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ON TZAV SHABBOS HAGADOL - 5758
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Parshat Tzav Shabbat HaGadol 8 Nisan 5758 Saturday, April 4, 1998
Guest Rabbi: Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, New York In memory of my beloved father Rabbi Dr. Hillel Hochberg, ZT"L
Among the reasons why the Shabbat before Pesach is known as "Shabbat Hagadol" is the reference to the Yom HaGadol in the last Passuk of the Haftarah. "Behold I am sending you Eliyahu HaNavi before this Great Day and then will the hearts of the parents and children be united and restored in the ultimate redemption." (Malachi 3:234)
What defines this day as a Great Day?
This Passuk is often cited when describing the current day Teshuva phenomenon, based upon Rav Avraham Eben Ezra's commentary to this concluding Passuk of the Navi Malachi. Young men and women who become baalei teshuva through a variety of avenues, are often successful in subsequently bringing their parents closer to Torah as well. HaRav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, ZT"L, explained, however, that the intergenerational Greatness of this day is not limited to Baalei Teshuva, but points to a special intergenerational unity of all members of Klal Yisrael, past, present and future. How does this unity come about? What is the nature of this Gadlut/Greatness? And what is its connection to Pesach? Rabbi Akiva answers these questions in speaking of the qualities that children inherit from their parents.
"Rabbi Akiva says that a father endows his son with hereditary and inherited characteristics such as looks, strength, possessions, wisdom, and lifespan, as well as with Mispar Hadorot the number of generations. VeHazeh Haketz it is THIS that comprises the final redemption."
Rabbi Akiva posited that the greatest, most redemptive quality that we acquire from our parents, is the ability to unite with all past generations. The Pesukim which Rabbi Akiva cites as prooftexts underline that even a "four hundred year" oppressive Egyptian slavery spanning four generations culminates in redemption as long as we are Koreh Hadorot MeRosh as long as we call upon the generations from the beginning.
What does Yeshayahu HaNavi mean by this? The Rav explained that Koreh Hadorot MeRosh true characterizes an association with our distant ancestors and historical figures intellectually and emotionally as if they were contemporary companions.
When we retell and hear the stories of Avraham and Sarah, of Yitzchak and Rivka, of Moshe and Miriam, we experience them not simply as historical relics, but as living, dynamic heroes who visit us and live with us.
When we learn Torah and participate in the study of our Mesora, too, we do not simply study ancient and medieval texts; we engage actively in our study with those of past generations who participated in and contributed to this Mesora. Not only do their words and wisdom inform our discussion, but the depth of their religious personalties, their very essence, join our group.
Yaakov Avinu was the first to recognize this secret of Jewish continuity, of uniting the generations. While Yosef Hatzadik was busy tending to Egyptian matters of state, Yaakov Avinu studied Torah daily with his grandchildren, Efraim and Menashe, thus developing a special bond with them. This inspired him and empowered him to confer upon them a special Brocho, which emphasized that although these grandchildren were born in Egypt even before Yaakov's arrival, they share this special bond with him, enabling them to supercede even the Brocho which he gave to his own sons. Yaakov transcended the generation gap with Efraim and Menashe by invoking the principle of Koreh Hadorot MeRosh
The Rav, zt"l, often depicted the exciting and invigorating dynamic of his Shiur at Yeshiva, as one in which the various Tannaim, Amoraim, Rishonim and Acharonim enter the room, and join the discussion as the Shiur progressed.
"The Rebbe introduces the guests to his pupils and the dialogue commences All speak one language; all pursue one goal; all are committed to a common vision and all operate with the same categories achieving a friendship and comradeship of old and young, spanning antiquity to modern times "
U'bemispar Hadorot lefanav vehu haketz this joining of generations and merger of identities ultimately brings about the ketz the final redemption.
