The Buck Stops Here
Why were the two goats used in the Yom Kippur sacrifice exactly the same size, price and look? Why did they need to be the same?
The kids suggested that since one for Hashem and one for Azazel, they needed to be fair, to appease Azazel that he received the same korban Hashem had. Interesting thought.
We suggested that these sacrifices addressed Responsibility. We are responsible for our own actions. Our conditioning and other factors may influence how easy or hard it will be, but ultimately we are personally accountable.
Some people are born with a predisposition to thievery, homosexuality and murder. Yet they must not steal, act on their homosexuality nor kill. Indeed, their trial is harder, for doing the right thing comes to them only with much difficulty. They will be compensated for that difficulty. But they do need do what is correct.
The two goats are identical. There is no difference between them. Yet one ends up sacrificed to Hashem in the holiest place in the world, – the Kodesh HaKodoshim, – and the other thrown to Satan in the boondocks. Two goats, same background, but radically different destinies.
This means us too. We all start out the same, but end up radically different. Some of us become good people, others crooks. The message is that our lives’ are not determined by our circumstances, say a broken home, but rather our own choices.
This sacrifice celebrates choice, represented by the lottery deciding each goat’s future, much as our choices decide our future. And when we accept responsibility for our choice, we accept our guilt. We take ownership of our bad behavior, and make amends.
Now may atonement begin!
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The Yom Kippur Sacrifice And Us
From the plain reading of the pesukim, the impression is that we bring incense to mask our approach to Hashem. The Shchina itself rests between the Keruvim, and it is arrogant for mortal man to approach Her directly. The Kohein Gadol brings a cloud of Ketores, covering the Kappores. Only then may the Kohein approach to sacrifice.
What does he sacrifice for? He atones for tumas Mikdash uKdoshuv; entering into the Beis HaMikdash or eating/handling Kodshim while ritually impure.
Is this so important? Why didn’t the Kohein Gadol spend his time on more serious averos, such as the big three; arayos, avodah zarah and murder?
Tumas Mikdash means the direct practical relationship with Hashem. Before turning to Him for favors, we need to repair any insult or injury we have done Him directly. We need to redress damage done directly against Him before addressing that which we have not followed His commands and directives. That’s why this precedes any other atonement.
Hashem lived amongst us, and approaching His area in a state of Tumah affronts Him directly – His person, as it were.
Today we no longer have a Beis HaMikdash where Hashem dwells in person, neither do we have the Korbanos of Yom Kippur. However the Shchina is still amongst us – somewhat.
Chazal interpret the pasuk “who dwells amongst you despite your impurity” to mean that even today the Shchina is somewhat present.
We need to pay particular attention to our behavior towards him directly. Some things offend His sensibilities and taste. Immorality is one, so we need to take particular care that our thoughts and actions stay pure.
First priority is to keep the channels open: don’t offend Him directly!
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Spilling Blood
“…its considered as blood to him; that he has spilled blood!…”
Sacrificing an animal outside of the Mishkan is called spilling blood. This refers to either one who sacrifices a Korban outside the Mishkan, or someone who slaughters any animal during the Midbar period, when all slaughtering was done only inside the Mishkan.
Rashi explains the reference to spilling blood that these actions are as serious as spilling blood. Though actual murder was not committed, improper slaughter is just as serious as murder.
Sefer HaChinuch, however, explains this pasuk literally: we may kill animals only for human benefit; food, health, or medicine. Gratuitous killing is out. Animals have rights too.
Depriving an animal of life for no human benefit is murder. Its not human murder, – and therefore does not carry the death penalty, – but it is a serious sin. The Torah expresses that slaughtering an animal improperly – without mandate – is murder.
These are fighting words. The Nodah B’yehuda *(Yorah Deah 10) permits hunting, although he deems it unJewish and cruel. He does not consider killing animals for fun murder. But the Chinuch certainly does.
To discuss with kinderlach: A. What ought to be our attitude towards animals – Can we can kill ants invading our home and causing us pain? We have no right to kill them for no reason, but this does sound like a reason. B. Is having fun considered a reason? Most probably not. C. If we can get the animal out of the way in other ways, perhaps we ought to refrain from killing them. Animals have a right to be left alone unless we need to kill them, and here we can just as well make do without killing them.
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Going Public
The Torah describes sacrificing a son to Molech as a desecration of G-d’s name. Why is that?
The Sforno explains that we sacrifice mere animals for Hashem, while for Molech a son is given. By comparison it seems Molech is more important. That is a desecration of His Name.
(Lesson: When we spend more on a couch then on mitzvos, that desecrates Hashem’s Name!)
We suggested that someone so committed to Molech that he sacrifices his own son makes a statement: Molech matters! Molech is important, not Hashem. A public stand influences others, desecrating Hashem’s Name and cause.
Do take a public stand – for the good! That’s a Kiddush Hashem!
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React Proactively
“And Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of the two sons of Aharon…” The parsha goes on to teach the laws of being careful to enter the Kodesh only once a year and with the proper korbanos.
The sanctity of the Kodesh kodoshim was not created by the death of Aharon’s sons, and the laws pertaining to entering therein ought not to have to do with it either. Why are those laws prefaced by mentioning the death of Aharon’s sons?
Rashi comments that although the laws stand on their own, they are better observed when we are reminded of the grim fate of Aharon’s sons, and to add extra motivation, their deaths are mentioned here.
We suggested a slightly different approach. When there is a bad accident at some street corner, the municipality will put a traffic light there. Why? It was always known to be dangerous. In fact there are ten other corners just as dangerous as this one. Yet here is where they put that light. Why? Because the accident was here.
When tragedy hits, we need to respond with appropriate action. So although even had there been no trouble at all, we still need to honor the Kodesh, and enter it only with the conditions outlined in this parsha, now that there had been calamity, this too is reason to beware the kodesh. And that is why the Torah mentions it – because we need to be responsive.
When something bad occurs, we are obligated to react proactively.
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Guaranteed All The way
“and on the fourth year you shall eat its fruit [of your young tree,] to add to you its produce”. What does this imply and why does it need to be said? Does the Torah always promise reward for mitzvos? If not, then why here?
When the Torah tells us to abandon cash – when it seems a sure loss – it reassures us; Fear not! You will lose nothing by keeping the mitzvos. Not eating the fruit for three years seems a total write-off. Says the Torah “You will only gain by this”.
This is even when all seems dark. Certainly one does not lose by other mitzvos either!
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Gusto
We are forbidden to eat a sacrifice past its allowed time. The Torah claims this is ‘desecrating the Holies of Hashem’. How’s that?
A person is affected by how he experiences Mitzvos. If he had a good experience then he connects to Mitzvos. If not, he disconnects. Rashi (Sukkah 49) says that doing Mitzvos in a way that’s enjoyable is considered loving Mitzvos!
Eating half-rotten sacrifice meat, – meat that is way past its prime, – breeds an attitude of disdain for the Holies – the sacrifices. The disgust the eater feels, extends to the Mitzvah too. Eating rancid kodshim disgraces the Holies. To whom? To oneself!
What is the lesson? Ensure that every mitzvah we do is FUN!!!
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Respect
The parshah mentions twice “Fear your G-d; I am Hashem”.
Once it warns against cursing a deaf man or placing a trap before a blind man, and once it enjoins us to honor sages and the elderly. The first seems obvious; cursing a deaf man or placing a trap before a blind man are crimes that the perp thinks no one can discover. “I’m watching”, says Hashem, “and keeping score!”
But what is the connection to honoring sages and elders? (See Rashi)
Perhaps ‘Stand before elders, honor the sage, and fear your G-d, I am Hashem’ means; ‘Honor those deserving it, and you will honor Me too. If you are sloppy in giving due honor, you will eventually dishonor Me as well’.
We do not act in a vacuum. To honor Hashem, we need to develop our honoring. We must be careful to render due honor to those who deserve it. We will then learn the skill of honoring.
We need to create a society and environment of respect.
(A possible starting point: respect one person each day, by greeting them on the street)
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Playing G-d
A judge may not help a poor man. The judge may think ‘Ach! This fellow is so poor, the rich man ought to support him anyhow; let me rule in his favor, as if the money really was his’.
Absolutely, totally, forbidden! Why??
Perhaps the court represents the Justice, and truth must reign there absolutely. After the judgement, people can do chessed. But the ruling – the naked truth – must be heard.
Perhaps too the integrity of the court in on the line: if we can toy with the truth, – even for good reason, – we will come to toy with it elsewhere too.
One more thought: a judge sits supremely powerful: his decision alone determines the outcome. Judges may start playing G-d. They think they will make things right. They think society depends on them.
This is dangerous. A judge is a jurist, not a social philosopher. A judge needs to know that he has a restricted mandate; issuing judgement. That, – and only that – is his job.
Do not favor a pauper in court. You do not run the world!
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Giving Lousy Stuff
Paradox; Charity is from our best: ‘all the fat – for Hashem!’. No second-rate stuff. Yet the Torah tells us to leave our fields’ leftovers for the poor: the corner-ends, dropped pieces, forgotten bundles and dropped off grapes. Why not give good stuff?
