Vedibarta Bam

And You Shall Speak of Them

A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Vayikra

"And He called to Moshe." (1:1)

QUESTION: Why is it customary for children who begin

learning Chumash to start Vayikra before Bereishit?

ANSWER: Little children are innocent and pure (tahor) and Chumash
Vayikra discusses karbanot - sacrifices - which are pure and which restore
spiritual purity (taharah) to a person. Therefore, it is fitting that pure little
children should begin their education with the topic of purity.

Alternatively, Chumash Vayikra primarily discusses the different karbanot

that the Jewish people were required to offer to Hashem. Teaching it to
young children imparts a message to both parents and children.

Jewish parents are being told that they must sacrifice so that their children
may succeed in Torah study. They must forego materialistic lifestyles to live
in a way compatible with the Torah teachings their children are receiving,
and they may also have to give up luxuries to pay tuition.

Jewish children must also know from the onset that sacrifice and dedication
are a prerequisite for success in Torah studies. One cannot just sit back and
expect to learn through osmosis. A Torah student must always bear in mind
the words of our Sages (Megillah 6b): "If a person says 'I have tried hard
and succeeded,' believe him" - only through diligent and assiduous study
will one succeed.

Moreover, the youth is being told that throughout life as a Torah observant
Jew he may encounter hardship and perhaps even persecution. Nevertheless,
he should be ready to make a sacrifice for Yiddishkeit, and ultimately he
will realize that though it may be difficult to be a Jew, his life will be
meaningful and rewarding.
"And He called to Moshe." (1:1)

QUESTION: Why is the word "Vayikra" written with a small

"Alef"?

ANSWER: The word "vayikar" ("Vayikra" without an "Alef") means

"casually calling." The word "Vayikra" ("Vayikra" with a "Alef") means "to
call with love."

Moshe is the greatest prophet of the Jewish people. Though we are told
"Never again has there arisen in Israel a prophet like Moshe" (Devarim
34:10), the gentiles were able to boast of having someone as great in
prophecy, Bilaam (Sifri, ibid.) The pasuk about Hashem speaking to Bilaam
reads, "Vayikar Elokim el Bilaam" (Bamidbar 23:4). The "Alef" of
"vayikra" is omitted in order to illustrate that Hashem did not enjoy speaking
to Bilaam and therefore called him in an off-hand way.

Moshe, being the most humble person who ever lived (Bamidbar 23:3),
wanted to write "Vayikar". However, because of His great love for Moshe,
Hashem insisted that he write "Vayikra" with an "Alef". Moshe and Hashem
compromised and "Vayikra" was written with a small "Alef".

Regarding Moshe, the Torah says "Ki karan or panav" - "The skin of his
face had become radiant" (Shemot 34:29). According to the Midrash Rabbah
(47:6), there was leftover ink in Moshe's quill after he wrote the Torah, and
he rubbed it on his head. Afterwards his face shone.

Did Hashem miscalculate and give Moshe extra ink?

With the above we can explain this Midrash: Although Hashem wanted
Moshe to write "Vayikra" with a regular "Alef", Moshe insisted on at least
writing it with a small "Alef", and a small amount of ink was left over,
which Moshe rubbed on his head.

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Rebbe of Lubavitch

(known as the "Tzemach Tzedek"), was a grandchild of the Alter Rebbe,
Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad Chassidut. His mother
died when he was a baby, and his grandfather promised her that he would
raise the child.

The day after Yom Kippur 5553 (1793), the Rebbe prepared his grandchild
for his first day of learning Torah. He davened early in the morning and read
the portion of the week (Ha'azinu) with much emphasis on the pasuk, "He
encircled him, He gave him the wisdom of Torah, He preserved him like the
pupil of His eye" (32:10).

After the davening, the Rebbe asked that the child be wrapped in a tallit and
carried to the cemetery. Upon reaching his daughter's grave, the Rebbe said
loudly with great joy, "Mazel Tov to you Devorah Leah the daughter of
Shterna. Today I bless him that just as he enters Torah, so he should enter
chuppah and good deeds with long life." Everyone present answered
"amen."

When they returned home the Rebbe asked the melamed (teacher) to learn
the first parshah of Chumash Vayikra with his grandchild. When the
melamed finished his lesson, the Rebbe told him to give the child honey
cookies and a hard-boiled egg on which various pesukim were written.

The young child then asked his Zaide, "Why is the 'alef' of 'Vayikra' written
so small?" For a moment, the Rebbe concentrated deeply, and then he
opened his eyes and said, "Adam was Hashem's handiwork, and he was even
wiser than the angels. However, Adam was smitten by the knowledge of his
good qualities and therefore sinned.

"Moshe Rabbeinu, though he was aware of the qualities Hashem had given
him, did not permit himself to become conceited. On the contrary, he
humbly said to himself, 'Another person, given the opportunity to ascend to
heaven and talk to Hashem personally or given a neshamah such as mine,
would have accomplished much more.'

"The letters of the 'alef-beit' occur in three sizes: large, medium and small.
Because Adam was impressed with his own status as Hashem's handiwork
and his great qualities, in I Chronicles (1:1) his name is spelled with a large
'alef'. Since Moshe was not impressed with his own greatness, but on the
contrary, humbled by it, the 'alef' is written small for him."

Alternatively, in Shir Hashirim (5:2) Hashem says to the Jewish people

"Pitchi li achoti" - "Open your heart to me, my sister." The Midrash
paraphrases Hashem's plea as follows: "Just make an opening the size of the
eye of a needle, and I will reciprocate with a opening like the entrance to a
ballroom."

Vayikra is the book which discusses karbanot, whose purpose is to bring the
people closer to Hashem. Therefore, it uses the smaller "alef" to allude to the
Divine call that all a person has to do to be close to Hashem is to make a
small opening - Hashem will take care of the rest.
Appropriately, the letter Alef was the one letter written small in the word
"Vayikra," because the word "alef" (Alef-LamedPeh) is an acronym for
"Pitchi li achoti".

"When a man will sacrifice from among you an offering to G-d." (1:2)

QUESTION: The pasuk should read: "Adam mikem ki yakriv

karban laHashem" - "When a man from among you will
sacrifice an offering to G-d." Why the above wording?

ANSWER: The word karban stems from the word "karov" - to approach,
come near - since through bringing a sacrifice, one becomes closer to
Hashem. Karbanot are usually from animals and in every person there is also
an "animalistic soul" - yeitzer hara - from which stems all the evil
characteristic traits (see Tanya - Likkutei Amarim chap. 1).

The Torah is teaching that in addition to bringing an animal as a karban,

"Adam ki yakriv" - when a man desires to draw close to Divinity - then
"mikem" - he must bring an offering from himself. He must refine the
animalistic instincts within him, bringing them "karban laHashem" - "closer
to Hashem."

"When a man will sacrifice from among you." (1:2)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that the term "adam" implies

that just as Adam, the first created man, did not bring stolen
animals as an offering (because everything belonged to him),
no one should bring offerings from stolen property. However,
the Gemara (Sukkah 30a) derives from the word "mikem"
that it must be "from your own [property]" - why does Rashi
derive this from "adam"?

ANSWER: Indeed, the prohibition to offer stolen material as a sacrifice is

easily derived from the word "mikem." However, Rashi is referring to
another sort of stealing.

There are people who commit sins and immediately run to make an offering
to Hashem so that they will be considered very meticulous and pious. With
their offering they hope to "steal the minds of people" and to create the false
impression that they are not ordinary Torah violators. Rashi addresses this
behavior and says that we can learn its impropriety from Adam.
When Adam was created he built an altar and brought an offering to Hashem
on it (Rambam, Beit Habechira 2:2). At that time there was no one in the
world whom he had to impress or deceive, so obviously his actions were
totally for Hashem's sake. Similarly, we should learn from Adam that our
deeds should be sincere and without any ulterior motives.

"When a man will sacrifice from among you." (1:2)

QUESTION: Rashi comments: 1) "This section speaks about

karbanot nedavah (voluntary offerings). 2) Why is the word
'adam' stated? Just as Adam did not bring an offering from
anything that was stolen, for everything was his, so you shall
not bring an offering of stolen property."What is the
connection between Rashi's two comments on this pasuk?

ANSWER: According to the Gemara (Yevamot 61a) the Torah uses the
word "adam" only in reference to Jews. Since this parshah is prefaced with
the word "adam," we might suppose that only Jews can bring karbanot.
Therefore, Rashi points out that we are discussing karbanot nedavah, which
according to halacha, a gentile may also offer (Rambam, Ma'asei
Hakarbanot 3:2). If so, why is the word "adam" used? Rashi answers that it
teaches gentiles also to learn from Adam not to bring stolen property as
karbanot.

"When a man among you brings an offering to Hashem." (1:2)

QUESTION: The words "karban laHashem" - "an offering to

Hashem" - are superfluous since it says in the next pasuk,
"He shall bring it to the entrance of Ohel Mo'eid - Tent of
Meeting - voluntarily, before Hashem"?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Nedarim 10a) says that when a person wants to
pledge an animal he should say it is "an offering to Hashem" and not say it is
"to Hashem an offering." Perhaps he will die after saying the word "Has,"
and not have the chance to say the word "offering," and thus he will have
uttered Hashem's name in vain.

The Gemara (Shabbat 153a) says that when Rabbi Eliezer said, "Repent one
day before your death," his students asked him, "Does a person know on
which day he will die?" He responded, "Let a person repent today because
he may die tomorrow, and in this way he will find himself living all his days
in a state of penitence."
The root of the word karban - offering - is karov - coming near - i.e., the
person aspires to become closer to Hashem, which is also the essence of
Teshuvah - to return to Hashem (Tashuv Heh). The Torah is teaching that
adam ki yakriv - if a person experiences an awakening, and resolves to
become closer to Hashem - "karban laHashem" - let him heed the lesson
which is conveyed by the need to say "an offering to Hashem," and not to
say "LaHashem Karban" - "to Hashem an offering." Let him bear in mind
that he may expire, G-d forbid, momentarily, and therefore he should
continuously do teshuvah.

"Let him offer a male without blemish: he shall bring it to the entrance
of the Tent of Meeting, voluntarily, before G-d." (1:3)

QUESTION: Superficially the word "lirtzono" - "voluntarily"

- implies that the ox must agree. Why is this so?

ANSWER: The Midrash Rabbah (3:5) relates that once an ox stopped while
being led to sacrifice and would not budge. A poor man came along with a
bundle of endives in his hand. He held it towards the ox, who ate it, sneezed,
expelled a needle, and then allowed itself to be led to sacrifice. Otherwise
the needle would have caused an internal perforation, a blemish which
invalidates an animal for sacrificial purposes.

Therefore, the Torah tells us, "zachar tamim yakrivenu" - the animal must be
a male without any blemishes. You will know it has no blemishes when "el
petach Ohel Mo'eid yakriv oto lirtzono" -the animal readily agrees to go to
the Ohel Mo'eid.

"If one's offering is a burnt-offering from cattle." (1:3)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Horiyot 13a) states that the

service of the sin-offering (chatat) is actually performed
before the service of the burnt-offering (olah); why is it
mentioned in the Torah in reverse order?

ANSWER: Regardless of the order of the service, the Torah mentions the
burnt-offering first because it is brought in order to attain atonement for
machashavah - sinful thoughts or ideas (Midrash Rabbah 7:3). Since this
precedes the actual wrongdoing, it is mentioned first.
"They shall throw the blood on the altar all around... and the fats."
(1:5,8)

QUESTION: Why are the blood and fat of karbanot offered

on the altar?

ANSWER: Blood symbolizes excitement - speed, activity, and mobility. Fat

represents laziness, passivity, and inaction. Both characteristics serve an
important purpose. One should be active and excited in doing a mitzvah or
act of kindness. On the other hand, one should be "lazy" and desist from
doing something improper.

The Torah contains positive commandments and negative commandments.

For the performance of a positive commandment one should act with speed
and excitement. When a person is tempted, G-d forbid, to transgress a
command of the Torah, he can avoid it by being "lazy" and inactive.

One who commits a transgression apparently has confused his priorities. In

the instance of the positive commandments which he neglected, he was lazy,
and in the case of the negative which he violated, he acted with energy and
vigor. Placing the blood and fat on the altar functions, thus, as a reminder of
the purpose that each trait serves and that each should be used as G-d
intended.

"If from the fowl a burnt-offering be his offering to G-d." (1:14)

QUESTION: Why, only in the instance of fowl, does the

Torah use the words "karbano laHashem" - "his offering to
G-d" - and not previously in discussing the offerings of sheep
or goats?

ANSWER: The karban olah - burnt-offering - was not actually offered in its
entirety on the altar for Hashem. The hide of the animal was removed and
belonged to the "beit av" - the contingent of Kohanim who officiated that
day (see 7:8, Rashi). When fowl was offered, it was burnt entirely and
nothing was left for the Kohanim. Therefore, in this instance, the Torah
emphasizes that it was an offering completely given to Hashem.

"A fire-offering a satisfying aroma to Hashem" (1:17)

QUESTION: Rashi quotes the Gemara (Menachot 110a) that

concerning foul it is stated "a satisfying aroma to Hashem"
 and also concerning cattle it is stated "a satisfying aroma to
Hashem" (1:9), to teach that it does not matter to Hashem
whether one brings much or one offers little, "ubilevad
sheyechavein et libo lashamayim" - "so long as his heart is
directed sincerely to Heaven."Since we are talking about two
people, one who donates much and one little, it should have
said, "ubilevad sheyechavnu et libam" - "they direct their
hearts to Heaven" - in plural?

ANSWER: When one makes a very meager offering, he is heartbroken over

his impoverished state and undoubtedly his heart is directed to Hashem,
since he has nothing to be proud about or arrogant. However, the rich person
who comes with his expensive offering may be somewhat conceited and
proud of himself. Hence, the Torah warns him, that regardless how costly
his offering is, it is insignificant to Hashem, for He is richer and does not
depend on the person's offering. The main thing is that he must remember
not to have any unwarranted or ulterior thoughts but only direct his heart to
Heaven.

"When a soul (person) brings a meal-offering to Hashem, his offering

shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it, and place frankincense
upon it." (2:1)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that the reason it says

"venefesh" - "a soul" - is because this very inexpensive
offering is brought only by the very poor, and Hashem says,
"I regard it, as though he had offered his very soul."The
offering of young pigeons may cost even less than fine flour,
so why here does it say "nefesh" - "soul"?

ANSWER: Though the pigeons may cost less, the one who brings a meal-
offering does not even have the few pennies to purchase a pigeon. The flour
and oil he brings is from what was left in the fields for the poor (the
frankincense is from the bark of the tree and readily available from hefker -
ownerless property - see Isaiah 43:23) . Since he gathered this for his
personal food consumption and is now depriving himself of his meal, it is
considered as if he gave of his soul because by not eating he is affecting the
development of his blood and fat.

"When you offer a meal-offering that is baked in an oven...or

unleavened wafers smeared with oil." (2:4)
 QUESTION: Regarding the smearing with oil, Rashi writes,
"Some say he spreads the oil until all the oil in the vessel is
used up, and others say he smears it in the form of a 'chi' and
the rest of the oil is eaten." (According to the Lubavitcher
Rebbe the word "chi" (Chaf-Yud) in Rashi, is an abbreviation
for "chaf yevanit" - "a Greek chaf.")In Shemot (29:2)
regarding the inauguration of the Kohanim, the pasuk says,
"unleavened wafers smeared with oil" and Rashi writes,
"After baking they are smeared with oil in the form of a chaf
yevanit - a Greek letter chaf, which resembles our [the
Hebrew] 'nun'." Also, in regards to anointing the vessels
Rashi writes, "All anointment was in the form of a chaf
yevanit except for a king's, which was in the form of a
crown" (Shemot 30:26).

In all other instances Rashi straightforwardly describes the

smearing. Why here does he cite two opinions?

ANSWER: According to the Abarbanel, since the first letter of the word
"Kohen" is a "Chof", the anointing in the form of a Greek chaf indicates that
the Kohen is designated by Hashem to serve in the Sanctuary. Undoubtedly,
the Abarbanel is nonly referring to Kohen as a noun - "the Kohen," - but also
as a verb, as in the word "lechahein,", which means "to serve" (see Shemot
29:1). Consequently, anything anointed for the service of Hashem - such as
the wafer made for the inauguration of the Kohanim or the service vessels of
the Sanctuary - was anointed, according to all opinions, in the form of a
"Greek chaf."

However, the wafers in our parshah were offered to gain forgiveness, and
not associated in any way with the Kohen's service or the service of the
Sanctuary; therefore, Rashi informs us that there are different opinions as to
how they should be smeared, and not necessarily do all say that here, too, it
should be in the form of a "Greek chaf."

"Or unleavened wafers smeared with oil." (2:4)

QUESTION: Rashi writes, "Some say he spreads the oil until

all the oil in the vessel is used up, and others say he smears it
in the form of a 'chi' and the rest of the oil is eaten."
(According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe the word "chi" in Rashi,
is an abbreviation for "chaf yevanit" - "a Greek chaf.")Since
Rashi explained (Shemot 29:2) that the "Greek chaf" is like
our "nun," why does he mention the "Greek chaf" altogether?
ANSWER: Olive oil symbolizes wisdom (see Menachot 85b). In the days
of Chanukah, when the Greeks entered the Beit Hamikdash, they defiled all
the oil. The fact that they defiled it rather than spilling it out indicates that
the Greeks advocated study and favored wisdom, but opposed the Jewish
approach of ascribing holiness to the wisdom of the Torah.

Rashi's mention of a "Greek chaf" teaches us that to nullify their profane

philosophy we use their wisdom - the "Greek chaf" - as a means to certify
our holiness. Thus the "holy anointing oil" is victorious and entirely nullifies
the klipah - profane impurity - of Yavan - Greece.

"And every meal-offering you shall season with salt, and you may not
discontinue the salt of the covenant of your G-d upon your meal-
offering. On all your sacrifices you shall offer salt." (2:13)

QUESTION: Why were all sacrifices salted?

ANSWER: The world is divided into three parts: inhabited land, desert, and
water. The Beit Hamikdash was built on inhabited land. The Torah was
given in the desert. Water entreated that she, too, have some connection with
holiness. To placate water, Hashem commanded that salt (which is a salt-
water derivative) be placed on all sacrifices, and that water be poured on the
altar during Sukkot.

QUESTION: In contemporary times one's table is compared

to an altar (Chagigah 26a). Therefore, it is customary to dip
the bread over which we make "hamotzi" into salt. Why is it
dipped three times? (See Shulchan Aruch Harav 167:8.)

ANSWER: The world stands on three pillars: study of Torah, service of G-d
[karbanot - sacrifices], and deeds of kindness (Pirkei Avot 1:2). Salt is
connected with these three things:

1. The way to succeed in Torah study is

to limit oneself to "bread with salt" (Pirkei Avot 6:4).

2. Salt was used in the Beit Hamikdash

on all offerings.

3. Salt is a preservative. Our Sages

advise, "melach mamon chaseir" - if one wants to "salt" (preserve)
his money, he should give a portion to tzedakah (Ketuvot 66b).
The Hebrew word "lechem" denotes the source of our physical sustenance,
as King David says, "Bread sustains a man's heart" (Psalms 104:15). In
addition, it is also an analogy to our spiritual sustenance, as King Shlomo
says, "Lechu lachamu belachmi" - "Nourish yourself with my bread" - i.e.
Torah (Proverbs 9:5).

The dipping of bread three times in salt conveys the message that a person's
material and spiritual well-being is dependent on the three pillars upon
which the world stands.

"A perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings;

you may not consume any fat or any blood." (3:17)

QUESTION: Why does the Torah prohibit the eating of any

fat?

ANSWER: In every animal there are two types of fat. One is kosher and the
other not. The kosher one is known as "shuman." It is in the ribs, imbedded
with the meat and inseparable from it, and warm and moist. The non-kosher
fat is "cheilev," which is on top of the meat and which can be separated from
it. It is cold and coarse, difficult to digest, and constipating. The
temperament of a person is affected by four bodily fluids: red, white, green,
and black. Eating cheilev causes an increase of white fluid beyond the
proper level for good health.

"When a nasi (ruler of a tribe) sins." (4:22)

QUESTION: The pasuk before this concludes with the words

"chatat hakahal hu" - "it is a sin-offering of the assembly."
What is the link between these two pesukim? (See Ba'al
HaTurim.)

ANSWER: It is the obligation of a nasi to guide and reprimand the people.

Therefore he must not display any shortcomings in his own conduct. If it
becomes public knowledge that he has in some way acted improperly, he
will no longer be able to reprimand the people, who will answer him: "First
correct your own behavior."

As the decline in his public image leads people to cease to fear or respect
him and do as they wish, it becomes manifest that his sin is at the root of the
people's sin. Thus, he will not only have to atone for his own wrongdoing,
but also for the sins of the kahal.
"And if one soul from among the people of the land shall sin
unintentionally." (4:27)

QUESTION: The word "achat" - "one" - seems redundant?

ANSWER: Once, a Rabbi noticed that a person who attended the

Synagogue regularly was absent for a few weeks, so he decided to pay him a
visit. Entering the living room, he noticed the man sitting by the fireplace,
seemingly in good health, and sat down next to him. The Rabbi politely
inquired as to the reason for his recent absence and the man replied that shul
was crowded and noisy. He had decided that his prayers would be more
meaningful if he were alone and undisturbed. The Rabbi did not respond,
but stared at the fireplace, which was filled with glowing coals. Then he rose
from his seat, removed one coal from the fire with the tongs, and placed it
on the floor in front of the fireplace, saying: "I hope to see you back in shul
shortly."

At first, the man was puzzled by his Rabbi's actions, but soon the meaning
became clear to him: The Rabbi was showing him that in unity there is
strength. When coals are together, one keeps the other glowing. When one
coal is taken out and separated from the others, it quickly becomes
extinguished.

The Torah is alluding to this message: When a Jew is united with K'lal
Yisrael, he partakes of a collective identity which prevents him from
violating the will of Hashem. But, "ve'im nefesh" - if the person wants to be
- "achat" - alone and solitary - then it is very possible that "techeta" - he will,
G-d forbid, violate the Torah.

"And if one soul from among the people of the land shall sin
unintentionally, by committing one of the commandments of G-d that
may not be done, and he becomes guilty." (4:27)

QUESTION: The great Talmudic Sage Rabbi Shimon bar

Yochai said that he was capable of exempting the entire
world from any punishment (Sukkah 45b).How could Rabbi
Shimon accomplish such a thing?

ANSWER: Based on the above pasuk, Rabbi Shimon is of the opinion that
if two people do together something which is forbidden on Shabbat, they are
patur - exempt - and will not be punished according to the Torah, although
they have still violated a Rabbinic prohibition (Shabbat 3a).
Every Jew is compounded of a physical part, the body, and a spiritual part,
the soul. When a person sins, these two components (body and soul)
perform the sin together. To avoid the possibility of one casting the blame
on the other, the body and soul are united and judged togetby the heavenly
tribunal. (See Gemara Sanhedrin 91a.)

Since Rabbi Shimon asserts that when two commit the sin together they are
exempt, he says that according to his opinion every Jew can justify himself
before the Heavenly Court and claim that he should not be punished, since
he was not alone in the performance of the sin.

"If a person will sin...If he does not testify he shall bear his iniquity."
(5:1)

QUESTION: What is the significance of the extra "Vav" in

the word "lo"?

ANSWER: The word "lo" with a "Vav" means "to him" and with an "Alef"
means "no." The word "nasa" can mean "carry" and it can also mean
"forgive," as in "nosei avon" - "forgiver of iniquity" (Shemot 34:7).

King Shlomo says in Proverbs (28:13), "One who covers up his sins will not
prosper, but the one who confesses and forsakes [them] shall have mercy."
By inserting the "Vav" in the word "lo" the Torah is alluding to this.

When a person sins, "if he will tell it to Him" - i.e. if he will confess to
Hashem and repent - "venasa avono" - "his iniquity will be forgiven."
However, if "he will not tell it" - i.e. attempt to conceal it and not do
teshuvah - "venasa avono" - "he will continue to bear his iniquity."

"And if his means do not suffice for a lamb, then he shall bring as his
guilt-offering for his sin, two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons." (5:7)

QUESTION: According to Sefer Hachinuch (123), if a poor

man brings a large animal, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
Since Hashem made it easier for him, he is not supposed to
strain to assume bigger expenses.In the case of leprosy, a rich
man brings three big animals for his purification process. A
poor man brings one big animal and two birds. According to
halacha if a poor man brings three big animals he has fulfilled
his obligation (Mishnah Nega'im 14:12). Why does a poor
metzora who brings a rich man's animal fulfill his obligation,
 while in the case of karban olah veyoreid - the offering which
varies according to the wealth of the person - he does not?

ANSWER: In the case of a metzora, the poor man and the rich man bring
the same number of karbanot. Thus, when the poor man makes an effort to
bring the three karbanot of the rich man, he fulfills his obligation, since in
total he brings three offerings. In our case, however, the poor man cannot
afford the rich man's offering, and the Torah prescribes for him two small
karbanot instead of one large karban. Therefore, if he is poor, he should not
bring a rich man's karban because he will be short one sacrifice.

"But if his means are insufficient for a sheep then he shall bring as his
guilt-offering for his sin, two turtle doves or two young doves to G-d,
one for a sin-offering and one for a burnt-offering." (5:7)

QUESTION: Why does a rich man bring only one animal as

a "chatat" - "sin-offering" - while a poor man brings two
birds, one for a sin-offering and one for a burnt-offering?

ANSWER: In an animal sin-offering, the internal organs and the fat are
placed on the altar for Hashem and the meat and hide remain for the
Kohanim.

When a bird is brought as a burnt-offering, the entire bird is placed on the

altar, leaving nothing for the Kohanim. In the instance of a bird brought for a
sin-offering, after the blood is sprinkled the entire bird is given to the
Kohanim.

Thus, in order for the poor man to accomplish with his offering of birds
what the rich man does with his large animal, it is necessary for him to bring
both a burnt-offering and a sin-offering.

In the Gemara (Chulin 21a) there is a discussion concerning whether we

compare the bird burnt-offering to the bird sin-offering so that both must be
offered during the day or whether the bird burnt-offering can be sacrificed
also during the evening. The Gemara concludes that we compare it to the
animal sin-offering, and thus it, too, must be sacrificed during the day.
Moreover, the Torah writes specifically regarding all sacrifices, "beyom
tzavoto" - "on the day He commanded [the Children of Israel to bring their
offerings]" (7:38). Thus, all must be offered during the day.
One might wonder why the Gemara would even consider the possibility that
a bird burnt-offering can be brought in the evening.

In light of the above explanation, however, it can be easily understood: The

bird burnt-offering makes up for the altar's lack of internal organs and fat
which it usually has from a sin-offering. Therefore, just as the internal
organs and fat can always be offered throughout the entire night (Berachot
2a), we might have thought that the bird sin-offering, too, can be offered at
night.

"If a person commits a trespass and sins unintentionally [deriving

benefit from] the holy things belonging to the Beit Hamikdash...[or] by
lying to his fellow regarding a pledge or a loan...He shall repay its
principal and add its fifth to it." (5:15, 21, 24)

QUESTION: Why is one who uses sacred property or swears

falsely to his fellow regarding money matters required to pay
a fifth in addition to the principal?

ANSWER: Our sages highly praise the giving of tzedakah, and advise
setting aside as much as twenty percent (one fifth) of one's earnings for it
(Ketubot 67b). Tzedakah can be given either to the Beit Hamikdash
(communal causes) or to individuals. The person who derives benefit from
property set aside for the Sanctuary, or who endeavors to take money from
his friend violates the directive of our sages to give away one-fifth to holy
purposes or needy individuals. Therefore, as a punishment, he not only
returns the principal, but also adds one-fifth.

"And it shall be forgiven him concerning whatsoever he does, so as to be

guilty therein." (5:26)

QUESTION: There was a custom in certain communities that

when the Torah reader would say the concluding words of the
parshah, "le'ashmah vah" the entire congregation would rise
and proclaim, "L'keil Asher Shavas Mikol Hama'asim Bayom
Hashviei" - "To the A-mighty G-d, Who rested from His
work on the seventh day." What is the reason for this
practice?

ANSWER: When reading the Torah in public it is customary to avoid

concluding with something unpleasant (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 138).
Consequently, they would make this proclamation, for which "le'ashmah
vah" (Le'ashma Bah) is an acronym.

This passage was selected because the Gemara (Shabbat 118b) states,
"When one observes Shabbat properly, even if he violated the supreme sin
of idol worship, he is forgiven."

The closing pasuk of Parshat Vayikra alludes to this by proclaiming,

"venislach lo" - "he shall be forgiven" - "al achat mikol" - "even if he
committed the ultimate transgression of all" - i.e. idol worship - providing
that "asher ya'aseh" - "he will do" - dedicate the Shabbat in accordance with
halacha" - "le'ashmah vah" - "to the A-mighty G-d, Who rested from all His
work on the seventh day."

"Concerning whatsoever he does, so as to be guilty therein." (5:26)

QUESTION: It is customary when reading the Torah in

public to conclude on a positive note. Why does this parshah
conclude with a discussion of a sin?

ANSWER: In some communities, when the Torah reader would say the
words "le'ashmah vah," everyone would rise and proclaim loudly: "L'keil
Asher Shavas Mikol Hama'asim Bayom Hashviei" - "To the A-mighty G-d
Who rested from all His work on the seventh day." The first letters of the
words spell out: "Le'ashmah vah".

The connection between the two is the following: Hashem created the world
in six days and placed it in man's hands to work and care for. On Shabbat
man ceases to work and restores the world to its master, Hashem.

The end of Parshat Vayikra discusses one who has the audacity to steal from
his friend and swear falsely. Such a person is odenying the sovereignty of G-
d. By atoning for his sin and rectifying his wrongdoing, he demonstrates his
recognition that Hashem is the true master of the world and affirms G-d's
authority over all creation. This parallels the concept of restoring the world
on Shabbat to G-d, Who rested from all His work on the seventh day.

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Tzav
"Command Aharon and his sons saying, 'This is the law of the burnt-
offering.' " (6:2)

QUESTION: Rashi writes that the term "tzav" denotes

encouragement for the present and for future generations, and
Rabbi Shimon that it is especially necessary to give
encouragement in cases of chisaron kis - loss of money. What
monetary loss does the pasuk refer to?

ANSWER: From karbanot shelamim - peace-offerings - that were brought

in the Sanctuary, the Kohanim serving that day would receive the breast and
thigh (7:31). The karbanot olah - burnt offerings - were burnt entirely on the
altar, and the Kohanim thus gained nothing from them (except for the hide,
which went for the officiating Kohanim 7:8).

Thus, the Kohanim, being mortals, may have had very little interest in
bringing up the burnt-offerings and would instead encourage people to bring
peace-offerings (karbanot shelamim). The Torah, therefore, particularly
exhorts the Kohanim concerning the burnt-offerings.

Alternatively, from the words "Zot torat ha'olah," the Gemara (Menachot
110b) derives that when someone studies the Torah - the laws of the burnt-
offering - it is considered as though he actually offered one to Hashem, as is
the case with all other karbanot.

The Prophet writes, "The lips of the Kohen heed knowledge, and Torah will
be sought from his lips" (Malachi 2:7). Kohanim were the teachers and
guides of K'lal Yisrael.

In the time of the Beit Hamikdash due to their monetary gain, the Kohanim
had an obvious motivation to encourage people to bring karbanot. However,
encouraging people to verbally study about karbanot superficially did not
benefit them. Consequently, the Torah urges them to impress upon the
people, "Zot torat ha'olah" - that studying about a karban is equivalent to
actually offering it.

"Command Aharon and his sons saying, 'This is the law of the burnt-
offering.'" (6:2)
 QUESTION: Rashi writes that the term "tzav" denotes
encouragement for the present and for future generations, and
Rabbi Shimon that it is especially necessary to give
encouragement in the places where there is a "chisaron kis" -
"loss of money.""Chisaron kis" literally means "loss of
purse." Why does the text not say "chisaron mamon" - "loss
of money"?

ANSWER: The burnt-offering atones for sinful thoughts (Midrash Rabbah

7:3). A person can also sin with his eyes by viewing improper things, and
with his ears by hearing evil, and with his tongue by speaking sinfully.

To avoid speaking, the upper and lower jaw are like a "kis" (purse) that can
lock up the tongue. The eyelids are a "kis" that can cover the eyes and
prevent them from seeing evil. The external parts of the ears can be a "kis"
with which to seal them from hearing evil. The only part of the body that has
no protective guard is the mind.

Therefore, Rabbi Shimon says that it is necessary to warn a person to be

especially careful with his thought because of "chisaron kis" - the absence of
an external constraint.

"Command Aharon and his sons, saying: 'This is the law of the
elevation-offering [that stays] on the flame, on the altar, all night until
the morning, and the fire of the altar should be kept lit on it.' " (6:2)

QUESTION:

1. The word "leimor" - "saying" - is used when a

command is issued with the intention that it be
conveyed to others. Since Aharon and his sons were
the only Kohanim, to whom were they supposed to
pass on the command?

2. The vowel for the word "Hi" is a "chirik" and it is thus

read as "hi" which is the feminine - "she." Why is it
spelled with a "Vav" so that it is pronounced "hu" -
"he"?

3. Since the word "olah" is feminine, (as can be seen

from the pasuk, "Venitach otah lenitacheha" - "And
cut it into its pieces" [1:6]), the pasuk should have
concluded, "ve'eish hamizbei'ach tukad bah" instead
of "tukad bo"?
ANSWER: The Ramban (1:9) explains the concept of bringing animals as
sacrifices in the following way: A person should realize that he has sinned
against Hashem with his body and soul and that "his" blood should really be
spilled and his body burnt. It is only that Hashem in His loving kindness
accepts a substitute and a ransom, namely this offering. Its blood is in place
of the sinner's blood, its life is in place of his life, and the chief limbs of the
offering are in place of the chief limbs of his body. If the sinner considers
this, he will be inspired to sincerely repent.

Our pasuk is alluding to this thought by saying, "Command Aharon and his
sons 'leimor' - that they should say to each individual who brings a sacrifice
and explain to them that not only - 'hi ha'olah' - it (the sacrifice) is a burnt-
offering - but actually 'hu' - 'he' - i.e. the person himself - should have been
'ha'olah' - placed upon the altar to atone for his misdeeds, and 've'eish
hamizbei'ach tukad bo' - the fire of the altar should be kept lit on him, the
offerer. However, Hashem in His mercy has prescribed that he bring an
animal as a substitute, and when he will repent he will be pardoned.

"This is the law of the burnt-offering: it is the burnt-offering which

shall remain on the fire all night until the morning, and the fire of the
altar should be kept aflame on it." (6:2)

QUESTION:

1. Why does it say "Zot torat ha'olah" - "This is the law

of the burnt-offering"?

2. The words "hi ha'olah" are superfluous.

ANSWER: In the time of the Beit Hamikdash, a Jew was able to actually
bring a live animal as a karban to be offered on the altar. In addition,
whoever studies the Torah laws about the burnt-offering is considered to
actually have brought a burnt-offering (see Menachot 110a). This is derived
from the words "torat ha'olah."

The darkest period in Jewish history is galut - being in exile deprived of the
Beit Hamikdash. This period is compared to "lailah" - night. When the Jews
have a Beit Hamikdash, their life is luminous, and such a period is referred
to as "boker" - morning. The Torah is teaching that "zot torat ha'olah" - "this
is the law of the burnt-offering." When one studies these laws - "hi ha'olah" -
it is as though one is actually making a sacrifice on the altar.

It is important, however, to remember that this is sufficient only "kol

halailah ad haboker" - the entire period of galut until the break of dawn.
When dawn breaks and the light of the Beit Hamikdash begins to shine for
the Jewish people, it will not be sufficient to simply study about karbanot
but "ve'eish hamizbei'ach tukad bo" - one must actually bring karbanot to
bburnt on the altar.

"And he shall wear linen breeches on his flesh." (6:3)

QUESTION: The words "al besaro" - "on his flesh" - teach

that the garments must be worn directly on his flesh with
nothing else intervening (Rashi).On Yom Kippur the Kohen
Gadol would immerse in a mikvah, dry himself and change
into other garments. He needed to dry himself so that there
would be no water between his flesh and the garments (see
Rambam, Avodat Yom Hakippurim 2:2, Mishneh Lemelech).

The Gemara (Zevachim 35a) praises the Kohanim for

walking in blood up to their knees while they performed the
service in the Beit Hamikdash. A question is raised: Why isn't
the blood considered a chatzitzah - separation - between their
feet and the floor? The Gemara answers that liquids are not
considered a separation. If so, why was it necessary for the
Kohen Gadol to dry himself after immersing?

ANSWER: The reason why there may not be any chatzitzah - separation -
between the Kohen's foot and the floor is not because his foot must be in
contact with the floor, but because otherwise he is not totally on the Beit
Hamikdash property while performing the service. Thus, though liquids are
a foreign substance, they do not create a separation and even if they are
under his feet, it is nevertheless considered that he is standing on Beit
Hamikdash property.

In the case of the garments, however, there is a specific halacha that they
must be al besaro - tightly fitted and in contact with his flesh - and even an
air space between his flesh and the garment is considered a chatzitzah -
separation (see Zevachim 19a). The Kohen Gadol must therefore dry himself
thoroughly after immersing, because in regard to the rule of "al besaro," the
water would be a separation, since the garments would not be firmly in
contact with his flesh.

"And the Kohen shall don his fitted linen tunic...and he shall remove the
ashes." (6:3)
 QUESTION: What is the significance of the mitzvah of
removing the ashes from the altar?

ANSWER: When a person sins, he must offer a karban and also do

teshuvah. He regrets his past and resolves to be better in the future.
According to halacha (Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 228:4), it is
forbidden to remind a penitent of his past. The Torah alludes to this with the
mitzvah of the removal of the ashes. After the karban has been sacrificed on
the altar, only the ashes are left. Removing the ashes teaches us that a person
can start over with a clean slate, with no trace remaining of his sin.

"In the place where the burnt-offering is slaughtered shall the sin-
offering be slaughtered." (6:18)

QUESTION: Why did the Torah prescribe that the two

karbanot be slaughtered in the same place?

ANSWER: A sin-offering is brought by a person who has violated the

Torah, while a bunt-offering is brought as a contribution to the Beit
Hamikdash. To protect the reputation of the people, the Torah commands
that they both be slaughtered in the same place, so that if someone observes
the animal being slaughtered, he will not suspect that the owner is a sinner,
but rather a generous person bringing a contribution.

Since tefillah (prayer) takes the place of avodah (sacrifices), the Gemara
(Sotah 32b) says that the Sages have prescribed that the tefillah of
Shemoneh Esrei be recited quietly, so that a sinner who wants to confess to
Hashem should not be overheard by his neighbor and suffer embarrassment.

"This is the law of the sin-offering." (6:18)

QUESTION: Every morning before shacharit we recite the

mishnayot of "Eizehu mekoman" (Zevachim chapter 5),
which discuss the various offerings. The third mishnah states,
"The sin-offerings of the ("tzibur") - community - and the
individual ("yachid") - these are the communal sin-offerings:
the he-goats offered on Rosh Chodesh..." Why does the
Mishnah then only enumerate the sin-offering of the
community and not of the individual?
ANSWER: Originally, the sun and moon were created equal in size and
strength. When the moon complained, "It is inappropriate for two kings to
use the same crown," it was made smaller. (See Bereishit 1:16 Rashi.)

According to the Midrash, the he-goat for a sin-offering on Rosh Chodesh is

offered because Hashem asked the Jewish people to offer a sacrifice on his
behalf so that He could gain atonement for diminishing the moon (Bamidbar
28:15, Rashi).

Thus, the Mishnah is saying that there is a sin-offering which is communal

and individual - the he-goats of Rosh Chodesh, which are given by the
community on behalf of the Yachid - the One and Only A-mighty G-d.

"An earthenware vessel in which it was cooked shall be broken." (6:21)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that the reason is that the

absorbed meat becomes "notar" (flesh of holy offerings
remaining uneaten after the designated time).When a vessel is
not used for more than 24 hours, whatever is absorbed in it
becomes pagum (spoiled). So why can't we use the
earthenware vessel after 24 hours?

ANSWER: Pirkei Avot (5:5) lists the miracles that took place in the Beit
Hamikdash, one of which is that "The meat of the sacrifices never spoiled."
Thus, the absorption in the vessels was always fresh. Since earthenware
vessels cannot be koshered through purging, the "fresh" absorbed meat
becomes "notar" and disqualifies the vessel for further use.

"If you shall offer it for a thanksgiving-offering." (7:12)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that the thanksgiving-offering is

offered by the following categories of people: "those who
survive crossing the sea or the wilderness, or those released
from prison, or one who recovers from sickness. For these
one is required to offer thanks, as it is written regarding them
(Psalms 107:31)."The four are mentioned in Psalms in one
order (wilderness, prison, sickness, sea) and in the Gemara
(Berachot 54b) in a different order (sea, wilderness, sickness,
prison). Tosafot explains that the order in Psalms is according
to the extent of danger experienced and that the order in the
Gemara is according to frequency of occurrence. The order
 Rashi lists is neither the same as in Psalms nor the Gemara.
Why does he use this order?

ANSWER: There is a popular saying that "Experience is the best teacher."

When one is teaching about expressing gratitude to Hashem the lesson is
best understood and accepted by one who has personally experienced
Hashem's miracles.

Consequently, the first time Moshe taught about a karban todah - a

thanksgiving-offering - he cited examples of miracles which the people had
personally experienced so that afterwards they would compare them to
future events to determine the proper occasions for a karban todah.

Therefore, Rashi lists the cases in the order in question because undoubtedly
Moshe explained them to correspond to the Jews' own experience.

The first of the four cases which they had personally experienced was
"yordei hayam" - the crossing of the sea. Afterward they experienced
"holchei midbariot" - traveling the desert. Then they experienced the third,
"chavushei beit asurim" - incarceration in prison - for though they were
originally meant to travel the desert a very short time and go on to Eretz
Yisrael immediately, due to the sin of the spies, Hashem imprisoned them
for forty years in "the great and awesome desert of snakes, fiery serpents,
scorpions and thirst where there was no water" (Devarim 8:15).

Finally, Rashi mentions also the fourth category of a "choleh shenitrapeh" -

"a sick person who is healed." Though they had not yet experienced this, a
miracle of such magnitude certainly requires a karban todah to thank
Hashem.

Appropriately, Rashi mentions only the first three categories in plural,

because this was something that the Jews had all experienc.

"And the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace-offerings; on

the day of his offering it shall be eaten." (7:15)

QUESTION: Usually an offering of lesser sanctity (kadashim

kalim) such as the karban shelamim - peace offering - may be
eaten for two days and one night; Why is the karban todah -
thanksgiving peace-offering - limited to only one day and the
succeeding night?
ANSWER: A thanksgiving peace-offering is brought in recognition of a
miracle that was done by Hashem on behalf of the individual. Miracles
happen daily and continuously, as we say in the Amidah, "and for your
miracles which are with us daily." Limiting the time when the karban todah
may be eaten teaches that each day one should see and appreciate the new
miracles Hashem constantly performs on his behalf.

"And the fat of the animal that has died and the fat of an animal that
has been torn to death may be put to any use, but eaten it shall not be
eaten." (7:24)

QUESTION: Why the extra word "ve'achol" - "and eaten"? It

should simply say "lo tochluhu" - "it shall not be eaten."

ANSWER: According to halacha, a sick person whose life is in danger may

eat non-kosher food to save his life. If he has a choice of eating the non-
kosher fat of a kosher animal (such as a cow that was slaughtered), or non-
kosher fat from a "neveilah" - a carcass not slaughtered properly - he is
required to eat the fat of the kosher animal, in order to limit the number of
isurim (forbidden acts) being performed. (See Shulchan Aruch, Orach
Chaim 328: 14.)

Possibly, our pasuk is hinting to this by telling us that though the fat of a
dead animal may be put to general use, it may not be eaten. Even if
"ve'achol"- it is necessary for a sick person to eat non-kosher fat - "lo
tochluhu" - do not eat this non-kosher fat, but instead eat the non-kosher fat
of a slaughtered animal.

"And he slaughtered..." (8:23)

QUESTION: The "trop" (cantillation) on this word is a

shalshelet - a three-tiered tremolo tone. In the Torah we find
three other words chanted with a shalshelet:

1. When the angels told Lot to leave the city of Sodom,

we are told "vayitmahmah" - "and he lingered"
(Bereishit 19:16).

2. When Eliezer went to find a suitable wife for

Yitzchak, he prayed and we are told "vayomar" - "and
he said" (Bereishit 23:12).
 3. When the wife of Potifar wanted Yosef to commit a
sin, the Torah says "vayema'ein" - "and he refused"
(Bereishit 39:8).

What connection is there between these four expressions sung with a

shalshelet?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Berachot 5a) says that a person should incite his
yeitzer tov against his yeitzer hara (declare war against the yeitzer hara), and
if he manages to overcome the yeitzer hara it is good, but if not he should
engage in the study of Torah. If this does not defeat the yeitzer hara, then he
should recite the Shema, and if he is still not successful then he should
remind the yeitzer hara of the day of death.

According to commentaries, the "day of death" does not refer to the

individual's passing, which the yeitzer hara strives for since he is also the
angel of death (Bava Batra 16a). It is referring to the dictum of the Gemara
(Sukkah 52a) that in the future Hashem will slaughter the yeitzer hara.
Therefore, the Gemara is saying that if one's yeitzer hara is manifesting
itself, "yazkir lo yom hamitah" - one should remind him that he is going to
be slaughtered and that he should not be too proud of himself.

A person must strive to restrain his yeitzer hara, but if he sees that
"vayitmahmah" - the yeitzer hara lingers on and does not want to give up -
"vayomar" - he should begin to study divrei Torah and recite the Shema. But
if "vayema'ein" - the yeitzer hara still refuses to give up - then "vayishchat" -
he should inform the yeitzer hara that Hashem will slaughter it one day - and
upon hearing this the yeitzer hara will stop pestering the Jew to violate the
Torah.

"And Aharon and his sons did all the things which G-d commanded
through Moshe." (8:36)

QUESTION: Rashi writes, "This declares their praise that

they did not turn (deviate) to the right or to the left." What
kind of praise is this for such distinguished spiritual
luminaries, that they fulfilled the will of Hashem?

ANSWER: Often when a person is asked to be a sheliach tzibur -

community representative - or deliver a Torah thought, he humbly shakes
his head, expressing a sense of unworthiness. By moving his head to the
right and to the left, he is in effect saying, "Who am I to perform such a
prominent task?"
The praise of Aharon and his children was that when they received a
command, they immediately set out to do it without moving their heads "to
the right and to the left," demonstrating pseudo-humility and expecting to be
prevailed upon a second time.

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Shemini

"It was on the eighth day...And Moshe said to Aharon, 'Come near to
the altar.' " (9:1,7)

QUESTION: When the Mishkan was completed, Moshe

acted as Kohen Gadol for seven days and trained Aharon. On
the eighth day Aharon took over and became the Kohen
Gadol.Why did Aharon replace Moshe as the Kohen Gadol
on the eighth day?

ANSWER: For seven days Hashem pleaded with Moshe to be his emissary
to deliver the message to Pharaoh to allow the Jews to leave Egypt. Moshe
was reluctant to go, due to his speech difficulty. Finally, Hashem said,
"Since you do not want to go, Aharon, your brother the Levite, shall speak
for you (Shemot 4:16). Moreover, be advised that originally I planned for
him to remain a Levite and for you to be a Kohen. Now, because of your
attempts to evade the mission, the positions will be reversed: you will be the
Levite and he the Kohen (Shemot 4:14 Rashi).

Hashem conducts Himself with the Jewish people midah keneged midah -
measure for measure. Therefore, since after seven days of G-d's pleading
with him, the position of Kohen was taken away from Moshe, now, on the
eighth day, when the seven days of inauguration period climaxed, Aharon
was officially consecrated as Kohen Gadol.

"Take a he-goat for a sin-offering and a calf and a lamb of the first year
without blemish for a burnt-offering." (9:3)
 QUESTION: The Sifra (Torat Kohanim) states that the he-
goat was to atone for the selling of Yosef. (The brothers
dipped Yosef's shirt into the blood of a he-goat and sent it to
Yaakov as proof that Yosef was devoured by wild beasts.)
The calf was offered as forgiveness for the sin of the golden
calf.Considering Aharon's involvement in the making of the
calf, it is easily understood why he needed to seek
forgiveness. However, why did the iniquity of the selling of
Yosef surface now?

ANSWER: According to the Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit 84:14), the

brothers' rationale for killing Yosef was that they foresaw that years later
Yosef's descendant Yeravam ben Nevat would lead the Jewish people astray
by making two golden calves (I Kings 12:28). Consequently, they plotted to
kill him so that he would not have any descendants.

This excuse could be applicable only until the time when the Jewish people
worshipped the golden calf in the desert. Once they committed this
transgression, they shared in a sin similar to that of Yeravam ben Nevat and
they could no longer justify their intent to kill Yosef. Consequently, when
Aharon made the golden calf, the crime the brothers endeavored to commit
against Yosef became relevant again. Therefore, when Aharon sought
forgiveness for the golden calf, he also sought atonement for the sale of
Yosef.

"And all the congregation drew near and they stood before G-d." (9:5)

QUESTION: It could simply have said that they congregated

before Hashem. Why the separate expressions "they drew
near" and "they stood"?

ANSWER: In the instructions before "Mah Tovu" in the Nusach Ari it is

written, "It is proper to say before prayer: 'I hereby take upon myself to
fulfill the mitzvah of loving your fellow as yourself.' Possibly our pasuk is a
remez (hint) for this custom.

The Gemara (Berachot 6b) says that the expression "amidah" - standing -
can be a reference to "tefillah" - prayer - as it is stated "And Pinchas stood
up and prayed" (Psalms 106:30). The pasuk is telling us that first "vayikrevu
kal ha'eidah" - the entire community became closer to each other by showing
ahavat Yisrael - and then "vaya'amdu" - they were ready to stand, i.e. pray,
"lifnei Hashem" - to Hashem.
"Moshe said to Aharon: come near to the altar." (9:7)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that Aharon was diffident and

reluctant to approach the altar. Moshe said to him: "Why are
you fearful? - Lekach nivcharta - You were chosen for this
position."How was the fact that he was selected supposed to
dispel his fear and diffidence?

ANSWER: A Chassidic Rebbe once encouraged a chasid to become a

Rabbi of a community. The chasid was reluctant and said: "I am very much
afraid to accept the position; I doubt that I am suitable." The Rebbe
responded: "Who, then, should I make a Rabbi, someone who is not afraid?
The fact that you are afraid makes you most suitable because you will
always be careful in whatever you do."

When Moshe saw Aharon's reluctance and observed his fear and trepidation,
he said to him: "Come near to the altar. You are indeed the most suitable for
the position. 'Lekach nivcharta' - Because of your fear of Hashem you were
selected to be the Kohen Gadol."

Alternatively, when Hashem revealed Himself to Moshe in the thorn bush,

He pleaded with him to be His emissary to Pharaoh and to redeem the
Jewish people from Egyptian bondage. Moshe was reluctant and when he
told Hashem to find someone else for the mission, Hashem told him, "I
originally had planned for you to be Kohen Gadol. Now the mantle of
Kehunah - priesthood - will go to your brother Aharon."

Later, observing Aharon's reluctance to approach the altar, Moshe recalled

his dialogue with Hashem and the punishment he received. Therefore, he
urged his brother not to repeat his error: "Do it immediately without
hesitation because 'lekach nivcharta' - you were selected instead of me due
to my hesitation."

"Moshe said to Aharon, 'Come near to the altar and perform the
service of your sin-offering and your burnt-offering and atone for
yourself and for the people.' " (9:7)

QUESTION: These sacrifices were to atone for the golden

calf. When sacrifices are brought to atone for idolatry, the
burnt-offering precedes the sin-offering (Horiyot 13a), why
did Moshe mention the sin-offering first?
ANSWER: A deliberate transgression requires some premeditation. First
the transgressor thinks about doing it (machashava), and then actually does
it (ma'aseh). Consequently the burnt-offering, whose purpose is to atone for
evil thoughts, is offered first.

In the case of the making of the golden calf, while it was wrong for Aharon
to make it, his intentions were good. He hoped that by telling the people to
bring gold he could stall for time, and in the interim Moshe would return.
Consequently, he only needed atonement for his actions and for this he
brought a sin-offering. The burnt-offering is a gift which is customary for
one to give when one is pardoned (see Zevachim 7b).

"And he brought the meal-offering...besides the burnt-offering of the

morning." (9:17)

QUESTION: Why does it say "milevad" - literally "from

besides" - instead of simply "levad" - "besides"?

ANSWER: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the third Lubavitcher

Rebbe, known as the "Tzemach Tzedek," was a grandson of Rabbi Shneur
Zalman of Liadi, known as the "Alter Rebbe." After his grandfather left this
earthly world, he would appear frequently in visions to his grandson and
convey to him Torah teachings and answers to difficulties he encountered in
his study.

Once, he had a yearning to see his grandfather, but he did not appear for a
long period of time. One morning as he was going to shul in the city of
Lubavitch, one of the residents named Pinchas approached him and asked
for a loan of three rubles to do business in the market and earn money for his
Shabbat expenses. The Tzemach Tzedek told him to come to his home after
davening and he would gladly give him a loan.

While the Tzemach Tzedek was in the middle of putting on his tallit, he
reminded himself of Reb Pinchas' request and suddenly it dawned on him
that Reb Pinchas needed the money for the market, which had already
opened. Immediately he put down his tallit, went home, took some money
and searched for Reb Pinchas in the market and gave him the money he
needed to do his business.

Upon returning to shul and standing by the sink to wash his hands, he
suddenly beheld the image of the Alter Rebbe standing with a radiant holy
countenance, who then solved all the problems that he had in his Torah
study.
The word "milevad" can be the acronym for Malveh Leoni Beshas Dochako
- "one who extends a loan to a poor person who is experiencing difficulty."
The Gemara (Berachot 26b) says that the daily prayers were instituted by the
Men of the Great Assembly to correspond to the tamid - daily offering.
Thus, shacharit - the morning prayer - corresponds to the morning offering
mentioned in the pasuk. With the word 'milevad," the Torah is emphasizing
that prayer is especially lofty and acceptable above when accompanied by
acts of kindness.

"Aharon lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them."
(9:22)

QUESTION: The plural for "hands" is spelled "Yadav" (with

a second yud). Why in our pasuk is it spelled without a
second yud?

ANSWER: When a Kohen recites the priestly blessing, he is required to

raise both hands and put them together. Thus, the two hands look like one.
The Kohen is also required to place the right hand a bit higher than the left.
(See Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 128:12.)

Without a second yud, the word "yadav" can be read "yado" - "his hand."
The Torah writes it this way to allude that Aharon raised his hand (the right
hand) a bit higher, and keeping the two together as one, he blessed the
people.

"The sons of Aharon, Nadav and Avihu, each took his firepan; they put
fire in them and placed incense upon it and they brought before G-d an
alien fire." (10:1)

QUESTION: Each took a firepan; and put fire "bahen" - "in

them." Why does the pasuk conclude "vayasimu alehah
ketoret" - "they put incense upon it" - in singular? It should
have said "aleihem" - "upon them"?

ANSWER: Nadav and Avihu, without consulting one another, each brought
a firepan with fire and a quantity of incense into the Inner Sanctuary
(Kodesh Hakadashim). Meeting inside, they were in a dilemma about what
to do because it is improper for two to offer incense, and it seemed as if one
of them was doomed to be guilty of entering in vain.
Therefore, they decided "vayasimu alehah ketoret" - to throw all the incense
on one firepan. Hence, the incense each one brought in would be offered,
and it would not be considered entering in vain. However, a problem
remained: between the two of them there was still "eish zarah" - alien fire
brought in needlessly - since once firepan was not used.

"Do not drink intoxicating wine you and your sons with you when you
come to the Tent of Meeting." (10:9)

QUESTION: Why now, after the death of Nadav and Avihu,

were the Kohanim instructed against intoxicants?

ANSWER: Batsheva, mother of King Shlomo, strongly rebuked her son

about drinking wine, pronouncing it improper for a person of his stature, and
said "Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those of
heavy hearts" (Proverbs 31:6). It used to be customary to giwine to mourners
in order to relieve them of their grief.

Now that Aharon and his children were bereft of loved-ones and
experiencing their first mourning as Kohanim, the Torah warns, "While
others may rely on drinking wine in such times, it is forbidden for the
Kohanim to do so."

"Do not drink intoxicating wine you and your sons with you when you
come into the Tent of Meeting that you do not die. This is a statute
forever throughout your generations." (10:9)

QUESTION: Why in all the printed chumashim is there a

vertical line (indicating a pause) before and after the word
"atah"?

ANSWER: When people gather at a joyous occasion, it is customary to

have some alcoholic beverages and toast "lechaim" - "to life." The word
"chaim" in "L'chayim" contains the same vowels as the word "mayim" -
water - yet it is spelled with two "yudden" while "mayim" is spelled with
only one yud. This teaches that it is proper for an individual "yud" (Jew) to
drink water whenever he wishes to quench his thirst. However, liquor should
be consumed when two "Yudden" (Jews) get together to celebrate an
occasion.

The vertical lines in the pasuk indicate that the Torah is not in favor of
consuming intoxicants when "atah" - you are doing it alone. However,
"u'banecha itach" - if you are celebrating a simchah together with your sons,
such as their Bar-Mitzvah or wedding, or "bevo'achem el ohel mo'eid" - you
have moved into a new home and are making a "chanukat habayit" -
dedication of a new home - or "velo tamutu" - you are making a seudat
hoda'ah - a festive meal to thank Hashem for saving you from a life-
threatening situation, or "chukat olam ledoroteichem" - you are at a
celebration of a circumcision [of which the Torah says "ledoroteichem lebrit
olam" - "throughout your generations as an everlasting covenant" (Bereishit
17:7)], then it is proper to drink a lechaim in honor of the occasion.

"Regarding the goat of sin-offering Moshe questioned and queried."

(10:16)

QUESTION: In many Chumashim, in between the words

"Doroish" and "Dorash" it is written: "Half of the words of
the Torah."Why is the half-way point in words significant?

ANSWER: The ways of Hashem are far above human comprehension.

Often we question and try to fathom His actions. It is perfectly all right to
seek explanations, but we must always remember that even if we do not find
a reason or rationale, we should never conclude that Hashem is, G-d forbid,
wrong.

In this parshah we learn that Moshe, too, had questions and was seeking
answers. The Torah's half-way point is marked in the middle of his
questioning to allude that he had realized that he had only reached the
middle and there was much more ahead which he had not yet learnt.
Hopefully, as his Torah knowledge increased, his questions would be
answered.

"And G-d spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying to them, 'Speak to the
Children of Israel, saying: These are the animals which you shall eat.'"
(11:1-2)

QUESTION: The words "leimor aleihem" - "saying to them"

- seem extra since the pasuk continues "dabru el B'nei Yisrael
leimor."

ANSWER: When Batya, the daughter of Pharaoh found Moshe in the

waters, she at first tried to have him nursed by Egyptian women. Moshe
refused to cooperate because years later he would be a prophet and speak to
Hashem, and it was therefore unthinkable to ingest anything impure and thus
render his body unfit (Sotah 12b).

In the time of Mashiach, Hashem will infuse His spirit into all the people,
"venibu beneichem uvenoteichem" - "and your sons and daughters shall
prophesy" (Joel 3:1). Therefore, the pasuk tells us that Hashem said to
Moshe and Aharon "leimor aleihem" - because of the fact that "I will also
speak to them" (which means that ultimately each and every Jew will
become a prophet) - "tell the Children of Israel that they should refrain from
eating things that are unclean." (Thus, "leimor aleihem" is not a command,
but an explanation.)

"The camel for it brings up its cud but its hoof is not split...the hyrax
because it will not divide its hoof...the hare...it did not divide its hoof,
they are unclean to you." (11:4-6)

QUESTION: Why does the Torah use present tense

("mafris"), future tense ("yafris"), and past tense ("hifrisah")?

ANSWER: Though this parshah of the Torah discusses laws pertaining to

animals, we can also learn an important lesson which applies to man: Before
declaring a person as tamei (rejecting and ostracizing him), it is necessary to
carefully analyze his present, past, and future. When we can be convinced
that the past and present are not good and there is absolutely no possibility
for betterment in the future, only then may we declare a person unfit.

"And the swine because his hooves are split, and cloven-footed, but does
not chew his cud, he is unclean to you." (11:7)

QUESTION: The name "chazir" - "swine" - means that,

"yachzir liheyot mutar" - eventually in the days of Mashiach
it will be permissible to eat it (Rabbeinu Bachya). How does
this correspond with what is said in the Thirteen Principles of
Faith "I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be
changed and G-d will not give another Torah"?

ANSWER: Kosher animals have split hooves and chew their cud. The
swine has split hooves, but it does not chew its cud, and it is therefore not
kosher. The signs the Torah gives for a kosher animal will not change, but in
the days of Mashiach, the nature of the swine itself will change and in
addition to having split hooves, it will chew its cud and thus be permissible.
This opinion can be supported from a difference of terminology used in
describing the swine as opposed to the other non-kosher animals. Only of
the swine does it say, "vehu geirah lo yigar" - "and he does not chew its
cud." The word "vehu" - "and he" - seems superfluous. It would have been
sufficient to say "vegeirah lo yigar" with the "he" included in the verb. From
this we can deduce that the prohibition applies only as long as "vehu" - "and
he" - does not chew his cud; however, once he does begin chewing his cud,
then he will no longer be forbidden.

Alternatively, according to the Gemara (Chullin 109b), for whatever

Hashem forbids us in the Torah, there is something similar that is
permissible. For instance, though we are forbidden to eat pork, it is
permissible to eat the brain of a fish called "shibota" (mullet), which tastes
exactly like pork.

Rabbi Chanina bar Abbahu said, "There are 700 species of clean (kosher)
fish and 800 types of clean grasshoppers, and birds beyond number. They all
went into exile with the Jewish people to Babylon; and when the people
came back, they all returned except for the shibota fish" (Midrash Rabbah,
Introduction to Lamentations 34).

Consequently, chazir - pork - will always be forbidden, but the Midrash is

alluding that the shibota fish, whose brain tastes like pork, will return and be
available when Mashiach comes.

"This you may eat from everything that is in the water everything that
has fins and scales." (11:9)

QUESTION: Why are the fish with fins and scales kosher
and the ones without them not?

ANSWER: Fish with fins and scales live in the higher and clearer waters.
They are sustained by the air that enters there, and therefore their bodies
contain a certain amount of heat which counteracts the abundance of
moistness of the waters. The fish which do not have fins and scales dwell in
the lower turbulent waters and cannot repel the abundance of moistness in
their native habitat. Hence, the cold fluid in the area in which they swim,
cleaves to them and can cause death to people who consume them.
"This you may eat from everything that is in the water, everything that
has fins and scales...those you may eat" (11:9).

QUESTION: The Gemara (Niddah 51b) says that a fish that

has scales also has fins and there is no need to examine for
them. However, there are fish that only have fins and they are
tamei - unclean.What lesson is implied by the signs of kosher
and non-kosher fish?

ANSWER: Fish in their habitat - water - are analogous to scholars studying

Torah. This is obvious from what is related in Gemara (Berachot 61b) in
connection to the Roman government's decree against Torah study. When
Pappas ben Yehudah saw Rabbi Akiva convening public assemblies to study
Torah he asked him, "Akiva are you not afraid of the regime?" Rabbi Akiva
replied, with a parable: "Once a fox was walking alongside the river and saw
fish running from place to place. When the fox inquired, 'From what are you
running away?' They told him, 'From the nets people set up to catch us.' The
fox said to them, 'Come up to dry land and we will dwell together just as our
ancestors dwelled together.' The fish responded, 'You are a fool, for if in our
habitat where our life is sustained we are afraid, all the more so we should
be afraid for our existence if we leave our habitat.' Likewise, Rabbi Akiva
said, "If now when we study Torah which is our lifesaver, our existence is
threatened, how much are we in danger if we would absent ourselves from
Torah."

Scales serve as a protective garment to the fish and through the fins it flies
(swims) from place to place (see Rashi). When one studies Torah it is
expected of him to create chidushim - innovative thoughts and explanations.
It is also imperitave that one who studies Torah have yirat shamayim - fear
of heaven. The Gemara (Shabbat 31a) compares Torah study with yirat
shamayim to wheat which is stored with chumton - a preservative consisting
of earth with a high salt content. Just as the grain will spoil quickly without
the preservative, likewise, one studying Torah without fear of Hashem, will
easily forget, and his Torah study will be like a poisonous medicine for him.

Thus, the fins represent the power to accomplish and reach new heights
through innovative contributions to Torah, and the scales represent the
essential ingredient of yirat shamayim, through which one's Torah study is
preseved and becomes a source of sam chaim - medicine that adds life.

Consequently, if one possesses the quality of "scales," he is on the right

track with his Torah study and will eventually enhance himself and the
Torah with his "fins" - innovative thoughts which will be compatible to
Torah truth - Amitasah Shel Torah. Such an individual is considered tahor -
pure and clean. But one who studies Torah and does not have "scales" - fear
of Heaven - is tameih - unclean and unfit. His Torah study and fins -
innovations - are contrary to Hashem's desire and do not merit him the
spiritual medicinal source of life which Torah gives to those who study it.

"Every raven according to its kind...." (11:15)

QUESTION: Why is the raven (oreiv) forbidden to be eaten

and the dove (yonah) kosher?

ANSWER: When the waters of the flood receded, Noach selected the raven
to search for dry land. The raven accused Noach, "Your Master hates me and
you hate me. Your Master hates me, for from the clean animals and birds he
permitted seven to enter the ark and from the unclean, only two. You hate
me because if I fail to return from my mission, my mate will be alone and
our species will die out" (Sanhedrin 108b). Superficially, the raven was
right. If so, why is it universally despised as the symbol of heartlessness and
cruelty?

When the raven left the ark instead of carrying out the mission assigned to
him, he began to search for flesh to satisfy his appetite. He detected a
floating carcass and devoured it. While everyone in the ark was waiting
anxiously for his report, the raven was busy gouging himself with the flesh
of flood victims (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 23). Since he forgot about his
companions in the ark, and his eloquent statements about Hashem and
Noach were obviously insincere, he consequently is identified with
selfishness and betrayal.

Afterwards, Noach sent the dove, who consented without protest. She did
not permit her personal interest and desires to interfere with her mission, and
ultimately she returned with an olive leaf in her mouth, bringing good
tidings to all those in the ark.

What we eat has an effect on our character; consequently, the selfish,

heartless, and false raven is not kosher for our consumption, but the modest
and compassionate dove is.

"And the ostrich..." (11:16)

QUESTION: The expression "bat haya'anah" literally means

"daughter of the ostrich." Why does it specify "daughter"
when all ostriches are forbidden?
ANSWER: Ostriches live on hard and sharp grass. When they do not find
enough food, they eat bones, iron, and glass. The Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit
31:14) says that Noach took glass into the ark so that he would have food for
the ostrich. The Ibn Ezra writes in Parshat Mishpatim (23:19) that since the
ostrich eats such items, its meat becomes dry like wood and hard like steel,
and even cooking does not soften it. However, the meat of a baby female
ostrich is still soft and tender. Therefore, the Torah warns specifically
against eating "bat haya'anah" (the baby female ostrich).

"And the stork..." (11:19)

QUESTION: She is called "chasidah" - "kind" - because she

shares her food with her friends - Rashi.The animals and
birds that are forbidden to the Jews possess bad character
traits. What man eats has an effect on him; therefore, Torah
forbade animals that would badly influence our character
(Ramban 11:13). Since the stork is good natured, why should
she be forbidden?

ANSWER: A person who is selective and helps only people that he likes,
paying no attention to the needs of others, does not have a good character.
Thus, the Torah forbids us to eat the stork so that we should not acquire her
bad habits.

"That has jumping legs above its legs with which to spring upon the
earth." (11:21)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Sofrim 6:5) says that in addition

to this pasuk, where the word "lo" is written with an "alef"
and read with a "vav," the same thing occurs in the pasuk
"asher lo chomah" - "it does not have a wall" (25:30), which
is read with a "vav" meaning, "it has a wall." There is also a
pasuk, "im lo yagid venasa avono" (5:1) where there are both
an "alef" and a "vav" in the spelling of the word "lo".What is
the significance of the word "lo" with the "vav" and with the
"alef"?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Sanhedrin 98a) states that if the Jewish people
will be meritorious, Hashem will hasten the coming of Mashiach. But even
if they do not merit, G-d forbid, there definitely will be the ultimate
redemption, but only in its designated time. These three pasukim convey this
concept.
If "Lo [with an Alef] Chomah" - the Jewish people will not build a wall
between themselves and their evil inclination and if after sinning "Lo [with
an Alef] Yagid" - they will not confess to Hashem, then Lo [with an Alef]
Kera'ayim Mimmal Leraglav - Mashiach will not have jumping legs with
which to spring speedily upon the earth.

However, if "Lo [with an Vav] Chomah" - man will build a wall for himself,
not permitting his evil inclination to enter and induce him to sin, and in the
event that he sinned, then "Lo [with an Vav] Yagid" - he will confess to Him
- to Hashem, then Hashem will forgive him and quickly send Mashiach, "Lo
[with an Vav] Kera'ayim Mimmal Leraglav" - "who will have jumping legs
with which to spring speedily upon the earth."

"If water has been placed upon a seed, and then their carcass falls upon
it, it shall be unclean for you." (11:38)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Bava Metzia 22b) says that

actually the written word is "yitein" - "he [the owner] placed"
- but it is read "yutan" (with a "Vav") - "has been placed."
From this it is derived that just as when the owner makes it
wet he is aware of his actiand obviously wants it to be wet,
likewise, when it is made wet by something else (e.g. rain), it
is susceptible to ritual impurity only if the owner is
pleased.Why is the Gemara not satisfied to just interpret
according to the way it is read, "yutan", so that water is a
conductor for tumah regardless of the owner's knowledge?

ANSWER: The word mayim - water - is plural. Consequently, if "yutan" is

simply to be interpreted as read, grammatically it should read "yutnu".

Therefore, the Gemara concludes that though we read it as "yutan", since it

is grammatically incorrect and lacking a "Vav," we cannot interpret only
according to the reading, but must also consider the actual spelling - "yitein"
- i.e. the owner made it wet intentionally.

"Everything that creeps on its belly." (11:42)

QUESTION: In all printed chumashim there is a note that the

"Vav" in the word "gachon" is the half-way point of the
letters of the Torah. On the words "darosh darash Moshe" -
"Moshe diligently inquired" (10:16) there is a note that the
half-way point of the words in the Torah falls between the
 words "darosh" and "darash.". The pasuk "vayachgor oto
becheishev ha'efod vayepod lo bo" - "and he girded him with
the belt of the efod and adorned him with it" (8:7) is followed
by a note that it is the half-way point of the Torah in
pesukim.What message do these three "mid-points" impart?

ANSWER: All Jews must constantly study Torah. Our sages have
emphasized many times that not only should one learn Torah, but toil in the
study of Torah. It is common practice to gird oneself in order to lift a great
weight. The pasuk "He girded him with the belt of the efod" indicates that
studying Torah is a formidable task and should not be approached light-
heartedly. To study Torah properly, one should gird himself and prepare
himself with the necessary approach, namely yirat shamayim - fear of
heaven. Then, "vayepod lo bo" - Torah will adorn him and make him a
beautiful Jew.

The words "darosh darash" - "diligently inquire" - emphasize that to succeed

in Torah, diligent and assiduous study is a prerequisite. One must immerse
oneself wholly in Torah and ignore all distractions.

Rashi explains that the term "gachon" denotes "bending." In the word
"gachon" - "belly" - the "Vav" is enlarged. "Vav" has the numerical value of
six and can serve as an allusion to the six orders of the Mishnah on which
the entire Talmud is based, and for the sixty tractates of Gemara, in mispar
katan ("single numerals," i.e. disregarding the zero).

The message conveyed through these three mid-points ias as follows: If

"vayachgor" - one has properly girded himself to study Torah - and "darosh
darash" - his diligence has led to success - he should exhibit the trait of
"gachon" - "bending" - he should nevertheless not become conceited and
walk with his head in the air, but "bend" and humbly acknowledge that he
has only reached a half-way mark and that there is much more to study and
know.

"Do not abominate your soul by eating any swarming thing." (11:43)

QUESTION: In Parshat Shemini, we read of the of

inauguration of Aharon as Kohen Gadol; then about death of
his children Nadav and Avihu, who were even holier than he
and Moshe (see Rashi 10:3). Why, in this same parshah, are
we also instructed about the prohibition of eating insects and
creeping things?

ANSWER: When Hashem prohibited eating insects, He said: "For I am G-d

Who elevates you from the land of Egypt." On this, Rashi writes: "On the
condition that you accept My commandments I have redeemed you from
Egyptian bondage" (11:45). Thus, by forbidding the eating of insects and
creeping things, the Torah is stressing the importance of kabalat ol malchut
Shamayim (absolute submission to Hashem).

The death of Nadav and Avihu was not an ordinary one for an act of
rebellion or self indulgence. It signified the concept of "ratzo without shov"
- "advancing without retreating." When their souls sensed the all-
encompassing greatness of G-dliness they became aroused to a gripping
desire of ratzo - running to step out of bodily limitations and become
absorbed in Divinity. However, the Divine will and intent is for man to be
here on earth to establish an abode for Hashem in the lower worlds.
Therefore, the ratzo must be followed by shov - retreat and control of the
spiritual desires. They died of kelot hanefesh - they experienced "ratzo
without shov" and thus reached a point of expiring.

The sequence of events in Parshat Shemini teaches that regardless of how

lofty and holy an individual's aspirations may be, if he lacks kabalat ol, it is
conceivable that he may deteriorate to the point of eating abominable things
such as insects and creeping things.

"Do not abominate your soul by eating any swarming thing...You will
be defiled thereby." (11:43)

QUESTION: Why is the word "venitmeitem" - "you will be

defiled" - written without an "Alef"?

ANSWER: According to the Yalkut Re'uveini, the missing "Alef" indicates

that one who eats insects lacks common sense. The Chidah explains this in
the following way: The prophet Eliyahu asked Rabbi Nehorai: "Since the
insects do not serve any purpose, why were they created?" He answered that
they were created for the benefit of the Jewish people. Whenever Jews sin,
and Hashem considers annihilating them, G-d forbid, He looks at these
creatures and says: "If I permit these to exist though they serve no purpose,
how much more should I save the Jews who have a purpose in this world"
(see Midrash Shochar Tov 18)."

Consequently, by not eating insects, we substantiate that they have no

purpose and exist only as a means to evoke Hashem's mercy for the Jewish
people. On the other hand eating them demonstrates that they have value so
that Hashem can no longer use them as a reason to display compassion.
Thus, a person who eats insects lacks common sense because he denies
Hashem a way to justify showing Divine mercy.
"To distinguish between the impure and the pure and between the
animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten."
(11:47)

QUESTION:

1. The language in the pasuk appears inconsistent. Since

it mentions first "tamei" - "impure" - and then "tahar"
- "pure" - it should have said "between the animal
which may not be eaten and the animal that may be
eaten."

2. According to halachah, the Torah reading should end

with the mention of something positive (see Shulchan
Aruch, Orach Chaim 138). If the words were
reversed, would it not have concluded with "the
animal that may be eaten"?

ANSWER: The word "chaya" may also be a reference to a group of people -

members of one nation - as we find in II Samuel (23:13), "vechayat Plishtim
choneh be'eimek refa'im" - "the community (troops) of the Philistines
pitched in the valley of Rephaim."

Though the Jewish people have been oppressed by the nations of the world
throughout history, they have outlived their oppressors. Ultimately, in the
days of Mashiach, the wicked nations will be consumed and the Jews will be
the dominating power.

The pasuk is telling us that through Torah there is a distinction, "bein

hatamei uvein hatahor" - "between the contaminated food that may not be
eaten and the pure food which can be eaten." And also, thanks to our
adherence to Torah, there will be a distinction between "hachaya
hane'echelet" - "the wicked nations of the world which will be consumed
and destroyed" - "uvein hachaya " - "the nation - i.e. the Jewish people" -
"asher lo tocheil" - "which will not be consumed and remain in existence
forever." Thus, the pasuk is referring to two separate subjects: food and the
people who eat it. The pasuk also concludes with something positive - the
Jewish people.

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Tazria
"When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male." (12:2)

QUESTION: Pa Shemini concludes with the topic of kosher

and non-kosher foods. What is the connection between the
end of Parshat Shemini and the beginning of Tazria, which
discusses child-birth?

ANSWER: The Torah is teaching that the parents' obligation to a child does
not begin after he is born, but while he is still in his mother's womb. The
pregnant mother must be careful of what she eats, because it can have a
positive or negative effect on the child, depending on whether the food is
kosher or not.

In the Gemara (Yoma 82b) there is a story about a pregnant woman who
overcame her desire to eat on Yom Kippur and later gave birth to the great
sage Rabbi Yochanan. Another pregnant woman, who refused to overcome
her desire, gave birth to a rasha who was known as "Shabbatai Otzar Peirot"
(the hoarder of provisions [for speculations]).

The last pasuk of Shemini, which sums up the laws concerning kosher and
non-kosher food, alludes to the above:

In Hebrew, a woman who gives birth is known as "chaya." Thus, the Torah
tells us: "lehavdil bein hatamei uvein hatahor" - "to distinguish between the
pure (child) and, G-d forbid, the contaminated (child)" - is contingent on
"uvein hachayah hane'echelet" - "the distinction between a 'chaya,' - a
mother who was lax during pregnancy in the observance of kashrut" - "uvein
hachayah asher lo tei'acheil" - "and a mother who was careful not to eat food
of questionable kashrut" (11:47).

"When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male." (12:2)

QUESTION: In the Gemara (Niddah 30b) Rabbi Simlai,

describes the unborn child in the mother's womb, thus:
"There is a lit candle on its head by means of which he sees
from one end of the world to the other." What is the
significance of this description?

ANSWER: The words of Rabbi Simlai can be explained metaphorically.

The lit candle represents Torah and mitzvot, as the pasuk says "For a
mitzvah is a candle, and Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23). Every person has
the mission of enhancing the world with the light of his Torah and mitzvot.
Before birth, Hashem gives him the opportunity to "see" the world in its
entirety, and He declares, "You have the potential, through your Torah and
mitzvot, to master the entire world, providing that you influence it and not
permit it to influence you."

"When a woman conceives, and gives birth to a male." (12:2)

QUESTION: It would have been sufficient to omit the

reference to conception and say "If a woman gives birth to a
male"?

ANSWER: The first letters of the words "Ki Sazria Veyalda Zachor" spell
the word "zechut" - "merit."

The woman is known as the "akeret habayit" - "foundation of the home."

While the husband is usually away from the home involved in earning a
livelihood, the mother actually spends more time in raising the child, and
she has the opportunity to instill within him a love for Torah and mitzvot
and thus properly formulate his character.

The Torah is thus alluding that the child's righteousness is in the zechut of
his devoted and dedicated mother.

"When a woman conceives, and gives birth to a male... On the eighth

day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (12:2-3)

QUESTION: Why is circumcision mentioned in the middle

of the parshah pertaining to a woman who gives birth?

ANSWER: At every brit milah it is customary for a woman to take the child
from the mother and bring him to the entrance of the room where the brit
will take place. Afterwards, her husband takes the child and brings him into
the brit room. The man and woman so honored are called the "kvater" and
"kvaterin."

Although only the father is obligated to circumcise the child, the command
to circumcise, occurring in the parshah discussing the laws of childbirth -
and thus dealing with women - is a hint for the custom that there should be a
woman participating in the brit.
 QUESTION: What is the meaning of the word "kvater?"

ANSWER: The honor given to the woman is to take the child from the
mother and bring him to the door of the room where the brit will take place.
She stops at the entrance to the room, because it is improper for a woman to
come among the men, and the man takes the child from the door into the
room. The word "kvater" is a merging of the words "kavod" - "honor" - and
"tir" - "door" - the honor of bringing the child to the door (of the brit room),
and the honor of bringing the child from the door into the room for the brit.

"On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (12:3)

QUESTION: Why is it customary to recite the Shema to a

baby on the night before his brit?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Berachot 13a) explains that the reason we recite
the portion of "Shema Yisrael" before the portion of "Vehaya im shamo'ah"
is so that one should first accept upon himself the yoke of heaven and
afterwards the yoke of mitzvot.

The following morning the child will be performing his first mitzvah, the
mitzvah of circumcision; therefore, Shema is recited the night before, so that
he accepts the yoke of heaven prior to the yoke of mitzvot.

"On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (12:3)

QUESTION: Why is the ceremony called brit milah?

ANSWER: In the Torah there are 613 mitzvot and one of them is
circumcision. On the eighth day, the child has properly fulfilled the mitzvah
of milah and still has 612 mitzvot to fulfill. The word "brit" numerically
adds up to 612, reminding the child of all the remaining mitzvot.

"And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised"
(12:3)

QUESTION: At a brit the moheil recites the berachah,

"vitzivanu al hamilah" - "Commanding us concerning
circumcision." Immediately afterwards, the father recites the
berachah "vitzivanu lehachniso bivrito shel Avraham Avinu"
 - "And commands us to enter him into the Covenant of
Avraham our father." Why the seeming redundancy of a
second blessing mentioning the commandment of a brit?

ANSWER: The "Covenant of Avraham our father" may not only mean
circumcision but may also refer to the Brit Bein Habetarim (the Covenant
Between the Divided Parts). At that time Hashem told Avraham about the
trials and tribulations that would confront the Jewish people during their
exile in Egypt and other future exiles (Bereishit 15:12, Rashi). He promised
him that nevertheless "And afterwards they will go out with great wealth"
(15:14), providing they remain steadfast in their observance of Torah.

At the brit the father is proclaiming that regardless of the difficulties his son
may encounter as a result of his Torah observance, he will enter him into the
covenant between Hashem and Avraham and do everything possible to rear
him as a Torah-true Jew.

Alternatively, considering the young age of the child and his tenderness, the
shedding of his blood is a very difficult experience. Nevertheless the child is
subjected to it and thereby he becomes a full-fledged member of K'lal
Yisrael. The message of this pronouncement is that just as he has mesirat
nefesh to fulfill his first mitzvah of the Torah, likewise, when it comes to
Torah study, conducting his marriage according to Torah, and the
performance of good deeds, he should not permit anything to hinder him and
even be ready for mesirat nefesh.

Alternatively, this is a blessing to all those present at the child's first

simchah, that just as they are here today, they should live and be healthy to
witness and participate in his introduction to Torah study, his wedding, and
his performance of good deeds for many years.

"On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (12:3)

QUESTION: At a brit it is customary for all present to

proclaim: "Just as he is entered into the covenant, so may he
enter into Torah, aninto marriage, and into good deeds."Why
do we associate these three things with the brit?

ANSWER: The circumcision done at the brit is permanent. Once it is

performed, it cannot be changed in any way. Those present at the brit
express a threefold blessing and prayer for the child. First, just as the brit is
permanent, likewise his connection to Torah should be everlasting. Second,
the person he marries should be his companion for life. The third and
concluding blessing is that throughout his lifetime he should constantly
perform good deeds.

Alternatively, the first mitzvah in which the child is involved is a brit. Due
to his young age, his parents must take an active role in planning and
preparing. When it comes to Yiddishkeit, many parents have a tendency to
say, "When our child becomes older, he will make his own decisions."
Therefore, all present at the brit call to the attention of the parents: "Kesheim
shenichnas labrit" - just as at the brit the parents were actively involved -
"kein yikaneis leTorah ulechupa ulema'asim tovim" - so too, when the son
reaches the age of Torah study, marriage and good deeds, the parents should
be actively involved in all of his decisions.

"On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (12:3)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Menachot 43b) relates that when

King David was in the bathhouse unclothed, he proclaimed,
"Woe to me; I am now naked of mitzvot." As soon as he
reminded himself of the mitzvah of brit milah, he regained
his peace of mind. Why did this occur in the bathhouse and
not at other times when he was unclothed?

ANSWER: The reference to a bathhouse is metaphorical. King David was a

great tzaddik, and from time to time he would "visit the bathhouse" - he
would undergo self-introspection, examining his deeds to see if they were
"clean," devoid of ulterior motives and done purely for the sake of heaven.

Once, during this evaluation he became apprehensive that his mitzvot were
not performed from pure intentions. He reminded himself of the mitzvah of
brit milah, and in this he found comfort, because it was definitely one
mitzvah performed without any ulterior motives.

With this we can add a dimension to our understanding of the blessing said
at a brit: "Just as he has entered into the covenant, so may he enter into
Torah and into marriage, and into good deeds." The child is blessed that just
as he has entered into the brit without any ulterior thoughts; likewise,
throughout his entire life he should do everything solely for the sake of
Hashem.

"And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised."
(12:3)

QUESTION: To comply with the rule of "zerizim makdimim

lemitzvot" - "the zealous rise early to fulfill a mitzvah" - it is
customary to make a brit early in the morning (see Pesachim
4a). Why do some, nevertheless, make it later in the day or
afternoon?

ANSWER: In halacha, besides the rule of "zerizin makdimim lemitzvot" -

"the zealous rise early to fulfill a mitzvah" - there is also the rule "berov am
hadrat melech" - "a large crowd gives the most glory to the king." In
general, the halacha of "zerizin makdimim lemitzvot" supersedes the halacha
of "berov am hadrat melech." This can be substantiated from the Gemara
(Rosh Hashanah 32b), which states that on Rosh Hashanah the shofar is
sounded during the musaf prayers, while on Yom Tov the Hallel is recited
during the shacharit prayers.

The Gemara explains that the reason for Hallel during shacharit is because
"zerizin makdimim lemitzvot" and for blowing shofar during musaf "berov
am hadrat melech." If so, the Gemara asks, why don't we apply the rule of
"zerizin makdimim lemitzvot" also to shofar and blow it during shacharit?
The Gemara answers that there was a time when the government officials
banned the blowing of shofar and would be on the alert the entire morning;
therefore, it was postponed to the musaf prayers. From this we can conclude
that were it not for this reason, the shofar would have been blown in the
morning because of "zerizin makdimim lemitzvot," though in the afternoon
there is the advantage of "berov am hadrat melech."

The Gemara (Shabbat 130a) says that all mitzvot which the Jewish people
accepted with joy, such as milah - as King David says regarding milah, "I
rejoice over Your word like one who finds abundant spoils"? (Psalms
119:162) - they are still performing with joy. Rashi explains that the
uniqueness of the mitzvah of milah is that no other mitzvah so clearly
identifies the Jew as a member of Hashem's people. The brit milah is the
only mitzvah which the Jew carries as a sign with him constantly and
forever. Rashi also explains that the simchah with which we still perform it
is the making of a festive meal.

Given the emphasis on simchah - happiness and joy - the mitzvah of brit
milah may be an exception in regards to the priority of the "early" rule over
the "crowd" rule. Consequently, if making the brit later in the day would
bring more guests and especially ones who would be sorely missed if they
could not attend otherwise, it may be made at a later hour in the day.

As a rule, a person should get up early when he has to do a mitzvah.

Therefore, it is the custom to make a brit early in the morning on the eighth
day. Thus, at the time of the brit, seven days and eight nights have already
passed, which is a total of 180 hours.

The first person to have his brit on the eighth day was the patriarch
Yitzchak. In merit of Avraham making it early in the morning, Yitzchak
lived 180 years.

"On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." (12:3)

QUESTION: Why do we only wait eight days for a brit, but

30 days for a pidyon haben?

ANSWER: Usually, within eight days, it can be established if the child is

healthy and viable. However, there is a minority for whom this cannot be
determined before 30 days. Therefore, since the pidyon haben involves
money (the father has to pay the Kohen five shekalim), and "Ein holchin
bemamon achar harov" - "in money matters [we must be absolutely sure]
and cannot rely on a majority" (Bava Kamma 27b), we wait 30 days to be
certain that the child is healthy and viable.

"Upon the completion of the days of her purity for a son or for a
daughter, she shall bring a sheep within its first year for a burnt-
offering, and a young dove or turtledoves for a sin-offering." (12:6)

QUESTION: Why does a "yoledet" - a woman who has given

birth - need to bring two offerings?

ANSWER: When Chava ate the forbidden fruit, Hashem cursed her: "I will
greatly increase your suffering and your childbearing; in pain shall you bear
children" (Bereishit 3:16). Prior to her sin she would give birth painlessly,
and afterwards she and every woman were to experience the pain of
childbirth.

The Gemara (Niddah 31b) says that due to these pains, a woman during
childbirth vows not to have relations with her husband and to cease
childbearing. Afterwards she regrets her action and therefore needs to bring
an offering to atone for making an unnecessary vow.

Since, the sin of the vow was ultimately caused by Chava, this offering also
serves as forgiveness of Chava's iniquity, which actually was twofold:

1. "The woman perceived that the tree was good for eating and that it
was a delight to the eyes."

2. "And she took of its fruit and ate" (Bereishit 3:6).

The first sin was through machashava - thought - and the latter was through
ma'aseh - actual deed.

A karban olah - burnt-offering - atones for hirhurei haleiv - sinful ideas or

thoughts (Midrash Rabbah 7:3), and a karban chatat - sin-offering - atones
for sins actually performed.

Thus, the "yoledet" brings two offerings: one for Chava's wrongdoing
committed through thought and the other for her wrongdoing through action.

Alternatively, her actual swearing to forgo marital relations with her

husband was preceded by the resolutishe made in her mind while in the
throes of excruciating pain. Consequently, because she first resolved it in her
mind and afterwards actually swore, she brings two sacrifices.

"When a man will have in the skin of his flesh, a scab as the whiteness
of natural wool, or the color of snow, or a bright spot." (13:2)

QUESTION: The Ba'alei Mesorah point out 3 additional

pesukim with the word "Adam":"Adam ki yakriv mikem
karban" - "When a man among you brings an offering"
(Vayikra 1:2).

"Adam ki yamut be'ohel" - "When a man dies in a tent"

(Bamidbar 19:14).

"Adam uveheimah toshia Hashem" - "Man and beast you

deliver, O G-d" (Psalms 36:7).

What concept unites these four pesukim?

ANSWER: A question was posed: What penalty is appropriate for the
sinning soul? Prophecy (nevu'ah) answered that the soul who sins should be
put to death. Wisdom (chachmah) answered that the sinning soul should be
punished with suffering. Torah responded; "He should bring a sacrifice and
be forgiven." Hashem Himself said "The sinner should repent and he will be
pardoned" (see Jerusalem Talmud, Makot 2:6).

The four pesukim listed above relate to the four different answers. The
pasuk "When a man among you brings an offering" corresponds to the view
that the sinner gains forgiveness through the offering of a sacrifice. The
pasuk which discusses the laws of the person who is inflicted with the skin
disease corresponds to prescribing suffering as a remedy for sin. The pasuk
"When a man dies in a tent" indicates that a sinner should be put to death.

According to these three opinions, either man or animal suffers. The fourth
pasuk, "Man and beast you deliver, O G-d," is Hashem's advice that the
sinner should do teshuvah and be forgiven. Thus, neither man or animal
need suffer.

"And it will be in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy." (13:2)

QUESTION: The word "Vehayah" denotes simchah - joy

(see Midrash Rabbah Vayikra 11:7).What joy is there in
being afflicted with leprosy?

ANSWER: The leprosy discussed in the Torah is not the well-known

disease of that name, but rather a form of punishment meted out to those
guilty of lashon hara - evil talk (Arachin 15b).

A violation of the Torah is a serious matter, and the violator deserves to be

penalized. The speaker of lashon hara should be happy that his penalty
spares his internal organs and is only skin deep.

"And he shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen." (13:2)

QUESTION: Why concerning leprosy in the skin does it say

"vehuva" - "and he shall be brought" - while concerning a
leprosy affliction on a house it says, "uba asher lo habayit" -
"the one to whom the house belongs shall come and declare
to the Kohen" (14:35)?
ANSWER: The afflictions of leprosy discussed in Parshiot Tazria and
Metzora are not conventional diseases. Tzara'at is a heavenly punishment for
selfish behavior and gossip, one designed to help the afflicted person do
teshuvah and resolve to correct his ways. Though the Torah refers first to
bodily leprosy, Hashem is merciful and a person's house is afflicted first.
Afterwards, if this does not help, his garments are afflicted, and if the person
still does not repent accordingly, only then does the person himself become
afflicted with leprosy (Rambam, Tumat Tzara'at 16:10).

Usually, one whose home is stricken realizes that he is receiving a sign from
heaven and, therefore, "he comes to the Kohen," who is the spiritual mentor
of the people, seeking his advice and guidance. However, an actual leper
already has received two "reminders" from Hashem, and apparently he is
stubborn in his ways and does not want to recognize the supremacy of
Heaven or the authority of the Kohen; therefore, "vehuva el haKohen" - "he
shall be brought to the Kohen" - by his friends and relatives.

"He shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen or to one of his sons the
Kohanim." (13:2)

QUESTION: Since every Kohen is qualified to rule on

leprosy, why is Aharon specified in addition to all the other
Kohanim?

ANSWER: Aharon epitomized loving and pursuing peace (see Pirkei Avot
1:12). When he knew of a quarreling family or friends, he would work
tirelessly to reconcile them. At times it would be necessary to conceal
information or even deviate somewhat from the truth. He would tell each
estranged friend of the other's deep regrets and desire to renew the
friendship.

Leprosy is caused through lashon hara - evil talk against a person (Arachin
15b). Often, a tale-bearer justifies his actions, claiming that he is actually
performing a mitzvah by telling the truth and that he is motivated by love
and concern. Thus, he rationalizes that he will cause no harm and indeed, the
individual ultimately will rectify his ways.

Therefore, the Torah prescribes bringing the leper to Aharon to learn the
lesson that the greatest lover of peace did not accomplish it through lashon
hara. It is also a message to the sinner that Hashem prefers the ways of
Aharon, which bring peace, over the "truth" of the tale-bearer, which
destroys families and relationships.
"And the Kohen shall look at the plague... it is a plague of leprosy; and
the Kohen shall look on him and pronounce him unclean." (13:3)

QUESTION: Why are the words "vera'ah haKohen" - "the

Kohen shall look" - repeated?

ANSWER: According to halacha (Rambam, Tumat Tzara'at 9:8), in

addition to examining the plague in the skin, the Kohen has to consider the
personal status of the individual. For instance, if a man is in the midst of his
seven days of rejoicing as a bride-groom, the Kohen does not declare him
unclean and send him out of the camp until the seven days are completed.
Likewise, the Kohen waits until after Yom Tov is over before examining
possible lepers (ibid. 9:7).

The Torah alludes to this by first telling us: "vera'ah haKohen et hanega" -
"The Kohen shall have a look and examine the plague on the skin." Another
prerequisite is that "vera'ahu haKohen" the Kohen must see him - the
individual. Only after taking into consideration both factors may he
pronounce him unclean.

"If hair in the plague is turned white... it is a plague of leprosy; and the
Kohen shall look on him and pronounce him unclean." (13:3)

QUESTION: The color white is usually considered a sign of

purity and taharah (cleanliness). Why is it a sign of tumah
(defilement) in nega'im?

ANSWER: According to the Gemara (Arachin 16a) one of the reasons for
which a person may get a nega is tzarat ayin - stinginess. A person who is
stingy does not give tzedakah whole-heartedly, often embarrassing the poor
man with his attitude.

The Gemara (Bava Metziah 58b) says that if someone causes his friend to be
embarrassed in public, it is as though he killed him, because the one who is
embarrassed blushes, and blood rushes to his face (as if trying to leave of the
body). Then his face pales as blood rushes to other parts of the body, and it
takes on the ashen, pallid appearance of a corpse.

Since a punishment is midah keneged midah (similar to the crime): when he

becomes white, it is a sign that he is still being punished for making a person
turn pale.
Alternatively, The plague of leprosy is not the familiar disease of that name.
It is a punishment for lashon hara - evil talk - or haughtiness, or stinginess
(Arachin 16a). When a person is young, his hair is usually dark. As he ages,
gray and white hairs begin to appear. Consequently, when the Kohen
examines the leper and notices that suddenly two white hairs have appeared
in the plague, it is a sign that instead of repenting, this person is regressing
and "aging" in his wrongdoings. Therefore, the Kohen pronounces him
unclean.

"When a man is afflicted with leprosy he shall be brought to the

Kohen." (13:9)

QUESTION: Na'aman, the General of the armies of the King

of Aram, became a leper. His king him to Achav the King of
the Jews to heal him. Achav was unable to do anything, but
the prophet Elisha sent word to send Na'aman to him. When
Na'aman arrived at his door, Elisha sent instructions via
messenger to wash seven times in the Jordan river. Na'aman,
who anticipated that Elisha would heal him by placing a hand
on the stricken area, reluctantly followed instructions and was
healed.Why did Elisha volunteer to help Na'aman, and why
did he use the water of the Jordan?

ANSWER: Elisha analyzed the name "Na'aman" and found that there were
only three pesukim in the Torah which start with a "Nun", end with a "Final-
Nun", and which have an "Ayin" and a "Mem" somewhere in the middle:

"When a man is afflicted with leprosy he shall be brought to the Kohen."

(13:9)

"A prophet from your midst, from your brothers, like me, shall G-d, your G-
d, establish for you - to him shall you hearken" (Devarim 18:15).

"We shall cross over, armed, before G-d to the land of Canaan, and ours
shall be the possession of our inheritance across the Jordan" (Bamidbar
32:32).

Elisha learned from this that when Naman becomes a leper (1st pasuk), a
navi can heal him (2nd pasuk) through the water of the Jordan (3rd pasuk).

"And if the leprosy will erupt on the skin and the leprosy will cover the
entire skin of the afflicted person, from his head to his feet, wherever
the eyes of Kohen can see, the Kohen shall look and, behold, if the
leprosy has covered his entire flesh, he shall pronounce the affliction
clean." (13:12-13)

QUESTION: If the leprosy has covered his entire body, why

does he become clean? It should be just the opposite: The
more leprosy, the more contamination?

ANSWER: The Torah says that during the period of confinement "The
leper's clothing shall be rent, the hair of his head shall go loose, he shall
cover up his upper lip, and he shall cry 'unclean, unclean'" (13:45). What is
rationale for this procedure?

The leper is considered dangerous to society. He mingles in the community

and presents himself as admirable, but who in reality is corrupt and a bad
influence upon others. Therefore, the rending of his garments is an allusion
that his facade shall be removed. Letting the hair of his head go loose
indicates that his thoughts are erroneous and should not be accepted.
Covering his upper lip indicates that his mouth must be closed so that he
may not disseminate his corrupt philosophy. To make sure that people keep
their distance, finally, he is to announce that he is unclean.

It is easy for a hypocrite to mislead innocent people by accentuating his

good signs. A hypocrite is compared to the quintessentially non-kosher
swine. Though it does not chew its cud, it does have split hooves, which it
displays to prove that it has a kosher sign (see Bereishit 26:34 Rashi).

Consequently, as long as part of the leper's body has still not been plagued,
people may see good, healthy things in him and be influenced by him. Once
leprosy has broken out over his entire body and he no longer is able to
conceal it, everybody will realize his falsehood and withdraw from him.

"And then he shall shave himself." (13:33)

QUESTION: Why is the word written with a large

"Gimmel"?

ANSWER: Except in a leap year, Parshat Tazria is read after Pesach during
the Sefirah period, when it is forbidden to take haircuts or shave. Precluded
from this prohibition are the 33rd day of the Omer counting (Lag BaOmer)
and the three days before Shavuot (sheloshet yemai hagbalah).

According to the Arizal, one should take a haircut only on Erev Shavuot and
not on any other day during Sefirah.
The word, "vehitgalach" - "And then he shall shave himself" - is the
beginning of the 33rd pasuk in chapter 13 of Chumash Vayikra. This alludes
to the fact that on the 33rd day (Lag BaOmer) it is permitted to take a
haircut. The large "Gimmel" alludes that it is permitted to take a haircut
three days before Shavuot.

The word "vehitgalach" numerically adds up to 452, which is the same

numerical value as Lamed Gimmel Yamim BaOmer - "33 days of the Omer"
- (counting the statement itself as an additional one, known in gematriya as
"im hakollel"). In Hebrew numbers, 452 is Tav Beis Nun, which is an
acronym for the words "Tisapeir Berev Nun" - "Take a haircut the day
before the 50th - Erev Shavuot."

"And the leper that has the plague, his clothes shall be torn and the hair
of his head shall be unshorn." (13:45)

QUESTION: From the extra "Heh" (it could have said

V'Tzaruah) the Gemara (Mo'eid Katan 14b) derives that this
law also applies to a Kohen Gadol who became a leper.There
is a question in the Gemara concerning whether a leper must
observe his restrictions (not to come into the camp, not to
shave) if Yom Tov falls during his period of leprosy. Based
on the Kohen Gadol's obligation to observe his restrictions
when he becomes a leper, though the entire year to him is like
Yom Tov (as demonstrated by his permission to offer
sacrifices even when he is an onein - a mourner whose dead
is still unburied), the Gemara derives that a leper must obey
his restrictions even during Yom Tov.

According to halacha, if one sees signs of leprosy during

Yom Tov, the Kohen is not to examine it until after Yom Tov
(Tumat Tzara'at 9:7). If so, how is it possible for the Kohen
Gadol to be declared a leper if the entire year is like Yom
Tov for him?

ANSWER: It is possible for a Kohen Gadol to become a leper in the

following manner:

An ordinary Kohen shows his signs of leprosy to another Kohen, who

declares him "defiled." Afterwards, the Kohen became ill and another Kohen
examined him and declares him "clean." In the meantime, our Kohen is
appointed Kohen Gadol.

Immediately afterwards, it is verified that the second inspecting Kohen (who

declared him clean) is a chalal (son of a Kohen who was the product of a
marriage forbidden to a Kohen) and therefore unqualified to rule in these
matters and the rulings he made are invalid (see Minchat Chinuch 169:13).
Consequently, we revert to the decision of the first inspecting Kohen (who
declared him unclean) and though our Kohen is presently a Kohen Gadol, he
is obligated to observe the laws of a leper until he is declared clean.

"And the Kohen shall see...the plague has not changed its appearance...
it is contaminated." (13:55)

QUESTION: The word "eino" usually means "his eye." Since

the meaning here is "appearance," it should say "marito" - "its
appearance"?

ANSWER: Being afflicted with bodily scars is not punishment. It is hoped

that when a person sees unusual bodily changes, he will reflect on his
conduct, repent, and improve his ways.

The words "Negah" (plague) and "Oneg" (delight) are spelled with the same
three letters. The only difference is that in one the "Ayin" is at the
beginning, and in the other it is at the end. When a person does teshuvah
following affliction with leprosy, his Negah becomes an Oneg. When the
Kohen examines the person who had the "Negah" and he sees that "lo
hapach hanega" - "the nega did not reverse" - "et eino" - "the position of the
"Ayin" - it is a sign that the person did not do proper teshuvah and remains
impure.

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Metzora

"This shall be the law of the metzora (leper) on the day of his
purification and he shall be brought to the Kohen." (14:2)

QUESTION: The words "zot tiheyeh torat hametzora"

are superfluous. It could have simply said "ki yithar
hametzorah vehuva el haKohen" - "when the metzorah
becomes clean he shall be brought to the Kohen"?
ANSWER: In Chovot Halevavot (Sha'ar Hachane'ah 7) it is written
that when people come before the heavenly tribunal for judgment,
they are often shown thain the book of records merits were recorded
for them for mitzvot which they do not recall doing, and in all honesty
they say "We did not do this." They are told, "Someone who spoke
evil about you has lost his merits and they have been added to your
account." Likewise, people sometimes ask why they have not been
given credit for certain good deeds, and they are told that they were
transferred to people about whom they spoke evil. Similarly, some
people will find "debits" (aveirot) in their ledgers, which they never
did. When they object they are told that the sins were removed from
the people about whom they spoke evil and added to their accounts.

Once, when a righteous person found out that somebody spoke evil
about him, he reciprocated by sending the speaker a beautiful gift
with a note reading "I learned that you sent me your merits as a gift.
Consequently, the enclosed is my reciprocation."

In light of the above, when a person speaks lashon hara, he loses the
zechutim - merits - that he gathered through his study of Torah and
performance of mitzvot. When he repents and is cleared of his
wrongdoing, then his record is again adjusted to reflect merely his
own deeds. Therefore, when the Torah talks about the metzora,
"beyom taharato" - "on the day of his purification" - it says "zot
tiheyeh torat hametzora," meaning that whatever merit for Torah he
has lost because of his evil talking will now revert and become his
merits.

"This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing."
(14:2)

QUESTION: According to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi in

Midrash Rabbah (16:6), the word "Torat" - "law of" - is
mentioned five times in regard to the leper. This
teaches that one who speaks lashon hara commits a
grave infraction, equivalent to violating the five books of
the Torah.What is the link between lashon hara and the
five books of the Torah?

ANSWER: In Chumash Bereishit the serpent encourages Chava to

eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge by speaking lashon hara about
Hashem. He tells Chava, "Hashem forbids you to eat the fruit
because a craftsman hates competitors. He, too, was able to create
the world, only after gaining wisdom through eating this fruit" (Rashi
3:5).
In Chumash Shemot Hashem tells Moshe to put his hand into his
bosom. When he takes it out it is white as snow with leprosy. This
happens to Moshe because of speaking lashon hara against the
Jewish people when he says, "They will not believe me" (Rashi 4:6).

In Chumash Vayikra the Torah clearly states the prohibition of

speaking lashon hara: "You shall not be a talebearer among your
people" (19:16).

In Chumash Bamidbar we learn of Miriam being afflicted with leprosy

for talking lashon hara about Moshe (12:10).

In Chumash Devarim the Torah warns: "Take heed of the plague of

leprosy... remember what Hashem did to Miriam on the way as you
came out of Egypt" (24:8-9).

Since lashon hara is alluded to in each of the five books of the Torah,
the leper who speaks lashon hara is considered to have violated all of
them.

"This shall be the law of the leper." (14:2)

QUESTION: Why is the leper called a "metzora"?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Arachin 15b) says that one of the ways to
become a metzora is through speaking lashon hara. The word
"metzora" is a combination of two words: "motzi ra" - "one who brings
out evil" [about another person]. The punishment for this is nega
tzara'at - plague of leprosy.

The Torah prohibits lashon hara by commanding: "Lo teileich rachil

be'amecha" - "You shall not be a talebearer among your people"
(19:16). These words have the numerical value of 883, the same as
the numerical value of "nega tzara'at". This shows that the sin and
punishment are exactly midah keneged midah - measure for
measure.

The Midrash relates that Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel sent his servant
to the market and said, "Bring me the best thing you can find." The
servant came back with a tongue.
Another time, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said to his servant, "Go to
the market and bring me the worst thing you can find." Again, the
servant returned with a tongue.

Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel was startled and asked his servant, "How
is it that you brought me a tongue as the best thing you could find,
and again a tongue as the worst?" The servant replied, "There is
nothing better than a tongue that speaks good and nothing worse
than a tongue that speaks evil."

"The Kohen shall command and for the person being purified
there shall be taken two live clean birds." (14:4)

QUESTION: Why were two birds used to purify a

metzora?

ANSWER: One of the causes of leprosy is lashon hara. When

someone conveys lashon hara to a person about his friend or to a
husband about his wife, he replaces friendship or marital harmony
with enmity and strife. The word "Tzipor" - "bird" - has the numerical
value of 376, the same numerical value as the word "Shalom" -
"peace."

The Torah is alluding that in order for the leper punished for lashon
hara to be forgiven, he must first make peace between the friends or
the husband and wife. Thus, the two birds correspond to the two
estranged people who need to be reconciled.

Two birds, then, represent the making of peace between two

partners. The numerical value of two times "Tzipor" is 752. In Hebrew
752 is "Zahav" - "gold." Making peace between people is as valuable
as gold.

"And it shall be on the seventh day, he shall shave off all his
hair: his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows." (14:9)

QUESTION: Since it says "all his hair," why are three

areas of hair then singled out?

ANSWER: There are three causes for leprosy:

 1. ga'avah - arrogance,

2. lashon hara - evil talk,

3. tzarat ayin - stinginess, reluctant to share with others or help

them.

The shaving of the hair reminds the metzora that he must be

extremely careful in specific areas to prevent the recurrence of the
spiritual illness that leads to leprosy. Shaving his head reminds him
never again to walk around with his head up, looking down at other
people. Cutting the hair of his beard reminds him not to open his
mouth to utter lashon hara. Removing the hair of his eyebrows, warns
him to henceforth use his eyes to look at another Jew with kindness.

"If he is poor and his means are not sufficient." (14:21)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Yoma 41b) questions

whether a rich man has fulfilled his obligation if he
brings the sacrifices assigned for a poor man. However,
regarding a metzorah - leper - everyone agrees that he
has not fulfilled his obligation. Why?

ANSWER: According to the Gemara (Arachin 16a) one of the things

that causes leprosy is tzarat ayin - stinginess. Consequently, when a
rich leper tries to meet his obligation by bringing sacrifices that were
assigned to a poor person, he obviously has not yet been healed of
stinginess and thus cannot be pronounced clean from his leprosy.

"When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for
possession, and I will place the plague of leprosy in the house
of the land of your possession." (14:34)

QUESTION: Rashi writes, "This is a good tiding for the

Jews that plagues will appear on their houses. The
Amorites hid treasures of gold in the walls of their
houses all the forty years the Jews were in the
wilderness, and on account of the plague the houses
are broken down and the treasures are found."Since the
pasuk says "Eretz Cana'an" - "Land of Canaan" - why
does Rashi say "Amorites"? Moreover, why were they
 hiding treasures and not disposing of them, and why for
forty years?

ANSWER: When Hashem told Avraham of the forthcoming Egyptian

exile the Jewish people would endure, He also assured him that,
"The fourth generation shall return here, for the iniquity of the
Amorites shall not yet be full until then" (Bereishit 15:15). Though
Hashem singled outhe Amorites, He meant that all the Canaanite
nations living in Eretz Yisrael would by that time have accumulated
enough sins to deserve expulsion. The Amorites were specified
because they were the mightiest among the group of nations (see Ibn
Ezra and Amos 2:9).

Since Hashem specified "Ha'Amori" - "the Amorites" - Rashi too says

that the "Amorites" hid treasures in the walls of their houses.
However, in reality the reference is to all the nations dwelling in the
land of Canaan.

They hid treasures for forty years specifically because as soon as the
Jews left Egypt, they realized that Hashem considered their iniquities
sufficient to warrant expulsion. Although according to the original
plan, the Jews were to enter the land immediately, unfortunately they
remained an additional forty years in the wilderness due to the sin of
the meraglim - spies. Unaware precisely when the Jews would arrive,
the Amorites started putting away their treasures and did so for forty
years until the Jews arrived.

Since they were being expelled because of their sins, they hid the
treasures rather than destroying them. They anticipated that
ultimately the Jews, too, would be expelled for sinning, and at that
time they would return to their houses.

"When you come into the land of Canaan, that I give you for
possession, and I will place the plague of leprosy in the house
of the land of your possession." (14:34)

QUESTION: Since it already says "Eretz Cana'an asher

ani notein lachem la'achuza" - "the land of Canaan
which I give you as a possession" - why does it
repetitively go on to refer to "eretz achuzatchem" - "the
land of your possession"?

ANSWER: The Torah is calling to our attention something that can

cause a plague in our homes in Eretz Yisrael. Jews must always
remember that Eretz Yisrael was given to us by Hashem and that it is
not something that we took with our own strength and power.
Therefore, when you come to Eretz Yisrael, if you will remember that
"Ani notein lachem" - "I, Hashem, give it to you" - "la'achuzah" - "for
you to possess" - there will not be any plagues, but "venatati nega
tzara'at beveit" - "I will place the plague of leprosy in a house" - if
"eretz achuzatchem" - "you consider the land as something that you
took for your possession."

"And I will place the plague of leprosy upon a house in the land
of your possession." (14:34)

QUESTION: Rashi writes that a plague in the walls of a

house is propitious for the Jews. The Amorites had
hidden treasures of gold in their houses all the 40 years
the Jews were in the desert, and on account of the
plague, the Jews broke down the walls of the houses
and found the gold.If a plague is a punishment for
sinning, why does it seem to have the character of a
reward?

ANSWER: The Torah is teaching us a very interesting lesson: Every

Jew has treasures hidden deep within. When a person sins, he is
neglecting and forsaking the treasures and resources that Hashem
has instilled in him.

When a Jew is, G-d forbid, plagued, it awakens him to do teshuvah to

return and become closer to Hashem and Yiddishkeit. Thus, the
valuable treasures hidden within him are uncovered.

"The one to whom the house belongs shall come and declare to
the Kohen, saying, 'Something like a plague has appeared to me
in my house.'" (14:35)

QUESTION: What is the significance of plagues on

houses for contemporary times?

ANSWER: The entire discussion concerning a plague on the walls of

a house can be explained as a reference to the destruction of the first
and second Beit Hamikdash, and the revelation of Mashiach.

"Uva asher lo habayit" - the owner of the Beit Hamikdash (Hashem)

came - "vehigid laKohen" - and He told the Kohen, the prophet
Yirmiyahu, who was a Kohen - "kenega nirah li babayit" - "I see a
plague of idol worship in My house."

"Vetzivah haKohen" - Yirmiyahu the Kohen issued a command to the

Jewish people that "ufinu et habayit" - they clear the Beit Hamikdash
of all idols - "beterem yavo haKohen - before Hashem comes
(Hashem is a Kohen, see Sanhedrin 39a), "velo yitma kol asher
babayit" - and, G-d forbid, declare the Beit Hamikdash contaminated
and unsuitable for him to dwell in.

Unfortunately they did not heed Yirmiyahu's warning and "vera'ah et

hanega vehinei hanega bekirot habayit" - Hashem judged the
situation and found the plague of idol worship contaminating the Beit
Hamikdash. He, therefore, decreed that the Beit Hamikdash be totally
destroyed and the people exiled to Babylonia.

After a period of seventy years (corresponding to the 7 days a

plagued house is shut up), Hashem saw that they had done teshuvah
and allowed them to return and rebuild the Beit Hamikdash.

"Uva haKohen" - Hashem came - "vera'ah" - and saw, "vehinei pasah

hanega babayit" - behold, the plague had spread also in the new Beit
Hamikdash. Thus He decreed that it, too, be destroyed.

"Velakach lechatei et habayit" - in order to rectify the situation, and

restore the Beit Hamikdash, Hashem prescribed that there be taken -
"shetei tziparim" - two birds. This refers to Mashiach ben Yosef and
Mashiach ben David. ("tzipor" - "bird" - has the numerical value of
370, the same numerical value as "zeh mashiach" - "this is
Mashiach"). [Also to be taken were] "ve'eitz erez" - "cedar wood," a
reference to the talmidei chachamim - "usheni tola'at" - "red thread,"
a reference to K'lal Yisrael (Isaiah 41:14) - "ve'eizov" - "and grass,"
referring to the young children, (the "Tzivot Hashem"), "Veshachat et
hatzipor ha'echat" - the first Mashiach will be killed.

Afterwards, the era of Kibbutz Galiyot - ingathering of the exiles - will

commence, "Velakach." - Hashem will gather the talmidei
chachamim, K'lal Yisrael and the young children who are dispersed
all over vetoval - He will immerse - i.e. purify all the Jews and prepare
them for the redemption.

Finally, "veshilach et hatzipor hachayah" - He will send Mashiach - "el

penei hasadeh" - out of galut to Tzion, which is referred to as a
"sadeh" (Jeremiah 26:18) and "vechiper al habayit" - there will be the
rebuilding of the third Beit Hamikdash - "vetaheir" - and it will be pure
forever.
"The one to whom the house belongs shall come and declare to
the Kohen, saying, 'Something like a plague has appeared to me
in my house.'" (14:35)

QUESTION: Why must the homeowner say to the

Kohen "kenega" - "something like a plague" - and not
"nega" - "a plague"?

ANSWER: In the Polish city of Radin there lived the great tzaddik
and gaon Rabbi Yisrael Meir HaKohen, known as the "Chafeitz
Chaim." An individual who had heard many intriguing stories about
him decided to make a visit to the city and see him personally. Upon
arrival, he met an elderly bearded Jew in the street and asked him,
"Could you please guide me to the home of the holy tzaddik and gaon
the Chafeitz Chaim?" Graciously, the man told him to turn right at the
corner and look for the first house on the second block. Then he said,
"Incidentally, he is not such a tzaddik, nor is he a gaon." The visitor
became enraged and slapped the elderly man across the face: "What
audacity you have to speak in such a manner!"

When the visitor arrived at the home of the Chafeitz Chaim and was
let into his study, he was horrified to learn that the man he had
slapped earlier was the Chafeitz Chaim himself. Immediately he
broke out in tears, apologized, and begged for forgiveness.

The Chafeitz Chaim smiled warmly and said, "There is no need to

apologize; I deserved the admonition. I have dedicated my entire life
to informing K'lal Yisrael about the terrible sin of lashon hara
(slander). Today, I gained a new insight: not only is lashon hara
about others prohibited, but a Jew should not even speak negatively
about himself."

In light of the above, we can understand why the person says

"something like a plague." When one sees a blemish in his house he
should notjump to the conclusion that it is bad, but he should be
patient and say "It appears that there may be a problem" and seek a
solution.

"Something like an affliction has appeared to me in the house."

(14:35)
 QUESTION: The Ba'al Haturim writes that there are two
pesukim with the words "nirah li." One is "Meirachok
Hashem nirah li" - "G-d appeared to me from the
distance" (Jeremiah 31:3) and our pasuk is the other.
What is the connection between these two pesukim?

ANSWER: Though the plague affecting the house seems

superficially very distressing, in reality it contained good tidings.
Through breaking the walls of their houses, the Jewish owners found
treasures which were hidden there by the Amorites during the forty
years the Jews were in the desert (Rashi). The link between the two
pesukim is that when the human eye of the Jew sees that "kenega
nirah li babayit" - "Something like an affliction has appeared to me in
the house" - in reality "Meirachok Hashem nirah li" - G-d is standing
in the distance, and in His merciful way, bestowing riches upon the
Jew.

Alternatively, according to the Gemara (Arachin 16a) one of the

things that causes plagues is arrogance.

Regarding someone who is arrogant King David says (Psalms

138:6), "For though Hashem is exalted, He notices the lowly, but the
arrogant He chastises from afar." The Gemara (Sotah 5a) says that
"Though G-d is exalted, He is close to the humble, but with the
arrogant He cannot dwell together." Thus, when one sees a plague in
the walls of his house, he must conclude that G-d is punishing him for
his deeds and refuses to dwell with him, only becoming revealed from
a distance.

"And when he is cleansed... then he shall number to himself...

before G-d for his issue." (15:13-15)

QUESTION: What is the connection between these two

pesukim and the 49 days of Sefirat HaOmer?

ANSWER: When the Jews were in Egypt, they sunk into the 49th
level of impurity (Zohar Chadash Shemot 31a). Upon leaving Egypt,
they began to elevate themselves. Between Pesach and Shavuot
they were cleansed of all impurity and were worthy of receiving the
Torah.
In these three pesukim there are 49 words, which may be a remez
(hint) to the 49 days of Sefirah, during which the Jewish people
elevate and purify themselves. The Torah is teaching that "Vechi
yithar" - the way to accomplish purification and spiritual elevation - is
through "vesafar" - "counting" (sefirah). The words "vesafor" or
"usefartem" derive from the root word of "sapir" - brilliance and
brightness. During Sefirah one is to refine each day one of the seven
emotion-traits (Midos), and each attribute contains elements of the
other seven, a combination of 49 in total.

The 29th day of Sefirah is Pesach Sheini, and the 29th word of these
pesukim is "Hashem." The reason for this is that when the Jews were
impure and unable to offer the karban Pesach, they came to Moshe
and asked him what they could do. Moshe's reply was: "Imdu
ve'eshme'ah mah yetzaveh Hashem" - "Wait, so that I may hear what
Hashem will command," and then Hashem told Moshe about Pesach
Sheini (Bamidbar 9:8).

The 33rd word in these pesukim is "Mo'ed," which also means

"holiday," alluding to the 33rd day of Sefirah, Lag BaOmer.

"He shall bathe his entire flesh in water." (15:16)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Eruvin 4b) explains that this

refers to a mikveh of at least 40 se'ah of water (approx.
120 gal.).What rationale can be given for mikveh
purification?

ANSWER: A gentile woman was considering becoming a giyoret

(convert to Judaism). She contacted a Rabbi, who informed her of the
various requirements and also mentioned immersion in a mikveh.
She was ready to do everything except for the mikveh ritual, which
she found difficult to comprehend. He advised her to write of her
dilemma to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and she received the following
response: According to the Gemara (Yevamot 22a) a person who
undergoes conversion is considered a newborn. When an embryo is
formed in the mother's womb, it is in a placenta surrounded by water
on all sides. Similarly, the convert immerses himself entirely in the
waters of the mikveh and emerges a newborn person.

The Rebbe's reply also provides an insight into mikveh purification in

general. Every person has a pure neshamah at birth. Afterwards he
may do things which defile his soul. Immersion in the mikveh is a
form of rebirth and through it he reverts to his original state of purity.

The Shelah writes: "When one immerses in the mikveh, he should

recite the pasuk 'Leiv tahor bera li Elokim' - 'A pure heart create for
me, O G-d' (Psalms 51:12), because through immersion he becomes
a newly created person.

Also, the first letters of the words 'Tehoir Beroh Li' - 'pure create for
me' - spell out the word 'taval' - 'to immerse.' "

According to an interpretation of the Kesef Mishneh (Avot Hatumah

7:16, see Pardes Yosef 14:8), a person who immerses in a mikveh
becomes pure when he first emerges from the water and not while he
is actually immersed. This ruling may reflect the spiritual
correspondence between immersing in a mikveh and birth, for a child
is considered born when his forehead emerges from his mother's
womb.

"He shall bathe his entire flesh in water." (15:16)

QUESTION:

1. Since it says "he shall bathe his entire flesh" the

word "bamayim" - "in water" - is superfluous.

2. The Gemara (Eruvin 4b) explains that this refers

to a mikveh of at least 40 se'ah of water (approx.
120 gal.). The Rabbis derive this figure by
estimating the amount of water needed to cover
the entire body. Is there any Biblical support for
this figure?

ANSWER: A hint in the Torah for the 40 se'ah of a mikveh occurs in

this pasuk: "Verachatz" - "he shall immerse" - "bamayim" can be a
juxtaposition of "bemei mem,". "Mem" has the numerical value of 40.
Thus, "bemei mem" means "in water consisting of 40 (se'ah)."
The famous Chassidic Rebbe Rabbi Shlomo Karliner, once said,
"Mikveh (for men) is not a mitzvah, and atzvut - sadness, melancholy
- is not an aveira. However, atzvut can cause the individual more
harm than some of the most serious aveirot, and mikveh can
accomplish for the individual more than some of the greatest mitzvot."

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Acharei Mot

"After the death of the two sons of Aharon." (16:1)

QUESTION: The Midrash Rabbah (20:5) says that when

Iyov heard of the death of Nadav and Avihu he said, "Af
lezot yecherad libi veyitar mimkomo" - "Also for this my
heart trembles and is moved out of its place" (Job 37:1).What
did Iyov see in the death of the children of Aharon, Nadav
and Avihu, that made him tremble?

ANSWER: Alarmed by the growth of the Jewish people, Pharaoh,

consulted his three advisors, Bilaam, Yitro and Iyov. Bilaam advised that
Pharaoh drown the Jewish children, and Yitro fled. Iyov, however, remained
silent and did not give any advice. (See Sotah 11a.)

According to the Gemara (Sanhedrin 52a) one of the reasons that Nadav and
Avihu died is related to the following incident: Once, while walking behind
Moshe and Aharon, Nadav said to Avihu, "When will these two old people
die and you and I take over the leadership?"

Why, we might ask, was Avihu also punished for Nadav's comment? We
must conclude that tolerating evil is equated with doing evil. Therefore,
when Iyov learned about the death of Avihu, in addition to Nadav, he felt his
heart tremble, afraid that he would also be punished for remaining silent.

"And G-d spoke to Moshe after the death of the two sons of Aharon,
when they approached before G-d and they died...'He shall not come at
all times into the Sanctuary.' " (16:1-2)

QUESTION:
 1. Why after the death of Nadav and Avihu did Hashem
instruct the Kohanim not to enter the Beit Hamikdash
while i(10:9) nor to enter the Sanctuary at all times?

2. What relevance do these prohibitions have to all Jews,

even in contemporary times?

ANSWER: The death of Nadav and Avihu was not simply due to the
violation of an ordinary Torah precept. It was a spiritual death which was
caused by their immersion in the deepest esoteric teachings of Torah and
detachment from this mundane and physical world.

Chassidut analyzes this spiritual enthusiasm in terms of the concept of

"ratzo" and "shov" - advancing and retreating, as in Ezekiel 1:4. When the
soul senses the all-encompassing greatness of G-dliness it is aroused to a
gripping desire of "ratzo" - running, seeking to become absorbed within
Divinity. Quite understandably the soul wishes to leave the body and the
world, but the Divine intent and will is for it to be on earth and establish a
dwelling place for Hashem. Thus, man must "shov" - retreat and return to
this world to observe Torah and mitzvot.

Comprehending the beauty and pleasantness of G-dliness, Nadav and Avihu

reached the level of "kelot hanefesh" - expiration of the soul through
absolute attachment to Hashem - and thus departed from their physical
being. Thus, ratzo without shov - advancing without retreating - caused their
unfortunate end.

"Kelot hanefesh" can occur in one of two ways: either through

understanding the profundity of G-dliness or by perceiving the lowliness of
this physical world. When a person realizes the extent of his degradation and
how he has succumbed to his inclination and transgressed the Torah, he may
suddenly resolve 1) to cease physical existence entirely, or 2) live a holy life
of seclusion.

The Torah does not approve of either of these approaches, and consequently,
after the spiritual death of the sons of Aharon, the Torah decrees were issued
of "Beware of becoming intoxicated with wine" and "He shall not come at
all times into the Sanctuary."

Wine is an allusion to the secrets of Torah. ("Yayin" - "wine" - and "sod" -

"secret" - have the same numerical value of 70). The prohibition of priestly
drunkenness thus teaches all scholars of Torah that even while involved in
esoteric and sublime teachings of Torah, one must remember that the
neshamah has to remain vested in a physical body in this world and not
become so "intoxicated" with holiness that the soul loses its moorings in
physicality.
The prohibition of "Al yavo" - "not to come" - "bechal eit el hakodesh" - "at
all times into the Sanctuary" - teaches Jews of all levels that when one
repents for inappropriate behavior and is in a Yom Kippur spirit, the resolve
should not be to enter a life of absolute seclusion and denial of worldly
matters. A Jew must exist within the limits of this world and make it a
dwelling place for Hashem.

"Speak to Aharon your brother he shall not come at all times into the
Sanctuary." (16:2)

QUESTION: The words "bechal eit" - "at all times" - seem to

forbid the Kohen's constant presence in the Sanctuary but to
permit occasional visits. Since in reality, he was never
allowed to come in except on Yom Kippur, what is the reason
for this wording?

ANSWER: It is Satan's mission to continuously induce the Jew to sin. The

Gemara (Yoma 20a) says that "hasatan" - "the Satan" - is the numerical
value of 364. This indicates that during 364 days of the solar year, he has
permission to cause his trouble, but on the 365th day of the year - Yom
Kippur - he has no permission. Thus, the day of Yom Kippur, in comparison
to the other 364 days of the year, is no ordinary time.

Consequently, the message that Hashem conveyed to Aharon was that he

should not come "bechol eit" - "at all times" - any day of the year which was
an ordinary time. The only day in the year when he could enter the Inner-
Sanctuary was on Yom Kippur, a special day, unrelated to all the days of the
year.

"With this Aharon should come into the Sanctuary." (16:3)

QUESTION: Since the Torah specifically lists all the things

that the Kohen Gadol did on Yom Kippur the word "bezot" -
"with this" - seems superfluous.

ANSWER: On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we proclaim, "Uteshuvah,

utefillah, utzedakah ma'avirim et ro'a hagezeirah" - "Repentance, prayer and
charity can avert the severity of the decree." In every machzor, above these
three words, the words "tzom, kol, mamon" - "fasting, voice, money" -
appear in small print. Each of these words has the numerical value of 136 for
a total of 408, which is also the numerical value of the word "zot".
The Torah is hinting that in addition to all the karbanot that the Kohen
Gadol must bring on Yom Kippur, another very important element is "zot" -
the three things that add up to 408 - and through these he will be able to
avert evil decrees against K'lal Yisrael, G-d forbid.

A similar interpretation can be applied to King David's statement "Im takum

alai milchamah bezot ani voteiach" - "If a war should be declared against
me, I am secure with zot" (Psalms 27:3). King David also said, "uchesil lo
yavin et zot" - which in light of the above may mean "A fool does not
understand the value of zot" (Psalms 92:7).

"From the community of the Children of Israel he shall take two he-
goats for a sin-offering." (16:5)

QUESTION: According to the Gemara (Yoma 62a) the he-

goat for Azazeil, which was to be thrown over the cliff, and
the one offered in the Beit Hamikdash to Hashem were
preferably to be identical in looks, height, and value.Why
spend extravagantly on a he-goat that goes to waste over a
cliff?

ANSWER: The money we spend during our lifetime can be divided into
two portions: One goes to spiritual matters such as tzedakah, mitzvot, and
tuition, and another goes for physical necessities and personal pleasures. In
retrospect, we usually see that money spent on pleasures has been wasted.
However, the return for money spent on the spiritual is everlasting.

Unfortunately, many people who are blessed with affluence spend freely on
personal amenities yet plead poverty when it comes to spending money on
spiritual matters. The two he-goats can also serve as metaphors for the
above-mentioned two categories.

Hashem in His benevolence does not really mind how much of our money
we spend or waste on our personal satisfactions. However, He requests and
demands that an equal amount of money (and perhaps more) be spent on
spiritual matters. If one has money for "Azazeil" - to throw over the cliff -
one should not plead poverty when it comes to spending for Hashem.

"And the he-goat designated by lot for 'Azazeil' shall be caused to stand
alive before G-d." (16:10)
 QUESTION: The words "ya'amod chai" - "shall be caused to
stand alive" - appear superfluous. It could simply have said
that the he-goat should be sent alive to "Azazeil"?

ANSWER: The world consists of four categories of beings: Domeim -

inanimate, tzomei'ach - vegetation, chai - animals, and medabeir - human
beings (literally "articulate"). Each one becomes elevated through the one
above it and thus, rises to the higher level. The inanimate is elevated through
vegetation, because the earth makes grass grow. Similarly, animals eat the
grass, and man consumes the animal.

When one brings a sacrifice and the Kohanim do not eat or benefit from it,
then the animal has no connection with the higher level - human beings - but
remains strictly in the category of a "chai" - a creature. Since the he-goat is
not brought on the altar and no one has any benefit from it, "ya'amod chai" -
it "stands" stationary in the category of "chai" and does not rise to a higher
level.

"And he shall confess upon it [the he-goat for Azazeil] all the iniquities
of the Children of Israel, and all their rebellious sins among all their
sins, and place them upon the head of the he-goat, and send it with a
dman to the desert." (16:20)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Yoma 66b) relates that Rabbi

Eliezer was asked, "If the he-goat becomes ill, may he carry
him on his shoulder?" Rabbi Eliezer replied, "Yachol hu
leharkiv ani ve'atem" - "He is capable of carrying me and
you."Rabbi Eliezer's response is enigmatic: how does it
answer their question?

ANSWER: The statute of the "scapegoat for Azazeil" serves as a metaphor

of the Jewish people. For many years we have been under the reign of alien
regimes, oppressed and persecuted. Whenever something has gone wrong
anywhere in the world, the Jew has been made the "scapegoat." Like the
scapegoat who was sent out of the camp to the wilderness, the Jewish
people, too, have been expelled from one country after another, and have
gone through a stage of wilderness before establishing themselves in another
part of the world.

Fortunately, regardless of their trials and tribulations, the Jewish people

have managed to "stand on their feet" - to remain firm in their commitment
to Torah and mitzvot and to miraculously survive all attempts to destroy
them physically and spiritually.
Rabbi Eliezer was asked, what if the "scapegoat" - the Jewish people -
becomes ill, i.e. what if their suffering sickens them, and they no longer
have the strength to 'stand on their feet'? Should they yield in their Torah
observance and accept the ways of the prevailing forces? Should they
recognize the dominating powers and compromise on their Yiddishkeit in
order to appease them?

Rabbi Eliezer's answer was an unequivocal "no." He told the worried Jews,
"Yachol hu leharkiv ani ve'atem - He [Hashem] is able to carry me and you.
Do not, G-d forbid, falter one iota in your Yiddishkeit. Indeed galut may be
difficult to endure, but be assured that Hashem is able to take us all out of it,
and He will do so very speedily."

Moreover, the one who leads the scapegoat is referred to as "ish iti," which
according to commentaries means a person whose time has come to die and
who will not live out the year (see Chizkuni). Not only will Hashem take the
Jewish people out of galut, but all their oppressors will perish, and we, the
Jewish people, will exist eternally.

"And send it (the he-goat) with a designated man to the desert." (16:21)

QUESTION: Why is the designated man known as "ish iti"?

ANSWER: The word "iti" comes from the word "eit," which means "time."
According to Targum Yonatan ben Uziel the appointed man had been
designated for this mission from after Yom Kippur of the previous year.
Thus, he had been chosen for a long time prior to his actual service.

According to the Rashbam, he was called an "ish iti" because he had spent
much time wilderness and knew the roads.

According to Chizkuni, the messenger would pass away before the next
Yom Kippur. Thus, "ish iti" means a person whose time to leave this world
has arrived. Hence, by referring to him as "ish iti" the Torah is emphasizing
that though he knew his life would end after his mission, he did not hesitate
to perform it. He happily agreed to give up his life in order to assure that
K'lal Yisrael received Divine atonement for all their sins.

"Aharon shall lean his two hands upon the head of the living he-goat
and confess upon it all the iniquities of the Children of Israel, and all
their rebellious sins among all their sins." (16:21)
 QUESTION: Why in confessing "all the iniquities of the
Children of Israel" upon the he-goat must he place both hands
upon it?

ANSWER: The daily prayers include a section known as "tachanun" - "the

confessional prayer." It is recited in the morning in the Shacharit service and
towards evening in the Minchah service. The custom is to recite this moving
prayer with the face of the worshipper bowed over his hand. In the morning,
the head rests on the right hand, and in the afternoon on the left. A reason for
this distinction may be the following: In the Torah there are actions that we
are commanded to do, and there are ones which we are commanded not to
do. At times, one fails by omitting to do the right thing, and at other times
one may fail by doing something forbidden.

The right hand symbolizes action, because in most people it is the more
active hand. The left, by contrast, is the "weak hand," the less active one,
symbolizing inactivity. During our daily confessional prayers, we bend our
heads low and bury them in both our hands - one at a time. We feel ashamed
that the right hand was not always employed to act and fulfill our
obligations. We also express remorse through the left - our weak hand - for
the things we were not supposed to do and nevertheless did.

Simlarly, when the Kohen Gadol confesses, "all the iniquities of the
Children of Israel," he places both hands upon the he-goat. The right hand
represents the mitzvot we should have done and failed to do, and the left
hand represents the wrong doings which should have been omitted.

"It shall be for you an eternal decree; in the seventh month on the tenth
day of the month you shall afflict your souls." (16:29)

QUESTION: According to the Midrash Rabbah (Devarim

2:14) when the angels ask Hashem when Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur fall, He tells them, "Let us go and inquire of the
beit din below on earth." How is it that Hashem should ask
others to clarify the dates of Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur?

ANSWER: In the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 428) there is a rule that
Rosh Hashana cannot be on Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday. The Midrash
Tanchuma (Mishpatim 5) says that when judgment occurs below, then no
judgment takes place above. Consequently, on Monday and Thursday, the
days when a beit din is officially in session, there is no judgment in heaven.

The angels were asking "Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are known as days
of judgment. When does Rosh Hashana take place? It cannot be Sunday,
Wednesday, or Friday. Neither can it be Monday or Thursday. The only
days left are Tuesday and Shabbat, which are also disqualified for when
would Yom Kippur take place? If Rosh Hashana would be on Tuesday, then
Yom Kippur would be ten days later on Thursday. If Rosh Hashana would
be on Shabbat, then Yom Kippur would be ten days later on Monday. This is
impossible because when there is judgment down below there is no
judgment above."

Hashem told them, "Indeed Rosh Hashana is on Monday, Tuesday,

Thursday or Shabbat. As to your question 'How can Rosh Hashanah or Yom
Kippur be on Monday or Thursday,' we will go down on that day to the beit
din below and G-d's judgment will emerge from the court below."

"And it shall be for you an eternal decree: in the seventh month, on the
tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls." (16:29)

QUESTION: Does one who must eat on Yom Kippur have to

make Kiddush as a prerequisite for eating?

ANSWER: According to halacha (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 618:10) a

sick person who is forced to eat on Yom Kippur does not have to make
Kiddush, although he is obligated to recite berachot and Birchat Hamazon -
the Blessing after a Meal - (including Ya'aleh Veyavo) over the food he eats.

When the famous Torah scholar Rabbi Avraham of Sachetchav was five
years old, after Shacharit on Yom Kippur his father instructed him to go
home to eat something. When he returned to shul, his father asked him,
"Avremele, did you remember to make Kiddush?" to which he replied, "I
did not make Kiddush." When his father asked him why not, the young
genius replied, "In truth, a minor does not have to perform any mitzvot. The
only reason he fulfills mitzvot is chinuch - training - to prepare for when he
becomes Bar-Mitzvah and obligated to perform them. Thus, I make Kiddush
every Shabbat so that I will be accustomed to remember not to eat the
Shabbat meal before reciting Kiddush. However, when I become older, I
hope to fast on Yom Kippur, so there is no reason for me today to make
Kiddush as a minor."

"It shall be for you an eternal decree; in the seventh month on the tenth
day of the month you shall afflict your souls." (16:29)
 QUESTION: Regarding Shabbat the Torah states, "Vekarata
laShabbat oneg" - "Shabbat shall be a day of delight."
According to the Rambam (Shavuot 1:6, see Rashba,
Responsa 614), one is obligated by Torah rule to eat at least a
"kezayit" - an amount the size of an olive. Yom Kippur is
violated if one eats food the size of a "kosevet hagassa" - "a
thick date" (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 612:1).In the
Gemara (Yoma 73b) Reish Lakish is of the opinion that
eating less than the prohibited amount is not considered a
violation of Torah law. If so, when Yom Kippur falls on
Shabbat, one should be required to eat a "kezayit," which is
less than the amount prohibited on Yom Kippur and thus
fulfill the Torah obligation of delight on Shabbat?

ANSWER: Even according to Reish Lakish who holds that one did not
violate Torah rule when eating less than "kekosevet," it is forbidden,
however, to do so by Rabbinic ordinance. The halacha is that a Rabbinic
ordinance must be obeyed even if it will entail non-fulfillment of a positive
commandment from the Torah (sheiv ve'al ta'aseh) - in this case not eating
the kezayit (see Yevamot 90b).

Alternatively, one who eats on Yom Kippur violates a positive

commandment and a negative commandment (Rambam, Shevitat Asor 1:4).
Delight on Shabbat is only a positive commandment and is not strong
enough to supersede both a positive and a negative commandment. The
Rabbis have endowed their opinion with the authority of a Torah
prohibition. Consequently, though according to Reish Lakish, the
prohibition is only of Rabbinic origin, it has the same strength as a
Scriptural positive and negative commandment and cannot be superseded by
another Scriptural positive commandment. (See Talmudic Encyclopedia,
vol. 15, p. 94.)

Alternatively, when the Torah states the law of fasting on Yom Kippur, it
does not distinguish between a weekday and Shabbat. Thus, it applies
unilaterally and the intent of Torah is that when Yom Kippur is on Shabbat,
the mitzvah of delight on Shabbat does not apply because it is superseded by
the mitzvah of enduring privation and discomfort on Yom Kippur.

When Yom Kippur is on Shabbat, one actually fulfills the mitzvah of delight
through fasting, as the halacha specifies in the instance when food is
detrimental to one's health on an ordinary Shabbat (see Shulchan Aruch
Harav, Orach Chaim 288:2).
It should also be noted that according to some opinions (ibid., 291:1),
delight on Shabbat is accomplished with eating food equivalent to the size of
an egg and, thus, it would be forbidden on Yom Kippur, because eating
"kekosevet," which is more than an olive but less than an egg, already
violates Torah law.

"For on this day He shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you
from all your sins before G-d shall you be cleansed." (16:30)

QUESTION: The word "mikol" is extra. It could have said

"meichatoteichem" - "from your sins"?

ANSWER: The Tur Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 581), relates that it is
the custom in Ashkenazic communities for prominent people to fast on Erev
Rosh Hashanah and explains it with a parable: A country had a large debt of
unpaid taxes to its King, and the King descended on the country with his
army to collect. An entourage consisting of the prominent people went out to
greet him and told him, "We do not have any money to give you." So, the
King pardoned one-third of the debt. As he came closer to the city, a
contingency of the middle-class people went to meet him and after pleading,
again he pardoned a second third of the debt. As he came very close to the
city, everybody went out towards him and after their pleading, he freed the
entire city of its taxes due.

The inhabitants of the country are the Jewish people. During the year they
go into debt due to their transgressions. On Erev Rosh Hashanah the
"prominent" people fast and Hashem forgives one-third of the sins. During
Aseret Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance) the "middle-class"
people join in the fast and a second third is forgiven. On Yom Kippur,
everybody fasts and Hashem pardons them completely.

The Beit Yosef questions, "How can it be that Erev Rosh Hashanah should
be equal to the nine days of teshuvah and even to Yom Kippur itself?"
Therefore, he explains that in the beginning, on Erev Rosh Hashanah,
Hashem forgives the first third of the sins, which are easier to forgive. To
forgive the second third is more difficult, and therefore a period of nine days
is necessary. And finally, the last third are the most difficult to forgive and
this is accomplished on Yom Kippur.

Consequently, in reference to Yom Kippur, the Torah says that "For on this
day He will provide atonement" and though two-thirds will already be
forgiven, the uniqueness of this day is that you will be cleansed entirely
"mikol chatoteichem" - from all your sins - including the final and most
difficult third.

"For on this day He shall provide atonement for you to cleanse." (16:30)

QUESTION: In regards to Hashem forgiving the sins of the

Jewish people, the prophet says, "If your sins will be like
scarlet, they will turn white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Why the
color scheme of red and white? The opposite of white is
usually considered to be black, not red, so to emphasize
Hashem's compassion, the prophet should have said, "If your
sins will be like black, through teshuva Hashem will convert
them to white"?

ANSWER: A public debate was once held between a Reform Rabbi and
Orthodox Rabbi. The subject was Torah Judaism versus Reform. The able
and astute Reform Rabbi decided that the best defense was an offense. When
he was called upon to make the first presentation he avoided all discussion
of theology, Jewish law, etc. but instead, to everyone's surprise, he
commenced by asking the president of the Orthodox synagogue in the
audience to rise, and then he addressed to him the following question: "Are
you a Shabbat observer?" The head of the Orthodox synagogue became red-
faced, hemmed and hawed and with deep embarrassment admitted that he
was not. The Reform Rabbi then asked that the other officers of the
Orthodox synagogue rise and he asked them the same question. They, too,
stammered their response that they were not shomrei Shabbat.

The strategy of the Reform Rabbi became clear when he said, "Ladies and
gentleman, you see there is no difference between my officers and their
officers: neither of them keep the Shabbat, so why debate if we are both
equally non-observant?"

During all this time the late, venerable Ponavezer Rav, Rabbi Kahanaman -
sat in the audience as a curious listener. Finally he asked for permission to
ask a question. He mounted the platform and asked the president of the
Reform Temple to rise and he asked him, "Are you a Shabbat observer?"
The head of the Temple burst into derisive and ridiculing laughter, saying,
"Why, of course not!"

"This," said the Rav with quiet triumph, "is the difference between the two
presidents, namely, the sense of shame that was so pronounced by the
Orthodox President and that was so utterly lacking in the reply of the
Reform President," and that, he said, was of the greatest importance. A
person who turns red-faced with shame when confronted with his wrong-
doing exhibits remorse.
The Prophet is teaching that when shame is gone there is less hope for moral
regeneration, but if a person's sins cause reddening with shame, there is hope
that the person will do teshuvah and Hashem will forgive him and turn
everything to "white."

"For on this day He shall provide atonement for you to cleanse you."
(16:30)

QUESTION: In the Gemara (Yoma 85b) Rabbi Akiva says

that the Jews are lucky because "Just as a mikveh cleanses et
hatemei'im - the defiled - so Hashem purifies the Jewish
people."The words "et hatemei'im" - "the " - seem
superfluous?

ANSWER: The way we merit purification from Hashem is through

teshuvah. Sometimes, people who have committed numerous transgressions
erroneously think that it is all or nothing. For instance, they say, "Why start
putting on tefillin if I am not a proper shomer Shabbat?" or "Why eat kosher
if I did not put on tefillin today?"

Rabbi Akiva with the phrase "cleanses the defiled" dispels this theory. A
mikveh can purify one from certain defilement, even if when emerging he
will still require additional purification from defilement for which the time
to immerse and become clean has not yet arrived (see Mishna, Berachot
3:6).

Thus, Rabbi Akiva is teaching that just as the mikveh can purify people
though they will still remain defiled to a certain degree, so too, Hashem
accepts and wants our teshuvah, even if it is piece by piece.

A mikveh can purify only be'ashboren - if the water is gathered together in

one place. If the water is flowing or leaking out, then it is an invalid mikveh
and the one who immersed in it did not accomplish anything. When the
Jewish people are united as one, Hashem purifies them and forgives all their
sins.

"Upon the Kohanim and upon all the people of the congregation shall
he bring atonement." (16:33)
 QUESTION: The word "hakahal" - "of the congregation" - is
superfluous. It could have just said "and upon all the people
he shall bring atonement"?

ANSWER: The word "hakahal" alludes to the concept of "hakheil" which

means united, gathered together. The Torah is emphasizing the importance
of unity among the Jewish people. When "Ha'am" - the people - are
"hakahal" - united and together - the Kohen is able to beseech A-mighty G-d
to forgive their transgressions.

"And this shall be to you for an everlasting statute to bring atonement

upon the Children of Israel for all their sins once a year." (16:34)

QUESTION: It is customary to immerse in a mikveh on Erev

Yom Kippur. In the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 604:4)
the Rama says that one should immerse one time. There are,
however, other opinions concerning how many times one
should immerse. Some say three times, others 14, and a third
opinion states 39. The Rambam (Mikva'ot 1:9) declares that
one who immerses in a mikveh more than once is acting in a
way that is deplorable ("meguneh"). How does this
correspond with the opinions in Shulchan Aruch to immerse a
number of times?

ANSWER: According to the Kesef Mishneh (Avot Hatumah 6:16) one

acquires purity only after emerging from mikveh and not while still in the
mikveh. Consequently, as long as one is in the mikveh, one may immerse
himself as many times as he wishes. Only leaving and then returning to the
mikveh to immerse again is "meguneh" because it appears as though he is
using the mikveh to cool off and refresh himself and not for self purification.

"And to them you shall say, 'Any man of the House of Israel, and of the
proselyte who shall dwell among you who will offer a burnt-offering or
sacrifice.' " (17:8)

QUESTION: This parshah discusses the prohibition of

offering sacrifices anywhere except in the Sanctuary area.
The words "Ve'aleihem tomar" - "And to them you shall say"
- in the middle of the parshah are superfluous?

ANSWER: As a general rule, the Torah does not give reasons for its
prohibitions. This is because in two instances where a reason was given,
men erred and sinned. The Torah states regarding a king that "he should not
have too many horses so that he will not return the people to Egypt in order
to acquire horses." The Torah also states that he should not marry many
wives so that his heart will not turn astray (Devarim 17:16-17). King
Shlomo the wisest of all men, confident that his wisdom would protect him,
violated these two prohibitions and ultimately suffered the consequences
(Sanhedrin 21b).

When Hashem told Moshe of the prohibition of slaughtering sacrifices out

of the Sanctuary area, he said "They shall no longer slaughter their offerings
to the demons after whom they stray" (17:7). Sacrificing to the demons was
an Egyptian practice which some Jews also observed in Egypt. Since
Hashem gave a reason for this prohibition, one may erroneously think that it
is permissible to bring sacrifices outside the Sanctuary if one does not have
improper intentions.

Therefore, after stating the reason, Hashem said to Moshe, "I am revealing
the reason only to you. However, va'aleihem tomar - to them you shall say -
i.e. when you speak to the people - tell them only of the prohibition and the
punishment it carries, but do not reveal to them a rationale or reason, to
prevent their lapsing into error."

"You should do My judgments and you should keep My statutes to walk

therein." (18:4)

QUESTION: The words "lalechet bahem" - "to walk therein"

- seem to be superfluous?

ANSWER: There are many people who are Torah observant Jews in their
homes. However, when they are "on the go," away from their homes on
vacation or in the company of friends or business associates, they are lax in
observance of Torah and mitzvot. With the words "lalechet bahem" the
Torah is emphasizing that even when one is away from home, "on the go,"
one should keep Torah and mitzvot as at home.

"You shall observe My statutes and My laws, which man shall do, and
live by them; I am G-d." (18:5)

QUESTION: The words "asher ya'aseh otam ha'adam vechai

bahem" - "which the man shall do and live by them" - are
superfluous?
ANSWER: The statutes are decrees of Hashem which the human mind
cannot comprehend, while civil laws are based on principles which are
comprehensible. In order for any society to survive it is necessary to have a
set of laws and rules for societal stability.

Though the "mishpatim" - "civil laws" - of the Torah can be understood, we

must view them, however, essentially as Divine ordinances that in their
primary source are beyond our comprehension.

The Gemara (Yevamot 61a) says that the Torah uses the term "adam," to
refer to the Jewish people and not to the gentile world. However, the term
"ha'adam" includes the gentile world too, (see Tosafot, ibid.). This pasuk
therefore declares, "You shall observe mishpatai - My civil laws." However,
unlike "asher ya'aseh otam" - "those done (observed)" - by "ha'adam" - the
"gentile world" - because "vechai bahem" - they realize that they are
necessary for their very existence - your rationale should be because "Ani
Hashem" - "they are My mitzvot which I, G-d, have instructed you to
observe."

"You shall keep My statutes and My laws... and he shall live in them."
(18:5)

QUESTION: What does the Torah emphasize with the words

"vechai bahem" - "he shall live in them"?

ANSWER: When a person is young and strong, Torah and mitzvot may not
be his priority. He may be deeply involved in worldly matters and financial
accomplishment. Upon becoming older and inactive, he may begin to study
Torah and become occupied with the performance of mitzvot. Hashem
negates such conduct and proclaims, "These are My statutes and laws which
a person should do while 'vechai bahem' - when still full of life, young and
vibrant."

"You shall not take a woman in addition to her sister." (18:18)

QUESTION: Since the Torah is forbidding marrying one's

wife's sister, it should have said the reverse, "You shall not
take a sister in addition to a woman"?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Pesachim 119b) says that in the future Hashem
will make a festive meal for the tzaddikim. At the conclusion of the meal
Yaakov will be given a cup of wine to lead in the Birchat Hamazon -
Blessing after Meals. He will decline, saying, "I cannot be the one to bless
because I married two sisters, She'asidah Torah Le'Osran Alai - the Torah
will forbid them to me." What did he mean withe word "alai" - "to me" - it is
forbidden for everyone?

Rivkah had two sons, Eisav and Yaakov. Her brother Lavan had two
daughters, Leah and Rachel. Popular opinion had it that Eisav would marry
Lavan's older daughter Leah, and Yaakov would marry Rachel (Bereishit
29:17, Rashi). When Yaakov came to the home of Lavan he asked
permission to marry Rachel, and in order to obtain her he worked for Lavan
for seven years. In the end, Lavan deceived him and gave him her sister
Leah.

Consequently, in reality Yaakov married first the sister (Leah) and then
seven days later Lavan also let him marry Rachel, the woman whom he
really worked for and wanted for a wife. Therefore, Yaakov is saying, "I
cannot lead in the Blessing because the Torah reversed the order and wrote
'You shall not take a woman in addition to her sister,' " to forbid my
marriage of two sisters.

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Kedoshim

"Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to them,
'You shall be holy.' " (19:2)

QUESTION: It would be sufficient to say "lahem" instead of

"aleihem"?

ANSWER: The root of the word "kedoshim" is "kadosh," which means

sanctified and "separate." Therefore, when one gives something to the Beit
Hamikdash it becomes "hekdeish," meaning that it is no longer available for
general use, but separated and designated specifically for Hashem.

Likewise, when a man marries and puts the ring on his bride's finger, he
proclaims, "Harei at mekudeshet li" - "With this act you have become
sanctified to me - separated from the entire world and specifically
designated only for me."
When Hashem demands of the Jewish people to be holy, He means that they
must elevate themselves above the mundane materialistic world and conduct
themselves in an exalted way. The word "Alai'hem" is an acronym for
"Harei At Mekudeshes <Li" - Hashem told Moshe to speak to the entire
assembly of Israel and to declare to them that, in effect, they were separated
and sanctified to Hashem, who says "I separated you from the entire world
to be specifically My people and, thus, I request of you that you keep
yourselves holy - separated from all humanity."

"Speak to the Congregation of Israel and say to them 'You shall be

holy.' " (19:2)

QUESTION: Rashi comments: "This parshah was stated

behakheil - in an assembly."Why is it necessary for us to
know the circumstances of transmission for this parshah?

ANSWER: There are people who are pious and careful about matters of
Torah and mitzvot in their homes, but reluctant to appear "too Jewish" in
public and prone at such times to be lax in observance.

This approach is summed up in a slogan by the originators of the Reform

movement: "Yehudi bebeitecha ve'adam betzeitecha" - "Be a Jew at home
and simply a person out in the street."

Rashi wants to emphasize that Jews must be holy at all times and conduct
themselves according to the will of Hashem. Not only in the privacy of their
home, but even "behakheil" - when they are out in the "assembly" of other
people - they should proudly exhibit the holiness of the Jewish people.

"Speak to the Congregation of Israel and say to them 'You shall be

holy.' " (19:2)

QUESTION: Grammatically, it should have said "kedoshim

heyu," which would be a command to be holy, rather than
saying "kedoshim tiheyu" - "you will be holy" - in future
tense.

ANSWER: The Rambam (Teshuvah 7:5) writes, "The Torah assures that
eventually, at the end of the galut, all Jews will do teshuvah and
immediately be redeemed." Possibly, this pasuk is alluding to this that by
saying "kedoshim tiheyu" - "you will be holy" - and thus merit the coming
of Mashiach and the complete redemption.
"Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to them,
'You shall be holy for I am holy, G-d your G-d.'" (19:2)

QUESTION: Why is the word "kedoshim" written without a

"Vav" and the word "kadosh" written with a "Vav"?

ANSWER: The Midrash (24:9) explains this pasuk as a dialogue Hashem

conducts with the Jewish people. When Hashem said the words "Kedoshim
tiheyu" - "You shall be holy" - He asked "yachol kamoni" - "You may think
My intention is for you to be as holy as I am. That is not so because 'ki
kadosh Ani Hashem' - 'I G-d am holy.'" If so, what does G-d want of the
Jewish people? Obviously He wants us to be holy, but not on the same level
that He is, because there are certain levels of understanding which were not
given to man. (See Rosh Hashanah 21b.)

Consequently, in reference to our holiness, "kedoshim" is written without a

"Vav" to indicate that it is not absolute. However, G-d's holiness is written
with a "Vav", indicating that He represents the ultimate degree of holiness.

"You shall be holy, for I am holy, G-d your G-d." (19:2)

QUESTION: On this pasuk, the Midrash Rabbah (24:9) says,

"Kedushati lema'alah mikedushatchem" - "My holiness is
greater than yours."Why is it necessary for the Midrash to
inform us that Hashem's holiness is greater than ours? Who
would think otherwise?

ANSWER: Indeed, the intent of the Midrash is not simply to inform us of

Hashem's greatness, but to relate an important message to K'lal Yisrael.
Every Jew is able to add to the holiness of Hashem, by conducting his life in
a way which is a Kiddush Hashem - sanctification of Hashem. People
impressed with the behavior of the Jewish people ultimately will praise
Hashem.

Thus, Hashem is saying, "Kedushati lema'alah" - "My holiness up in

heaven," - is "Mikedushatchem" - "dependent on the holiness of your
conduct on earth."

"You shall fear every man his father and his mother." (19:3)
 QUESTION: The word "ish" usually refers to an adult, one
over the age of Bar-Mitzvah. Why, in connection with this
mitzvah, does the Torah emphasize "ish"?

ANSWER: The Torah is teaching that the obligation to fear our parents
does not derive from our dependence on them. Even as adults with our own
households, we must still fear our parents simply because of who they are.

"You shall fear every man his father and his mother and My Shabbats
shall you observe: I am G-d your G-d." (19:3)

QUESTION: Rashi comments: "The observance of the

Shabbat is placed next to the law of fearing one's father to
inform us that even though I have admonished you regarding
fearing your father, if he should say to you 'Desecrate the
Shabbat,' do not listen to him."

1. If a father wants his son to desecrate the Shabbat, he is

a rasha, and thus, it seems unnecessary for the Torah
to tell the son not to respect his wishes.

2. Why is Shabbat written in the plural ("Shabtotai")?

ANSWER: In addition to the actual Shabbat, which begins at sunset and

concludes at the appearance of the stars the following day, a person must
also add time on Friday by beginning shabbat either and Saturday night by
ending later (Yoma 81b). This is known as "Tosafot Shabbat."

A son may have accepted the Shabbat earlier in the day than his father,
while his father, thinking that it is still a weekday, may ask his son to work
for him. The Torah instructs the son, that even in "Shabtotai" - the time that
he added to the actual Shabbat - he may not listen to his father to desecrate
it.

"When you slaughter a feast peace-offering to G-d, you shall slaughter

it to find favor for yourselves." (19:5)

QUESTION: From the word "tizbachuhu" - "you shall

slaughter it" - the Gemara (Chullin 29a) learns that one
Kohen may not slaughter two animals at the same time.
However in regard to "chullin" - "animals not consecrated for
 Beit Hamikdash purposes" - it is permissable (see Shach,
Yoreh Dei'ah 24:2).What is the reason for this distinction?

ANSWER: There is a rule, "Ein osin mitzvot chavilot chavilot" - "Mitzvot

manot be performed in bundles." Therefore one Kohen may not give two
suspected women the water to drink at the same time, nor are two lepers
purified at the same time, nor are the ears of two slaves bored at the same
time (Sotah 8a). One of the reasons for this is that when a person performs a
mitzvah, he must be entirely involved in it and give it his undivided
attention (see Mo'eid Katan 8b, Tosafot).

According to the Gemara (Chullin 31b) if someone throws a knife and in

mid-flight it properly cuts through the neck of an animal, the shechitah is
kosher. This indicates that slaughtering does not require any "kavanah" -
proper intention - whatsoever. This rule applies only to non-consecrated
animals. However, for "kadeshim" - "consecrated animals" - "mit'aseik" -
"an unintentional slaughtering is disqualified" (ibid. 13a).

Consequently, by "kadshim," where kavanah is a prerequisite, mitzvot

cannot be done in bundles, and therefore two animals cannot be slaughtered
by the same Kohen simultaneously. However in the case of "chullin" where
kavanah is not required at all, it is permissable to slaughter two animals
simultaneously.

"On the day of your slaughter shall it be eaten and on the next day, and
whatever remains until the third day shall be burned in fire. But if it
shall be eaten on the third day, it is rejected; it shall not be accepted.
Each one who eats it...that soul will be cut off from its people." (19:6-8)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that the first pasuk is referring to

a Kohen who intends at the time of the slaughter that the
offering will be eaten "chutz lizemano" - "after the designated
time." It immediately becomes "pigul" - "rejected" - and one
who eats it is liable to kareit (premature death). The second
pasuk is referring to a Kohen who had in mind that the
offering will be eaten "chutz limekomo" - "out of the limited
place where it may be eaten." It, too, immediately becomes
"pigul," but the punishment for eating it is not so severe as
kareit.What lesson can be derived from the two forms of
"pigul" and their respective punishments?

ANSWER: A Jew should keep the Torah at all times and under all
circumstances. Unfortunately there are Jews who are lax at times in their
Torah observance. Some justify it with the thought that Torah is currently
"chutz lizemano" - not for contemporary times. Though they dwell in a
comunity saturated with Torah and Yiddishkeit, they choose not to follow
suit, because of their erroneous view that Torah is outmoded. Others, excuse
themselves with the thought of "chutz limekomo" - unfortunately they live
out of the heavily-populated Torah oriented communities, and thus find it
difficult to be a Torah observant Jew.

These two thoughts and philosophies are "pigul." However the one who has
the opportunity to be observant but "writes off" Torah as belonging to
another time is much worse than the one who would like to observe it but
finds it difficult because of his community and environment.

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap the corner [leave
it for the poor]." (19:9)

QUESTION: Why does the pasuk start with plural

("uvekutzrechem") and shift to singular (lo techaleh)?

ANSWER: In a European city there was once a meeting about how to

obtain whiskey for Simchat Torah. It was decided that someone would go
around town with a barrel, and that every household would contribute a
glassful. The first person visited thought to himself, "Since every family will
give a glassful, I will pour in water and no one will notice it." Strangely,
everyone made the same calculation and to the townspeople's great dismay,
on Simchat Torah, in lieu of a barrel of whiskey, they were left with a barrel
of water.

In the harvest season some individuals may think, "Since all the fields are
now being harvested, the poor have enough and I will keep my entire crop
for myself." The Torah, therefore, stresses that every individual must give
his share and not calculate that the poor will have enough regardless of his
own contribution.

Alternatively, the Gemara (Shabbat 23a) says that the Torah designates the
corner of the field as pei'ah and not any other part because of the
unscrupulous. If the corner is designated the poor will have their eyes on the
last corners of the field and receive their just due. When caught cutting down
the last corner of the field the owner will not be able to excuse himself by
claiming that he has already left over a piece in the middle.

However, it is still possible for the unscrupulous to rob the poor of their
portion in the instance in which two people own adjacent fields and agree
between themselves to tell the poor people that it is really only one field,
only giving one corner for the entire area.

Thus, the Torah warns "uvekutzrechem" - "When two neighbors will harvest
their fields" - "lo techaleh" - one should not try to deceptively bypass the
obligation to leave the corner of the field, because though the poor may not
find out, I am G-d, your G-d, and I know the truth."

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap the corner...You
shall not pick the undeveloped twigs of your vineyard...For the poor and
the proselyte you shall leave them, I am G-d your G-d" (19:9-10).

QUESTION: Why in the command to give gifts to the poor,

is it necessary to emphasize, "I am G-d your G-d"?

ANSWER: There are many catchy and memorable slogans employed by

charitable endeavors to induce people to be generous. To a large extent they
have successfully persuaded man to share his blessings with the less
fortunate. However, the reason that we are to give tzedakah is not because,
"no one loses by giving" or because "it is better to be a giver than a receiver"
etc., but because it is a mitzvah like all the other mitzvot which Hashem has
commanded us.

The difference between the two attitudes is that if we give because our logic
and intuition dictates that it is the proper thing, then sometimes the human
mind goes astray and can justify not giving and not sharing. Proof of this is
that in our times, people that considered themselves learned, intelligent, and
sophisticated, were able to justify the genocide of a people.

It is interesting to note that the laws of leaving the edge of the field
unharvested for the poor and not taking the gleaning of the harvest, as well
as the laws of leaving for the poor the single grapes that have not formed
clusters and the grapes that fall during the harvest, are discussed in the
tractate Pei'ah, which is the tractate that follows the first tractate of the
Talmud, Berachot.

The juxtaposition of these two tractates emphasizes that just as Berachot,

which discusses the laws of reciting the Shema, accentuates kabalat ol
malchut shamayim - absolute submission to the yoke of heaven - likewise,
tzedakah should be practiced because Hashem commanded us to do so, and
not because of human logic or rationale.
Incidentally, in the English language the word for helping the poor is
"charity." This is commonly translated as "alms," gratuitous benefactions for
the poor. The giver of charity is a benevolent person, giving when he does
not have to. He does not owe the poor anything, but gives because of his
generosity.

"Tzedakah" has a completely opposite meaning. Its root word is "tzedek,"

which means "justice." Thus, it connotes that it is only right and just that one
gives tzedakah. There are two reasons for this:

1. A person is obligated to give to another, for the money is not his

own. Hashem has given the money to him on trust for the purpose of
giving it to others.

2. Hashem is not beholden to man, yet gives him what he needs. A Jew
must act in the same way; he must give to others although he is not
beholden to them. In return, Hashem rewards him in the same way.
Because the person has transcended his natural instinct and given
when not obligated, Hashem in turn grants him more than he
otherwise deserves.

"You shall not steal." (19:11)

QUESTION: Why is this commandment in the plural?

ANSWER: The Torah is teaching, that in addition to the person who

actually steals, one who witnesses the theft and remains silent is also
considered a thief. It is also teaching that one who knowingly purchases
stolen merchandise from a thief is considered a partner in the robbery
because he is encouraging crime.

The tzadik Rabbi Meshulam Zusya of Anipoli, learned a number of methods

of serving Hashem from a thief: 1) He works quietly without others
knowing. 2) He is ready to place himself in danger. 3) The smallest detail is
of great importance to him. 4) He labors with great toil. 5) Alacrity. 6) He is
confident and optimistic. 7) If he does not succeed the first time, he tries
again and again.
"You shall not steal." (19:11)

QUESTION: Why is the violation, "You snot steal" written in

plural whereas in the Aseret Hadibrot - Ten Commandments -
it is written "lo tignov" in the singular (Shemot 20:13)?

ANSWER: In the Aseret Hadibrot the commandment, "You shall not steal"
refers to the stealing of a person - kidnapping. In our parshah, however, it is
an admonition against stealing money. When one steals money, his
punishment is to repay double the amount stolen, while the penalty for
abducting and selling a person is death. Two people who kidnap jointly are
exempt from the death penalty. On the other hand, two partners in a robbery
jointly receive the penalty of double payment. Thus, the pasuk about stealing
money uses the plural.

"You shall not cheat your friend and you shall not rob him." (19:13)

QUESTION: Why the emphasis "rei'acha" - "your friend"?

ANSWER: Once, two good friends came to the Chassidic Rabbi Reb
Yitzchak of Vorka seeking his berachah to enter a partnership. The Rebbe
asked them if they had written a partnership agreement, to which they
replied in the negative. The Rebbe said, "In that case I will write one for
you." He took a piece of paper, wrote on it, and handed it to the two friends
saying, "Now you have your partnership agreement."

They opened the paper and saw only four letters: Alef, Beis, Gimmel, Daled.
The Rebbe, seeing their amazement, said, "These four letters are the secret
to your success. 'Alef' stands for 'Emet', the 'Beis' for 'Beracha,' the 'Gimmel'
for 'Gezel', and the 'Daled' for 'Dalus.'

"If you will deal among yourself with emet - truth and honesty - there will
be berachah - blessings in your enterprises. However, if you deal with gezel
- cheating each other - then you will have dalut - poverty - i.e. your
partnership will not succeed, and you will end up in poverty."

The Torah is calling to our attention that even if your partner is your good
friend and you think he would not mind, you may not cheat him in any way.
Doing so will destroy both the friendship and the enterprise.

"You shall not withhold a worker's wage until morning." (19:13)

 QUESTION: To what extent should one go to fulfill this
precept?

ANSWER: The famous Chassidic Rabbi Reb Meshulam Zusya of Anipoli

was very poor. His wife once complained that for many years she had not
had the opportunity to buy a new dress. She could no longer suffer and
demanded that he get some money to enable her to have a new dress sewn,
and he complied.

On Erev Shabbat Reb Zusya noticed that his wife was very thoughtful and
subdued. "Why aren't you more cheerful?" he asked in amazement, "You
already have your new dress; be happy." She told him that when she came to
the tailor to pick up her new dress, she noticed that he was very sad. When
she inquired about his sadness, he told her that his daughter became a kallah
not long ago. Recently, the chatan visited his home and noticed that he was
sewing a new dress. The chatan was under the impression that the dress was
being sewn for his kallah and was quite pleased. However, when he found
out that it was not so, he became extremely despondent. The tailor
concluded, "Now I am afraid that because of his disappointment, the
engagement will fall through, and my daughter will not marry."

"The tailor's dilemma moved me so," concluded Reb Zusya's wife, "that I
told him to keep this dress as a present for his daughter, and thus I am where
I began. I still do not have a new dress."

Reb Zusya, after hearing his wife's story, had only one question to ask her:
"Tell me, did you at least pay the tailor for his work?"

His wife, in amazement, asked, "I do not understand you. Do you expect me
to pay him, when I gave him the dress to keep?"

Reb Zusya told his wife, "This is no excuse. The poor tailor worked an
entire week to sew a dress for you, expecting to receive money to buy food
for Shabbat. If you want to do a mitzvah and give your dress to his daughter,
that is your business, but he deserves to be paid for his work."

Following the instructions of her husband, she immediately paid the tailor.

"You shall not withhold a worker's wage until morning. You shall not
curse the deaf, and you shall not place a stumbling block before the
blind." (19:13-14)

QUESTION: What is the link between these three

commandments?
ANSWER: There is a story in the Gemara (Shabbat 127b) about a person
who hired himself out and worked for a period of three years. Erev Yom
Kippur he asked for his salary so that he could return home and provide for
his family. The employer told him, "I have no money." The man said, "If so,
please give me produce." Again, the employer responded that he had none.
"Perhaps a piece of land?" the man asked. The employer repeated his
answer, and the employee returned to his home depressed and empty
handed.

After Sukkot, the employer arrived at the home of his worker with the entire
amount of his salary and a large gift. After they had eaten together, the
employer gave the man his wages and inquired, "When I told you I had no
money, produce, land, etc. what did you think about me?" The employee
replied, "At the beginning I thought your money was tied up in business.
When you told me that you had no produce, I thought that perhaps you had
not yet put aside ma'aseir so that you could not give me any produce. When
finally you responded in the negative for whatever I asked for, I thought that
perhaps you made all your belongings hekdeish - sanctified to Hashem."

The employer said, "Indeed you are right, my son Horkinus was not
studying Torah; therefore I decided to give everything away to Hashem.
Later, the Rabbis released me of my vow. Since you judged me favorably
and gave me the benefit of the doubt, may Hashem judge you in the same
way."

By citing these three laws together, the Torah is instructing an employer that
he should be extremely careful in paying his employees' wages of
immediately when due. In the event that the employer misses a payment, the
employee is told not to curse his employer for not meeting his obligation.
On the other hand, the employer must scrupulously try to meet his
obligations and not place a stumbling block before the employee, who may,
G-d forbid, suspect him of violating Torah law.

"With righteousness shall you judge your fellow. You shall not be a tale-
bearer among your people." (19:15-16)

QUESTION: What is the connection between these two

pesukim?

ANSWER: When two Jews have a dispute, Torah requires that they bring it
before a beit din. Very often the "scholars" in the community will attempt to
guess the outcome and declare how they would have ruled if they had been
participants of the beit din. When the decision is rendered, some "scholars,"
unfortunately, ridicule the beit din. They tell the loser that the Rabbis were
wrong not to favor his claim.
Consequently, the Torah is addressing both the Rabbis of the beit din and
the "experts." To the Rabbis of the beit din the Torah says, "With
righteousness judge your fellow." To the "experts" the Torah declares, "Do
not be a tale-bearer among your people."

"You shall not be a talebearer among your people; you shall not stand
idle while your fellow's blood is shed." (19:16)

QUESTION: What is the link between these two

commandments?

ANSWER: To speak evil against another Jew - even if it is true - is a very

serious transgression. However, one who knows that a person is planning to
harm an other is not only permitted but obligated to forewarn the intended
victim. Remaining idle would be a violation of the commandment "You
shall not stand idle while your fellow's blood is shed."

"You shall surely rebuke your fellow." (19:17)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Bava Metzia 31a) states that one

should admonish another Jew even one hundred times. If one
is such a repeated violator of Torah, however, this would
seem to be a futile effort?

ANSWER: Our Sages have faith in every Jew and encourage us not to
hesitate to admonish the wrongdoer. Eventua, our words will penetrate, and
the person will do teshuvah. The Torah also describes the way to
successfully reprimand.

One who observes another Jew acting improperly should not be harsh in his
rebuke, but rather speak to the person over a period of time and help him
reform gradually. Harsh or abusive criticism can cause the violator to fall
into despair over the gravity of his sin. The Gemara is thus stressing that one
should patiently and gradually admonish, even if it involves a process of one
hundred mild admonishments.

"You shall reprove your fellow and not bear a sin because of him."
(19:17)
 QUESTION: The word "amitecha" - "your fellow" - seems
superfluous?

ANSWER: King Shlomo says that when admonishing, "Do not reprove the
jester lest he will hate you; admonish the wise one and he will love you"
(Proverbs 9:8). This is puzzling. Why should the wise person require
reproof, and why desist from admonishing the jester who has a light-hearted
attitude towards Torah and mitzvot? Undoubtedly, the wisest of all men is of
the opinion that all people can benefit from criticism. However, he is not
instructing whom to reprove, but giving sound advice about how to reprove.

In general, when criticizing, never ridicule or belittle a person. If a person

does wrong, he usually regrets it, so that scorning and ridiculing him will
only provoke anger. You should say to him, rather, "It is strange that such a
wise person as yourself should act so foolishly," and he is likely to be
receptive to your words.

The Torah encourages one to offer rebuke, but counsels to emphasize

"amitecha" - the friendly relationship between the wrongdoer and the
rebuker. Just briefly say, "I feel bad to see you, my good friend, acting in
such a way." "Velo tisa alav cheit" - "Do not accentuate the transgression
and all its ramifications."

"You shall love your fellow..." (19:18)

QUESTION: What is the ultimate ahavat Yisrael?

ANSWER: The famous Chassidic Rabbi, Reb Moshe Leib of Sassov once
said that he learned the meaning of ahavat Yisrael from a conversation he
overheard between two simple farmers. While sitting in an inn and drinking,
they became a little drunk, and one said to the other, "Do you really love
me?" To which the other replied, "Of course I love you."

The first one asked again, "If you really love me, tell me what I need."

"How should I know?" his friend queried, "Am I a mind reader?"

"How can you say you really love me when you do not know what I need?"
replied the first.

True ahavat Yisrael entails sensitivity and feeling for the anxieties and needs
of another Jew, even one who has not approached you for help.
"You shall love your fellow as yourself." (19:18)

QUESTION: How can it be demanded of one to love a

stranger as much as oneself?

ANSWER: Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad

Chassidut, explains it in the following way: Every Jew has two elements in
his make-up: a guf (body) and a neshamah (soul). While all Jews are
separated by the fact that they are different bodies, they are really like one
when it comes to the neshamah. This is because all neshamot are a part of
Hashem, and Hashem is the father of us all. With this realization, it is easy
to love the other Jew as oneself, because through our neshamot we are all
one.

"You shall love your fellow as yourself." (19:18)

QUESTION: The word "kamocha" seems superfluous. It

could simply have said "Love your fellow"?

ANSWER: Regarding the creation of man, the Torah says: "Betzelem

Elokim bara oto" - "In the image of G-d He created him" (Bereishit 1:27).
The reason a Jew should love another Jew as himself is because of
"kamocha" - the common denominator that both are "betzelem Elokim" - "in
the image of G-d."

Interestingly, the word "Elokim" and the word "kamocha" both have the
same numerical value of 86.

Alternatively, the Midrash Tanchuma (Bereishit 8) says that although many

people have love and affection for others, "Every craftsman hates his rival of
the same profession." Therefore, the Torah emphasizes that not only
"ve'ahavta lerei'acha" - "you shall love your fellow" - but even if he is
"kamocha" - in your field of work - you must still make every effort to love
him.

Alternatively, it is human nature not to see any faults in one's self. Even one
who has many failings and vices will usually, due to self love, not readily
condemn himself. This is substantiated by King Shlomo's statement, "Love
covers all offenses" (Proverbs 10:12), and what greater love is there than
self-love? Nevertheless, it is human nature to see and recognize the faults
and wrongdoings of others and even to admonish and ridicule them for it.

Hence, the Torah is teaching that one should love his fellow "kamocha" - "as
yourself" - just as you love yourself and overlook your own faults, likewise,
you should act precisely the same way concerning your friend.

"Love your fellow as yourself, I am G-d." (19:18)

QUESTION: What is the connection between "Love your

fellow as yourself" and "I am G-d"?

ANSWER: Not only is a Jew required to love his fellow, but it is also a
mitzvah to love Hashem, as the Torah says, "And you shall love G-d your
G-d" (Devarim 6:5). Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, says that "Loving your
fellow as yourself is a vessel through which one can accomplish loving G-
d."

When the Torah tells us that, "You should love your fellow as yourself" and
concludes with the words "I am G-d," it is alluding that through ahavat
Yisrael - loving your fellow - one can reach ahavat Hashem - loving G-d.

Incidentally, the words "Ve'ahavta Lereiacha Kamocha Ani Hashem" - "love

your fellow as yourself I am G-d" - and the words "Veahavta Es Hashem
Elokecha" - "and you shall love G-d your G-d" - both have the numerical
value of 907.

Alternatively, a Jew was once convicted for a grave infraction against the
government, and the King's court sentenced him to hanging. At the
designated time, a large group of people assembled at the gallows to witness
the event. As the noose was being placed around the Jew's neck, another Jew
suddenly screamed, "Stop! He is not guilty; I committed the crime!"

Everything was immediately brought to a halt, and the King ordered a new
trial to determine who was truly guilty. To everyone's amazement, the
tribunal found them both innocent. The King invited the two Jews to his
palace and asked the second one, "Since you knew you were innocent, why
did you endanger your life by confessing?"
"Your Majesty," he replied, "the condemned man is my best friend; without
him my life would be empty and meaningless. As I saw him being led to the
gallows, I realized that I preferred death to the loss of my friend." The King
listened in amazement. Deeply moved, he asked the friends, "I have never
seen such true friends; would you agree to accept me as a party to your
friendship?"

When Hashem perceives that we are united in a bond of true friendship, He

yearns to be accepted as a third party.

Alternatively, the word "ahavah" has the numerical value of 13. When one
Jew loves another as himself, the other will reciprocate the love, and there
will thus be "ahavah," which totals 26. The name of Hashem, as it is written
in the Torah ("Yud-Keh-Vav-Keh"), has the numerical value of 26. When
two Jews feel ahavah for each other, they merit "Ani Hashem" - G-d's
presence in their midst.

Alternatively, the Yiddish word for "Jew" is "Yid" (taken from the word
"Yehudi"). When one puts two "yudden" side by side, the abbreviation for
Hashem's name is formed. However, a "yud" placed above another "yud,"
results in a "sheva," a soundless vowel which is equivalent to "nothing."

The Torah instructs a Yid to love his fellow, "kamocha," as his very self. He
should see the other as being exactly on his own level. The two "yud"s
alongside each other thus form G-d's name, and He will inddwell among
them.

QUESTION: In printed sefarim we do not write Hashem's

holy four-lettered name, but instead we write two "yudden".
Why is there the vowel "sheva" under the first "yud" and the
vowel "kamatz" under the second "yud"?

ANSWER: Among the holiest names of Hashem are Yud-Keh-Vav-Keh

and Alef-Daled-Nun-Yud. The first name expresses the fact that Hashem is
above the limitations of time; He is past, present, and future. The other name
accentuates that He is the Master of the universe. The first name starts with a
"yud" and the second name ends with a "yud." The first vowel in the first
name is a "sheva" and the final vowel in the second name is a "kamatz."
Therefore, as an abbreviation for these two names, we now write Hashem's
name with two "yudden" and a "sheva" and a "kamatz."
Though Hashem has other holy names, the first and last "yud" of these two
names are used because there is a special connection between them.
Chassidut (see Sha'ar Hayichud Veha'emunah, Chapter 7) offers a detailed
explanation of these two names and the intertwining of the name "Adnut"
with the name "Havaye" and the intertwining of the name "Havaye" with the
name "Adnut."

"When you shall come to the land and you shall plant any food tree, you
shall treat its fruit as forbidden; for three years it shall be forbidden to
you; it shall not be eaten." (19:23)

QUESTION: What is the eternal significance of the laws of

"arlah" to every Jew?

ANSWER: Man is compared to a tree of the field (Devarim 20:19), and

many lessons have been learned from trees about nurturing human
development. A little boy is a little tree. For the first three years the fruit of a
tree is prohibited so that we may not benefit from it. Likewise, the speech of
the young child is undeveloped and unclear. When he enters the fourth year
and is able to converse, it is the obligation of his father to teach him "Torah
tzivah..." - "The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the
Congregation of Yaakov" (Devarim 33:4), and "Shema Yisrael..." - "Hear O'
Israel, G-d is our G-d, G-d is the One and Only" (Succah 42a).

This accomplishes the Torah directive, "In the fourth year all its fruit should
be sanctified for praising G-d." At the age of five, the child starts learning
Torah (Pirkei Avot 5:22) and thus commences his development into a
beautiful fruit tree.

"When you shall come to the land and you shall plant any food tree, you
shall treat its fruit as forbidden; for three years it shall be forbidden to
you; it shall not be eaten." (19:23)

QUESTION: What is the significance of a boy's first haircut

(upsherenish) at the age of three?

ANSWER: The laws of "arlah" - the first three years of a tree's life - are a
Biblical source for the widely practiced custom of not cutting the hair of a
little boy until the age of three, and then making an "upsherenish" - "hair
cutting ceremony" - at which time his long hair is removed, leaving the
peiyot (earlocks), and the child is introduced to pesukim of Torah. The hair
of the head is cut to perhaps indicate that the first and most important thing a
Jew has to be concerned about is that his head (i.e. his thinking) should be
imbued with a Torah outlook.

After his haircut, the child is trained in the mitzvah of peiyot, which are
alongside the ear, hinting to the little boy that he should always use his ears
to listen to the word of Hashem.

The word for hair in Hebrew is "sa'ar" . The three letters can also be re-
arranged to spell the word "osher" - "wealth." Heeding the lessons of the
upshernish throughout his life will be a source of blessing to merit material
and spiritual wealth.

From the day of the haircutting and leaving the peiyot it is the custom to
take particular care in accustoming the little boy to wear a tallit katan, to
recite the early-morning berachot, the Blessing after Meals, and the bedtime
Shema.

"You shall not eat over the blood." (19:26)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Berachot 10b) derives from this

pasuk that a person should not eat prior to praying for his
blood, i.e. his well-being. How did they conclude this from
this pasuk?

ANSWER: In the Torah man is known as "adam". The title consists of two
words "Alef" and "Dam." The "Alef" refers to Hashem who is "Alufo Shel
Olam" - "Master of the World" and "Dam" refers to the blood, which is the
life-source of all living beings, as the pasuk says, "Ki nefesh habasar badam
hi" - "For the soul of the flesh is in the blood (17:11). Before a person prays
he is merely "dam" - "blood." Once he prays he becomes attached to
Hashem - the "Alufo Shel Olam" - and earns the title "adam."

Since the pasuk says "You shall not eat al hadam - over the blood," our
sages derived that we are talking here of one who is still only "dam" -
"blood" - and has not yet prayed and earned the title "adam."

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch related that when his

grandmother, Rebbetzin Rivkah, was eighteen years old she became ill, and
the physician ordered her to eat immediately upon awakening. She,
however, did not wish to eat before praying; so she prayed very early, then
ate breakfast. When her father-in-law, the Tzemach Tzedek, learned of this
he said to her: "A Jew must be healthy and strong. The Torah (18:5) says
about mitzvot that one must 'Live in them,' i.e. bring vitality into the
mitzvot. To be able to infuse mitzvot with vitality, one must be strong and
joyful." Then he concluded: "You should not be without food. Besser essen
tzulib davenin vi davenin tzulib essen - Better to eat for the sake of praying
rather than to pray for the sake of eating," and then he blessed her with long
life. She was born in 5593 (1833) and passed away on 10 Shevat, 5674
(1914).

"You shall have correct scales, correct weights...I am G-d, your G-d,
who brought you forth from the land of Egypt." (19:36)

QUESTION: What does Hashem's taking the Jews out of

Egypt have to do with correct scales and weights?

ANSWER: At the Brit Bein Habetarim (Covenant Between the Divided

Parts) Hashem told Avraham, "Know with certainty that your offspring shall
be aliens in a land not their own. They will serve them and be oppressed 400
years. But also, the nation that they shall serve I shall judge, and afterwards
they shall leave with great wealth" (Bereishit 15:13-14). Many question that
since the Egyptians brought Hashem's wish to fruition, why were they
punished for enslaving the Jews?

The Ra'avad (Hilchot Teshuvah 6:5) answers that though the Jews were
destined to be slaves, the Egyptians overworked them with exceptionally
strenuous labor and for this they had no permission. For taking from the
Jews more than they were allowed (similar to tipping the scales), they were
punished, and the Jews left Egypt with great wealth.

A Jew who has incorrect scales and weights is showing that he believes that
the Egyptians did nothing wrong and that they did not deserve punishment
for the additional hard labor that they took from the Jews.

By associating the release from Egyptian bondage with incorrect scales and
weights, the Torah is cautioning us to remember what happened to the
Egyptians for taking more than they were entitled to.

"You shall sanctify yourself and you shall be holy." (20:7)

 QUESTION: When the prophet Elisha visited the home of
the Shunamit, she told her husband, "Behold, now I perceive
that the G-dly man kadosh hu - is holy" (II Kings 4:9).
According to the Gemara (Berachot 10b) she perceived that
he was holy because she did not notice a "zevuv" - "fly" -
over his table. How does this prove holiness?

ANSWER: The word "zevuv" is an acronym for "Zeh Bechoh Vezeh

Bechoh" - "this one is here and this one is there."