The five Tannaim in Bnai Brak join our Seder; Yaakov, Efraim and Menashe, and all prior and latter antecedents recline with us at our tables, as we relive Yetziat Mitzraim, and as we merge with all past and future generations Bechol Dor Vedor through Torah study. We thus plant the seeds and cultivate the of the ultimate redemption, as up until the future redemption when we'll sing the Shir Chodosh.
This Dvar Torah is based on a speech presented at the Seudat Pidyon Haben of my nephew in 1974, by Moreinu V'Rabbeinu HaRav HaGaon Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik, ZT"L.
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Torah Weekly Highlights of the Weekly Torah Portion Parshas Tzav Shabbos Hagadol
MYSTIC CAMOUFLAGE "Command Aharon" (6:2) "Exposed!" "The Real Truth Comes Out!" "Unveiled For The First Time!" We live in a world where a lack of covering is endemic; a world where everything has to be revealed. Because our society lacks a true spiritual center, the only quality that is prized is revelation. Revelation is all. That which is unseen or cannot be seen is distrusted and disregarded. Holiness is something which has to be covered. Its very nature requires covering. At any time there exist 36 holy people on whose merit the whole world rests. They are hidden. They have to be hidden. On Sunday, February 19, 1995, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach died in Jerusalem at the age of 84. The next afternoon, 300,000 people a number roughly equivalent to the adult Jewish population of Jerusalem escorted him on his final journey. The Israeli press was caught offguard. There were no prepared obituaries, for they had never heard of him. He was frail and unimposing even in his youth. He sat on no council of sages. He created no publishing empire. He didn't distribute inspirational cassettes. He held no pulpit. For 45 years, he headed a respected Jerusalem yeshiva that provided his only salary. And 300,000 escorted this man, whom the press had never heard of, to his rest.
Holiness requires covering. Rashi says about the above verse: "The word `command' always connotes alacrity and alertness. Rabbi Shimon said the Torah needs to command an extra degree of alertness where there is a lack of covering." When we think of the Temple offerings, it's easy to forget that in the majority of the offerings part of the korban was consumed by the kohen and the person who brought the korban. You might think that this was no more than a side benefit of the offering. In fact, this eating this most seemingly physical of actions covered the deepest holiness of the korban. There was one korban, however, in which neither the kohen nor the person who brought the offering partook the korban olah or "elevation offering." The korban olah was entirely consumed by fire. No part of it was eaten. In other words the holiness of korban olah was revealed. It did not have the covering, the mystic camouflage, that happened when the kohen and the supplicant ate from the korban. It was for this reason that the korban olah needed an extra decree of vigilance and alacrity. For that which is revealed needs extra guarding and alertness.
VIRTUAL REALITY "Command Aharon and his sons, saying: `This is the law of the olah.'" (6:2) Imagine you are walking through a field. Behind you some cows lazily chew grass. Ahead of you is a fence. In the fence is a narrow gate. You saunter towards the gate and without too much attention exit the field. You're just about to go back and close the metal gate when you see one of the cows that has been following you nuzzle up to the gate. There is a blinding blue flash. The cow convulses in paroxysms. Thousands of volts course through its body. A few seconds and it is all over. The cow is very quiet and very dead. Nothing can be heard except the birds singing away in blatant disregard to this scene. What would you feel like? Wouldn't you think "That could have been me. That should have been me?" The korban was the ultimate virtual reality experience. The whole point of a korban was that a person who did a sin should see the death of the animal. He should see its lifeblood thrown on the corners of the altar. He should see its limbs being burned and he should think to himself "That should have been me. I am the one that they should really be doing this to." Perforce we are sent into this world, and perforce we are taken from it. We do not own our lives. Our lives are always in the Hands of the Maker. When we do evil, we remove our raison d'etre. It is as though we tear up our contract with Gd. Gd has a deal with each of us: He gives us life and the ability to sustain ourselves. All He asks is that we use the world in the correct manner. When we renege on the deal, we remove ourselves from the world. However, Hashem in His infinite kindness allows us a way back. Through the process of teshuva we can return to Him as though we had never sinned. The whole point of the korban is to awaken in the heart thoughts of regret for evil actions thoughts of returning to Hashem. It was the ultimate in virtual reality. Your life on the line.
