Hamaayan / The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Tzav "Permission to Pray" Volume 24, No. 24 12 Nissan 5770 March 27, 2010 Sponsored by Aaron and Rona Lerner in memory of their fathers Avraham ben Yaakov Hakohen a"h and Yaakov Yonah ben Yisrael a"h Today's Learning: Nach: Amos 3-4 Niddah 6:7-8 O.C. 448:6-449:1 Daf Yomi (Bavli): Sanhedrin 43 Daf Yomi (Yerushalmi): Pe'ah 6 The Midrash Rabbah comments on the opening of our parashah, "Command Aharon and his sons." Says the midrash: From the beginning of the book of Vayikra until here, we find repeated references to "the sons of Aharon," but never a reference to Aharon himself. Then Moshe prayed to Hashem on behalf of Aharon as follows: "Is it possible to despise a well but to love its water? You have granted a special status to certain trees because of their fruit by prohibiting the wood of olive trees and grape vines from being used as firewood on the altar, but you do not show respect to Aharon because of his sons!" Hashem answered, "By your life! I will show honor to Aharon and even place him before his sons." Thus it is written, "Command Aharon and his sons." [Until here from the midrash] R' Yitzchak Ze'ev Yadler z"l (1843-1917; Yerushalayim) explains: The passage in the midrash that precedes the above excerpt discusses the fact that G-d was angry at Aharon for making the Golden Calf, and Aharon therefore deserved that his sons should die. [Although Nadav and Avihu died for their own sin, Aharon deserved that they die.] The midrash therefore wonders: Moshe never prayed for anything until he saw that G-d wanted him to pray. For example, Moshe did not pray for Bnei Yisrael after the sin of the Golden Calf until Hashem said (Shmot 32:10), "And now, give Me permission, and My anger will flare up against them and I shall annihilate them." This was a hint that Moshe should defend Bnei Yisrael. What signal did Moshe receive that he should pray for Aharon? It was the fact that the kohanim are referred to repeatedly as "the sons of Aharon." (Tiferet Zion) ******** "If he shall offer it for a todah / thanksgiving-offering, he shall offer with the todah matzot / unleavened loaves mixed with oil . . . With loaves of chametz / leavened bread shall he bring his offering . . ." (7:12-13) The korban todah, brought after a serious illness, release from prison, or a dangerous journey, is the only private offering that includes chametz. Why did it include chametz? R' Yosef Gikatilla z"l (1210-1348; Spain; among the most important of the early kabbalists) explains: The root of the word "chametz" appears in various contexts where it refers to something that has changed for the worse, including "chametz" / dough that has soured and "chometz" / vinegar, i.e., wine that has soured. In the Gemara (Berachot 17a), we find the related word "se'or" / yeast referring to the agent which prevents man from doing G-d's will. What agent is that? It is the fact that man is a physical being. This fact alone dims man's vision and limits his ability to grasp spiritual matters. Just as chametz turns bread and wine from their ideal states into something worse, so our physical nature detracts from what we could and should ideally be. (R' Gikatilla acknowledges that to us, bread, not matzah, seems to be the ideal food. Indeed, we have difficulty digesting matzah. However, this is merely a reflection of our own diminished state, just as our inability to "digest" many spiritual concepts is due to our not being in our ideal state.) As Bnei Yisrael prepared for the Exodus, Hashem told them not to eat chametz. Why? Because the culmination of the Exodus was to be the revelation at Har Sinai; therefore, they had to cleanse themselves of that which would prevent them from experiencing that revelation. The Midrash Rabbah states that all sacrificial offerings will cease to exist in the future, except for the korban todah. R' Gikatilla explains that the todah is not just a thanksgiving offering, it is also a sin offering. [The word "todah" / thanks shares the same root as the "hoda'ah" / acknowledgment and "vidui" / confession.] When a person recovers from an illness, is released from prison, or completes a dangerous journey, he is required to acknowledge that he would never have been in danger if he were completely righteous, and he gives thanks for being saved even though he was unworthy. (Parenthetically, R' Gikatilla writes, even if one transgresses unavoidably, he should know that he would have been protected by Heaven if he had been worthy.) In the future, the yetzer hara will be suppressed for good, and there will be no more sin and no more sin-offerings. However, the duty to acknowledge that we sinned in the past and nevertheless received Hashem's kindness will never end; thus, neither will the mitzvah to bring a todah. And, having seen the connection between the korban todah and sin, we can understand why a korban todah includes chametz. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Tzofnat Paneach) [Ed. note: Directly related to the above, readers should be aware of a significant grammatical error made by many who recite Birkat Ha'gomel, the blessing recited after recovering from a serious illness or being saved from danger. The correct wording is: "Ha'gomel le'chayavim tovot" / "Who does for guilty people -- good things," not "Ha'gomel le'chayavim tovim," which would mean, "Who does [unspecified things] for guilty people who are good."] ******** Shabbat Hagadol Many reasons have been offered for why the Shabbat before Pesach is called "Shabbat Hagadol" / the Great Shabbat. R' Pinchas Menachem Alter z"l (1926-1996; long-time rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Sfas Emes in Yerushalayim, and later the Gerrer Rebbe) explains: The Torah cites two reasons for observing Shabbat. First, Shabbat commemorates Creation (see Bereishit 2:3). In addition, it commemorates the Exodus (see Devarim 5:15). [See below.] Before the Exodus, only the first of these reasons existed. However, as we prepare to commemorate the Exodus, we realize that Shabbat is now greater. He adds: Notably, the gematria of the phrase from kiddush, "Ve'Shabbat kodsho" / "Shabbat, His holy [day]" (1118) is the same as the gematria of "zecher yetziat Mitzrayim" / "a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt" and of "Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokenu Hashem Echad," the basic declaration of our faith. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Pnei Menachem p.9) How does Shabbat commemorate the Exodus? R' Avraham ibn Ezra z"l (1089-1164; Spain, France and England) explains that just as we rested from our slavery after the Exodus, so we should permit our slaves to rest on Shabbat. R' Moshe ben Nachman z"l (Ramban; 1194-1270; Spain and Eretz Yisrael) writes: R' Avraham's explanation is not correct. Ramban also disagrees with the explanation of Rambam z"l ("Maimonides"), who writes that, when we were slaves in Egypt, we had no time to rest. Now, when we rest, we should remember the Exodus and be grateful for Hashem's kindness. Rather, Ramban writes, the miracles of the Exodus demonstrate G-d's ability to do with nature as He wishes, which is proof that He is the Creator. Thus, both reasons for Shabbat--Creation and the Exodus--testify to the same thing. ******** From the Haggadah "Had not the Holy One, Blessed is He, taken our fathers out from Egypt, then we, our children, and our children's children would have remained subjugated to Pharaoh in Egypt." Many commentaries ask: How can we be sure that thousands of years later we would still be enslaved to Pharaoh? After all, in the natural course of history, empires come and go, and slaves become free or even become masters of their former enslavers! R' Yosef Chaver z"l (Lithuania; 19th century) notes that the Haggadah does not say, "We . . . would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt," but rather, "We . . . would have remained subjugated to Pharaoh in Egypt." He explains: Egypt was a land where a belief in astrology and in the supposed powers of the heavenly bodies reigned supreme. The purpose of the Ten Plagues was to demonstrate that those powers are false, and that Hashem is in control of every detail of existence. Not only the Egyptians needed this education; Bnei Yisrael needed it too. Thus the Haggadah teaches, "Had not the Holy One, Blessed is He, taken our fathers out from Egypt, then we, our children, and our children's children would have remained subjugated [to the false beliefs of] Pharaoh in Egypt." (Haggadah Shel Pesach Zeroa Netuyah) R' Zevulun Hamburger shlita (Yerushalayim) asks: Our Sages state that the world was created conditionally and that the entire universe would have ceased to exist if Bnei Yisrael had not received the Torah. How then would we, our children, and our children's children have remained subjugated to Pharaoh in Egypt if there had been no Exodus? To the contrary, we would not even exist! He explains: Surely we would have left Egypt and received the Torah at some point. However, the Arizal teaches that, had Bnei Yisrael remained in Egypt one more instant, they would have sunk to the fiftieth level of impurity from which there is no climbing out. In that case, even after the eventual Exodus and even after receiving the Torah, Bnei Yisrael would have remained spiritually subjugated to Pharaoh. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Sha'arei Zevul p.41) ******** "At first, our ancestors were idol worshipers, but now the Omnipresent has brought us near to His service." R' Avraham Aharon Friedman z"l Hy"d (Hungary; killed in the Holocaust) explains: One might ask, "Why make a big fuss over the Exodus? If G-d had not put us in Egypt, He would not have had to take us out!" To answer this we say, "At first, our ancestors were idol worshipers, but now the Omnipresent has brought us near to His service." Through the experience in Egypt, especially the Ten Plagues, we learned to reject idolatry and to believe in Hashem. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Dvar Aharon)