The Shunamit wasa hospitable person, and many Rabbis would stay over at
her home when passing through the city of Shuneim. She would notice that
when a prominent person would come to her home and conduct a "tish"
(gathering), some would come and some would not; some would listen
attentively while others would walk about the room. However, when Elisha
came and conducted his "tish" she did not see "This one here and this one
there," but all came to his table and all listened attentively and respectfully.
One who is respected and revered by all is undoubtedly a holy person.

"And I said to you: You shall inherit their land and I will give it to you
to inherit it, a land flowing with milk and honey." (20:24)

QUESTION:

1. What is the reason for the redundancy "You shall

inherit" and "I will give it to you to inherit it"?

2. Why does Hashem now mention the praise of the land,

that it is flowing with milk and honey?

ANSWER: Ultimately the Jewish people will inherit Eretz Yisrael by taking
it away from the nations who are in possession of it. Hashem told the Jewish
people, "Superficially, the land of Israel is similar to any other area in the
universe, but when you will inherit it, 'Ani etnenah' - At that time I will give
the land a gift (etnena is from the same root word as matana - gift): I will
enhance it with the unique quality of flowing milk and honey. However,
'lachem lareshet otah' - the land endowed with this unique gift will be an
inheritance only for you; should you, G-d forbid, lose possession of the land
and be exiled, the miraculous quality bestowed on the land as a gift will
depart from the land together with you."

"A land flowing with milk and honey." (20:24)

 QUESTION: There are so many exceptional things about
Eretz Yisrael. Why does the Torah choose to emphasize milk
and honey in its praise?

ANSWER: There is a halacha (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Dei'ah 79:2) that

something which comes from tumah is also tamei. An exception to this rule
is milk (Bechorot 6b). Milk is produced from the animal's blood, which is
tamei; but nevertheless it is permissible.

The Torah is informing us that Eretz Yisrael is a remarkable land, which has
been blessed with a unique quality: Any Jew who comes there, even if at
certain times he lacks purity, will find that the air of Eretz Yisrael will help
him become tahor.

The land of Israel is praised for "devash" - "honey" - which has the
numerical value of 306, which is also the numerical value of the words "Av
Harachaman" - "Merciful Father." The uniqueness of Eretz Yisrael is that it
is blessed with His fatherly mercy, as the Torah states, "A land that G-d your
G-d seeks out, the eyes of G-d your G-d are always upon it from the
beginning of the year to years end" (Devarim 11:12).

Incidentally, the milk referred to is not cow's milk but goat's milk, and the
honey is date honey rather than bee honey (Shemot 13:5, Rashi).

"You shall distinguish between the clean animal and the unclean and
between the unclean bird and the clean." (20:25)

QUESTION: Why does the verse mention clean animals first

for animals, and unclean birds first for birds?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Chullin 63b) says that Hashem knew that there are
more unclean animals in the world than clean and that there are more clean
birds than unclean. Therefore, when the Torah speaks of the clean and
unclean animals and birds, of the animals it lists the clean, and of the birds it
lists the unclean. From this one can derive that a teacher should always use
concise language when teaching his students.

From the fact that the Torah says "zot hachaya asher tochlun mikol
habeheimah" - "these are the creatures you may eat from among all the
animals" (11:2), the Gemara (Chulin 42a) derives that Hashem held up each
animal and told Moshe, "This you shall eat."

Since it is important to be brief when teaching, Hashem showed Moshe the

clean animals, all the others automatically being designated as unclean.
Likewise, with the birds He showed him the unclean ones, all the others
being clean.

This pasuk alludes to the above by telling us, "You shall distinguish between
the clean animal and the unclean - from My displaying the clean animals,
you will be able to distinguish and automatically know which are unclean,
uvein ha'of hatemei latahor - and between the unclean and clean birds - i.e.
by my display of the unclean birds - you will easily be able to distinguish,
that all the others are clean."

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Emor

"Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon and tell them." (21:1)

QUESTION: The redundancy of the pasuk including both

"emor" - "say" - and "ve'amarta" - "and tell" - teaches us to
caution the elders regarding the children, to educate the
minors to avoid things prohibited by the Torah. The Gemara
(Yevamot 114a) states that this rule is found three times in
the Torah:

1. In the prohibition of eating blood.

2. The prohibition of eating insects and other swarming

things.

3. The laws of purity and defilement.

Why is the parents' educational role emphasized in these

three laws?

ANSWER: The Torah chose to emphasize the education of minors in these

three laws in order to dismiss popular myths regarding education:
 1. Some believe that you cannot change the conduct of a habitual
transgressor. Regarding the prohibition of eating blood, however, it
says "Rak chazak levilti achol hadam" - "Only be steadfast in not
eating blood" (Devarim 12:23). The expression "rak chazak" is used
because the people were dissolutely given to eating blood.
Consequently, by admonishing adults to enlighten minors regarding
the blood prohibition, the Torah accentuates that a hardened
transgressor can and should be inculcated with Torah teachings.

2. Some people contend that it is futile to try to teach Torah and mitzvot
to people who are gross and unrefined. Therefore, we are taught that
even people devoid of human instincts, to the extent of eating
swarming creatures, should be taught Torah, which ultimately will
refine them.

3. Some advocate teaching children only concepts which the human

mind can comprehend and they object to teaching matters which are
based on faith and absolute submission to G-dliness. The Biblical
laws concerning defilement and purity, however, are heavenly
decrees which are incomprehensible to the human mind and in the
category of "statutes" (Rambam, Hilchot Mikva'ot 11:12). Thus, by
stressing the relationship of adults and minors regarding the laws of
defilement, the Torah rejects this theory.

"G-d said to Moshe; Say to the Kohanim the sons of Aharon and tell
them, 'Each of you shall not contaminate himself for a dead person
among his people.' " (21:1)

QUESTION: Since it says "emor el haKohanim" - "speak to

the Kohanim" - the words "ve'amarta aleihem" - "and tell to
them" - are superfluous?

ANSWER: A chassid of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad

chassidut, once said that through conceit he overcame the urge to transgress.
Whenever his yeitzer hara would approach him he would scream, "Do you
know who I am? I am a prominent person, a chassid of a greatRebbe. How
can you expect me to sin?"

Hashem is conveying two messages to the Kohanim, one general and one
specific. Firstly, Hashem said to Moshe "emor el haKohanim" - "say to the
Kohanim" - "B'nei Aharon" - "always remember that you are the children of
Aharon. As children of such a prominent father, you must conduct
yourselves in a way befitting to your genealogy." In addition, "ve'amarta
aleihem" - "tell them the laws of defilement that apply to them."
"Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and tell them: none shall
defile himself to a [dead] person among his people." (21:1)

QUESTION: Why was Moshe commanded to convey this to

the sons of Aharon, and not also to Aharon himself?

ANSWER: The Midrash Rabbah (Shemot 32:1) states that if the Jews
would have waited for Moshe to return (from heaven) and would have not
made the golden calf, there would not have been any exile and the angel of
death would not have any power over them. When the Jews proclaimed at
Sinai that they would "do and listen," Hashem said that they were worthy to
live forever. However, when they proclaimed a few weeks later, "This is
your god O'Israel," death returned to them.

Since the phenomenon of death returned to the Jewish people through the
worshipping of the golden calf, which was made with Aharon's assistance,
the laws of defilement to a corpse were said to his children and not to him in
order not to cause him any pain. (In reality Aharon did not personally violate
any Torah law, and adamantly opposed the worship of the calf (see Midrash
Rabbah, Vayikra 7:1), but the thought that death was related in some way to
his actions would have hurt him immensely.)

"Except for the relative that is closest to him." (21:2)

QUESTION: Rashi says that "she'eiro" means "ishto" - "his

wife." Why the term "she'eiro"?

ANSWER: A man has children through his wife and thus assures the
continuity of his memory. Otherwise, a short time after his passing, his
memory, too, is gone and forgotten. The root of the word "she'eir" also
occurs in the expression "She'eirit ba'aretz" - "survival in the land"
(Bereishit 45:7). Through his family he continues to survive, even when he
is physically no longer present.

"Except for the relative that is closest to him, to his mother, and to his
father... he shall not come near any dead person; for his father or his
mother he shall not defile himself." (21:2,11)

QUESTION: Why in the instance of the Kohen Gadol, who is

forbidden to defile himself for anyone, does the Torah first
 cite the father and then the mother, while concerning the
regular Kohen, who is permitted to defile himself for certain
relatives, the mother is mentioned first?

ANSWER: The Torah seeks to emphasize the more strikingly unique

aspects of the law. Since the sanctity of the Kohen Gadol is inherited from
his father, one would presume that he may defile himself for him even
though he is not permitted to defile himself for his mother. However, in the
instance of an ordinary Kohen, since his mother need not be of priestly
origin, we would think that he is forbidden to defile himself for her, whereas
he may defile himself for his father because of his father's Kohen pedigree.

It is for this reason that the Torah expresses these two laws with the
variation in sequence. In the case of the Kohen Gadol the prohibition to
defile himself for his father is mentioned first and in the case of an ordinary
Kohen, his permission to defile himself for his mother is mentioned first.

"When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall be for seven days

under it's mother and from the eighth day on, it is acceptable for a fire-
offering to G-d." (22:27)

QUESTION: Why must one wait until the eighth day after
birth before sacrificing an animal?

ANSWER: As soon as an animal is born, it is complete and fully formed.

The course of age only adds to its size and strength. Man, however, is fully
formed at the time of birth but lacking in development. He neither speaks
nor walks, and he is completely uneducated. Throughout the years of his life
he matures and grows in his service of Hashem.

Consequently, one may think that since time plays no relevant role in the
maturity of an animal, it is suitable for a sacrifice to Hashem as soon as it is
born. The Torah negates this theory and requires waiting until the eighth day
before it may be offered.

The significance of the number eight is that it ascends above the realm of
this mundane and physical world and alludes to the exalted and holy. In the
natural world, time is based on a seven-day week and all occurrences are
controlled by sheva kochavei lechet - the seven orbital planets. Hashem
transcends all this, and therefore the number eight represents His lofty
Holiness. Consequently, once the animal reaches it's eighth day, it is suitable
to be consecrated as a sacrifice for Hashem.
In the era of Mashiach, we will merit a higher revelation of G-dliness and
therefore Mashiach's harp will consist of eight strings, one more than the
seven-stringed harp of the Beit Hamikdash (Arachin 13b).

"When an ox or a sheep, or a goat, is born, it shall be for seven days

under its mother and from the eighth day on it is acceptable as a fire
offering to G-d. And whether it be an ox or sheep, you shall not
slaughter it and its offspring on the same day. And when you offer a
thanksgiving-offering.... On the same day it shall be eaten; you shall not
let any of it remain until morning; I am G-d." (22:27-30)

QUESTION: Why after these three consecutive laws, does

the Torah conclude with the words "Ani Hashem" - "I am G-
d"?

ANSWER: These three laws seem to contradict one another in respect to the
concept of day and night. In the first law, which discusses sacrificing a
newborn ox, sheep or goat, we are told that it cannot be done before the
eighth day. Though in Torah law the day usually starts with the preceding
night, the animal may be slaughtered only from the morning of the eighth
day (Zevachim 12a). Thus, the night is considered an extension of the
previous day.

Regarding the law of not slaughtering the sheep together with its offspring
on the same day, the Gemara (Chullin 83a) says that this also applies to the
previous night. Thus, in this case the night is considered the beginning of the
next day.

In the third case, regarding the eating of the sacrifices, it is forbidden to

leave any of it until morning, but the night before it may be eaten. Thus,
again the night is an extention of the previous day.

In view of these contradictions, one may be puzzled and therefore lax in

observing these rules. Therefore, the Torah concludes, "Ani Hashem" - "I
am G-d" - "This is how I prescribed it and you have no permission to
question it."

"The festivals of G-d, which you shall proclaim them to be holy

convocations, these are My festivals." (23:2)

QUESTION: The word "otam" - "them" - is superfluous?

ANSWER: According to the Rambam (Yom Tov 6:17), on Yom Tov we
are obligated to rejoice, but Hashem is not content with one who celebrates
privately with his family. We must invite the needy to our festive meals and
assure that they too rejoice.

The word "otam" - "them" - in this pasuk refers to the underprivileged who
need to be invited. Hashem told Moshe to tell the people of Israel, "I
consider it My festival when you will call "otam" - them - i.e. the needy, to
participate in your festive meal and rejoice together with you."

"The festivals of G-d... these are My festivals. Six days work be done;
but on the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest." (23:2-3)

QUESTION: The pasuk announces "these are My festivals";

why is Shabbat also mentioned?

ANSWER: During the year, the Torah designates the following festivals:
The first and seventh day of Pesach, one day of Shavuot, one day of Rosh
Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first day of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. On six
of these festival days, we are permitted to do work if it is in the category of
tzorech ocheil nefesh - necessary for the preparation of food. On Yom
Kippur, since we fast, it is forbidden to do any work whatsoever.

The Torah is hinting this in the pasuk by stating, "Eileh heim mo'adai" -
"these are my festivals" - "sheishet yamim tei'aseh melachah" - "six days [of
the festivals] work may be done" - "uvayom hashevi'i" - "the seventh day of
the festivals of the year" - i.e. Yom Kippur - "shabbat shabbaton" - is a day
of absolute rest when one is not permitted to do any work.

"These are the appointed festivals of G-d, the holy convocations ... in
the first month ... is the time of the Pesach-offering to G-d." (23:4-5)

QUESTION: Why does the listing of the festivals start with

Pesach?

ANSWER: In this parshah the festivals of the year are listed. If one knows
the day of the week Pesach begins, one can figure out on which day of the
week the festivals of the year will take place.

A means of remembering this is the letter substitution system of At Bash (In

which "Alef" interchanges with "Tav", "Beis" interchanges with "Shin",
"Gimmel" with "Reish", etc.).
Alef-Tav - The day of the week on which the first day ("Alef") of Pesach
takes place will also be the day of the week when Tisha Be'Av occurs.

Beis-Shin - The second day ("Beis") of Pesach will be the day when
Shavuot falls.

Gimmel-Reish - The third day ("Gimmel") of Pesach will be the day when
first day of Rosh Hashanah takes place.

Daled-Kuf - The fourth day ("Daled") of Pesach will be the day of Kriat
haTorah, which is Simchat Torah, when we conclude the annual cycle of
Torah reading and start again from the beginning.

Heh-Tzadik - The fifth day ("Heh") of Pesach is the day of Tzom, the fast
of Yom Kippur.

Vav-Peh - The sixth day ("Vav") of Pesach is the day on which Purim has
taken place a month earlier (in Adar). It is necessary to know what day
Purim took place the month before in order to calculate the day of Lag
BaOmer since Lag BaOmer and Purim always fall on the same day of the
week.

"And you shall count for yourselves from the day after Yom Tov."
(23:15)

QUESTION: Why do we count Sefirah between Pesach and

Shavuot?

ANSWER: The ultimate purpose of leaving Egypt was to receive the Torah
on Mount Sinai. Every Jew is required to occupy himself as much as
possible with the study of Torah, but unfortunately people waste much time
that could be used for Torah study because they do not appreciate the value
of time. Counting Sefirah before Shavuot is a preparation for kabbalat
haTorah, and it emphasizes the importance of time and its value. It serves as
a reminder that we should use every free moment for the study of Torah.

The famous Chassidic Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai of Ger (known as

the "Imrei Emet") once said that the reason for the custom of giving a chatan
a golden watch is to teach him that every minute is "wrapped in gold" and
should not be wasted.
Alternatively, another lesson we learn from Sefirah is the following: When
counting Sefirah, we recite a berachah every night, yet when an entire day
goes by and a person forgets to count, he can no longer recite the berachah
on the following days. This teaches us that although each day is an
independent entity, it also makes a unique contribution to all other days.
Thus, the counting of Sefirah before Shavuot emphasizes the importance of
each day and that one wasted day of Torah learning also affects the whole
future.

"And you shall count for yourselves from the day after Yom Tov."
(23:15)

QUESTION: Since Sefirah is a mitzvah which is not

performed throughout the entire year, why don't we recite
"Shehecheyanu" when we begin counting?It cannot be
answered that in our times Sefirat HaOmer is only Rabbinic,
since we do recite "Shehecheyanu" on the reading of the
Megillah, which is also Rabbinic.

ANSWER: The Torah connects the mitzvah of Sefirah to the offering of the
karban omer on Pesach. Since we no longer have a Beit Hamikdash and
cannot bring the karban omer, when we count Sefirah we are saddened and
recite a special prayer: "May the Merciful One restore for us the service of
the Beit Hamikdash to its place." A "Shehecheyanu" is only recited when
one is in a happy and joyous mood.

"And you shall count for yourselves ... seven weeks." (23:15)

QUESTION: In the Diaspora we celebrate two days of Yom

Tov because in the times of the Beit Hamikdash it was not
immediately known if the previous month consisted of 29
days or 30 days. Why on the first night, when we start
counting the omer, don't we say, "Today is the first day,
today is the second day" and on the next night why don't we
say, "Today is the second day, today is the third day" etc.?

ANSWER: The purpose of counting is for clarification and verification. A

person with an undetermined amount of money counts it to clarify the exact
amount. If after counting he is still in doubt, he then recounts till he verifies
the exact amount. Since the mitzvah is to count the omer, consequently,
counting and remaining with a doubt is contradictory to the entire concept of
counting, and it would be improper to make a berachah for such counting.
With this explanation we can also understand a halachah in Shulchan Aruch
(Orach Chaim 489:1), which superficially is enigmatic. The Magen
Avraham writes that if one recites the omer counting in Hebrew and does
not know the meaning of what he is saying, he has not fulfilled the mitzvah.
Why is counting the omer different than other prayers or blessings which
one may say in Hebrew, even if he does not know the meaning of the words?

In light of the above, that the purpose of counting is for clarification and
verification and valueless otherwise, if one recites the counting without
knowing the meaning, the purpose of counting is defeated.

"And you shall bring a new meal-offering to G-d." (23:16)

QUESTION: Why is the meal-offering brought on Shavuot

referred to as a "minchah chadashah" - "a new meal-
offering"?

ANSWER: The festival of Shavuot commemorates Hashem's giving of the

Torah and its acceptance by the Jewish people. The word "chadashah" -
"new" - is used to emphasize that it is incumbent upon the Jewish people to
view the Torah as newly given each day. Thus, there is a process of constant
renewal, motivating a Jew to study Torah and observe mitzvot with fresh
vigor and enthusiasm.

"Until the morrow of the seventh week you shall count fifty days ... You
shall make a proclamation on this very day; a holy convocation shall
there be unto you." (23:16,21)

QUESTION: The festival of Shavuot commemorates the

season of the giving of our Torah; why is there no mention
anywhere in the Torah Shebichtav - the Written Torah - of
the specific date when the Torah was given?

ANSWER: Hashem did this intentionally so that one should not limit Torah
to a certain time. Each day a Jew should view himself as having received the
Torah anew on that day, thus arousing new inner intensity and devotion.
A wagon driver was once hired to deliver packages from one city to another.
The day he was supposed to start his trip, a heavy snowstorm fell, making it
impossible to travel the roads. He came to the man who hired him
demanding his pay, and argued, "I was ready to make the trip; it was not my
fault that I could not travel." The hirer responded, "Whether if it is your fault
or not, Ido not have to pay you if you did not actually perform the work."

Unable to settle their argument, they submitted their case to the local Rabbi,
who eventually ruled against the coachman.

In anger, the coachman asked, "What is the basis for this opinion?"

The Rabbi replied, "I take it from the Torah."

The illiterate coachman asked, "What is Torah?"

"It is a book of conduct and teaching which G-d gave to the Jewish people."

"I know nothing about this! When did He give it?"

"On Shavuot" the Rabbi responded.

"When is Shavuot?"

The Rabbi told him that it is right before summer.

"If this is the case, now I understand. When the Torah was given, it was not
during the snowy season. If it had been given in the winter, the ruling might
have been in my favor."

The illiterate coachman assigned Torah to a certain time, lacking the

awareness and insight that Torah is timeless.

"And you shall make a proclamation on this very day; a holy

convocation shall there be unto you; any laborious work you shall not
do." (23:21)

QUESTION: The words "yiheyeh lachem" - "shall there be

unto you" - are superfluous?

ANSWER: According to Torah a Shabbat or Yom Tov runs from evening

to evening. Since it is not exactly clear what constitutes nightfall, we begin
Shabbat or Yom Tov at the time of sunset and observe it till stars appear
(tzeit hakochavim). In addition, our sages have instructed that we should add
time to the holiday itself, and thus we start the Shabbat or Yom Tov earlier
than sunset and observe it till after nightfall (Yoma 81b). Once a person
accepts upon himself the holiness of Shabbat or Yom Tov, he is forbidden to
do any work and may recite kiddush.

Shavuot described in the Torah as "Chag Hakatzir" - "The Festival of

Harvest" (Shemot 23:16) - also marks the culmination of the forty-nine days
of omer counting. Since the Torah says "You shall count for yourself...seven
weeks; they shall be complete" (23:15) there is a halachic ruling (Shulchan
Aruch, Orach Chaim 494:2) that one should not recite Kiddush on the night
of Shavuot before nightfall in order that the seven weeks be complete. On
the other hand, since Shavuot is a festival like all other festivals, one is
required to add from the weekday to the holiday and refrain from doing
work even before sunset.

This pasuk is alluding to these two halachot pertaining to Shavuot.

"Ukeratem" - the proclamation that you make in Kiddush regarding the
holiness and sanctity of the day - should be "be'etzem hayom hazeh" - "in
this very day" - after nightfall and not earlier. In addition, similar to all
festivals, "mikra kodesh" - "a holy convocation" - "yiheyeh lachem" - "shall
there be unto you," i.e. in your time - adding from the weekday and ushering
in the holiday earlier by "kal melechet avodah lo ta'asu" - "not doing any
laborious work."

"In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a rest
day for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation."
(23:24)

QUESTION: Our Sages (Rosh Hashana 29b) note that here it

is written "Shabbaton zichron teruah" - "a remembrance of
shofar blasts" - and in Parshat Pinchas it is written "yom
teruah" - "a day of shofar blasts" - (Bamidbar 29:1). From
this they derive that the shofar is sounded on Rosh Hashanah
only when it falls on a weekday, but not on Shabbat.Why is
the mitzvah of sounding the shofar not cited the first time that
Rosh Hashanah is mentioned in the Torah?

ANSWER: From the holiday of Pesach one can calculate which days of the
week all the holidays of the year will take place; e.g. Tishah Be'Av will
always be the same day of the week as the first day of Pesach. Shavuot will
start on the same day of the week as the second day of Pesach. Rosh
Hashanah will be on the same day of the week as the third day of Pesach.
The Jews left Egypt on Thursday, the 15th of Nissan (Shabbat 87b).
Consequently, their first Rosh Hashanah commenced on Shabbat, and
therefore the Torah does not mention the sounding of the shofar.

"In the seventh month, on the first day of the month there shall be a
rest day for you [Rosh Hashanah]." (23:24)

QUESTION: The Torah reading for the second day of Rosh

Hashanah is the Akeidah. The Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit
56:8) says, "He stretched forth his hand to take the knife
while the tears streamed from his eyes - yet, even so, his
heart rejoiced to obey the will of his Creator."Avraham's
crying seems to cast a doubt on his sincerity and eagerness to
fulfill Hashem's will. Wouldn't it have been better if he had
not even shed one tear?

ANSWER: Many wonder how it is possible for a father to bring his beloved
and only child as an offering to Hashem. Ignorantly, they conclude that he
has lost all his paternal instincts and that therefore he was not exhibiting any
particular greatness.

To dispel this error, the Midrash tells us that when he stretched forth his
hand to take the knife, tears streamed from his eyes. He was a genuine father
who loved his child dearly and who was filled with compassion for him.
Nevertheless, he did not permit his fatherly instincts and love for his child to
prevent him in any way from fulfilling the command of Hashem.

"But on the tenth day of this month it is a Day of Atonement." (23:27)

QUESTION: According to our calendar, Yom Kippur cannot

be on Sunday, Tuesday, or Friday (Orach Chaim 428:1).
Why?

ANSWER: The Mishnah in Keilim (17:14) says that "a vessel made from
materials created on the first day can become defiled; one made from
materials created on the second day cannot be defiled. One made from
materials created on the third day can become defiled and one made from
materials created on the fourth and the fifth cannot become defiled, a vessel
made from anything created on the sixth day can become defiled."

On the first day - Sunday - earth and water were created. An earthenware
vessel can become defiled, and water is a conductor of defilement
(something wet can become defiled). On Monday, the firmament was
created and defilement does not apply to it. On Tuesday, trees were created
and wooden vessels can become defiled. On Wednesday, the sun and moon
were created, and defilement does not apply to them. On Thursday, birds
and fish were created, and vessels made from their bones or skin cannot
become defiled. On Friday, beasts, domestic animals, swarming creatures,
and man were created. Vessels made from the bone or skin of any of these
can become defiled.

Yom Kippur, the day when everyone is cleansed and becomes pure, only
occurs, therefore, on the days that are associated with purity.

"But on the tenth day of this month is the day of atonement... you shall
afflict your souls." (23:27)

QUESTION: The purpose of affliction is to inspire man to do

teshuvah - repent. The Gemara (Yoma 86a) states "Teshuvah
is great, for it reaches as high as the Kisei Hakavod -
Hashem's Throne of Glory." What is the link between
teshuvah and the Kisei Hakavod?

ANSWER: In gematria there is a method of computation in which each

letter is counted individually and also cumulatively. Thus the phrase "Kisei
Hakovoid" can be calculated as follows: Chof=20, Chof-Sameh=80, Chof-
Sameh-Alef=81, Chof-Sameh-Alef Heh=86, Chof-Sameh-Alef Heh-Kof=106,
Chof-Sameh-Alef Heh-Kof-Beis=108, Chof-Sameh-Alef Heh-Kof-Beis-
Vav=114, Chof-Sameh-Alef Heh-Kof-Beis-Vav-Daled=118, for a total of
713.

The word "Teshuvah" itself in regular gematria also equals 713. Thus, there
is an equivalence between teshuvah and the Kisei Hakavod.

"But on the tenth day of this month is the day of atonement." (23:27)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Ketubot 103b) says that on the

day when Rebbe (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi) passed away a
voice emerged from heaven declaring, "Whoever was present
at the demise of Rebbe will merit the world to come." Why
this remarkable reward?

ANSWER: In the Gemara (Yoma 86b) Rebbe is of topinion that Yom

Kippur itself accomplishes atonement even if one has not repented, while
many others hold that only if one repents will atonement occur for the
individual.

The Midrash (20:12) equates the passing of the righteous to the day of Yom
Kippur. Both are times of atonement for sin. Consequently, on the day of
Rebbe's demise, it was declared in heaven in his honor that "Whoever is
present will merit the world to come," even one who did not repent.

"You shall not do any work on this very day... For any soul who will not
be afflicted on this very day... And any soul who will do any work on
this very day... an eternal decree throughout your generations... on the
ninth of the month in the evening, from evening to evening, shall you
rest on your rest day." (23:28-32)

QUESTION: Why does the Torah say the words "be'etzem

hayom hazeh" - "on this very day" - three times and then
conclude with "mei'erev ad erev" - "from evening to
evening"?

ANSWER: From Rosh Chodesh Av, Moshe was in heaven receiving the
second set of tablets and returned on Yom Kippur day. Upon his return, he
taught the Jewish people the laws of Yom Kippur. Immediately, they began
to fast and refrain from doing work. Consequently, the first Yom Kippur the
Jews observed began in the middle of the day and lasted until evening.

Thus, when Moshe told the people to fast and abstain from doing work, he
emphasized that it applied to "be'etzem hayom hazeh" - "on this very day" -
i.e. "when I am talking to you." However, in the future it shall be "chukat
olam ledoroteichem" - "an eternal decree throughout your generations" -
Yom Kippur should not be celebrated as it is today, but "from evening to
evening."

"For it is the Day of Atonement to provide you atonement before G-d

your G-d." (23:28)

QUESTION: In the Ne'ilah prayers of Yom Kippur we say,

"G-d, I remember, and I lament bire'oti kal ir al tilah benuyah
- when I see every city built on its site - ve'ir ha'Elokim
mushpelet ad she'ol tachtiyah - while the city of G-d is cast
down to the depth of the abyss." Why is the destruction of
Jerusalem mentioned in the Ne'ilah prayers?
ANSWER: Unfortunately, human nature is such that one is usually more
excited about the physical and material than the spiritual. One will run more
quickly for material delights and enjoyment than to attend a Torah lecture or
perform a mitzvah. The word "ir" in addition to meaning "city," may also
stem from the word "hitorerut" - arousal and awakening.

During Ne'ilah, when we reach the peak of our prayers, we are expressing
remorse and frustration that, unfortunately, "bire'oti kal ir al tilah benuyah" -
our awakening for all physical matters and pleasures is in full blossom - we
run with alacrity to participate and enjoy them, but "ir ha'Elokim" - our
awakening and excitement for G-dly matters - is "mushpelet ad she'ol
tachtiyah" - cast down to the depth of the abyss.

"You shall not do any work, it is an eternal decree throughout your

generations in all your dwelling places." (23:31)

QUESTION: The previous pesukim state that on Yom

Kippur it is forbidden to eat and to do any work. Why does
this pasuk only mention the prohibition of doing any work
without mentioning fasting?

ANSWER: The first Beit Hamikdash was built in the days of King Shlomo.
The dedication (Chanukat Habayit) was celebrated over a seven-day period,
which also included Yom Kippur. According to the Gemara (Mo'eid Katan
9a) in honor of the occasion they rejoiced and ate festive meals on Yom
Kippur. However, they observed Yom Kippur by not working.

Therefore, regarding the prohibition of working on Yom Kippur, the Torah

says that it is an eternal decree for all generations. It does not mention
fasting, for the Divinely-given Torah predicted that there would be a time
when the Jewish people would not fast on Yom Kippur.

"On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the festival of Sukkot... on
the first day is a holy convocation, you shall not do any laborious
work.... But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month... you shall
celebrate G-d's festival... The first day is a rest day... You shall take for
yourselves on the first day the fruit of an etrog tree...." (23:34-35,39-40)

QUESTION:

1. Why is the mitzvah of celebrating Sukkot repeated

twice?
 2. Why in the first instance does it say "lachodesh
hashevi'i hazeh" while in the second the word "hazeh"
is omitted?

3. Why only in the second case is there mention of the

taking of the four species?

4. Why in the first does it say "You shall not do any

laborious work" whereas in the second it simply says
"Shabbaton" - "a rest day"?

ANSWER: From the festival of Pesach one can determine on which day of
the week all the festivals of that year will take place. This rule is known as
."At Bash Gar Dak"

"Alef" - the day of the week when the first day of Pesach falls will be "Tav" -
the same day as Tisha Be'Av.

"Beis" - the second day of Pesach will be "Shin" - the same day of the week
as Shavuot.

"Gimmel" - the third day of Pesach will be "Reish" - Rosh Hashanah.

"Daled" - the fourth day of Pesach will be "Kuf" - the day of Kriat haTorah -
Simchat Torah - when we complete and start anew the reading of the Torah.

According to the Gemara (Shabbat 87b) the Jews left Egypt on Thursday.
Consequently, since the first Pesach was celebrated on Thursday, the
following Rosh Hashanah was on a Shabbat, and Sukkot, which is always
two weeks later, was also on Shabbat. Thus, regarding the current
celebration of Sukkot, the Torah says the fifteenth of this ("hazeh") seventh
month shall be Sukkot. Since it occurs on Shabbat, the Torah instructs that
"any laborious work shall not be done." When Sukkot falls on Shabbat, the
four species are not taken on that day and therefore there is no mention of
the lulav and etrog.

The second discussion of Sukkot in the parshah refers to the coming years
and generations, and thus "hazeh" - "this" - is omitted. Since Sukkot is not
necessarily on Shabbat, the commandment of taking the four species is
mentioned. It is only referred to as a day of rest but not one in which any
laborious work is forbidden because on Yom Tov one is permitted to do
work connected with the preparation of food necessary for the festival.
"You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a etrog tree, the
branches of date palms, twigs of myrtles and brook willows." (23:40)

QUESTION: Since it says "ulekachtem" - "and you shall

take" - the halacha is that if one has before him the four
species but does not take them in his hand, he does not fulfill
the mitzvah (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 651). Why
does the Torah insist that they be taken in one's hand?

ANSWER: According to the Midrash Rabbah (30:14) the four species

represent different parts of the human body. The etrog resembles a heart,
the lulav (palm branch) represents the spine, the hadas (myrtle) has small
leaves which are like eyes, and the arava (willow) resembles the lips.

With the mitzvah of "ulekachtem" - "you shall take" - the Torah is conveying
a message of cardinal importance: that these four major body parts must be
taken in hand - i.e. be under man's control.

The heart sometimes desires the undesirable. Man must learn to take hold of
his heart and control it. At all times there must be mo'ach shalit al haleiv -
the brain ruling over the desires of the heart (Zohar, Vayikra 224a).

According to halacha, the lulav must be firm and upright. It should not be
loose, curved, or bending to all sides. The spine provides major support for
body and the spinal cord controls it. A weak spine can, G-d forbid, cause a
person to be paralyzed or of bent stature. Taking the lulav in hand means
that a Jew must be firm in his convictions, walk upright, and be proud of the
fact that he is a member of the Jewish people and Torah observant. He must
never bend - compromise in his Torah observance.

The hadas leaves - resembling eyes - must grow upright on their stems. This
teaches that a Jew must always look up with optimism to G-d in Heaven and
not look down upon other people.

Another message implied by the halacha requiring that the hadas be taken
in the hand is that one must learn to control his eyes and also to be happy
with one's lot and not look enviously on other people's good fortune.

The leaves of the arava must be smooth and not have sharp serrated edges.
The mitzvah of taking it into the hands accentuates that one must control his
lips. In particular, one should be careful not to make cutting remarks; rather
one should speak words of Torah and speak well of a fellow Jew.
"You shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of an etrog tree, the
branches of date palms, twigs of myrtles, and brook willows." (23:40)

QUESTION: The Midrash Rabbah (30:16) says that in merit

of performing the mitzvah of taking the four species on the
first day, Hashem says that "I will be the first to reveal
Myself to you and take revenge for you from the first - Eisav -
of whom it is written 'and the first [child] came out
red'(Bereishit 25:25), and build for you the first - the Beit
Hamikdash - of which it is written 'A glorious throne on high
from the first, the place of our Sanctuary' (Jeremiah 17:12),
and bring for you the first - King Mashiach, of whom it is
written 'The first shall say to Tzion' (Isaiah 41:27).Why will
the fulfillment of the mitzvah of taking the four species merit
us Mashiach?

ANSWER: According to the Midrash (30:12), the four species represent

four different categories of the Jewish people. The etrog, which has an
aroma and is edible, represents the tzaddik, who studies Torah and performs
mitzvot. The lulav, which only has taste but no aroma, represents the one
who is mostly involved in Torah study. The myrtle, which has aroma but no
taste, represents the Jew who is involved in doing good deeds but who does
not have the capability to study Torah. The willow, which has neither taste
nor aroma, represents the Jew who unfortunately lacks both Torah and
mitzvot.

The Beit Hamikdash was destroyed because of sinat chinam - causeless

hatred and rivalry between the Jewish people (Yoma 9b). Taking the four
species together symbolically expresses ahavat Yisrael - love of a fellow
Jew. Hashem is telling the Jewish people that by fulfilling the mitzvah of
taking the four species - excelling in ahavat Yisrael - we will merit His
taking revenge on our enemies, and we will merit the rebuilding of the Beit
Hamikdash and the coming of Mashiach.

"And you shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of the etrog
tree." (23:40)

QUESTION: The Midrash Tanchuma (21) says that the

Torah uses the word "harishon" because this day is "rishon
lecheshbon avonot" - "the first in the accounting of sins."
Why are the days before Sukkot free of sin?

ANSWER: On the very day Hashem created man, He placed him together
with Chava in Gan Eden and instructed them not to eat from the Tree of
Knowledge. Later that same day, they disobeyed and enjoyed the fruit of the
tree, thereby committing the first sin.

There is an opinion in Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit 20:8) that the Tree of

Knowledge was an etrog tree. Hence, the Midrash is saying, "You should
take 'bayom harishon' - 'on the first day' - an etrog, the fruit which was the
first with which man ever sinned."

"You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of an etrog tree [lit.
a beautiful tree]." (23:40)

QUESTION: What is the beauty of the etrog tree?

ANSWER: Man is compared to a tree of the field (Devarim 20:19). Many

lessons are learned from the trees to guide man in his development.

The uniqueness of the etrog is that on the bottom it has an ukatz - the stem
by which it is connected to the tree - and on the top grows a pitom - stem -
topped with a shoshanta - rosette blossom. Should one of these fall off, the
etrog is no longer considered a beauty.

The lesson of the etrog tree is that a beautiful person is one who is
connected with the past and who also has accomplishments of his own. A
descendant of a fine family, who continues the family tradition, and who
does not rest contented with the family's prior glories and goes forth to
blossom on his own, is indeed a hadar - a very beautiful person.

"You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a etrog tree, the
branches of date palms, twigs of myrtles and brook willows." (23:40)

QUESTION: According to the Midrash Rabbah (30:12) the

different species we take on Sukkot represent various
categories of Jews. The willow has neither taste nor aroma
and it represents the Jew who neither studies Torah nor does
good deeds.Why is the Jew represented by the willow united
with the other categories?