WARNING: HEART DO NOT EXTINGUISH! A continual fire shall be kept burning on it; it must not be extinguished." (6:6) The Torah prohibits extinguishing the fire of the altar. On the contrary, the fire must be attended, wood and kindling added as necessary, so that flame ascends constantly. If it is forbidden to put out even a single coal on the altar, how much more is it forbidden to put out even a single burning ember on the spiritual altar, the Jewish heart. The yearning for holiness, the flame in the heart which aspires longingly upward, homeward, must rather be constantly added to; aided and strengthened through reason, wisdom and discernment with the illumination of mitzvos and the light of the Torah.
THANKS! "If he shall offer it for a thanksgiving offering..." (7:12) Noone can say thanks for you, except you. One of the offerings mentioned in this week's Parsha is the korban todah the sacrifice that people brought when they wanted to thank Hashem. The Sages tell us that in the future, when all the other korbanos cease, the korban todah will still continue because there's always need to say "thank you." In the repetition of the amidah, the standing prayer, only the shaliach tzibbur the one leading the service repeats the prayers. The congregation responds, but they do not repeat the blessings. With one exception. The blessing of modim "thanks." For all blessings in the amidah we can send a shaliach, a messenger. When we pray to Hashem to heal us, we can send a messenger. When we ask for sustenance, we can send a messenger. But there is one thing no one else can say for us: "Thank You." Thank you is something you have to say yourself.
Haftorah Shabbos Hagadol The Great Shabbos When the Jewish People were about to leave Egypt, Gd commanded them to take a lamb, which the Egyptians worshipped as a god, and lead it through the streets to their homes. They tied the lamb to their bedposts, and three days later it was this lamb which served as the Pesach offering. Its blood was used to mark the doors and lintels so that Gd would "passover" the Jewish homes, and it was eaten at the first seder on the very night that the Jewish People left Egypt. On Shabbat, the tenth of Nissan, the Egyptians saw the Jews leading lambs through the street and asked "What is this lamb for?" The Jews replied "We're going to slaughter it as a Pesach offering, as Gd has commanded us." You can imagine how the Egyptians felt seeing their god led through the street and then tied to a bedpost! Miraculously, however, they were prevented from harming the Jewish People. They ground their teeth in fury, but did not utter a murmur. We commemorate this miracle on the Shabbat immediately preceding Pesach on Shabbos Hagadol "the Great Shabbos."
WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT "THE GREAT SHABBOS?" The Shabbos before Pesach is called "The Great Shabbos" because of the miracle which happened on the 10th of Nissan (see above). But what was it about this miracle that we connect it to Shabbos. We commemorate Shavuos on whichever day of the week the 6th of Sivan occurs. Similarly, Chanukah always starts on the 25th of Kislev, whichever day of the week that happens to be. What was it about this miracle that we link it to Shabbos rather than its actual calendar date? It is known that during Shabbos, all the plagues of Egypt were temporarily suspended: The bloody rivers changed back to water; the frogs stopped swarming. In honor of the greatness of Shabbos, even the plagues "took a rest." The tenth of Nissan, when the Jews led the lambs through the streets of Egypt, occurred during the plague of darkness. If this event had taken place on a weekday, the Egyptians would not have been able to see the what the Jews were doing and there would have been no miracle, for the entire land was engulfed in darkness. Now we can understand why we celebrate this miracle on the Shabbos before Pesach and not on the 10th of Nissan. For without Shabbos there would have been no miracle. That's why it's the "Great Shabbos." Sources: Ba'al HaTurim Parshas Vaera, Devash L'pi
