talmud’s vignette is exceptionally difficult, since we have an explicit Midrashic passage that teaches us that Nadav and Avihu were greater than both their father, Aharon, and their uncle, Moshe:
Rav Yitzchak began: “Your words were found and I ‘embraced’ them, and Your word was to me a joy and a rejoicing of my heart, for Your name was called upon me, O L-rd G-d of Hosts.” (Sefer Yirmiyahu 15:16)  Rav Shmuel bar Nachman said: “This statement was said to Moshe at Mount Sinai, and he did not understand it until events [i.e. the death of Nadav and Avihu] unfolded before him. Moshe said to Aharon: ‘My brother, at Sinai it was told to me that I would one day sanctify this house [the Mishkan], and that I would do this together with a great man. I initially thought that perhaps this house would be made holy either through my efforts or yours. Now [subsequent to the death of Nadav and Avihu,] I realize that your two sons are greater than both you and myself.’” (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah, Vilna edition, Parashat Shemini 12:2, translation and brackets my own)
 
If, as this Midrash states, Moshe declared to Aharon, “I realize that your two sons are greater than both you and myself,” how is it even remotely possible that, according to the Talmud, Nadav could tell Avihu: “Oh that these old men might die, so that you and I should be the leaders of our generation?” In other words, if Nadav and Avihu had reached such spiritual heights, how could they possibly wish and wait for the demise of Moshe and Aharon?
Given the difficulties inherent in a literal interpretation of the Talmud’s statement, the founder of the Daf Yomi movement, HaRav Meir Shapiro of Lublin zatzal (1887-1933), analyzes this passage in a unique and trenchant manner. He begins by stressing the incredible level of kedushah (holiness) that Nadav and Avihu had achieved, as indicated in the verse: “And the L-rd spoke to Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons, when they drew near before the L-rd, and they died.” (Sefer Vayikra 16:1)  In Rav Shapiro’s view, the underlying reason for their deaths was precisely their unmatched “closeness (hitkarvute) to Hashem, which led to their yearning and longing to be with Him.” (This and the following quotations, Itturei Torah, Sefer Vayikra, Parashat Shemini, s.v. v'tatze aish, pg. 52, Rabbi Aharon Ya’akov Greenberg ed., translations and brackets my own)  Next, he notes that their level of kedushah had not been achieved “overnight.” Rather, “Nadav and Avihu were already walking behind them” over a very significant period of time, in order to “try to ascertain the levels of holiness that they [Moshe and Aharon] had achieved.”  As a result, when they would say to one another, “when will these elderly men die,” Rav Shapiro asserts that they really meant:
At some unknown point in time, the moment will arrive when they [Moshe and Aharon] will depart from this world, and then, it will be incumbent upon us to lead the generation. If that is the case, we must unflaggingly prepare ourselves for that time, so that we can continue to lead this generation in the same manner as Moshe and Aharon...yet, they were unable to do so, since no one ever arose that equaled Moshe’s level [of prophecy], and they died [without achieving their goal].
 
In a very real sense, Rav Shapiro provides us with a brilliant analysis of our Gemara that complements, rather than contradicts, our Midrashic passage. Nadav and Avihu were incredibly holy and dedicated to serving Hashem and His people. This is why they were driven to emulate the kedushah of Moshe and Aharon and thereby become the next leaders of the Jewish people. Although they were sincere, and their quest was truly l’shame shamayim (in the service of Heaven), they were unable to comprehend the extent to which Moshe differed in kind and degree from any prophet that had ever lived, or would ever live. They could not fathom the gulf that separated them from Moshe and his level of prophecy. This lack of understanding led them to bring aish zarah — incense that had not been commanded by the Almighty — and eventuated in their tragic deaths.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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 for Women 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-in-law, Ruchama Rivka Sondra bat Yechiel, sister, Shulamit bat Menachem, Yehonatan Binyamin ben Mordechai Meir Halevi, Shoshana Elka bat Avraham, Tikvah bat Rivka Perel, the Kedoshim of Har Nof and Pittsburgh, and the refuah shlaimah of Yakir Ephraim ben Rachel Devorah, Mordechai ben Miriam Tovah, and the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and around the world.
 
