Today's Learning: Bechorot 5:4-5 O.C. 506:6-8 Erachin 26 Sponsored by Shlomo & Sharona Katz in gratitude to Hashem and in honor of all of Hamaayanžs friends and supporters on Hamaayan's 10th birthday Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Shemini-Hachodesh Vol. XI, No. 26 (509) 27 Adar II 5757, April 5, 1997 This week's parashah, Shemini, and the special reading for Parashat Hachodesh, actually are related. Our parashah describes the eighth day of the dedication of the mishkan, which fell on the first day of the month of Nisan. Parashat Hachodesh takes its name from the commandment that Nisan be counted as the first month of the year. The gemara (Shabbat 87b) teaches that the first day of Nisan took ten "crowns" at the time when the mishkan was dedicated: It was: 1 - the first day counting from the creation of the world (i.e., it was a Sunday); 2 - the first of the twelve days when the Nesiim/Princes brought their sacrifices; 3 - the first day that Aharon and his sons served as kohanim; 4 - the first day of the Temple service; 5 - the first time that fire came down from heaven to the altar; 6 - the first day that kodshim/sacrifices were eaten; 7 - the first day that the Shechinah rested among men; 8 - the first day that Birkat Kohanim/the Priestly Blessing was recited; 9 - the first day when private altars were forbidden; and 10 - the first day in the count of months. ****************** Pesach Thoughts We begin the Pesach seder by reciting, "Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat . . . This year here; next year in Eretz Yisrael." How do these thoughts relate to each other? Also, how can we say, "Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat," when the doors of our houses are closed? Rav Yehuda Assad z"l explains as follows: Why are we happy on Pesach - after all, aren't we once again in exile? The answer is that we rejoice in the knowledge that we can be redeemed at any time. Even from Egypt, where we were destined to remain for 400 years, G-d took us out early. Certainly, then, He can take us out of our present exile which has no fixed length. How can we earn this redemption? Through charity. The haggadah excerpt quoted above is not literally an invitation. It is a reminder that if throughout the year we practice feeding the hungry, then: This year here; next year in Eretz Yisrael. (Divrei MaHaRY"A) ****************** The gemara says that the story of the Exodus should be told in a question and answer format. Even if a person is all alone, he is expected to follow this format. Why? Rav Aryeh Leib Zunz z"l explains: The Zohar says that when a person tells the story of the Exodus, Hashem Himself rejoices. He then gathers together the entire heavenly entourage and says to them, "Go and hear My praises which My children are saying." Thus, says Rav Zunz, a person who is conducting a seder is never really alone. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Birkat Shir) ****************** "You shall tell Bnei Yisrael: 'Take a goat for a sin offering ... for today Hashem appears to you.' They took what Moshe had commanded to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the entire assembly approached and stood before Hashem. Moshe said, 'This is the thing that Hashem has commanded you to do, and the glory of Hashem will appear to you'." (9:3-6) What does the last verse add to the story? The Torah has already related in the previous verses that Hashem's glory will appear when the offerings are brought! Rav Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht z"l explained in the name of the Brisker Rav z"l: The midrash interprets Moshe's statement to mean, "Eliminate that certain yetzer hara/evil inclination from your midst. Just as He is One, so your intentions shall be for one purpose. If you do this, He will appear to you." What does this mean? If a person were told, "Do this mitzvah and the Vilna Gaon will appear to you; do this mitzvah and Rabbi Akiva will appear to you," would the performance of that mitzvah be considered to be leshmah/for the sake of Heaven? One could argue that it is, since the desire to see the Vilna Gaon or Rabbi Akiva is a wholly spiritual aspiration. What if a person is told, "Do this mitzvah, and Hashem will appear to you" ? Would the performance of that mitzvah be considered to be leshmah? The answer, our verses teach, is, no. True leshmah means serving Hashem simply because He has commanded it, with no expectation of receiving any benefit whatsoever. Moshe said, according to the midrash, "Eliminate that certain yetzer hara, i.e., the yetzer hara that demands a reward for serving Hashem, from your midst." If you do this thing which Hashem has commanded, says our verse, then Hashemžs glory will, in fact, appear to you. However, that should not be your intention. (Quoted in Shai Latorah) ****************** From the humor of our sages . . . "And Moshe heard, and it was good in his eyes." (10:20) Rav Natan David of Shidlovitza z"l once visited Rav Chaim of Sanz z"l, who asked his guest to speak a few words of Torah. Rav Natan David did not wish to speak in the presence of one of the leading sages of the generation, but what choice did he have? This is what he said: What does the Torah mean by "it was good in Moshe's eyes"? The answer is that Moshe was used to speaking and having Aharon listen to him. Now, when Aharon spoke, Moshe saw that hearing words of Torah is better than speaking words of Torah. And with that, Rav Natan David said no more. ****************** Parashat Shemini In Halachah -- This parashah contains 17 of the Torah's 613 mitzvot, including the basic laws for recognizing kosher and non-kosher animals, fish, birds and insects. (Sefer Hachinuch) -- The Torah tells us that an animal is kosher if it chews its cud and has split hooves, and a fish is kosher if it has fins and scales. However, the Torah does not tell us how to recognize a kosher bird. Rather, the Torah lists, by name, 24 species of non- kosher birds, and the rest are kosher. We do not know what those 24 are. Although the gemara does list four signs of kashruth for birds, which have been handed down through the Oral Law, it is our practice to eat only those birds regarding which we have a tradition of kashruth. (Shulchan Aruch, Y.D. 82:1-2) In light of this halachah, how can we explain the widespread practice of eating turkey? Since turkey is an American bird, there could not have been a tradition regarding its kashruth before the 1500's. Rav Zvi Hirsch Shapira z"l (1845-1914; the Munkatcher Rebbe and a major posek) suggests that we eat turkey because of its similarity to the Indian peacock, which is a kosher bird. However, he notes, some people do not eat turkey. (Darchei Teshuvah 82:26) -- "Everything that has fins and scales in the water, in the seas, and in the streams, those you may eat." (11:9) Ramban writes that it is not enough for fish to have scales in order for the fish to be kosher. The scales must be of a type which can be scraped off easily. Rav Yechezkel Landau z"l writes that if anyone but the Ramban had said this, he would argue, for he can find no source in the gemara or midrash for such a halachah. "But what can I do, when our great master, the Ramban, has said this?" he writes. (Noda B'Yehuda II No. 28) The Vilna Gaon writes that Ramban's source is the Tosefta (Chullin, chapter 3) which writes, "The scales which the fish wears." (Beur Hagra, Y.D 83:1) -- A giraffe is a kosher animal and may be shechted (slaughtered) anywhere on its long neck. There is no truth to the popular statement that we don't eat giraffe because we don't know where to shecht it. Some say that the giraffe is the "tachash" whose hide was used in the mishkan. (Sichat Chullin pp. 417-418) ****************** Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible