Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat vaYikra Volume VII/Number 23 (310) 5 Nisan 5753/March 27, 1993 Through the sin of the eating from the "Eitz haDa'at" - "Tree of knowledge" - man's faculties and senses were dulled, writes R' Yaakov Moshe Charlop, zatzal (1883-1951). When Chava told the serpent that Hashem commanded them not to touch the tree -- He had not -- she damaged the ability to speak. When she listened to the serpent, she damaged the sense of hearing. When "She saw that the tree was good to eat" (B'reishit 3:6), she damaged the sense of sight. Finally, she damaged the sense of touch when she took the fruit in her hands and later handed it to her husband. Only the sense of smell was not involved in that sin -- it therefore was not dulled, and it still retains the level of sanctity that it always had. We can thus understand why the mechanism by which we achieve atonement is "An offering, sweet- smelling to Hashem" (Vayikra 1:9). In the same vein we read of the future (Yishayahu 11:3), "And they [the righteous] will smell the fear of Heaven, " i.e. the fear of Heaven will become as developed as the sense of smell. (quoted in Nedivut Lev p.79) ************************************ If you want to know the worth of the sacrifices, says R' Yechezkel Abramsky, zatzal (1886-1976), look at their central place in the Torah. Do this, and you will understand the mission given to the sacrifices in the process of directing the Jewish people to their destiny -- being Hashem's "Kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Hashem has given a lofty role to the Jewish people; fulfilling this mandate requires a supreme effort on two fronts. On the one hand, the soul must be immunized. This is done by avoiding questions of faith and by improving one's personality traits. (The way to accomplish the latter is by having trust in G-d; one will thus have no need for traits such as jealousy.) On the other hand, one must protect his body. If the body is not whole, a person cannot concentrate on knowing G-d. [Ed. note: We do not know how these thoughts are connected back to the bringing of sacrifices, for at this point in his writings R' Abramsky was stricken with his final illness. He passed away two months later.] (Chazon Yechezkel, Intro. to Zevachim) ************************************ The Torah commands that neither yeast nor honey shall be sacrificed on the altar. What do yeast and honey symbolize? R' Chaim Yehuda Meir Hager, zatzal (1912-1969; the "Vishuva Rebbe") explains that they represent two extremes which are to be avoided. Yeast represents laziness, for dough must be left idle or it will not rise. Honey, on the other hand, symbolizes industry; the bee is always moving [as in the English expression, "Busy as a bee"]. To be too industrious is also not good. Laziness causes boredom which leads to depression and sin. "Workaholism" leads to fatigue and sickness, hence to an inability to serve Hashem. Which is worse? Laziness, for even after the dough has risen, someone must put it in the oven. In other words, laziness produces no end product. The person who is overworked, however, although he has gone against the Torah's spirit, at least has a product to show for his labors. (Zecher Chaim) ************************************ P E S A C H We read in the Haggadah, "I might think that I should start telling the story of the Exodus from Rosh Chodesh Nisan; therefore the Torah (Sh'mot 13:8) says, 'Because of this.' This verse teaches us that the Mitzvah of the Haggadah applies at the time when 'this' (the Korban Pesach, the Matzah, and the Maror) are before us." The Haggadah does not tell us, however, says R' Mordechai Gifter, shlita (Rosh Yeshiva of Telz), whether the Mitzvah of the Haggadah applies only when those three items are actually before us, or merely at the hour when those three Mitzvot apply. What if one does not have Matzah and Maror? The answer may be found in the Gemara (Pesachim 116b), however. There we learn that according to the view that the Mitzvah of Matzah is only a Rabbinic obligation now that the Bet haMikdash is not standing, so the Haggadah is also a Rabbinic commandment. Why does this view consider Matzah to be only a Rabbinic obligation? Because we don't have a Korban Pesach on the table. We see, therefore, that the Mitzvah of the Haggadah applies on a Torah level only when the other three Mitzvah-objects are actually before us, not only at the time when they apply. The question arises, since it is clear that the Mitzvah of Haggadah applies "miDeoraita" only at the hour when the Mitzvah of Korban Pesach applies as well, why did R' Elazar ben Azaryah remain at the Seder with his colleagues past midnight (as told in the Haggadah)? R' Elazar ben Azaryah maintained, after all, that the Mitzvah of Korban Pesach could be performed only until midnight! The answer is that even if the time for the Mitzvah of the Haggadah has ended, the Haggadah and the story of the Exodus are nevertheless Torah study. By remaining at the Seder he was thus able to perform that Mitzvah. (Pirkei Mo'ed p.23) ************************************ In 1939, R' Yaakov Galinsky, shlita (now a well-known orator in Israel), was studying in the Novardok Yeshiva in Bialystok. The Rosh Yeshiva at that time was R' Avraham Yoffen, zatzal (1887- 1970). Shabbat comes early in the Bialystok winter, so that by 5 o'clock the students had already finished dinner and returned to their studies. At 10 p.m., the students would go to R' Yoffen's home to hear an ethical discourse related to the weekly Parasha. One Friday night the talk continued past eleven, and the students were hungry. Fortunately, the resourceful Yaakov Galinsky soon found a large supply of Challah and a jar of honey, enough for all of the assembled students. A few days later, Yaakov discovered that Rebbetzin Yoffen (1885- 1985; daughter of R' Yoizel of Novardok) had been saving the honey for Pesach. His shame, however, prevented him from apologizing and asking forgiveness for what he had done. Years passed. In 1964, R' Yoffen and his wife settled in Israel and, soon after, held a reunion of former Novardok students living in Israel. After the Rosh Yeshiva had spoken, R' Galinsky asked permission to say a few words. "My sins I recall today" (B'reishit 41:9), he said, and related what he had done 26 years earlier. "I would therefore like to publicly ask the Rosh Yeshiva and the Rebbetzin for forgiveness," he concluded. "It is we who should ask you for forgiveness," spoke up Rebbetzin Yoffen, "for letting you be hungry. Everything in the Rosh Yeshiva's house belongs to the students, and we should have felt your pain." (In the Footsteps of the Maggid p.235) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Yadaim 3:2-3 O.C. 575:6-8 Nedarim 40 Yerushalmi - Demai 10 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this weeks Hamaayan is sponsored by: Alan Broder's wife and children in honor of his birthday ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible