Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Shemini Volume VI/ Number 26 (260) 23 Adar II 5752/March 28, 1992 Parashat Parah Parasha Overview The eighth day is significant to us in many ways: This Parasha describes the events that transpired on the eighth, and final, day of the dedication of the Mishkan. On the eighth day of his life, a boy is circumcised. Also, the Midrash teaches that it was on the eighth day of history that Adam discovered fire. (This is why we recite a blessing over fire at the close of Shabbat.) All of these "eighth-day-events" share a common theme - the idea that G-d left His creation imperfect so that we may complete it through our service of Him. Hashem told Avraham, "[Circumcise yourself] and you will be perfect" (B'reishit 17:1). 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 with the Mishkan. Hashem had commanded that a tabernacle be built to house His "Presence" amongst Bnei Yisrael. With the Mishkan completed and dedicated according to Hashem's specifications, man's service within begins. But imperfect man often enacts an imperfect service. Thus it happened that Nadav and Avihu offered a "strange fire" in the Mishkan, and were stricken down. When doing the work that Hashem left for us to complete, we must remain bound by the rules that Hashem enacted. (Perhaps this lesson is found in fact that Adam's first discovery was fire, a creation with both beneficial and destructive properties.) This lesson is reinforced by this week's reading of "Parashat Parah" (see below), the Torah's description of the red heifer whose ashes had the power to purify the ritually impure. Chazal refer to this Mitzvah as a "Chok" - a commandment whose logical basis we cannot possibly hope to understand. Even King Shlomo, the wisest of all men, did not understand this Mitzvah. Furthermore, writes Bet Halevi, Shlomo's failure led him to conclude that perhaps he did not fully understand any Mitzvah. This was a turnabout from Shlomo's earlier view that when the Torah stated the reason for a Mitzvah, one was free to conclude that it did not apply to himself (Sanhedrin 21b). No! Parashat Parah tells us. Hashem's Mitzvot are deep beyond our understanding. If we understand, good; if not, or if we think a certain Mitzvah does not apply to us, we must observe it anyway. The Haftara for Parashat Parah is Yechezkel 36:16-38. Ramban writes, adducing support from verse 26, that in the time of Mashiach man will return to Adam's ideal state, and his only desire will be to use all of his powers to perform Hashem's will properly. ************************************ Parashat Parah In the time when the Bet Hamikdash was standing, every Jew was obligated to become ritually pure before Pesach, in preparation for ascending to Yerushalayim and bringing the "Korban Pesach" (Pascal sacrifice). Thus, at this time of year people would begin to make use of the ashes of the Parah Adumah, the "tool" which Hashem gave us for removing the most serious kinds of ritual impurities from our bodies. Today, we have no Bet Hamikdash or Parah Adumah. However, we commemorate that Mitzvah by reading Parashat Parah (Bamidbar 19:1- 22). When is Parashat Parah read? If the month of Nisan begins on Shabbat, Parasha Parah is read a week before Rosh Chodesh. Otherwise, it is read two Shabbatot before the beginning of the month. (This formula is designed to allow for the reading of "Parashat Hachodesh" next week.) According to some "Poskim" (Halachic authorities), the reading of Parashat Parah is a Torah Mitzvah just like "Parashat Zachor". One must therefore take care to follow closely and to have in mind that he is fulfilling the Mitzvah. (One should also allow his neighbors in Shul to do the same.) ************************************ Karpas Why do we eat Karpas? The best known reason is that the Hebrew spelling of Karpas suggests "60 Ferach" - i.e. 600,000 (=60 X 10,000) Jews worked hard as slaves. Some say that Karpas was the herb which Bnei Yisrael used to heal the sores they got while working and through beatings. Finally, the name Karpas reminds us of the "Ketonet Pasim" - Yosef's coat which played a role in bringing about the enslavement of the Jews. (R' Yehuda Lebowitz: Notes to Ritva's Hilchot Seder Hahaggadah) ************************************ Maggid R' Shlomo Luria ("Maharshal") writes that one should wrap the Matzah in a sack, throw it over his shoulder, and walk around the room in this manner saying, "This is how our ancestors left Egypt, their belongings tied to their clothes, on their shoulders." R' Shlomo Kluger explains this custom as follows: Hashem told Moshe, "When Bnei Yisrael leave Egypt, they should not leave empty-handed. Rather, each woman should borrow items of value from her neighbor, etc." Isn't this verse redundant? If each woman is borrowing things from her neighbor, of course they will not leave Egypt empty-handed! The Gemara says that after slaughtering the Korban Pesach in the Bet Hamikdash, each Jew would carry it home, thrown over his shoulder the way an Arab carries his load. Why is it important for the Gemara to tell us that the Korban was carried like an Arab's load? To remind us that the reason the Jews ended up in Egypt in the first place was that Yosef's brothers sold him to a caravan of Arabs. Did the Jews deserve to be paid for the work that they did in Egypt? Only if they were subjugated unfairly. However, since we now know that this exile was a punishment for the sale of Yosef, we know that the Jews did not deserve to be paid. This is why the Jews could only borrow items from their Egyptians neighbors. [Ed. note: R' Kluger does explain why the Jews were nevertheless allowed to keep what they "borrowed," but that does not directly relate to our question.] To remind Bnei Yisrael of this, Hashem told Moshe, "The Jews should not go empty-handed." They should carry these items in their own hands, and not place them on the animals or wagons. More explicitly, they should carry these items on their shoulders the way an Arab carries his load, so that they would be reminded of the reason that they went to Egypt in the first place. This is what Maharshal tells us to do: We too should know why our ancestors were enslaved in Egypt. Carrying the Matzah around the room on our shoulders reminds us of the reason. (Yeriot Shlomo) ************************************ A Pesach Story A Chassid once brought a sack of carrots to R' Yissachar Dov of Belz to be used as "Karpas" during the Seder. However, no sooner did the Chassid leave, when the Rebbe gave orders that the carrots be burned with the Chametz. Despite the astonishment of all those present, no one questioned the Rebbe's instructions. A few hours passed, and that same Chassid reappeared, quite disturbed. During the interval, his maidservant had asked him if he was pleased with the large and appealing carrots, and she revealed the secret of her success: She had watered the plants with beer. Her master, the Chassid, had been horrified. "Beer is Chametz," he had thought. He had immediately saddled his horse, and returned to Belz. To the Chassidim, the whole incident seemed to be miracle, but the Rebbe said, "I did not order the carrots burned because I knew that they had been watered with beer. How could I have known that? But I did know that none of our ancestors had ever used carrots for Karpas, and something is not quite right here. That is why I had the carrots burned." ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Mishnah Yomit Kelim 28:4-5 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Halacha Yomit OC/MB 366:3-5 (Learn three paragraphs every day) Daf Yomi Ta'anit 23 (Learn two sides of a page every day Rambam Chapter/Day: Hilchot Avadim - Chapter 5 3 Chapters/Day: Hilchot Meilah - Chapter 8, Hilchot Korban Pesach - Chapters 1-2 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:N114,P55,N115,N116; Su:P57,P56,P58; M:N125,N123,N128,N126,N127,N121,N122; Tu:N117,N119,N118,P53,P52; W:P54,N156,N229,P16,P79; Th:N144,N108; F:P78 ************************************ Happy Birthday Hamaayan! This Parasha marks the anniversary of our first issue, and once again, we thank you for your support. Unfortunately, that support has decreased over the years, and beginning this week, we will be returning to our original, smaller format.