One suggestion was that the Torah knows its hard for someone to part with hard-earned produce. It only asks for what a person will give willingly – junk – even if he ought to give the best.
Another thought is: this charity is not a tithe, nor based on the poor man’s need. (Those are obligations we fill with our very best produce!) Rather this charity derives precisely because these gifts are not meaningful to their owner. Its junk. The Torah says ‘Come on, surely you can spare these!’.
The lesson to us is that we are obligated to a larger-than-normal donation, if we are giving old clothes or unneeded mishloach manos lying around the house. Our not needing it obligates us.
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Finding Common Ground
‘Do not hurt the stranger, he shall be as the townsfolk. Love him as yourself, for you were strangers in Egypt too…’
Rashi explains that we ought not make fun of his being a stranger, for we too were strangers. People in glass houses ought not to throw stones.
We had another suggestion: To befriend someone, it helps to find common ground. A ger, a stranger, is often coming from a society so alien that it is hard for us to find something in common with him. So the Torah starts us off with the fact that we both experienced being a stranger in foreign land. That’s a commonality, and leads to connection.
The lesson here; seek similarities between yourself and your fellowman, and you are well on the road to loving him.
Too often, the first thing similar people look for is differences. Perhaps this comes from being unhappy in their own skins, forcing them to self-define only by distinguishing themselves from others. Methinks that’s pretty sad…
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Give ’em A Piece Of Your Mind!
We are encouraged to rebuke others. Why?? (Its so NOT cool!!)
Reason One: we are responsible for evil we can prevent. If we can stop certain behaviors by rebuke, we need to do so.
Reason Two: We dare not stand idly by sin. We care, so we need to protest.
What if you know sinner is aware of what he is doing is wrong, and will not stop by being rebuked? It depends on these reasons; if rebuke is a protest, then you will need to speak out. If rebuke is to change matters, well, that’s not happening.
Rabbi Hirsch takes a third path: ‘Avshalom refused to speak good or evil to Amnon for he hated him’; by the converse, we rebuke most those we love best. Within the family we speak out; on the street we act courteous. Why? Becasue we care more! Rebuke your brother out of caring for HIM.
How to do it?
A. Make it clear to the other that you are trying to help him. and that
B. You do not feel superior (‘I tend to make the same mistake…’)
C. Do not position an argument; Do it privately, say your piece and leave – don’t demand an answer/response. (It might not be ‘Thank you!’)
D. Speak in terms of their benefit (‘you might want to…’)
E. Try an indirect way. If you want someone to stop talking during krias HaTorah just ask them to lower it a bit. Usually they will quiet down.
Its an important mitzvah, one that is neither popular nor comfortable, and it takes maturity. And we are obligated to do it…
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Love
The prospective convert knocked on Hillel’s door and asked for a synopsis of the entire Torah. ‘Do not do to others what you hate’, said Hillel.
In our parshah it says: Love another as yourself. Why did Hillel focus on the negative – not doing what you hate?
Society’s ideals must necessarily be above common behavior. With no creative tension, society will not grow. However when ideals are too far above society, they lose all meaning. They become irrelevant, because people cannot actualize them.
Loving another as oneself is nice, but too high for the convert. Hillel made it more real and practical: don’t wrong another. [L’frakim, – Sridei Eish, Rabbi Weinberg z”l ]
The message is: beware unreachable ideals. Ideas – even Torah ideas – need translation to our own lives. Otherwise they lose all meaning!
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Keeping Score
In the Haftorah the Navi expresses Hashem’s complaint; We had disappointed Him from the outset;
A. In Egypt, He wanted us to leave Egyptian idol worship, and follow Him. Instead we stuck to the idols, rejecting Him. He felt like leaving us there for good. But He had sent Moshe to Paroh to speak His demand that the Jews be sent out. In honor of His name He followed thorough and took us from Egypt.
B. In the Desert we rebelled against Him, again and again. He would have ended it all. For His honor’s sake he brought us into the Land, as He had promised our forefathers.
The entire affair was done grudgingly, without satisfaction or profit, solely for the sake of keeping his word and honor. Pretty sad.
In the Mishna in Sanhedrin, Rabbi Akiva opinions that those who died in the Midbar, neither have a share in the world to come, nor will they arise from the dead. They are done for, gone for good. Reading our Haftorah, we start appreciating why!
The upshot of it all: We are grateful to Hashem when we realize that He did not enjoy the Exodus at all. Yet He did us the kindliest things. And so lovingly! Thank You, Hashem!