Shmini Parshah Thoughts
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Kosherizing
Non-kosher food clogs the soul. (Rashi). What blocks the soul; the stuff itself, or the fact that it is forbidden?
Rashi tells us that worms in drinking water are forbidden only after they separate from the water. Until then they are permitted. The Torah permitted the Jews entering Eretz yisroel to eat all they found, even pig neck. The Ramban explains that even were it not a matter of life and death there was a special dispensation to eat non-kosher. Food has a two to one ratio of kosher ingredients it is permitted to eat, on principle. The non-kosher part is negligible. Does it harm one spiritually?
The Mesilas Yesharim explains that only sin harms a person. Eating non-kosher causes more impurity than usual since it becomes part of its eater, but in principle any sin causes impurity. The impurity distances Hashem from itself, and the eater loses wisdom drawn from Hashem’s presence. It would seem that if the torah permitted something, it would not cause spiritual clog.
(However if something is forbidden, but one relies on a hechsher, then it would cause spiritual problems.)
Others (see Meshech chochmah in Ekev) feel that non-kosher food itself causes trouble, even had the Torah permitted it openly. (Shulchan Aruch siman ?”? rules that a baby should not eat treif, nor nurse from someone who has eaten treif even when that person was halachikly permitted to, supports the idea that treif food, even if permitted, harms spiritually).
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Animal or Bird?
Biology has enough trouble trying to sort out what is an animal, what is a bird and what is a fish. The Torah gives us different signs of what is considered kosher by each one, but doesn’t delineate the classification so that we know what to look for by each animal.
What is a platypus; is it a fish since it lives in the water, a bird since it has a beak and lays eggs, a mammal because it has fur and nurses? Is a sea anemone a plant as it appears, or an animal because it catches fish and eats them? What about the fly-trapping plants, do they need split hooves and to chew their cud, or are they plants and permitted (not during shmittah!)?
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Answering An Angry Man
Aharon defended not eating the Rosh Chodesh Chatos, but burning it instead. He merely told Moshe ‘If I would have eaten Chatos today after this [-my sons dying] happened to me, would it have pleased Hashem?’
Rashi explains that he really thought: ‘Although you heard that I continue my regular routine, that was only for the special korbonos brought today, the day the Miskan was inaugurated. This does not apply to korbanos which are always brought, such as the chatos Rosh Chodesh’
If he had solid halachik reasoning behind his decision, why didn’t he say so?
There is an important lesson here:
Aharon’s halachik reasoning is obvious. Only Moshe’s anger prevented him from seeing it. Aharon knew better than argue with an angry man. So he simply cut the tension with his understated answer, and Moshe immediately saw the reason. [Shlah]
Never argue with an angry person, even a titan like Moshe!
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Fallibility In Greats
Nadav and Avihu died bringing a ‘strange fire’ to Hashem. Rashi details a bit: they were drunk during their service or had decided a halacha, usurping Moshe, their teacher.
When Nadav and Avihu died, Moshe said to Aharon ‘this is what Hashem hinted “Through My holy ones I will become feared!” I thought it would be me or you, but it seems that they were greater than us both!’
They were they holy or were they sinners??
The answer is that one can sin and still be holy. Sometimes a Gadol makes a mistake. We tend to discount him thereafter.
Not so. Only the pope is infallible.
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Bircas Kohanim
At the end of the Avodah that Aharon performed on the eighth day, he blessed the people. Rashi explains that this was the normal priestly blessing.
The pasuk tells us that he then descended from the Mizbeach. This is the source that the bircas kohanim is associated with the avodah.
In the Beis HaMikdash the bracha was given at the end of the Tamid. During prayer we have the bracha at R’tzei, the Avodah. Avodah means bringing korbanos, sacrifices. Again, we connect the priestly blessing and service. What is the relevance?
Perhaps Birkas Kohanim is not an extension of the Avodah. Rather it is a RESPONSE to it. When we serve Hashem, He responds in blessing. The Kohanim are go-betweens, agents who sacrifice the offerings of the Jewish people to Hashem. They also confer His blessing back to the people.
The name and nature of Birkas Kohanim is a reciprocal blessing: a response to our service of Hashem.
Next time you hear Bircas Kohanim, think of the sweet, wonderful and loving relationship it expresses!
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A Double Edged Time
Aharon’s sons brought ‘a strange fire, which had not been commanded them’. Tragically they died. Two future leaders of klal yisroel disappeared.
(BTW, The Torah has told us the story of the sons of Aharon. We ourselves don’t even know if they existed. Neither does it matter. The Torah’s point is: ‘Take example from these mistakes; don’t repeat them’. We neither need to judge Aharon’s sons or attribute guilt. We merely interpret the Torah’s message to us, using them as an allegory.)
The surviving brothers were told to hold off mourning their dead. Rashi explains that this was ‘the day Hashem will appear to you’; a day of closeness and joy. Mourning would disturb Hashem’s celebration.
Was it coincidental that Hashem came to dwell amongst the Jewish people the day Nadav and Avihu died? Perhaps not: Hashem’s presence has a great and beneficial impact. But it cuts to the quick when something is wrong. Everything intensifies.
In the Sotah ceremony, if the woman was innocent, the drinking of Hashem’s name dissolved into the waters caused her to have children. She was no Tzaddekkes; she had secluded herself with a strange man after being warned not to. She had clearly transgressed Yichud. Why was she blessed with children? The answer is that the direct contact with Hashem’s Name cannot fail to effect. If it is not a bad effect, it perforce will be a salutary one.
Contact with Hashem leaves a mark. It is both a great joy, and the occasion of death to those who misstepped. Were it not for the Schina coming, perhaps the sons of Aharon would not have died. Their sin was so small.
There are times, such as Yomtov and after doing a mitzvah, or places, such as in a Shul or by a tzaddik – live or dead – where the Sh’china is especially present. Those places and times are like everything is on steroids; mitzvos are doubled. So are aveiros. Its a double-ticket time. Lets make sure to watch our step by these places and times!
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Holiness
The Torah tells us ‘V’hiskadishtem, v’hyisem kedoshim’; hallow yourselves and then you will be holy.
That does seems a touch obvious, No?
Rashi explains that we are meant to be as holy as Hashem Himself. Here on earth it is impossible. However there is a mechanism that will accomplish this: Each small step towards kedushah is multiplied manyfold upstairs in the future. Take a small single step now, and earn a hundred big steps in the future. In this way we achieve total kedushah.
Kedushah is heavily leveraged: ‘V’hiskadishtem, v’hyisem kedoshim’; hallow yourselves and then you will be holy. Much much more holy!, multiplied a hundred times. Most worthwhile!
What exactly is kedusha? Kedushah is spirituality, un-physicality. This means not loving food, comfort and physical pleasure for their own sake.
And Kedusha is Reality. All else is pretense…
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Blind, Stupid Obedience
Why do korbanos please Hashem? For ‘I spoke and was obeyed’ (-Rashi)
Korbanos, however, precede all commandments. Hevel and Noach brought karbanos! How can karbanos be not meaningful in themselves?
Perhaps Korbanos are meaningful even when their bringer has no worthwhile intention, for they express fulfillment of Hashem’s command. However there is certainly also great meaning in Korbanos, which Hevel and Noach intended. Then Hashem is pleased with the act itself.
This is a metaphor to all our service of Hashem; the intended form is that we do things of meaning cognizantly. But even if we do them of stupid rote, there is value; ‘I spoke and was obeyed’.
©2014
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