Parshas Shmini continues the story of the investiture of the priesthood. At the climax Moshe and Aharon come out of the ohel moed and bless the people. G-d’s glory then appears to the nation and fire comes out from before Him and consumes the korbon oleh that is on the altar. The people cry out in joyful exultation and fall on their faces in prostration.
At this point Aharon’s two son’s, Nadav and Avihu, put hot coals in their fire pan, pour incense on them and offer it before Hashem. The Chumash describes it as a strange (זר) fire that was not commanded of them. Fire from Hashem then comes down and consumes them and they die before Hashem. Moshe then comments to Aharon, “Now I understand what G-d meant when He said that He will be sanctified by those close to me in the presence of the people.”
Moshe instructs Aharon and his sons not to publicly mourn and to continue with the festive inauguration. Moshe finds that Aharon has burnt one of the sin offerings he was intended to eat and questions him about it. Aharon responds that after such a tragedy befell him what it be good in G-d’s eyes for him to eat of this offering, and Moshe understands his point of view. The general view of the commentaries is that the behavior of Nadiv and Avihu somehow really was improper, but none the less they were very great men.
The death of the two sons of Aharon occurred during the opening of the Temple. The passage raises the question as to what is the proper way to behave when tragedy mars a major celebration. I remember a story told by Rabbi Cordoza. He said that a distinguished rabbi, noted for his righteousness, was seated at the head table of a wedding banquet. Suddenly he got up from his chair and went outside where he collapsed dead. The rabbi’s friends commented that he apparently knew what was happening but, if he perished in the hall it would have destroyed the happiness of the groom and the bride. Therefore with his last drop of strength he left the room before he perished.
One cannot deny that the dedication of the mishkan and the priests is an exceedingly happy celebration. Consequently it would not be right for Aharon and his son’s to simply leave or even to publicly conduct themselves in mourning. They must finish the event with as much dignity as possible. Never the less there should be some recognition of the horrible event that has just transpired. On that day three sin offerings were brought. One was brought by the cohanim in recognition of their investiture. A second was brought by chiefs of the tribes. The third was part of the regular offering brought for the coming month. It was the third one that was burnt and not eaten. This lets us know how we, too, should behave in such a difficult situation. To decline one of the first two would cast aspersions on the cohanim or the tribes. Not eating of the normal offering gives recognition that generally something went very wrong.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Vayikra: The Fire of Faith
Parshas Vayikra starts the third of the Five Books of Moses. It deals with sacrifices beginning with the korbon olah, עלה, or burnt offering. It was so to speak the way a man would give a gift to G-d. Today prayer is the generally accepted substitute for this sacrifice as it says, “and we will render bulls with our lips (ונשלמה פרים שפתינו), Hoshea (14:3). The way that the burnt offering was brought gives us assistance in how we should arrange our petitions to the Almighty.
When one of you brings an animal as an offering to Hashem, the sacrifice must be taken from cattle, sheep, or goats. (Vayikra 1:3)
These are conventional domestic animals as opposed to wild or exotic animals. This hints that our prayers should be conventional and based on our education and experience.
If it is from the cattle an unblemished male you must offer. (Ibid 3)
Cattle are expensive and carry status unlike sheep or goats. The aspect of male means active as opposed to femine which is passive. Therefore if one’s prayer is lengthy and elaborate a specific request should be made as opposed to only hinted at.
to the entrance of the sanctuary you will bring it as an act of free will. (ibid 3)
A person should make a petition to G-d because they want to not because they are forced to. It should be sincere and preferably in a religious setting. Most importantly it should be within the context of a person’s knowledge of G-d and his omnipresence.
He should press his hands on the head of the olah and it will then be accepted and will cleanse him. (ibid 4)
The person’s actions should be guided by his intellect. In resolving to do so, his prayer will be acceptable and will act to cleanse him of his shortcomings.
The bull will be slaughtered before Hashem and the children of Aharon, the priests, will offer its blood . . . on the altar. (Ibid 6)
In offering a prayer one should put their life force into it. In addition it is appropriate to enlist the aid of people who are officially trained in religion.
The olah will then be skinned and butchered. . . . The cohanim will arrange the pieces, the head, and the suet on the altar. (Ibid 6-8)
One may ask teachers and rabbis about the appropriate components of a prayer, its theme, and its richest aspects.
Its inner organs and thighs should be washed in water. (Ibid 9)
The prayer should be clean and pure both in form and substance.
The cohen will then burn it all as incense on the altar; it will arouse a fire that will be a pleasant fragrance to Hashem. (Ibid 9)
If one does thusly the fire of faith and the favor of Above will be kindled toward him.
When one of you brings an animal as an offering to Hashem, the sacrifice must be taken from cattle, sheep, or goats. (Vayikra 1:3)
These are conventional domestic animals as opposed to wild or exotic animals. This hints that our prayers should be conventional and based on our education and experience.
If it is from the cattle an unblemished male you must offer. (Ibid 3)
Cattle are expensive and carry status unlike sheep or goats. The aspect of male means active as opposed to femine which is passive. Therefore if one’s prayer is lengthy and elaborate a specific request should be made as opposed to only hinted at.
to the entrance of the sanctuary you will bring it as an act of free will. (ibid 3)
A person should make a petition to G-d because they want to not because they are forced to. It should be sincere and preferably in a religious setting. Most importantly it should be within the context of a person’s knowledge of G-d and his omnipresence.
He should press his hands on the head of the olah and it will then be accepted and will cleanse him. (ibid 4)
The person’s actions should be guided by his intellect. In resolving to do so, his prayer will be acceptable and will act to cleanse him of his shortcomings.
The bull will be slaughtered before Hashem and the children of Aharon, the priests, will offer its blood . . . on the altar. (Ibid 6)
In offering a prayer one should put their life force into it. In addition it is appropriate to enlist the aid of people who are officially trained in religion.
The olah will then be skinned and butchered. . . . The cohanim will arrange the pieces, the head, and the suet on the altar. (Ibid 6-8)
One may ask teachers and rabbis about the appropriate components of a prayer, its theme, and its richest aspects.
Its inner organs and thighs should be washed in water. (Ibid 9)
The prayer should be clean and pure both in form and substance.
The cohen will then burn it all as incense on the altar; it will arouse a fire that will be a pleasant fragrance to Hashem. (Ibid 9)
If one does thusly the fire of faith and the favor of Above will be kindled toward him.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Pekudim: The Blessing of Faith
In parshas Pekudim the mishkan is erected and put into operation. When all of its components are completed, they are brought to Moshe. On seeing them Moshe blesses the people. When Moshe sets up the tabernacle the cloud of Hashem rests on the ohel moed and His glory fills it. With this G-d begins to permanently dwell among the children of Israel in dignity. The Midrash Rabba brings a metaphor of the wedding day in Shir Hashirim, “Daughters of Zion go out and see King Solomon wearing the crown that his mother crowned him with on his wedding day and on the day of his happiness of heart.” King Solomon is the English rendition of המלך שלמה. Solomon, שלמה, is a variant of שלום or peace, meaning the king to which peace belongs or Hashem.
The temple is a shrine for prayer and thanksgiving. It is specifically a shrine to the name Havaya, the name which expresses G-d’s benevolence. Having it in the midst of the Jewish people, symbolizes G-d’s closeness to His people when they call out to him in truth. The central object in the mishkan is the ark holding the Ten Commandment covered by two angels above which G-d talks to the prophet. The word for G-d, אלוקים, is an expression of power. The idea being expressed is that adherence to the faith, a clear conscience, and harmony with the world will bring a Jew other types of well being as well.
The phrase that the children of Israel did everything that Hashem had commanded them is repeated three times in connection with the mishkan. The commentaries state that it is a hint the Jewish people should serve G-d in thought, speech, and deed. When the cloud of Hashem covers the ohel moed and His glory fills it is an allusion to the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai when there was a cloud surrounding the fire of G-d. The idea is that the Temple should always kindle within us the fire of faith and we should merit the blessing of Moshe rabenu, “May the pleasantness of the Lord our G-d be upon us, and the work of our hands should be established on us, and may the works of hand, let it be established (Psalm 90:17)”.
The temple is a shrine for prayer and thanksgiving. It is specifically a shrine to the name Havaya, the name which expresses G-d’s benevolence. Having it in the midst of the Jewish people, symbolizes G-d’s closeness to His people when they call out to him in truth. The central object in the mishkan is the ark holding the Ten Commandment covered by two angels above which G-d talks to the prophet. The word for G-d, אלוקים, is an expression of power. The idea being expressed is that adherence to the faith, a clear conscience, and harmony with the world will bring a Jew other types of well being as well.
The phrase that the children of Israel did everything that Hashem had commanded them is repeated three times in connection with the mishkan. The commentaries state that it is a hint the Jewish people should serve G-d in thought, speech, and deed. When the cloud of Hashem covers the ohel moed and His glory fills it is an allusion to the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai when there was a cloud surrounding the fire of G-d. The idea is that the Temple should always kindle within us the fire of faith and we should merit the blessing of Moshe rabenu, “May the pleasantness of the Lord our G-d be upon us, and the work of our hands should be established on us, and may the works of hand, let it be established (Psalm 90:17)”.
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