ANSWER: Every Jew possesses a spark of G-dliness and should never be

rejected. Moreover, continued association with other more observant Jews
may have a positive effect on the non-observant Jew.
The Hebrew word for willow, "aravah", has the numerical value of 277,
which is equivalent to the numerical value of "zera" - "children." This
alludes that even if a father does not alter his ways, he should still be
accepted within K'lal Yisrael, so that ultimately when his children grow up,
they will possess good "taste" and a beautiful "aroma" (good deeds and
Torah study).

"You shall take for yourself...and brook willows." (23:40)

QUESTION: Why is the species which has no taste or aroma

representing the Jew who lacks both Torah study and mitzvot,
called "arava"?

ANSWER: When Hashem offered us the Torah, each one of us promptly

responded, "na'aseh venishma" - "we will perform and we will listen
(study)." Grammatically it would have been more appropriate for each
person to respond, "a'aseh ve'eshma" - "I will perform and I will listen."

The reason for the plural response is that the Jews were saying not only
"Will we perform and listen," but "We will see to it that other Jews do the
same." Thus, at the time of the receiving of the Torah, every Jew became
"areiv" - a guarantor - for the others. Our sages tell us that "Kal Yisrael
areivim zeh lazeh" - "All Jews are guarantors and responsible one for
another (Shevuot 39a).

The word "arava" is derived from the root word "arov" and thus implies the
concept of responsibility and guarantee. Thus, the name "arava" is an
explanation and reminder that the "arava" Jew is included because we are
guarantors for him. We are obligated, ultimately, to assure that every
member of the Jewish people is fully observant.

"You shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of a etrog tree, the
branches of date palms, twigs of myrtles, and brook willows; and you shall
rejoice before G-d, your G-d, for a seven day period." (23:40)

QUESTION: What is the connection between the four species

and rejoicing?

ANSWER: Regarding rejoicing with the four species, the Midrash Rabbah
(30:2) offers a parable: If two people have come before a judge, and we do
not know who has been victorious, if one of them takes a palm branch in his
hand, we know that he is the victor. So it is with B'nei Yisrael and the
nations of the world: The latter come and bring accusations before Hashem
on Rosh Hashanah and we do not know who has won. Since the B'nei
Yisrael go forth from the presence of Hashem bearing their palm- ranches
and their etrogim, we know that they are victorious.

How does taking the four species prove that "we won"?

The Midrash Rabbah (30:12) explains that the four species represent the
four different categories of Jews, from the tzaddik who studies Torah and
performs good deeds to the Jew who is totally on the other extreme. The
unification of the four species is an allusion that all Jews, regardless of their
spiritual level or quality, should be strongly united together. In unity there is
strength and therefore victory.

The power of peace and unity is so great that even when the Jewish people
sin, G-d forbid, if unity prevails, Hashem does not rebuke or punish them
(see Bereishit Rabbah 38:6). Thus, when Jews are united together with no
rivalry or animosity between them, Hashem takes pleasure in them and they
experience the ultimate joy.

"But on the fifteenth day of the seventh month when you gather in the
crop of the land, you shall celebrate G-d's festival for a seven day period.
You should dwell in booths seven days." (23:42)

QUESTION: Why when we gather in the harvest of the land

are we commanded to dwell in sukkot?

ANSWER: The sukkah is referred to as a dirat arai - temporary dwelling

place - and it has a roof through which one can see the stars. A person is
required to leave his permanent abode and move into a sukkah to impress
upon him that our real security is provided by G-d in heaven. Without Him,
our strong "fortresses" with their bars and gates are to no avail.

One who brings home the produce of his land may become arrogant and
think that he is wealthy, able to sustain himself, and no longer dependent on
Hashem. Through the mitzvah of sukkah such thoughts are dispelled. The
sukkah reminds the individual that his affluence and success are only
temporary and that he is entirely dependent on the blessing of Hashem.

"You shall dwell in booths for seven days...So that your generations will
know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in booths when I took
them out of the land of Egypt." (23:39,42-43)
 QUESTION: Why is the festival of Sukkot connected to both
the time of crop ingathering and the Jews' dwelling in sukkot
during their desert sojourn?

ANSWER: The message of the sukkah is two-fold: When the Jews lived in
Eretz Yisrael, worked the land, and prospered, there was a danger lest they
begin to think that it was their strength and wisdom that earned them their
wealth. Consequently, when they gathered their crops and their success
brought them into a jubilant spirit, Hashem commanded that they dwell in
sukkot to teach them that life on this earth is temporary and that there are
no strong "fortresses" that we can build for ourselves. The sukkah is covered
with sechach, through which one can look up and see the heavens, alluding
that our abodes are temporary and our security is dependent on Hashem in
the heaven above.

The trials and tribulations of exile create the danger that the Jews, G-d
forbid, will suffer disillusionment. Therefore, Hashem gave the Jewish
people the festival of Sukkot, "So that your generations will know that I
caused the Children of Israel to dwell in booths when I took them out of the
land of Egypt - and just as I protected them then and ultimately brought
them to safety, so too, I will be with the Jewish people wherever they will be
and ultimately bring them Mashiach and cause them to sit in the sukkah
made from the skin of Livyatan." (See Bava Batra 75a.)

In view of the above, that Sukkot is celebrated for two reasons and conveys a
two-fold message, it is understood why the festival is known as "Chag
haSukkot" - plural.

"So that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to
dwell in booths when I took them out from the land of Egypt." (23:43)

QUESTION: When the Jews were in the desert they ate

manna from heaven and drank water from a well which
accompanied them in their travels. Why do we celebrate a
festival to commemorate the Clouds of Glory and not for the
manna or the well?

ANSWER: Hashem took the Jewish people out of Egypt with the intent of
bringing them to Eretz Yisrael. Their itinerary included traveling through
the desert for 40 years. Since Hashem presented the itinerary and chose the
desert route, it was incumbent upon Him to provide the Jewish people with
food and water, which are otherwise unavailable in the desert. To smooth
the roads and protect them from the scorching desert, He had to provide the
clouds which enveloped them.

However, in addition, the Jewish people were also surrounded with Ananei
Hakavod - Clouds of Glory. These were intended to show His love for His
chosen people and not something strictly necessary. Thus, so that our
generations appreciate the uniqueness of the Clouds of Glory (see Rashi),
we commemorate them through celebrating the festival of Sukkot.

"So that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to
dwell in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt." (23:43)

QUESTION: The word "ki" is superfluous. It could have said

"shebasukkot" - "that in sukkot"?

ANSWER: According to the halacha (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim

633:1,8), the walls of a sukkah may not be higher than twenty amot (cubits -
appox. 16 ft.) so that the sechach will be visible to the eye. A sukkah must
also be a minimum of ten tefachim (handbreadths) high (approx. 9 1/2
inches).

The word "ki" is a remez - hint - to these two halachot. The numerical value
of the "chaf" is twenty, alluding to the height of a sukkah, which cannot be
above twenty amot, and the numerical value of "yud" is ten, which alludes to
the minimum height of ten tefachim.

The Ba'alei Mesorah indicate two more pesukim where the word "ki" seems
superfluous. One is "vayomru lo ki barechov nalin" - "And they said, 'No,
rather we will spend the night in the alley " (Bereishit 19:2), and the other,
"Ki ner mitzvah" - "For a mitzvah is a candle" (Proverbs 6:23).

Similar to a sukkah, Chanukah and a mavui - alley - have laws involving the
amounts of above twenty amot and less than ten tefachim.

Regarding a mavui, a crossbeam spanning the entrance to a mavui in order

to make it a domain in which it is permissible to carry on Shabbat may not
be higher than twenty cubits. If from the ground at the entrance to an alley
to the top of the wall is less than ten handbreadths, and one places a
crossbeam over it, it is invalid to make it a domain in which carrying is
permitted on Shabbat. (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 363:26.)
If a Chanukah menorah is placed above twenty cubits, it is invalid and it
should preferably be less than ten handbreadths above the ground (ibid.,
671:6).

That the word "ki" in the pasuk "barechov nalin" - "we will spend the night
in the alley" - thus refers to the laws of an alley, and the word "ki" in the
pasuk "ner mitzvah" refers to the laws of the candles of Chanukah.

"That in booths I caused the Children of Israel to dwell (sit) when I took
them out from the land of Egypt." (23:43)

QUESTION: The Jewish people traveled throughout the

entire desert, making 42 stops till they arrived in Eretz
Yisrael. In lieu of "ki basukkot hoshavti" - "That in booths I
caused to dwell" - it should have said "basukkot holachti" -
"In booths I led"?

ANSWER: The sukkot in the pasuk refers to the Clouds of Glory, which
surrounded the Jewish people throughout their journey in the desert en
route to Eretz Yisrael. In reality, the Jews never traveled in the conventional
sense: The encompassing Clouds of Glory transported them from one stop to
the other while they were sitting in their places.

"And you shall take fine flour and bake it into twelve loaves." (24:5)

QUESTION: Why do some people place twelve challot on the

Shabbat table, while others place only two?

ANSWER: On the table in the Beit Hamikdash, the "lechem hapanim"

consisted of twelve challot, six on each side of the table. The challot would
stay on the table the entire week, and every Shabbat the old challot would be
removed and replaced with fresh ones. To commemorate this, some people
place twelve challot on the Shabbat table. (See Shulchan Aruch, Orach
Chaim 274, Sha'arei Teshuva.)

Others place two challot lengthwise before them, so that they look like two
"vavim", each with the numerical value of six, for a total of twelve. Based on
the above, round challot are used on Yom Tov, but oblong challot on
Shabbat.
The Arizal in his table hymn for Friday night writes, "May the shechinah be
surrounded by the six loaves on each side [of the table and] bevavin titkatar
- and may they correspond to the two sets of six loaves [of the Beit
Hamikdash]."

In light of the above, it may be explained that the Arizal is referring to the
custom of the Kabbalists who place twelve chalot on their Shabbat table and
who thereby merit that the shechinah unites itself with them.

Even ordinary Jews who are not versed in the secrets symbolized by the
twelve challot achieve unification with the Shechinah because they put two
long challot that each look like a "vav", which is one of the letters of
Hashem's holy four-lettered name, and two "vavin" together have the
numerical value of twelve.

"The son of an Israelite women went out - and he was the son of an
Egyptian man - among the Children of Israel, and they fought in the
camp." (24:10)

QUESTION: Rashi writes that "vayinatzu bamachaneh" -

"they fought in the camp" - refers to matters of "machaneh" -
"camp." The blasphemer wished to dwell among the people of
Dan, his mother's tribe, but they rejected him on the grounds
that his father was not a Danite.Why did this dispute erupt
now and why is it recorded in this parshah?

ANSWER: The Egyptian man's mother was Shelomit the daughter of Divri
of the tribe of Dan, and according to Midrash Rabbah (Shemot 1:28) she
was married to the infamous Datan. Her son, however, was the product of
her adulterous union with an Egyptian. Datan was a member of Korach's
contingent which fought with Moshe for the abolishment of different levels
among the Jewish people. He considered himself a Kohen and even
advocated that everyone be considered a Kohen Gadol (Bamidbar 16:6
Rashi).

For many years people did not know of his wife's licentious behavior and
thought that the young man was his son.

In the beginning of Parshat Emor, Moshe conveyed the commandment that

"They [the Kohanim] shall not marry a woman who is a harlot" (21:7). Due
to this, Datan "the Kohen" had to divorce his wife and move to a separate
abode. Normally, a son follows his father's pedigree and lives with his
father's tribe. However, since Datan was not his father, he wanted to live
with his mother in the camp of Dan, where she returned after Datan
divorced her. The people sensed that something was wrong and after
investigating, found out that he was illegitimate and refused to permit him to
dwell in their midst. In anger, he blasphemed.

"They fought in the camp, the son of the Israelite woman and an Israelite
man." (24:10)

QUESTION: The Torah intentionally did not mention the

name of the son of the Israelite woman since he was an
illegitimate. Why, however, does it omit the name of the "ish
hayisra'eili" - "Israelite man"?

ANSWER: Dissension, quarreling, and especially raising hands are not

accepted in the Jewish community. This is among the character traits of
Eisav, of whom the patriarch Jacob said, "Hayadayim yedei Eisav" - "The
hands are Eisav's hands" (Bereishit 27:22), - i.e. their fame is for military
prowess. No Jew, however, is esteemed by the Torah when he engages in
fighting. Therefore the Torah does not consider the "Israelite man" worthy
of being introduced by name.

"The son of an Israelite woman went out, and he was the son of an
Egyptian man... they fought in the camp... The son of the Israelite women
pronounced the Name and blasphemed." (24:10-11)

QUESTION:

1. Why during the fight did he curse the Name?

2. Why was it necessary for Moshe to inquire what to do

with the blasphemer?

ANSWER: The man who cursed was the one and only illegitimate child in
the Jewish community. His mother was Jewish and his father was the
Egyptian whom Moshe killed for hitting a Jew. According to the Midrash
Rabbah (Shemot 1:30), Moshe killed him by pronouncing the Tetragramaton
(Sheim Hameforash).

During the fight, the other Jews informed the illegitimate son of his family
history and how Moshe had killed his father. Upon hearing this, he became
very angry and cursed the Name of Hashem, the means by which his father
had been killed.
Moshe asked Hashem what to do with him because he did not want to decide
on his own to stone him. He feared that if he killed him, some people would
suspect that he was motivated by a grudge against his father for hitting a
Jew.

"They placed him under guard to clarify for themselves through G-d."
(24:12)

QUESTION: Why does it say "mishmar" - "guard" - and not

"sohar" - "prison"?

ANSWER: According to the Torah penal system, there is no such thing as

prison. The only time prison is mentioned in the Torah is in regard to Yosef's
imprisonment in the foreign land of Egypt (Bereishit 39:20).

The Torah is interested in swift punishment so that the violator will quickly
repent and not repeat his iniquities. At times, it uses servitude, but this is
intended for rehabilitation and not punishment. Prisons do very little to
improve the character of the incarcerated, and on the contrary, often they
become more corrupt during their stay. However, since the need does arise
to lock up a person temporarily, there is a basis in the Torah for it. This is
what the word "mishmar" refers to.

Since the Jews did not know how to deal with a blasphemer and were
waiting for instructions from Hashem, in order to make sure that no one
took the law into his own hands, he was placed under guard in the interim.

The same is also true in regard to the man who desecrated the Shabbat. The
Torah states, "vayanichu oto 'bamishmar'" - "they placed him in custody
[for it was not clarified what should be done to him]" (Bamidbar 15:34).
This, too, was necessary in order to prevent people from harming him by
taking any action on their own.

When Yosef accused his brothers of being spies and held Shimon as
collateral that they would return, the Torah says, "vaye'esar oto
le'eineihem" - "he imprisoned him before their eyes" (Bereishit 42:24). As
the Viceroy of Egypt, he followed the rules of the land and placed the
alleged spy in prison. However, since Yosef knew the Torah's negative
opinion of prison, he did this only "le'eineihem" - "before their eyes" - and
as soon as they left, he released him and treated him royally. (See Rashi.)
"Remove the blasphemer to the outside of the camp, and all those who
heard shall lean their hands upon his head." (24:14)

QUESTION: Why only in the case of the blasphemer must the

witnesses place their hands upon his heard prior to his
stoning?

ANSWER: In the trial of an accused blasphemer, the judges would examine

the witnesses referring to Hashem by means of a pseudonym, so as not to
actually repeat the blasphemy in the course of the investigation. The name
"Yose," which like the Tetragrammaton has four letters, was used in order to
avoid further desecration of Hashem's name. The guilty verdict may not,
however, be issued upon the basis of a pseudonym. Rather, when the trial
neared completion, everyone except the witnesses was sent out of the
courtroom and the judges would say to the most prominent among them,
"State explicitly what you heard." At that time he was required to repexactly
(using the Tetragrammaton) what he heard from the blasphemer, and the
second witness would say, "I, too, heard the same thing." Upon hearing this
desecration of Hashem's name, the judges would rend their garments and
afterwards the blasphemer would be stoned (see Sanhedrin 56a).

Blaspheming Hashem is a very serious iniquity. The witnesses, by placing

their hands upon the sinner's head are saying, "You were the one who forced
us to say something which is forbidden by Torah law. The sin we committed
is on your head."

"A break for a break, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, just as he shall
have inflicted a wound upon a person, so shall it be inflicted upon him."
(24:20)

QUESTION: Since the Torah clearly stated "a break for a

break," the words "ka'asher yitein mum ba'adam kein
yinatein bo" - "just as he shall have inflicted a wound upon a
person, so shall it be inflicted upon him" - are superfluous?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Kedushin 70a) says, "Kal haposeil bemumo

poseil" - "Whoever disqualifies and finds fault in someone else has
discovered his own defect in the other person." Possibly, our sages found a
source for this precept in our pasuk, which can be explained to say,
"Ka'asher yitein mum ba'adam" - "When a person seeks to find fault in his
fellow man" - "kein yinatein bo" - "it is proof that the fault is actually within
him."
"An eye for an eye." (24:20)

QUESTION: According to the Gemara (Bava Kamma 84a)

when one damages another's eye, he is required to make
financial restitution.How do we know not to interpret this
literally, "an eye for an eye"?

ANSWER: If it means "an eye for an eye," it should say, ayin be'ad ayin."
The word "tachat" means "under," which teaches that when one takes
another's eye, his punishment consists of "tachat ayin" - the letters that are
"under" the word "ayin".

This is to be explained as follows:

In the Hebrew alef-beit, if the letters are stacked vertically with "Alef" on
top, under the "Ayin" is a "Peh", under the "Yud" is a "Chof", and under the
"Nun" is a "Samech". These letters spell the word "kesef", which means
money.

"They took the blasphemer outside of the camp and they stoned him with a
stone." (24:23)

QUESTION: Regarding the individual who gathered twigs on

Shabbat, it is written "vayirgemu oto ba'avanim" - "And they
stoned him with stones" (Bamidbar 15:36).Why were many
stones used there and only one stone here?

ANSWER: regarding the "mekoshesh eitzim" - the man who desecrated the
Shabbat by gathering wood - there are two opinions. According to one
opinion he was an ordinary blatant Shabbat violator. According to the other
opinion he acted with good intentions, wanting to provide an opportunity for
the punishment to be specified. (See Bamidbar 15:32 Rashi and Targum
Yonatan.) However, regardless of his good intentions, his act is still
considered an iniquity deserving of punishment.

Consequently, when it was decided to stone him, the Torah says, "He was
pelted with stones" - plural - indicating that there were various opinions as
to why he should be stoned. However, all were united in opinion that the
blasphemer committed a heinous crime, and to emphasize the unanimity of
K'lal Yisrael, the Torah writes - "they pelted him with a stone" - in the
singular.
Alternatively, the person who gathered twigs on Shabbat was the tzaddik
Tzelafchad, who intended it for the sake of Heaven. He hoped that through
his actions there would be a clarification of issues pertaining to Shabbat
(Bava Batra 119b Tosafot). The individual who committed blasphemy,
however, was indeed a rasha.

Unfortunately, when a tzaddik is accused of doing something wrong,

immediately voices of denunciation and condemnation begin to pour in from
all parts of the world. When a wicked man commits a heinous crime,
suddenly he receives widespread support and whole groups come to his
defense. Everybody was eager and happy to throw stones at the tzaddik
Tzelafchad. Only a few righteous people threw a stone at the wicked
blasphemer. Alas, history repeats itself.

"They took the blasphemer out of the camp and stoned him with a stone.
And the Children of Israel did as G-d commanded Moshe." (24:23)

QUESTION: The words "et Moshe" seem superfluous; it

would have been sufficient to state that the Jews did as G-d
commanded?

ANSWER: When Hashem gave instructions to Moshe, He said, "Remove the

blasphemer outside of the camp; and those who heard him shall lay their
hands upon his head, and the entire assembly shall stone him" (24:14).
According to this, Moshe alone was commanded to take him outside of the
camp, and the stoning was to be done by the public.

When Moshe conveyed this to the people, they were so eager to clear the
camp of evil people that immediately, before Moshe had a chance to do
anything, "vayotzi'u" - they took him outside of the camp and stoned him.
Since Moshe was supposed to have taken the blasphemer out of the camp,
the Torah states that the Children of Israel did what Moshe himself had been
commanded to do.

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Behar
"G-d spoke to Moshe on Mount Sinai... the land shall observe a Shabbat
rest for G-d... the seventh year shall be a complete rest for the land."
(25:1-4)

QUESTION: What is the connection between shemittah and

Mount Sinai?

ANSWER: Shemittah is proof that the Torah was given to the Jewish
people by Hashem. When the Torah relates the laws of shemittah, it also
guarantees that although in the seventh year the fields will be idle, the crop
of the sixth year will be blessed so that it will produce enough for three
years: the sixth, seventh and eighth years.

Such a guarantee could only be given by Hashem. Thus, the Torah's

inclusion of the laws of shemittah, which were certainly given by Hashem,
proves that the Torah was given by Hashem on Mount Sinai.

In addition, a human being knows that every year the harvest of the field
becomes weaker, so that the first year after shemittah it would yield the most
produce, and on the sixth yeait would yield the least. A human being would
not guarantee that which defies the laws of nature. Only Hashem, who
transcends and controls nature, can promise something that is not in
accordance with its laws. This, then, is proof that Torah was given to us
from Hashem on Mount Sinai.

"The land shall observe a Shabbat rest for G-d." (25:2)

QUESTION: The word "Shabbat" is superfluous. It could

have said "Veshabta ha'aretz laHashem" - "The land shall
observe a rest for Hashem"?

ANSWER: The solar calendar contains approximately 365 days, which

equal 52 weeks plus one day. Since in every period of seven days there is a
Shabbat, during the entire year there are at least 52 Shabbatot with one extra
Shabbat every seven years. When the farmer uses his land, in reality it is
working continuously every day of the week and not resting on Shabbat.

In a period of six years the land works a total of 312 Shabbatot. Therefore,
the Torah designates the seventh year as shemittah, so that for 312 days plus
the 52 Shabbat days of the seventh year, and the one additional Shabbat
which accumulated over the seven year period, the land will rest and totally
observe Shabbat to Hashem.
"The land shall observe a Shabbat rest for G-d." (25:2)

QUESTION: Rashi comments on the words Shabbat

LaHashem,, "for the name of Hashem, just as it was stated (in
the Ten Commandments, Shemot 20:10) regarding the
Shabbat of creation" - the Shabbat throughout the year.What
is the connection between the shemittah year and the
Shabbat?

ANSWER: Hashem gave the Jews Shabbat as a time for spiritual

rejuvenation. For a person who spends the weekdays immersed in work,
Shabbat is to be a day of Shabbat laHashem - devoted to prayer, Torah
study, and becoming closer to Hashem and not merely a time of leisure or
rest from the hard work of the week.

Rashi is teaching that the year of shemittah should be like Shabbat - a year
devoted to study and prayer, thus enabling one to become closer to Hashem.

"In the seventh year shall be a complete rest for the land, a Shabbat for
G-d." (25:4)

QUESTION: The words "Shabbat laHashem" are

superfluous; it would have been sufficient to say "In the
seventh year the land shall have a complete rest"?

ANSWER: In Israel, the month of Nissan is the time when fields are
harvested. The month of Tishrei is the pressing season for olives and grapes.
The Talmudic sage Rava instructed his students not to come to yeshivah
during the months of Nissan and Tishrei so that they would be free to pursue
their livelihood and not have to worry about how to sustain themselves
throughout the year (Berachot 35b). Thus, while the year was dedicated to
Torah study, there was a respite during the months of Nissan and Tishrei.

During a six-year period, there was a total of twelve months (one year) when
Torah was not studied with proper diligence. To make up for the time
missed in service of Hashem, we have the Sabbatical year of shemittah when
the fields are not worked. This entire year must be "Shabbat laHashem" -
dedicated to Hashem through Torah study.

"But the seventh year... your field you shall not sow... It shall be a
Jubilee Year ... you shall not sow, you shall not harvest." (25:4,11)
 QUESTION: Why does the Torah use singular verbs (tizra)
when discussing shemittah, but plural ones (tizra'u) for
yoveil?

ANSWER: The laws of yoveil only apply when all the tribes are in Eretz
Yisrael. According to the Gemara (Arachin 32b) once Sancherev exiled
Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe, the laws of yoveil no longer applied.
Since yoveil applies only when all the Jews are in Eretz Yisrael, the Torah
uses the plural.

However, shemittah is observed even if there is only one Jew in Eretz

Yisrael. Thus, shemittah is discussed in the singular form.

"And you shall make holy the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty
throughout the land for all its inhabitants; a Jubilee it shall be for you,
each of you shall return to his possession and each of you shall return to
his family" (25:10)

QUESTION: The freedom proclaimed in the Jubilee year was

primarily for the slaves. Why does the Torah say "lechal
yoshveha" - "for all its inhabitants"?

ANSWER: Though being sold into slavery is demeaning, the Torah

demands that the master treat his slave with great sensitivity and dignity.
Thus, the Gemara (Kiddushin 20a) says, "Whoever purchases a Hebrew
slave is actually acquiring a master." According to the Jerusalem Talmud
(see Tosafot ibid.) if the master has only one pillow to sleep on, the slave
has priority for it. Consequently, in the Jubilee year, "all inhabitants," both
the slaves and the masters, enjoy a period of freedom.

"A Jubilee shall be that fiftieth year for you: you shall not sow." (25:11)

QUESTION: On the third day of creation, the plants only

grew up to a point immediately below the surface of the
ground. On the sixth day, after his own creation, Adam
prayed for rain, and plants began to appear on the earth's
surface. Why on the third day did they only grow up to the
surface and not further?

ANSWER: The first day of creation was the 25th of Elul, with man being
created on Rosh Hashanah, the first of Tishrei (see Rosh Hashanah 8a).
According to the Midrash (Psalms 90:4), "The Torah preceded the world by
2000 years." In accordance with the Torah command designating every
fiftieth year to be yoveil (the Jubilee year, in which farmers in Israel are
forbidden to work the land), the 2000th year was the fortieth yoveil year,
ending with the first five days of creation.

Our sages explain the pasuk "He tells His words to Yaakov, His laws and
His judgments to Israel" (Psalms 147:19) to mean that he commands the
Jewish people to do the things which he does himself (Shemot Rabbah
30:9). To show how He, too, observes the mitzvah of yoveil, Hashem
created the plants on the third day, but didn't allow them to grow out of the
ground as it was still the yoveil year. On the sixth day of creation, the first
day of the new year following the yoveil, when farmers would once again be
allowed to work their fields, Hashem answered Adam's prayers for rain and
let the plants emerge.

"When you make a sale to your fellow or make a purchase from the
hand of your fellow, a man shall not aggrieve his brother." (25:14)

QUESTION: Why is the emphasis on one's "brother"; isn't it

forbidden to defraud anyone?

ANSWER: The famous Chassidic Rabbi, Reb Nachum of Chernobyl was

once approached by a distinguished-looking person who offered to teach
him secrets of Torah. Reb Nachum said, "I cannot accept your offer until I
consult with my Rebbe." When he sought his Rebbe's advice, the Mezritcher
Maggid replied, "It is good that you came to ask, because that person was a
representative of the spiritual forces which oppose holiness."

"Incidentally," the Rebbe asked his disciple, "What gave you the idea of
inquiring before accepting his suggestion?"

Reb Nachum answered, "When I was young, my mother passed away and
my father remarried. My stepmother was very cruel to me. I once came
home from yeshivah for lunch when she was not home and noticed that she
had left some fried eggs on the stove. Not wanting to waste time, I decided
to serve myself and took a portion smaller than what she would normally
give me. She returned home while I was eating and abruptly struck me
across the face. I began to cry, and pleaded with her, 'Why did you hit me? I
took less than what I normally receive!' She replied, 'I am punishing you
because alain nemt men nit - One should not take anything alone without
permission.' Since that very day I learned not to take anything alone without
permission, regardless of how good or desirable it may be."

One may rationalize that it is justifiable to cheat a brother because he

shextend his assistance to help family members in time of need. Moreover,
as a "brother" he will surely understand and forgive. Therefore, the Torah
declared, "A man shall not aggrieve his brother" - it is forbidden to take
anything alone without permission.

"And the land shall yield her fruit and you will eat your fill." (25:19)

QUESTION: Why the emphasis "piryah" - "her fruit"? Why

not "peirot" - "fruits"?

ANSWER: According to the Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit 5:9), when

Hashem created the world, the earth was capable of producing fruit the very
day it was plowed and sowed. The trunk of the tree was supposed to taste
the same as its fruit, and even non-fruit-bearing trees yielded fruit.

After Adam sinned, the earth was cursed and we no longer enjoy any of
these blessings. All these qualities will occur again in the days of Mashiach
(Torat Kohanim, Bechukotai 1:3-6).

With the word "piryah" - her fruit - the Torah is alluding that after the
redemption, when we will come to Eretz Yisrael and observe the Torah and
all its precepts, the land will produce her fruits according to her fullest
potential as it was in the days of creation.

"If you will say, 'What will we eat in the seventh year?' I will command
My blessing for you in the sixth year and it shall bring forth produce
sufficient for three years." (25:20-21)

QUESTION: Such a question would only be asked by a

heretic. Why does the Torah anticipate it and provide an
answer?

ANSWER: During the sojourn in the wilderness, Hashem sustained the

Jewish people on the manna, about which the Torah says, "It tasted like a
cake fried in honey" (Shemot 16:31). While one would expect the people to
be grateful to Hashem for giving them such tasty food; nevertheless, they
were unsatisfied and complained, "Our soul is parched, there is nothing, we
have nothing to anticipate but the manna!" (Bamidbar 21:6) Why such
ingratitude?

A Jewish person is compounded of an earthly body and a soul which

descended from heaven. In our food there is also a spark of G-dliness. A Jew
is supposed to eat not only for physical strength but also for the sake of
heaven and thus elevate the spark of G-dliness in the food. This is known as
"birur hanitzutzot" (separating and elevating the G-dly sparks), and is
alluded to in the Torah: "Not by bread alone does man live, but rather by
everything that emanates from the mouth of G-d (G-dliness within the food)
does man live" (Devarim 8:3).

Since the manna was a heavenly food, it was entirely holy, and there were
no sparks mingled with the mundane to be elevated. Consequently, the
Jewish people were unsatisfied, because eating such food was not in itself a
spiritual service.

When Hashem gave the Jews the mitzvah of shemittah and instructed them
to leave the fields idle, they worried that during the seventh year Hashem
would again sustain them with manna, and thus they became apprehensive
about the entire mitzvah of shemittah. Therefore, Hashem said, "If you
[righteous people] say 'What will we eat in the seventh year?' apprehensive
lest it be manna, do not fear because I will bless the land to yield a sufficient
crop for the three-year period and, thus, you will continue to elevate G-dly
sparks by eating earthly food."

"If your brother becomes impoverished and sells part of his possession,
his relative who is closest to him shall come and redeem his brother's
sale." (25:25)

QUESTION: Why is this law stated in the singular, while the

laws stated in the previous pesukim are in the plural?

ANSWER: Often, success and affluence bring great popularity. An affluent

person has many friends and associates who enthusiastically greet him and
eagerly participate in his celebrations. When the wheel of fortune takes a
turn and he is no longer on the giving end, friends and even family suddenly
turn down his requests for help, advising him to turn to someone else.

The Torah, therefore, speaks in the singular, to stress that when one is in
need, everybody should consider it his responsibility to offer help and to see
himself as the sole individual capable of coming to his brother's aid.

"If your brother becomes impoverished and sells part of his ancestral
heritage, his redeemer who is closest to him should come and redeem his
brother's sale. If a man has no redeemer, but his means suffice and he
acquires sufficient means to redeem it." (25:25-26)
 QUESTION: There is much extra language in the pasuk. It
should have simply said that the redeemer or the person
himself can buy it back by dividing the original price by the
years of the sale and giving the difference to the original
buyer, as it says in fact later, "A relative from his family shall
redeem him or if his own means become sufficient" (25:49)?

ANSWER: The wheel of fortune took a turn on a wealthy person and his
assets dwindled day after day. As this was happening, he became very sad
and despondent. One day, after he lost all his wealth, he visited the public
bath house and someone stole his clothing. Upon learning of this mishap, he
began to dance and be jubilant. People asked him in amazement, "When you
were losing only some of your riches you were very downhearted, why now
are you so happy when you lost everything?" He replied, "In the world there
is a wheel: some are on top and some on bottom. When I was on top and
started going downward I was very sad, since I did not know where I might
end up. Now that I am all the way down and they have even stole the shirt
off my back, I know I cannot go down any further so undoubtedly I will start
turning upward again from now on."

The Torah is alluding to this and telling us that when one reaches a state of
poverty when he has to sell his ancestral heritage, and he has no redeemer in
the entire world to come to his assistance, then Hashem will see to it that
"vehisigah yado" - "he will have means [through], "u'matzah" - "and he will
find" - i.e. acquire, "kedei ge'uloto" - sufficient for the redemption.

"If your brother becomes impoverished and his means fail with you,
you should strengthen him - whether proselyte or resident - so that he
can live with you." (25:35)

QUESTION: Why are the words "umatah yado imach" - "and

his means fail with you" - necessary?

ANSWER: Helping the poor is one of the greatest mitzvot in the Torah.
Sometimes the needy may unknowingly turn for assistance to those formerly
wealthy but currently experiencing financial hardship. The Torah instructs
that when "umatah yado" - "his means fail" - "imach" - "together with you" -
i.e. you are now also experiencing financial hardship - nevertheless, you
must help him as much as possible, with the confidence that Hashem will
bless you both.

Hashem promises that "vachai imach" - both you and he will merit divine
blessings and live comfortably.
On this pasuk, the Midrash (34:1) quotes from Psalms (41:2): "Ashrei
Maskil El Dal Be'yom Ra'ah Yimalteihu Hashem" - "Praiseworthy is the one
who acts wisely for the impoverished; G-d will deliver him in a time of
trouble." What message is the Midrash imparting to us?

In view of the above explanation, the link between these pesukim is easily
understood: The phrase "beyom ra'ah" - "in a time of trouble" - does not
refer to the receiver's trouble but to the giver's. Thus King David is saying,
"Praisworthy is the one who acts wisely for the impoverished and extends
aid to the needy [even] when he himself is in a time of trouble, i.e.
experiencing financial difficulties.

Why the word "maskil" - "acts wisely" - rather than "notein" - "gives"?

The Hebrew term "dal" - "pauper" - is sometimes written with a "kamatz"

and sometimes with a "patach." Here it is written with a "kamatz." The
"patach" is pronouncewith an open mouth and "kamatz" (according to the
Ashkenazi accent) is pronounced with a closed mouth.

There are two types of impoverished people. One makes his impoverishment
publicly known and openly asks for aid. The other is embarrassed and does
not share his problems with anyone else. The talkative one will definitely
arouse the concern of people, and many will come to his aid. However, the
discreet individual whose state of poverty is unknown may, G-d forbid,
falter.

Consequently, King David praises the person who is "maskil" - "acts wisely"
- to the "dal" - the poor man with the "kamatz" - and finds a way to help
him, even though he is not beseeching.

"If your brother becomes impoverished and his means fail with you,
you should strengthen him - whether proselyte or resident - so that he
can live with you." (25:35)

QUESTION: "Vehechezakta bo" means, "strengthen in him."

It should have said "vehechezakta oto" - "you should
strengthen him"?

ANSWER: Tzedakah is often pictured as the rich giving to benefit the poor.
However, in the Midrash Rabba (Vayikra 34:8), Rabbi Yehoshua says,
"More than the rich does for the poor, the poor does for the rich." The rich
man who gives the poor man money is helping him temporarily with his
daily needs. In return, through tzedakah, the rich man's assets become
blessed and he is greatly rewarded in olam haba.

Our pasuk alludes to this by saying "vehechezakta" - "you will find strength
for yourself" - "bo" - "in him" - i.e. through helping the poor man.

"Do not take from him interest and increase. and let your brother live
with you." (25:36)

QUESTION: How is the phrase "let your brother live with

you" connected with not taking interest?

ANSWER: When a person lends money on interest, he profits with every

day that passes. Thus, the lender wants every day to be as short as possible
so that more days pass and he will earn more money. On the other hand, the
borrower prays that each day become longer so that he will have the money
for fewer days and have to pay less. Consequently, these two people have a
different outlook on time. By giving an interest-free loan, the lender will not
pray for a shorter day and the borrower will not pray for a longer day, and
thus, "your brother will live together with you" - with the same outlook on
time.

Alternatively, the punishment for one who takes interest is extremely severe,
to the extent that he will not arise at techiat hameitim - the resurrection
(Shulchan Aruch Harav, Hilchot Ribit). The words "vachai achicha imach"
allude to this: We are warned not to take interest so that when techiat
hameitim takes place, all Jews will be alive and together again.

In the city of Pozen when Rabbi Akiva Eiger was the Rav, a very wealthy
man who often lent at interest passed away. The chevra kadisha (burial
society) demanded that the family pay an enormous amount of money for
the burial plot, and they became very upset and complained to legal
authorities.

The Rabbi was questioned and explained the following to the authorities:
"The Jewish people believe that after the coming of Mashiach, the
resurrection will take place. Since we anticipate Mashiach's coming
speedily, the deceased will be buried for a very short period of time.
Therefore, our fees for burial plots are nominal. Unfortunately, since this
man violated the prohibition of lending with interest, he will not arise at
techiat hameitim. Thus, he needs a grave for an unlimited period of time.
Therefore, the chevra kadisha is just in requesting the seemingly large
amount of money."

