Shmini Parshah Thoughts

Kosherizing

Non-kosher food clogs the soul. (-Rashi). What blocks the soul; the stuff itself, or the fact that it is forbidden?

A. Rashi tells us that worms in drinking water are forbidden only after they separate from the water. Until then they are permitted. B. The Torah permitted the Jews entering Eretz yisroel to eat all they found, even pig necks. The Ramban explains that even were it not a matter of life and death there was a special dispensation to eat non-kosher. C. Food that 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, and so 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. The 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. This 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 was too 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 once things calmed a bit, Moshe immediately understood his reason, with no need for further explanation. [Shlah]

Never argue with an angry person, even a titan like Moshe!

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Great Fallibility

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!’ 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. Even great people can err and sin. This is one of the lessons of Nadav and Avihu. And they yet remain great people. Only the pope is infallible…

We are bewildered and fascinated that Hashem has transferred ownership of His cherished Torah to us, so prone to error. Yet He has. Even when we disagree with Him halachikally, He concedes, saying: ‘Nitzchuni banai – my sons have defeated Me’. Theologically its very confusing – can truth be arbitrary? Can we dictate Truth? Can our erroneous opinion be Torah in its full spiritual power?

We are so human and yet aspire to greatness. Doesn’t that intimate that we posses something beyond what we can tell?

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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 always associated with the avodah. In the Beis HaMikdash the brachah was given at the end of the Tamid. During prayer we have the brachah at R’tzei, the Avodah. Avodah means bringing korbanos, sacrifices. Again, the priestly blessing and the service.

What is the relevance? Why are they connected?

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, serving as His spokesmen. 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 in an instant.

(BTW, The Torah has told us the story of the sons of Aharon. We do not presume to judge them. We ourselves don’t even know if they existed, neither does our opinion matter. Rather, the Torah’s point is: ‘Take example from these mistakes; don’t repeat them’. We neither judge Aharon’s sons nor 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 among the Jewish people the very same day Nadav and Avihu died?

Perhaps not: Hashem’s presence has a great and beneficial impact. But it also 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 the prohibition of Yichud. So 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 mis-stepped. Were it not for the Schina coming, perhaps the sons of Aharon would not have died. Taken by itself, their sin was so small.

There are times, such as Yomtov and after doing a mitzvah, or places, such as in a Shul or being 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 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 tad obvious, does it not?

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 that we take today, will multiply manyfold in the future. A small single step now, 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! A hundred times more!

What exactly is kedusha? Kedushah is spirituality, un-physicality. This means not loving food, comfort and physical pleasure for their own sake.

What of foreign philosophies. They are ideas, are they Kedusha too?

I think perhaps Kedusha needs to be determined as something that brings us in touch with reality as defined by Hashem. Kedusha is Reality.__ All else is pretense…

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Blind, Brute, Stupid Obedience

Why do korbanos please Hashem? For ‘I spoke and was obeyed’ (-Rashi)

Korbanos precede all commandments, for Hevel and Noach brought karbanos! So how can karbanos be not meaningful in themselves, but only as expression of compliance?

Perhaps Korbanos are meaningful even when their bringer has no worthwhile intention, for then they express commitment to fulfillment of Hashem’s command. However there is certainly also great meaning in Korbanos, which Hevel and Noach intended. In that case, 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’.

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Grasshopper Slurpees

Rashi explains that although common grasshoppers seem to fit all criteria for kosher chagavim, there is also a requirement that the specific type must also be known as the “chagav” variety, and we do not know about that. Therefore we do not eat grasshoppers.

Why do people generally not rely on the Yemenite tradition on eating chagavim but do rely on the Mesorah of others regarding other animals and birds?

One suggestion is that the practice of eating according to a mesorah is where the animal is definitely kosher, but we require a tradition in addition. However in the case of grasshoppers we are in question as to if its kosher at all – for it needs to be of the species called Chagav. In that case we rely only on personal Mesorah.

Therefore people do not eat grasshoppers.

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The Haftorah tells the story of David who tried returning the Aron to the Mishkan when tragedy struck – Uza tried catching the sliding Aron, and died. David halted the proceedings and shifted the Aron over to the house of Oved Edom for a while. After he saw that Oved Edom merited great blessing as a result of the Aron’s presence, then he proceeded to bring the Aron to its rightful place, the Mishkan.

By contrast, when Nadav and Avihu died, Moshe called Mishael and Eltzafan and told them to remove the bodies so as not to halt the celebration. He instructed Aron and his sons to continue the service as before, and show no signs of mourning.

What was the difference between the two? Why did Moshe say “On with the show!”, and David stop the parade?

The kinderlach suggested several things:

a. There had been additional negativity in bringing the Aron to the Mishkan – the people of Bet Shemesh disgraced it along the way. David had good reason to think Hashem was displeased in general, and it was not merely Uza at fault. However Moshe recognized that only Nadav and Avihu had sinned.

b. Similarly, Uza’s crime seemed too slight for such harsh punishment. So David suspected that Hashem was displeased with them altogether. However in our parshah Nadav and Avihu had sinned seriously.

c. Moshe had a directive to do the Miluim, which he needed to fill it. David, however, had no specific mandate and was able to stop the show.

d. Moshe heard from Hashem that he was to carry on the show. His instructions to carry on were from Hashem. David, however, received no such direction.

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You Will Get to See, But Not Enjoy…

The gemara tells that Moshe and Aharon were walking and all of klal Yisroel were following them an Nadav and Avihu said to each other “When will these old men die already, so that we lead the nation?” And Hashem said “We shall yet see who buries who…”

Where is this alluded to in the parsha?

Two suggestions:

1. Moshe said to Aharon “This is what Hashem had said ‘With my close ones I will be hallowed'” Perhaps this can be interpreted to mean that that the leadership of Israel is to be granted to the ones most fitting, and personal advancement and ambition ought not to play any role. This is what Hashem said – those who are closest to Me ought to lead.

Nadav and Avihu wanted a piece of the action. But it doesn’t work that way. Its about Hashem and Klal Yisroel, not you and I. They suffered the penalty, intimated Moshe, for having violated that ideal. They had been gunning for personal power, and therefore died.

1. The Midrash (Pekudei) tells that the mockers in Israel laughed when Moshe asked the Jews to prepare a Mishkan. Moshe, they felt, would never merit Hashem’s presence. After the Mishkan was prepared, Moshe ordered it to be packed away. It was not time yet, he said. What do you suppose the mockers said??

When Rosh Chodesh Nissan came around Hashem was careful to order that the Mishkan be brought to Moshe specifically, and that Moshe serve in the Mishkan the first seven days. He wanted to make it clear that it was all in Moshe’s merit and that Moshe be vindicated.

However, Moshe served for seven days and nothing happened. Aharon was embarrassed to serve on the eighth day – he felt that they were clearly failing. Moshe encouraged him, saying “Today Hashem will appear.”

The tension rose. Zero hour had come. It was now or never. And then Hashem appeared before His people!! The people fell to the ground, exploding in a praising and singing!!

Nadav and Avihu took ketores and offered it. And were burnt….

What does this scenario recall? The story when the officer of Yehoram doubted the words of Elisha that there will be great plenty tomorrow, and the prophet retorted “You will see this happen, but not enjoy it”. The next day that officer was trampled to death by the crowds going out to get the food.

Here too, Nadav and Avihu saw the Shechina come down, yet did not live to enjoy it. The footprint of the event hints to their doubting Moshe and Aharon. Hence the Gemara understood that they did not really believe in Moshe and Aharon, but rather saw themselves as equally qualified. Such people would certainly complain about Moshe and Aharon’s reign…

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