Sources: o Mystic Camouflage Chiddushei HaRim o Virtual Reality Ramban o Thanks! Midrash, Avudraham, Rabbi Yissochar Frand o Warning: Heart Do Not Extinguish! Oros HaKodesh Zevachim 91
Written and Compiled by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman Production Design: Lev Seltzer Prepared by the Jewish Learning Exchange of Ohr Somayach International
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[From last year] Mar 28 1997 Josh Rapps <> tzav.97 Shiur HaRav Soloveichik ZT"L on Parshas Tzav (shiur date: 3/28/78)
Rashi (8:28 Vayakter) comments that Moshe functioned as a Kohen Gadol during the 7 day consecration period for Aharon as Kohen Gadol, his children as Kohanim and the Mishkan itself. The Gemara (Taanis) asks what clothes did Moshe wear during this 7 day period that he acted as a Kohen Gadol? The Gemara answers that he wore a simple white garment (Chaluk Lavan). The Rav asked if Moshe was truly a Kohen Gadol during this period why didn't he wear the special clothes that were worn by the Kohen Gadol? It was obvious that as a Kohen Gadol, Moshe should have worn the priestly garments (Bigdei Kehuna). The Gemara wants to know what class of Begadim Moshe wore during the 7 days: did he wear Bigdei Kehuna or regular clothes (Bigdei Chol). The Gemara answers that he wore something entirely different: Chaluk Lavan. Why did Moshe go beyond either Bigdei Chol or Bigdei Kehuna? If he could not wear Bigdei Kehuna then why not wear Bigdei Chol? The Rav asked what was the significance of this type of clothing vis a vis Moshe?
The Rav explained that Chazal tell us that Moshe functioned in many different capacities. For example, he was considered a king and the equivalent of the Sanhedrin. Chazal tell us that Moshe had another job as well. He was also a Kohen Gadol, as evidenced by his role in the 7 day period. One might think that this was a temporary role (Horaas Shaah) for Moshe that lasted 7 days, at which time Aharon assumed the role of Kohen Gadol. Chazal tell us that is not the case, Moshe functioned as a full fledged Kohen during this period, and he retained his status as Kohen even after the 7 day period.
If Moshe was a Kohen Gadol, why did he not undergo the same consecration ceremony as Aharon, appointment (Minuy), and anointing with the special oil (Shemen Hamishcha)? Also, according to the Ramban, the verse Vayehi Byeshurun Melech refers to Moshe's status as king. Why didn't Bnay Yisrael formally appoint him to the role of king and leader of the Sanhedrin?
These special roles attributed to Moshe have a common theme: they each add a dimension of Kedusha to the individual who fills the role. For example, the Kohen Gadol has a higher level of Kedusha than a Kohen Hedyot. Yet both are higher than a Yisrael. We reiterate this notion whenever the Kohanim pronounce the blessing of Asher Kidshanu Bkdushaso Shel Aharon, they are declaring that they have been granted an added dimension of Kedusha above and beyond that given to a regular Jew.
We can readily see that a Kohen Gadol has a higher level of Kedusha beyond the other Kohanim because the Kohen Gadol has special Mitzvos that apply only to him, to the exclusion of all other Kohanim. The status of Kohen Gadol does more than permit the individual (to the exclusion of all others) to perform the service in the Beis Hamikdash. Rather, it imbues the individual with the added Kedusha that comes from the extra Mitzvos that he now has, that only he can fulfill. This is the Kedushas Aharon that the Kohanim refer to. Hence the Kohen is praising Hashem for giving him a higher level of Kedusha, Kedushas Aharon. Reb Chaim said that even if the appointment of a Kohen Gadol is rescinded for some reason, the special laws of Tumah and restrictions on who he may marry still apply to him. This special status of the Kohen, the Kedushas Gavra, comes through either Meshicha (anointing with oil), or when there is no Shemen Hamishcha, through performing the ritual of the Avoda.