"Let your brother live with you." (25:36)

QUESTION: In Gemara (Bava Metzia 62a) Rabbi Akivah

says that this pasuk teaches that, "Chayecha kodemin
lechayei chaveirecha" - "Your life comes before that of your
friend." Therefore if two are traveling in a wilderness and one
has a supply of water sufficient for only one person, he may
drink it himself so that he will survive to reach an inhabited
area, though his fellow traveler will die of thirst in the
interim.How can this be reconciled with what the Gemara
(Kiddushin 20a) says that "He who acquires for himself a
Jewish slave is actually acquiring a master over himself," and
Tosafot explains it to mean that if he has only one pillow, the
slave has priority to use it?

ANSWER: In the case described by Rabbi Akiva each one of them is

obligated to assure that his friend survives. Since in view of the situation at
hand this is impossible (the water is only enough for one) therefore, we say
that your life comes first. However, in the case of the slave, the master is
commanded to assure that "Ki tov lo imach" - "For it is good for him with
you" (Devarim 15:16) - but the slave does not have such an obligation
towards the master. Therefore the master must yield the use of the pillow to
the slave.

Alternatively, the rule of Rabbi Akiva applies only in matters of life and
death, and not when the issue is a matter of luxury or comfort. Hence,
though a person should keep the water to save his life while the other will
expire, in matters of luxury or comfort deny yourself the comfort and give it
to your slave or friend.

"Do not take from him interest... I am G-d your G-d who took you out
of the land of Egypt." (25:36,38)

QUESTION: It is written in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh

Dei'ah, Hilchot Ribit 160:2) that he who lends with interest
denies the Exodus from Egypt.What is the connection
between the Exodus and lending with interest?
ANSWER: At the Brit Bein Habetarim (Covenant Between the Divided
Parts) Avraham was told by Hashem that the Jews would be enslaved in a
strange land for 400 years, but also that "the nation they shall serve I shall
judge." If the Egyptians fulfilled Hashem's decree, why were they punished?

The Ra'avad (Teshuvah 6:5) answers that though the Jews had to work for
the Egyptians, they had no permission to overwork the Jews with hard labor.
For taking more than they were allowed from the Jews (similar to taking
interest), they were punished with ten plagues, and the Jews left Egypt with
great wealth, after being there only 210 years.

A Jew who lends money with interest, is showing that he believes that the
Egyptians did nothing wrong and that they did not deserve punishment for
the additional hard labor they took from the Jews. Thus, in a sense, he is
denying the justification for the accelerated Exodus from Egypt due to hard
labor.

"Your money you shall not give him upon interest." (25:37)

QUESTION: The Hebrew word for interest is "ribit"; why is

"neshech" used here?

ANSWER: Rich and poor alike sometimes need a loan, and a person may
feel somewhat depressed when he has to ask for one. The word "neshech"
can also mean "bite." The Torah is teaching that when you are approached
for a loan, give it with a smiling countenance and a pleasant attitude. Do not
make biting comments that will distress the borrower.

The same also applies when giving tzedakah to the needy - give it with a
smile, and don't say anything that would, G-d forbid, add to the pain of the
poor person.

"Your money you shall not give him upon interest." (25:37)

QUESTION: Why the emphasis on "kaspecha" - your

money?

ANSWER: Unfortunately, there are people who only extend a loan when
they receive high interest in return. Often, due to high interest rates, the
borrower is unable to operate and reluctantly declares bankruptcy.
Consequently, the lender ends up with nothing. The Torah warns - "et
 kaspecha" - your money - do not lend on interest, because if you do, not only
will you not receive the interest, but you will also lose your money.

"Either his uncle or his uncle's son shall redeem him." (25:49)

QUESTION: Why is the word "Doidoi" spelled without a

"Vav" after the first "Daled"?

ANSWER: There is a question in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98b) wheKing David himself is
going to be Mashiach or one of his descendants. The word "Doidoi" without a "Vav" can be
rearranged to spell the name "Dovid." Thus, the Torah is alluding that either "Doidoi" -
David himself, or "Ben Doidoi" - a descendant of David - "yigalenu" - shall redeem him -
K'lal Yisrael.

Vedibarta Bam
And You Shall Speak of Them
A Compilation of Selected Torah Insights,
Thought-Provoking Ideas, Homilies And
Explanations of Torah Passages

Bechukotai

"If in My statutes you will walk and keep My commandments." (26:3)

QUESTION: Why does the parshah start with the word -

"im" - "if"?

ANSWER: The Jewish people have gone through many difficult

experiences. Fortunately, Hashem has not forsaken us and has miraculously
brought about our salvation.

In Egypt in the days of Pharaoh it was through Moshe and Aharon that we
were redeemed.

When Haman threatened to annihilate us, suddenly Mordechai and Esther

appeared and the Jews were saved.

The redemption from the Babylonian exile and the rebuilding of the Beit
Hamikdash occurred thanks to the assistance of King Artachshasta -
Aptaxerxes - son of Queen Esther (see Rosh Hashana 3b), and the miracle of
Chanuka and the redemption from the Greek oppressors was through
Matityahu and his sons the Maccabbees.
Presently, it is the fervent wish of every Jew that Eliyahu and Mashiach
arrive speedily.

The first letters of the names of each group of redeemers spell the word
"Im." Thus, the opening pasuk of the parshah is alluding that the way to
merit the ultimate "Im" - the redemption of Eliyahu and Mashiach - is
through "bechukotai teileichu ve'et mitzvotai tishmeru" - "walking in My
statutes and keeping My commandments."

In Hallel we say "eim habanim semeichah" - "a joyful mother of children."

Following the above thought, this may be interpreted to mean that "Im" -
when we are rescued by the ones whose initials are Alef-Mem, and
particularly the last pair - Eliyahu and Mashiach - "habanim semeichah" -
the children will be very happy.

"If in My statutes you will walk." (26:3)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that this pasuk is not referring to

the fulfillment of mitzvot, but to the study of Torah.

1. The mitzvot in the Torah are divided into three

categories: eidut (testimonies), mishpatim (civil laws),
and chukim (statutes). Since the pasuk is stressing the
study of Torah, why are statutes singled out?

2. Why does it say "teileichu" - "you will walk" - and not

"tilmedu" - "you will study"?

ANSWER: The word "bechukotai" - "in My statutes" - is related to the

word "chakikah" - "engraved." When one takes a pen and writes on paper,
although the ink is now attached to the paper, it is not actually a part of the
paper. However, when one engraves on stone or metal, the letters become
one with the stone or metal and can never be removed.

This pasuk not only tells us how to study Torah in order to receive the great
rewards promised in this parshah, but also how to study. We must toil in the
study of Torah until Torah becomes engraved in us.

In addition, one should not be content with the amount of Torah that he
already studied, but "teileichu" - he should keep going higher and higher,
from strength to strength, in Torah study.
"If in My statutes you will walk." (26:3)

QUESTION: Rashi explains that this means "shetiheyu

ameilim baTorah" - "You shall toil in Torah study." Why
does Rashi use the term "ameilim" - toil - and not "oskim" -
"engage" - or "lomdim" - "learn" - in relation to G-d's super-
rational statutes (chukim)?

ANSWER: In the prayer recited upon concluding a Gemara, we say that the
advantage of the ones who learn Torah over those who engage in worldly
matters is that "We toil and they toil. We toil and receive reward and they
toil and do not receive reward." (See Berachot 28b.) This is problematic
because anyone who works usually receives some sort of payment.

The superior reward for toiling in the Torah can be illustrated with the
following parable: In a big company there are employees of all different
levels, from the chief executive officer to the blue collar workers on the
assembly line. Usually the chief executive officer receives an enormous
salary and the blue collar worker only gets minimum wage or a bit more.
While the blue collar employee on the assembly line puts in a full day with
sweat and toil, the chief executive officer is often away on vacation or
having a leisurely business lunch.

One may ponder the injustice of it all: The dedicated employee should
receive the generous salary while the chief executive officer should receive
nominal compensation for his leisurely work. Obviously, the world
recognizes and rewards accomplishment, not effort.

G-d's system of reward is the reverse. If one learns through a piece of

Gemara quickly and easily, his receives a smaller reward than one who
spends much time and struggles with it. Thus the famed adage: "G-d does
not count the folio pages but the hours spent studying."

According to the world's way of thinking, Hashem's approach is

"bechukotai" - "My statutes" - something incomprehensible. Rashi is
teaching that if "tiheyu ameilim batorah" - "you will toil in Torah" - then
you will receive maximum reward - in stark contrast to the world's centers of
commerce, which only reward accomplishment.

In Pirkei Avot (5:21) Ben Hei Hei says - "Lefum tza'ara agra" -
"Commensurate with the effort is the reward." This is illustrated with the
following parable: A King, wanting to beautify his chamber, enlisted four
painters each to paint a mural on one of the walls. He gave them a month to
accomplish this task and told them that upon completion, he would review
the paintings and place a sack of gems in front of each wall as a reward. The
most beautiful would receive the largest sack, and the others would receive
smaller sacks in descending order according to the rank of the painting.

Three of the painters worked diligently while the fourth wasted his time
amusing himself. On the last night before the deadline, when the three
painters had each finished their work and had gone home, the fourth arrived
in the room. He placed a large mirror on his wall so that it reflected the other
three paintings. In the morning the King arrived, and after close inspection
of the finished art works, he placed sacks of gems in front of the three
painted murals and nothing in front of the mirror. Shocked, the artist who
placed the mirror exclaimed to the King, "Where is my reward? My mirror
is a composite, merging together the other three paintings!"

The King responded, "Indeed, you have received your reward. Gaze in your
mirror and you will see the reflection of the three sacks of gems given to the
other artists, who toiled with great effort and sincerity while you have done
nothing and have only reflected their initiative."

The upshoot is that for toil there is great reward, and you can't fool anyone,
especially not Hashem.

"If in My statutes you will walk, and observe My commandments and

perform them, then I will give your rains in their time." (26:3-4)

QUESTION: According to Rashi, the proper time for rain is

Shabbat night. What is the link between observing Torah and
rain on Shabbat night?

ANSWER: The Midrash Rabbah (30:9) relates that a heretic one asked
Rabbi Akiva, "On Shabbat it is forbidden to transfer something from one
domain to another. Why does Hashem desecrate the Shabbat and bring rain
from heaven to earth?" Rabbi Akiva responded, "The entire world belongs to
Hashem, and thus the concept of different domains does not apply to Him."

According to a Midrash Hashem warned the Jewish people that if they do

not observe the precepts of the Torah, He will, G-d forbid, "divorce" them.
Commentaries question: For a divorce to be valid, the get (bill of divorce)
must leave the domain of the husband and enter the domain of the wife. If
the entire world belongs to Hashem, how can Hashem possibly divorce the
Jewish people? To make the get valid, it will obviously be necessary for
Hashem to give away the earth to tJewish people. Thus, the get will be given
on their property.
Consequently, when Torah and mitzvot are not observed, Hashem will be
unable to give rain on Friday night without violating Shabbat by bringing
rain from His heaven to their earth. Therefore, the Torah states, "If in My
statutes you will walk and observe My commandments and perform them,
then I will be able to provide your rains in their time - on Shabbat night."

"If in My statutes you will walk...Then I will provide your rains in their
time...You will eat your bread to satiety." (26:3-5)

QUESTION: What is the connection between these three

things?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Ta'anit 19b) says that a year when it rains in the
proper season is compared to a servant who receives his pay on Sunday.
Thus, he has ample time to prepare for the coming Shabbat, and the dough
can be baked properly and eaten properly. A year when the rains are not in
their proper season is compared to a servant who receives his pay on Friday.
Thus, he is rushed and the dough is neither baked properly nor eaten
properly. The Torah is promising that, "If you will follow My decrees, I will
provide your rains in their time; hence you will eat your bread to satiety."

"I will give your rains in their time." (26:4)

QUESTION: Why does it say "gishmeichem" - "your rains" -

rather than simply "geshem" - "rain"?

ANSWER: The Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 27:1) relates that when

Alexander the Great visited a province in Africa, they came out to greet him
with golden apples, golden pomegranates and golden bread. "What is the
meaning of this?" he exclaimed, "Do they eat gold in your country?"

They replied: "Is it not so in your country?"

He said to them, "It is not your possessions I have come to see but your
laws."

As they were sitting, two men came before the King for judgment. One said:
"Your majesty! I bought a carob tree from this man and in scooping it out I
found a treasure therein, so I said to him: 'Take your treasure, for I bought
the carob tree not the treasure.' "
The other argued: "Just as you are afraid of risking punishment for robbery,
so am I. When I effected the sale I sold you the carob tree and all that is
therein."

The King called one of them to the side and said to him: "Have you a son?"

"Yes" he replied.

He called the other and asked him: "Have you a daughter?"

"Yes" he replied.

"Go," said the King to them, "let them get married to one another and thus
they can both enjoy the treasure."

Alexander the Great began to show surprise. "Why are you surprised?" the
King asked him. "Have I not judged well?"

"Yes" he assured him.

"If this case had arisen in your country, what would you have done?"

Alexander replied. "We would have removed this man's head and that one's,
and the treasure would have gone to the King."

He inquired of Alexander, "Does the sun shine in your country?"

"Yes."

"And does rain fall in your country?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps there are small cattle in your country?"

"Yes."

He then said to Alexander: "O, woe to you! It is because of the merit of the
small cattle that the sun shines upon you and the rain falls upon you! For the
sake of the small cattle you are saved!" as it is written, "Man and animal do
you rescue O' G-d" (Psalms 36:7). When man is devoid of worth, then he is
rescued through the merit of his animals.

Hashem is therefore emphasizing that "If in My statutes you will walk and
observe My commandments, I will give your rain - the rain you need for
your existence - and it will be in your merit and not in the merit of your
animals."

"Five of you will pursue one hundred and one hundred of you will
pursue ten thousand and your enemies will fall before you by the
sword." (26:8)

QUESTION: If five Jews can pursue one hundred enemies, a

ratio of 1:20, it should continue "one hundred of you shall
chase two thousand"? (See Rashi.)

ANSWER: The word "mikem" is mentioned twice in the pasuk; however, it

appears that there is an inconsistency. In the first half of the pasuk the word
"mikem" occurs before the number of the pursuers, and in the second half of
the pasuk the word "mikem" occur after the number of pursuers.

Therefore, the pasuk can be explained to mean that, "veradfu mikem" - "and
they will pursue you" - "chamisha mei'ah" - "each five of you, will be
pursued by one hundred of them" -"umei'ah mikem" - "and one hundred of
you" - "revavah yirdofu" - "will pursue 10,000 of them." Thus, the pasuk is
referring to two separate things: 1) their weakness and 2) our strength.

Alternatively, the first part of the pasuk is talking about a group of five "of
you" pursuing one hundred "of them." The second part of "umei'ah mikem"
means "one hundred groups [consisting of five people each, a total of 500
people] "revavah yirdofu" - "will pursue ten thousand of them." Thus, in
both cases the ratio is 1:20.

"I broke the staves of your yoke and led you upright." (26:13)

QUESTION: In Birchat Hamazon (Blessing after Meals) we

say "HaRachaman Hu yishbor ol galut mei'al tzavareinu
veHu yolicheinu komemiyut le'artzeinu" - "May the Merciful
One break the yoke of exile from our necks and may He lead
us upright to our land." How does the image of returning -
"komemiyut" - "upright" - fit with the Gemara (Kedushin
31a) that says it is forbidden for a person to walk four cubits
"bekomah zekufah" - "upright"?
ANSWER: Eretz Yisrael is our holy land, and all Jews yearn to live there.
Even those who do not reach it during their lifetime will ultimately come
there in the days of techiyat hameitim - the resurrection. However, they will
have to roll through the earth till they reach the holy land (see Bereishit
47:29, Rashi).

Our prayer to Hashem that He "lead us upright to our land" asks that we
merit to come to Eretz Yisrael happily and healthily during our lifetime and
not, G-d forbid, have to roll through tunnels under the earth to reach it.

"And they that hate you shall rule over you; and you shall flee when
none pursue you." (26:17)

QUESTION: This pasuk is part of the tochachah - the curse

for not following in the ways of Torah. Would it not be much
worse if they were fleeing and someone really was pursuing
them?

ANSWER: A pursuer who intends harm is called a "rodeif." The one being
chased is called a "nirdaf." King Shlomo in Ecclesiastes (3:15) says:
"veha'Elokim yevakeish et nirdaf" -"G-d always seeks the pursued."
According the Midrash Rabbah (27:5) this is true even when a righteous
man is running after a wicked man.

Consequently, if the enemies of B'nei Yisrael are really chasing them, G-d
forbid, they retain the hope that even if they are wicked Hashem will come
to their defense. The curse is that "They that hate you shall rule over you"
and you will be fleeing; however, Hashem will not defend you against them
because you are not in the category of "nirdaf," since nobody is actually
pursuing you.

"I will make your heaven like iron and your land like copper." (26:19)

QUESTION: Why in the admonition (tochachah) in Devarim

does Moshe say the reverse: "Your heavens over you will be
copper and the land beneath you will be iron" (28:23)?

ANSWER: This admonition refers to the sins that led to the destruction of
the first Beit Hamikdash, and the one in Devarim is for the destruction of the
second Beit Hamikdash (see Ramban).
The first Beit Hamikdash was destroyed because the Jewish people
worshipped idols, and the second was destroyed because of baseless hatred
(sinat chinam) and rivalry. Thus, the sins committed in the time of the first
Beit Hamikdash were between man and Hashem in heaven, and the sins in
the time of the second Beit Hamikdash were between man and man upon
this earthy world.

Iron is much stronger than copper. Since the crimes perpetrated during the
first Beit Hamikdash were primarily against heaven, Hashem warned "I will
make your heaven like iron." However, in the second Beit Hamikdash -
since the sins were against man on earth, the earth would receive the main
blow and "the land beneath you will be iron."

QUESTION: The Gemara (Berachot 6b) says, "The reward

for one who makes a chatan rejoice is very great; it is as
though he rebuilt one of the destroyed homes of Jerusalem."
What is the meaning of this analogy?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Yoma 9b) says that the destruction of the Beit
Hamikdash and Jerusalem occurred due to sinat chinam - causeless hatred.
Consequently, to merit the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash, ahavat chinam
- love without any ulterior motive - is a prerequisite.

One who participates in a wedding and makes the chatan happy

demonstrates ahavat Yisrael, the opposite of sinat chinam. He thus offsets
the effect of the sinat chinam which caused the destruction, and is credited
as though he rebuilt one of the destroyed homes of Jerusalem.

QUESTION: Why is one who makes a chatan happy

considered as having rebuilt one of the destroyed homes of
Jerusalem?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Yoma 9b) says that the Beit Hamikdash and
Jerusalem were destroyed due to "sinat chinam" - causeless hatred among
the Jewish people.

However, the Gemara elsewhere (Shabbat 119b) gives many other reasons
for Jerusalem's destruction: desecration of Shabbat, failure to recite Kriat
Shema in the designated time, disruption of young children's Torah study,
lack of respect for talmidei chachamim, etc.
When the sages say that bringing happiness to the chatan is like rebuilding
one of the destroyed homes of Jerusalem, they do not literally mean one
home, rather that one has removed one of the causes - sinat chinam - for the
destruction of Jerusalem and thus hastened its rebuilding.

"If despite these you will not be chastised towards Me...and I will strike
you, even I, seven ways for your sins" (26:23-24).

QUESTION: The words "gam ani" - "even I" - are

superfluous. It should have just said, "I will strike you seven
ways for your sins"?

ANSWER: When a child is not behaving properly, it is incumbent on the

father to admonish him, and at times it is even necessary to hit him. In fact,
King Shlomo says, "One who spares his rod, hates his child" (Proverbs
13:24). Nevertheless, regardless of how true this may be, the father who
truly loves his child experiences more pain than the child when he actually
hits him.

The Jewish people are Hashem's children, and He loves them as much and
even more than any father loves his only child. However, He is saying,
"Your behavior may compel Me to have to strike you, but, when vehikiti
etchem - I shall need to strike you - not only will you feel it, but gam ani - I
too - will cry from the pain which will be inflicted on you, for your hurt is
My hurt, and your pain is My pain."

"Ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back
your bread by weight; you will eat and not be sated." (26:26)

QUESTION: According to halacha (Orach Chaim 507:6) on

Yom Tov it is permissable to fill up an oven with loaves of
bread even though only one loaf is needed. The reason is that
the bread bakes better when the oven is full. If so, what curse
is contained in this pasuk?

ANSWER: It is known that when the loaf is still dough, it weighs more than
when it rises and is completely baked. Hashem is saying that for failing to
follow in the path of the Torah, even when ten women will fill an oven with
dough, expecting that the bread should come out baked especially well,
"they will bring back your bread by weight," meaning the loaf will be as
heavy as it was when it was originally put in and not baked well at all.
"Then the land will appease its Sabbaths, as long as it lies desolate, and
you are in the land of your enemies." (26:34)

QUESTION: In the time of galut the earth rests in order to

make up for the years when the Jews did not observe
shemittah while living in Eretz Yisrael.Why is the
punishment for violating the laws of shemittah so harsh that
the Jews had to go into galut for it?

ANSWER: According to the Gemara (Sanhedrin 39a) the mitzvah of

shemittah teaches that Hashem is the owner of the land. A Jew who
acknowledges this is given the right and privilege of working the land and
enjoying its produce. However, a Jew who goes against the will of Hashem
by not observing the laws of shemittah implies that he is the owner of the
land and not Hashem. Therefore, Hashem has no choice but to send the Jew
into galut in order to prove that He is the owner of the land.

"I will remember My covenant with Yaakov." (26:42)

QUESTION: Rashi writes, "In five pesukim the name

Yaakov is written with an extra 'Vav' and Eliyahu is spelled
without its usual 'Vav'. Yaakov took a letter from the name of
Eliyahu as a pledge that he will come and announce the
redemption of his children - the revelation of Mashiach."
Why did he specifically take the letter "Vav" as a pledge and
not any other letter?

ANSWER: In Hebrew the word "vav" means "a connecting hook," as we

find in the Torah: "vavei ha'amudim" - "the hooks of the pillars" (Shemot
27:10). The curtains were attached by "vavim" - "hooks" - to the poles that
supported them and in Hebrew a "Vav" serves the grammatical function of
attaching and connecting one word with another. Thus, the "Vav"
symbolizes unity. Our present galut was caused by sinat chinam causeless
hatred and dissension - (Yoma 9b), and it will be ended when true ahavat
Yisrael - and therefore unity - will prevail in the Jewish community.

The last Mishnah in Eduyot (8:7) says that Eliyahu's purpose is only to make
peace in the world, as the prophet Malachi says, "Behold I will send you
Eliyahu the prophet, and he shall turn the heart of fathers to the children and
the heart of children to the fathers" (3:23-24). Therefore, Yaakov
specifically took a "Vav" from Eliyahu's name as if to symbolize that he
should "hook together," i.e. speedily reunite the Jewish people, and thus they
will merit the immediate coming of Mashiach.
"And I will remember My covenant with Yaakov and also My covenant
with Yitzchak, and also My covenant with Avraham I will remember."
(26:42)

QUESTION: How is this pasuk consistent with the tochachah

- admonition?

ANSWER: Two people once committed a serious crime together. One

belonged to a prominent family and had received an excellent education and
a good upbringing. His partner was an orphaned village boy who had grown
up in poor surroundings and received inadequate schooling. The judge
punished the first one very severely and was extremely lenient with the
latter. "Why are you so harsh only with me?" the first one asked. The judge
answered, "Considering the family you come from and the upbringing you
received, your crime is much greater."

Hashem is telling the Jewish people, "I remind myself of your great
ancestors: Avraham who went into the furnace to sanctify My name,
Yitzchak who was ready to offer himself as a sacrifice, and Yaakov who
went into galut for Me. Thus, when I think of your pedigree and see you
violating Torah, I will hold you responsible to a greater extent and punish
you severely."

"But despite all this, while they will be in the land of their enemies, I
will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to obliterate them, to
annul My covenant with them." (26:44)

QUESTION: The words "ve'af gam zot" - "but despite all

this" - seem extra; it could have said "ubeheyotem" - "and
when they will be"?

ANSWER: The Jewish people have two things working in their favor: One
is "zechut Avot" - the merits of their forefathers; the other is "brit Avot" -
the covenant which Hashem made with their that He would not destroy their
children (see 26:42).

According to the Gemara (Shabbat 55a, see also Tosafot) zechut Avot is no
longer available. We have used up whatever credit we can claim on their
balance. However, brit Avot - the covenant Hashem made with our
forefathers - can never cease.
The word "zot" is an acronym for "Zechus Avos Tamah" - "the credit of our
forefathers merits is exhausted." However, the Torah is telling us: "ve'af
gam zot" - even when we can no longer draw on the merits in our
forefathers' account - Hashem will not obliterate the Jewish people, because
He does not want "lehafeir briti itam" - to annul the covenant He made with
them - our forefathers, the Patriarchs.

"If in My statutes you walk ... And I led you erect ... And if you will not
listen to Me ... By the hand of Moshe." (26:3,13-14,46)

QUESTION: Why do the berachot start with an "Alef" (Im)

and end with a "Tav" (Koimemiyus) while the admonition
starts with a "Vav" (Ve'im) and ends with a "Heh" (Moshe)?

ANSWER: The Hebrew alef-beit goes from "Alef" to "Tav", and from this
is developed the language of our Torah. The letters "Vav" and "Heh" are the
latter part of the Tetragrammaton - Hashem's holy four-letter name. The
Torah is alluding that for studying and observing the entire Torah from
"Alef" to "Tav", we will merit the greatest material and spiritual blessings.

On the other hand, even when the Jewish people may, G-d forbid, violate
Torah, Hashem will not forsake them. His Divine presence will continue to
be with them and watch over them. As it is written, "imo Anochi betzarah" -
"I will be with him (the Jewish people) in trouble" (Psalms 91:15), waiting
patiently for them to do teshuvah.

"If a man articulates a vow to G-d regarding the valuation of living

beings" (27:2)

QUESTION: Why does the parshah of human valuations

(arachin) follow the tochachah - the listing of calamities
which will happen to the Jewish people for not observing
Torah and mitzvot?

ANSWER: One who reads through the tochachah may, G-d forbid, become
very disillusioned. He may conclude that Jews who transgress and aggravate
Hashem are indeed worthless and valueless. To negate such a thought, the
Torah, therefore, put the parshah of arachin immediately after the tochachah,
to accentuate that regardless of a Jew's behavior, he always has value in
Hashem's eyes.
"And any tithe of cattle and sheep, whatever passes under the rod, the
tenth shall be holy to G-d." (27:32)

QUESTION: During the days of the Roman government, ten

sages were put to death. The Roman King had seen in the
Torah that the punishment for kidnapping and selling a
person is death (Shemot 21:16). He asked the sages, "If a man
is found to have kidnapped and sold one of his brothers of the
Children of Israel - what is the law?" They replied "That thief
shall die." The Roman King then declared that the sages' lives
were forfeit, and they were put to death on behalf of their
forefathers, Yoseph's brothers.When Yosef was sold only
nine brothers were present (Reuven had returned home and
Binyamin did not participate). Why were ten sages killed?

ANSWER: According to the Midrash the brothers had agreed not to reveal
to Yaakov the whereabouts of Yosef and had made Hashem a party to the
agreement (see Rashi, Bereishit 37:33). The Roman King thus calculated
that ten (counting Hashem) had cooperated in the kidnapping; and therefore
he killed ten sages.

Commentaries ask why Rabbi Akiva was among the ten sages killed since
he was a descendant of converts and his ancestors had taken no part in the
kidnapping.

The answer given is that Rabbi Akiva was punished on behalf of Hashem,
who participated in the kidnapping by not revealing to Yaakov the
whereabouts of Yosef.

The words "Vechol ma'asar" are an acronym for "Veyadoo Kulam" - "let it
be known to all" - "Lamah Meis Akiva" - "the reason for the death of
Akiva," - "Shehaya Ro'eh" - "who was a shepherd of - "bakar vatzon" -
"cattle and sheep." The pasuk continues "kol asher ya'avor" - "all those who
died" (literally "went under") - "tachat hashavet" - "represented one of tribes
(the shevatim)." But Rabbi Akiva had no relationship to the tribes, so why
was he killed? We must conclude that "ha'asiri" - "the tenth" sage, i.e. Rabbi
Akiva - was "Kodesh laHashem" - martyred on behalf of Hashem.

QUESTION: Why was Rabbi Akiva selected to be martyred

on behalf of Hashem?

ANSWER: The Gemara (Pesachim 22b) says that Shimon Ha'amsuni had a
practice of interpreting every occurrence of the word "et" in the Torah to
mean a reference to something additional. When he reached the pasuk, "Et
Hashem Elokecha tira" - "Hashem your G-d shall you fear" (Devarim
10:20), he stopped because what could there be in addition to G-d?
Afterwards, Rabbi Akiva interpreted that the word "et" means to include
talmidei chachamim - Torah scholars. Since it was Rabbi Akiva who
equated Torah scholars with Hashem, he was selected on behalf of Hashem.

The Gemara (Berachot 61b) says that while Rabbi Akiva was being put to
death, he recited the Shema, and when he said the word "echad" he expired.
A voice emanated from heaven and said, "Lucky are you Rabbi Akiva that
your soul 'went out' with 'echad.'" In light of the above, the voice also meant
"Lucky are you Rabbi Akiva that your soul went out on behalf of 'echad' -
Hashem - the One and only One."

"It and its exchange shall be holy... these are the commandments which
G-d commanded Moshe... on Mount Sinai." (27:33-34)

QUESTION: What is the connection between the laws of

temurah (an exchange animal) and Mount Sinai?

ANSWER: Hashem originally gave Moshe the ten commandments

engraved on two tablets of stone. When Moshe came down from heaven and
saw the golden calf, he broke the tablets. Hashem told Moshe to hew out a
second set of tablets in exchange and bring them up to the mountain of
Sinai. Thus, the second set of tablets were like a temurah (exchange) for the
first set of tablets. According to the Gemara (Bava Batra 14b) both sets of
tablets were holy and placed together in the Ark.

From the holiness of the two sets of tablets given on Mount Sinai, we can
also learn that both the originally sanctified animal and the exchange animal
are holy.

"These are the commandments that G-d commanded Moshe to the

Children of Israel on Mt. Sinai." (27:34)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Megillah 2b) derives from the

words "eileh hamitzvot" - "these are the commandments" -
that a prophet cannot add anything to Torah. If so, the
Gemara asks, what right did the prophets have to add to the
alef-beit the final letters Manzpach (Mem-Nun-Tzadik-Peh-
Chof)? The Gemara answers that this is merely the reinstating
 of something forgotten.Why did they find it necessary to
reinstate the letters Manzpach (Mem-Nun-Tzadik-Peh-Chof)?

ANSWER: According to the Yalkut Shimoni (Bereishit 12:64) there are

five letters which are used twice in a phrase or word to indicate an
expression of redemption.

With a double "Chof" Hashem redeemed Avraham from Ur Kasdim and said
to him "Lech Lecha Mei'artezacha" - "go for yourself from your land"
(Bereishit 12:1).

With a double "Mem" Yitzchak was redeemed from the hands of the
Philistines who said to him, "Leich Mei'imanu" - "Go away from us [for you
have become mightier than we]" (Bereishit 25:16).

With a double "Nun" Yaakov was saved from the hands of Eisav when he
prayed "Hatzileini Nah" - "Rescue me, please, [from the hands of my
brother from the hand of Eisav]" (Bereishit 32:12).

With a double "Peh" the Jewish people were redeemed from Egyptian
bondage, as Hashem said "Pokoid Pokadeti" - "I have surely remembered
you [and what is done to you in Egypt]" (Shemot 3:16).

With the double "Tzadik" Hashem will ultimately redeem the Jewish people
through Mashiach, as the prophet says, "Tzemach Shemoi U'mitachtav
Yitzmach" - "Behold a man whose name is Tzemach and who shall grow up
out of his pla[and he shall build the temple of G-d]" (Zechariah 6:12).

After many years of exile and oppression by the nations of the world, the
Jewish people started to forget about the coming of Mashiach and began to
think that they were destined to remain in exile forever. Therefore, to
awaken them, the prophets reinstated Manzpach (Mem-Nun-Tzadik-Peh-
Chof) to make them aware that He redeemed our ancestors in the past and
He will speedily send Mashiach and the complete redemption.

The prophet says "Miknaf Ha'aretz Zemiras Shama'nu Tzvi Latzadik" -

"From the uttermost part of the earth, have we heard songs, glory to the
righteous" (Isaiah 24:16).

In light of the above, the prophet's message can be explained as follows: The
word "Miknaf" has all the letters of "Manzpach (Mem-Nun-Tzadik-Peh-
Chof)" except the "Tzadik." From the four redemptions alluded to by the
letters of the word "Miknaf" which the world has already experienced, we
hear songs that there will also be "tzvi" - glory - "Latzaddik" - to the
redemption alluded to in the letter "Tzadik" - the coming of the righteous
Mashiach speedily in our time.

"These are the commandments that G-d commanded Moshe to the

Children of Israel on Mt. Sinai." (27:34)

QUESTION: The Gemara (Megillah 2b) derives from the

words "eileh hamitzvot" - "these are the commandments" -
that a prophet cannot add anything to Torah. If so, the
Gemara asks, what right did the prophets have to add to the
alef-beit the final letters Manzpach (Mem-Nun-Tzadik-Peh-
Chof)? The Gemara answers that this is merely the reinstating
of something forgotten.Why does the Gemara list the letters
Manzpach (Mem-Nun-Tzadik-Peh-Chof) in that order and not
in their proper order according to the alef-beit (Chof-Mem-
Nun-Peh-Tzadik))?

ANSWER: In Hebrew the prophets are referred to as "tzofayich" - "Your

watchmen" (Isaiah 52:8). Since it was the prophets who reinstated these
letters to the alef-beit, they are listed in this way so that the word "tzofayich"
is alluded to by the last three letters.

Alternatively, according to this order the "Mem-Nun" together add up to 90,

which is also the value of the "Tzadik," and the "Peh-Chof" add up to 100.
Thus, these five letters have the same numerical value as "[Hashem]
Melech" - "G-d is the King" - 90 - "[Hashem] Molach" - "G-d was the King"
- 90 - and "[Hashem] Yimloich" - "G-d will be the King [for ever]" - 100.1

The "Tzadik" is for "Tzemach," which refers to the redemption through

Mashiach. According to the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98b) his name will be
Menachem, which has the same numerical of 138 as does "Tzemach". (See
Ibn Ezra, Zecharia 3:8.) It is common practice for the most venerable of a
group to be seated in the middle (see Gemara Megillah 21b). Therefore the
redemption through Mashiach, the greatest redemption of all, is in the
middle, flanked by the other redemptions.

In the alef-beit the letters Alef-Tes correspond to the numbers 1-9, and Yud-
Tzadik correspond to 10-90. The letters Kuf-Tav correspond to 100-400 and
the final letters Chok, Mem, Nun, Peh, Tzadik correspond to the numbers
500-900, forming a complete sequence of 100's (see Sukkah, 52b Rashi).
Thus, with these letters, the cycle of the alef-beit is complete and comes
back to "Alef", which represents "Alufo Shel Olam" - "the One and Only
Master of the Universe" - alluding to "Ani rishon ve'Ani achron" - "I am first
and I am last" (Isaiah 44:6).

"These are the commandments that G-d commanded Moshe to the

Children of Israel on Mount Sinai." (27:34)

QUESTION: To show that the Torah never ends, it is

customary to connect the end with the beginning. In the
instance of Chumash Vayikra, what is the link between the
conclusion "behar Sinai" and the beginning "Vayikra el
Moshe"?

ANSWER: One of the reasons that the opening word of Chumash Vayikra
is spelled with a small "Alef" is the following: Hashem's prophecy to Bilaam
begins with "Vayikar" - without an Alef - implying a chance encounter, that
while Hashem had a reason to speak to him, He did not do so lovingly (see
Bamidar 23:4).

In his profound humility, Moshe wished to describe Hashem's revelation to

him with the same subdued word ("vayikar") used for Bilaam - without an
"Alef" - but Hashem instructed him to include the "Alef" as an expression of
affection. Too humble to do so wholeheartedly, Moshe wrote a small "Alef"
(Ba'al Haturim).

One may wonder how Moshe reached his unequaled humility. The opening
statement of Pirkei Avot is: "Moshe kibeil Torah miSinai" - "Moshe
received the Torah from Sinai." The Lubavitcher Rebbe questions that
grammatically it should have stated, "Moshe received the Torah al Sinai - on
Sinai." Therefore, he explains that the word "Torah" is derived from the
word "hora'ah" - teaching and guidance (see Zohar Vol. 3, 53b), and the
Mishnah is conveying that Moshe received Torah - a guiding lesson - from
Sinai on the subject of humility.

As Hashem was preparing to give the Torah, the big mountains conceitedly
exclaimed, "Due to our prominence, the Torah should be given on us!"
Hashem disregarded them and chose Sinai, which was the lowest of all the
mountains, thus emphasizing humility, a necessary prerequisite for Torah.

Consequently, because of "behar Sinai" - the giving of the Torah on Mt.

Sinai - Moshe surmised the importance of humility and wrote "Vayikra"
with a small "Alef".