Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Shemini Volume XVII, No. 26 25 Adar II 5763 March 29, 2003 Sponsored by Mrs. Helen Spector and family in memory of Abraham Spector (Avraham ben Nosson Nata) a"h Today's Learning: Me'ilah 2:5-6 Orach Chaim 4:11-13 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Avodah Zarah 16 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Beitzah 20 This week's parashah begins, "And it happened on the eighth day . . ." The eighth day is significant to us in many ways. This parashah describes the events that transpired on the eighth, and last, day of the dedication of the Mishkan. In next week's parashah we read that a boy is circumcised on the eighth day of his life. Also, the Midrash tells us that it was on the eighth day of the world's existence that Adam discovered fire. (This is why we recite a blessing over fire at the close of Shabbat.) All of these "eighth-day-deeds" share a common theme - the idea that G-d left His creation imperfect so that we can complete it through serving Him. In the case of circumcision, Hashem told Avraham (Bereishit 17:1), "[Do this] and you will be perfect." Adam's "scientific discovery" on the first day after the week of creation also represents man's mission to continue G-d's creative work. So, too, with the Mishkan. G-d had commanded that a Tabernacle be built to house His Shechinah / Presence amongst Bnei Yisrael. With the Mishkan completed and dedicated according to G-d's specifications, man's service within could begin. But imperfect man often enacts an imperfect service. Thus, our parashah relates that Nadav and Avihu offered "strange fire" in the Mishkan and were killed. When doing the work that Hashem left for us to complete, we must remain bound by the rules that Hashem enacted. [Perhaps this is the lesson in the fact that Adam's first discovery was fire, a creation endowed with both beneficial and destructive characteristics.] (Adapted from R' A. Buchman, Bedibur Echod) ******** "He said to Aharon, `Take for yourself a young bull for a chatat / sin-offering and a ram for an olah / elevation- offering -- unblemished; and offer them before Hashem. And to Bnei Yisrael speak thus: "Take a he-goat for a chatat, and a calf and a sheep in their first year -- unblemished -- for an olah. And a bull and a ram for a shelamim / peace- offering to slaughter before Hashem, and a meal-offering mixed with oil; for today Hashem appears to you".' . . . Moshe said, `This is what Hashem has commanded you to do; then the glory of Hashem will appear to you'." (9:2-6) R' Yitzchak Weiss z"l (rabbi of Verbau, Czechoslovakia; killed in the Holocaust in 1942) observes that we might have expected the offering on the day of the Mishkan's dedication to be much more substantial. Why was it not? He explains as follows: R' Yitzchak Arama z"l (Spain; died 1494) writes in his Akeidat Yitzchak that the purpose of bringing animal sacrifices is simply to do Hashem's will. [Unlike Ramban and many other commentaries, he suggests that there is no inherent value to the sacrificial service.] In this light, we can understand the words of the prophet Shmuel (Shmuel I 15:23), "Does Hashem take delight in elevation offerings and feast-offerings as in obedience to the voice of Hashem? Behold! -- obedience is better than a choice offering, attentiveness than the fat of rams." What is good about bringing an offering is the obedience that one shows to G- d. If one brings an offering that G-d does not want -- as Shmuel rebuked King Shaul for doing -- then Hashem takes no delight in that service. This, writes R' Weiss, was the message that Hashem drove home by requesting that only a small sacrifice be offered at the Mishkan's dedication. They key is not the sacrifice, but rather, "This is the thing that Hashem has commanded you to do" - if you do what He has commanded -- "then the glory of Hashem will appear to you." (Siach Yitzchak) ******** "Aharon raised his hands toward the people and blessed them; he descended from having performed the chatat, the olah, and the shelamim." (9:22) In the Bet Hamikdash, the kohanim recited Birkat Kohanim immediately after offering the tamid shel shachar / daily sacrifice of the morning. In our shuls, the kohanim ascend to the bima to bless the congregation during the berachah of "Retzai" - the blessing that recalls the Temple sacrifices. Apparently there is some connection between sacrifices and blessings. What is that connection? R' Joseph B. Soloveitchik z"l (1903-1993) writes that this can be understood if we understand the idea of the sacrifices themselves. Obviously, G-d does not need our food! Rather, G-d demands that one demonstrate his ability and willingness to give. G-d is, of course, the greatest and most unselfish Giver. He gives and gets nothing in return. One who gives a sacrifice selflessly shows himself to be worthy of a blessing. (Yemei Zikaron p. 195) ******** Pesach "If one cleans his room on the 13th of Nissan and has in mind to search for chametz and to destroy it, and he is careful not to take any chametz there afterwards, nevertheless, he must perform bedikat chametz on the night of the 14th. And every person should clean his room before bedikat