The second verse of our parasha presents the commandment to offer a korban olah (completely burnt offering) in the Mishkan (Portable Desert Sanctuary) and Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple): “Command (tzav) Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law of the burnt offering: That is the burnt offering which burns on the altar all night until morning, and the fire of the altar shall burn with it.’” (Sefer Vayikra 6:1, this and all Rashi and Bible translations, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach)  Rashi (1040-1105), basing himself upon the Sifra, the halachic Midrash to Sefer Vayikra, explains the word, “tzav,” in this manner: “The expression tzav always denotes urging [to promptly and meticulously fulfill a particular commandment] for the present (miyad), and also for future generations (v’ledorot).” The word, “miyad,” makes perfectly good sense in this context, since our verse is the source of the obligation to bring a korban olah ─ something that was possible for Aharon and his sons, and during the period of time we were blessed with the Mishkan and Beit HaMikdash. The term, “v’ledorot,” however, seems quite problematic, since we have not had a Mishkan or Beit HaMikdash for nearly 2,000 years, and we have, therefore, been prohibited from offering the korban olah.
 
My rebbe and mentor, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zatzal (1903-1993), known as “the Rav” by his students and followers, expanded upon our question in the following fashion:

What is the meaning of the word ledoros (for future generations) in this context? The mitzvos of mezuzah, tefillin and Shabbos are clearly ledoros. Thousands of years have gone by, and these mitzvos are observed as they had been when they were originally given. But in what way are the mitzvos of the Mishkan practiced today? There has been no korban tamid [daily offering] for almost two thousand years! In what sense does the mitzvah of offering korbanos continue? (Sefer Vayikra Chumash Mesoras HaRav, with commentary based upon the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, edited by Dr. Arnold Lustiger, page 33)
 
The Rav answered our question based upon a narrative passage in Talmud Bavli, Megillah 31b that presents a fascinating dialogue between Hashem and Avraham Avinu (our father Abraham):

Abraham asked how he was to know that G-d would not forsake Israel if they sinned. G-d answered, “In the merit of the [Temple] sacrifices.” Abraham insisted that this merit is fine when these sacrifices are in existence, but what was to happen after the destruction of the Temple? G-d replied that if the Children of Israel learned the laws surrounding the sacrifices, He would consider their study as a virtual sacrificial offering. When we cannot offer sacrifices, we recite the halachos [laws] pertaining to them as a substitute.
 
In sum, our study of the laws concerning the sacrifices that are found throughout Rabbinic literature enables us to bring “virtual sacrificial offerings,” and thereby fulfill these laws in a substitute manner. At this juncture, the Rav extends the notion of that which is virtual to include the Beit HaMikdash itself:

There is a Mikdash in our days as well ─ not physically, but through halachic study. This is the mesorah [the passing down from each generation to the next] of Torah Sheb’al Peh, the Oral Law. Today, we read Parashas Shekalim as if the Beis Hamikdash was still standing; it is ledoros. Parashas Parah reminds us to be ritually pure so that we may bring the korban pesach [Passover offering]. Although we no longer offer a korban pesach, we read Parashas Parah as if the Beis Hamikdash still exists. (Brackets my own)
 
2,000 years is a long time to wait and hope for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash. Yet, it is a dream that remains indelibly engraved in our minds, and inspires us to say three times daily:
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Return in mercy to Jerusalem Your city and dwell therein as You have promised; speedily establish therein the throne of David Your servant, and rebuild it, soon in our days, as an everlasting edifice. Blessed are You L-rd, who rebuilds Jerusalem. (Shemoneh Esrai, translation, https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/867674/jewish/Translation.htm)
 
With Hashem’s help and mercy, may we once again be zocheh (merit) to bring korbanot in the Beit HaMikdash, soon and in our days, v’ledorot ─ and for all generations to come! V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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 of Etengoff and the parasha’s name.
 
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*** My audio shiurim for Women 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.