chametz." (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 433:11) What is the purpose of this seemingly redundant effort? The Chafetz Chaim explains that one who is cleaning does not take pains to search in every corner. Moreover, searching by candle light forces a person to focus more carefully on each spot. (Mishnah Berurah) R' Moshe Yehuda Leib Friedman z"l (the Pishkaner Rebbe; died 1947) adds that there is a mussar reason for this law: It is well known that chametz alludes to the yetzer hara. This is how one much introspect if he is to defeat his yetzer hara -- one introspection followed by another! The story is told of a visit by R' Yaakov Yosef Hakohen of Polnoye z"l to the Ba'al Shem Tov z"l. As they were discussing various esoteric matters, a non-Jewish laborer knocked on the shutters and asked, "Are there any broken vessels here that need fixing?" The Ba'al Shem Tov answered, "No! I have already repaired all of the broken vessels." To this, the non-Jew retorted, "Look harder, maybe you'll find something." When that worker had left, the Ba'al Shem Tov turned to his guest and said, "You understand, do you not, that this non-Jew was sent as a messenger from Above to ask us, `Why are you busy with esoteric matters when you have not repaired all of your character flaws that need repairing?' I replied that I had already perfected myself, to which Heaven answered, `Look harder, and you will find additional flaws to repair'." R' Yaakov Yosef answered, "I cannot accept that Heaven sends messengers in such a manner." The Ba'al Shem Tov replied, "Don't say `I can't.' Say, `I am not willing'." And with this, they parted. Along his journey, R' Yaakov Yosef encountered a wagon mired in the mud. "Help me," the wagon-driver pleaded, but R' Yaakov Yosef replied, `I can't." "Don't say `I can't'," said the stranded wagon-driver. "Say, `I am not willing'." Recognizing that he had been sent a message, R' Yaakov Yosef helped the wagon-driver extract his vehicle from the mud. Then, reversing direction, he returned to the Ba'al Shem Tov and acknowledged that the latter had been correct. This is the message of bedikat chametz as well, explains R' Friedman. When searching for character flaws, look harder, and you will find something to repair. (Quoted in Haggadah Shel Pesach Adir B'mluchah p. 16) ******** R' Yosef Chaim of Baghdad z"l (1832-1909) was Chief Rabbi of Baghdad, and a prolific author whose works are studied daily by many Sefardim and are also popular among Ashkenazim. At the beginning of his commentary to the book of Yechezkel, he describes his own visit to that prophet's grave in the year 1908, and he continues: I would like to mention how fortunate we, the people of Baghdad, are to live near the resting place of our master, the holy tzaddik [Yechezkel], may his merit protect us. From our city to the city of Chalah is a journey of 17 (gematria of "tov") hours by animal caravan or eleven hours by wagon pulled by animals, and from Chalah to Kfil, the resting place of our master, may his merit protect us, is six hours by animal back. In our distinguished city, Baghdad, there are no known graves from the period of the Tannaim (Sages of the Mishnah) or the Amoraim (Sages of the Gemara) or from earlier. However, near Basra [in southern Iraq] is the grave of Ezra Ha'sofer [author of the Biblical books of Ezra and Divrei Hayamim]. This is several hours distant from Baghdad by boat on the Tigris River. The elders say that after Ezra settled in Eretz Yisrael [shortly after the Second Temple was built], he traveled to Yemen to bring back the Jews who lived there, but they refused to come. He then set out to return to Eretz Yisrael by sea [around the Arabian Peninsula], and he died in Basra and was buried there. If you will ask, what was the status of Baghdad in the time of the Sages of the Talmud? I will tell you what was written in [the journal] Hamaggid on 8 Shevat 5633 [Feb. 1873]. The author believes that Baghdad is the same city that was called in the time of the Talmud "Pumpedita" or "Mechoza," and the Ishmaelite Caliphs changed the name to Baghdad. (The Talmudic sage R' Chana Baghdata'ah appears not to have been from this Baghdad but from a small village of the same name.) The author [of the Hamaggid article] asserts that Pumpedita and Baghdad must be the same, for Rabbeinu Sherira Gaon [died 1003] and his son Rabbeinu Hai Gaon [died 1038] were roshei yeshivot in Pumpedita, and it is well known that they are buried in Baghdad. It is known that R' Shmuel Hanaggid Halevi, the Vizier to the King of Cordoba, Spain sent R' Matzliach the Dayan (Judge) of Tzakliah to Babylon to study the ways of R' Hai Gaon. In his letter to R' Shmuel, R' Matzliach writes expressly that he visited R' Hai in Baghdad. The city of Mechoza was well known in Talmudic times as a mercantile center, and the Jews who lived there were very wealthy. (It also was the home of the Talmudic sage Rava.) This was a fitting city to be the capital of the Caliphs. It appears [R' Yosef Chaim concludes after presenting additional evidence] that Pumpedita and Mechoza were sister cities on opposite banks of he Tigris -- Pumpedita was a city of learning and Mechoza was a city of trade -- and they later merged to form Baghdad.