SEDRAH SELECTIONS PARSHAS TZAV 5762 BS"D

Ch. 6, v. 1,2: "MosheH leimoRe, TzaV eS" - The final letters of these four words spell Torah. This teaches us that the studying of "toras ho'oloh," the laws, are paramount. "Kol halomeid toras ho'oloh k'ilu hikriv oloh" (gemara M'nochos 110a). (Moshav Z'keinim)

Ch. 6, v. 2: "Zose toras ho'oloh .. al mikdoh" - The Medrash Tanchuma interprets: He who elevates himself, "ho'oloh," deserves being burned, "al mokdoh."

Ch. 6, v. 2: "Zose toras ho'oloh hee ho'oloh al mokdoh" - This is the Torah, which contains 248 positive precepts and 365 negative precepts. "Ho'oloh hee ho'oloh" has the numerical value of 248, and "ho'oloh al mokdoh" has the numerical value of 365. (Moshav Z'keinim)

Ch. 6, v. 3: "V'lovash haKohein MIDO vad" - Targum Onkeles translates MIDO as "l'vushin," garments. We find this word form as clothes in Shmuel 1:4:12, "MADov k'ru'im," in Shmuel 2:20:8, "Chogur MADo l'vusho," and in T'hilim 133:2, "She'yoreid al pi MIDosov." (Ramban)

Ch. 6, v. 6: "Aish tomid tukad al hamizbei'ach lo sichbeh" - If one serves Hashem with great enthusiasm, with a continuous fire, "aish tomid tukad al hamizbei'ach," then the evil inclination, which has the negative appellation "lo," will be extinguished, "sichbeh." (Baal Shem Tov)

In a similar vein, the Moshav Z'keinim says: Read "hamizbei'ach" as "hamzabei'ach," the slaughterer. One who slaughters his evil inclination and continuously fights to do Hashem's will with fire, it is as if he has no evil inclination.

Ch. 6, v. 18: "Zose toras hachatos" - The Ramban writes that in parshas Vayikroh, where the Torah introduces us to the different types of offerings, the order is "oloh, minchoh, shlomim, chatos, oshom." The offerings that are voluntary are listed first, and then the obligatory offerings. In our parsha, where the details of the service of the offerings are related, the order is "oloh, minchoh, chatos, oshom, shlomim." The offerings that are "kodoshei kodoshim" are listed first, as their laws are similar, and then the laws of "kodoshim kalim."

Rabbi Yehudoh Baal Tosfos asks, "Why both earlier and here does the "minchoh" offering of flour come between the "oloh" and "chatos" offerings, both items that are slaughtered?"

Ch. 7, v. 11: "V'zose toras zevach haShlomim ASHER YAKRIV LA'SHEM" - Earlier by the "chatos" offering (6:18) the words ASHER YAKRIV LA'SHEM do not appear. The Nachal K'dumim, Ponim Yofos, and Kli Yokor explain that when one brings a "chatos" offering to atonement for his sin, he must realize that Hashem is angry with him for sinning, even unintentionally. The offering is sent through an intermediary, the Kohein. Thus the words ASHER YAKRIV do not appear, as one must be conscious of the go-between that distances him from Hashem.

A "shlomim" sacrifice is offered voluntarily, as a present. The donour may feel as if he is giving to Hashem directly. This is further pointed out by the words "Yodov t'vi'enoh" (7:30), the donour lends his hands in the "t'nufoh" procedure.

Perhaps we can say that since the donour himself receives the majority of the meat of the "shlomim" the Torah wants to remind him to have in mind that the animal is sanctified to Hashem, ASHER YAKRIV LA'SHEM.

Ch. 7, v. 12: "Im al todoh yakri'venu" - The gemara Brochos 54b says that one is required to bring a thanksgiving offering when going through one of four experiences, being released from incarceration, recovering from a sickness, having safely traversed a sea, or having safely made it through a desert. The Baal Haturim O.Ch. #219 says that this is alluded to in the text of our thrice daily prayers, "v'chol haCHAYIM yoducho seloh." The word "chayim," spelled Ches- Yud-Yud-Mem is an acronym for "choleh" - an ill person, "y'surim" - one who went through the suffering of an illness, "yam" - one who traversed a sea, and "midbor" - one who passed safely through a desert. The M.R. 9:2 on our verse says: In T'hilim 50:23 it says "Zovei'ach todoh y'chabdoN'Ni." Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Acha says that the verse does not say "y'chabdoNI," with one letter Nun, but rather, "y'chabdoN'Ni," with two letters Nun, indicating that one must honour and again honour Hashem. The Ksav Sofer explains that when Hashem puts someone into a dangerous circumstance and then saves him, the person realizes that he must thank Hashem for being saved. However, the double Nun tells us that thanks must also be given for being placed into a dangerous stressful position, "Avorcho Hashem b'chol eis" (T'hilim 34:2). "Kol d'ovid Rachamono l'tav ovid," - All that the Merciful One does is for the good.

Ch. 7, v. 15: "Uv'sar zevach todas shlomov b'yom korbono yei'o'cheil lo yaniach mi'menu ad boker" - Rashi comments that although our verse clearly states that the "todoh" sacrifice may not be left until the morning, thus indicating that it may be eaten all night, nevertheless, our Rabbis have restricted its consumption until midnight (gemara Z'vochim 56b) as a safeguard that it not be left over until the morning (gemara Brochos 2a). Tosfos on the gemara Zvochim 57b d.h. "l'harchik" says that our Rabbis did not institute this safeguard for a regular "shlomim" that may be eaten the day of its being sacrificed, the following night, and the following day, to restrict the second day's consumption until midday, because a person realizes when the day comes to an end and will make sure to have all the meat consumed earlier. However, a person sometimes thinks that there are many hours left to the night and is surprised that it is suddenly daybreak.

The Meshech Chochmoh approaches the safeguard at midnight and no safeguard at midday differently. He notes that the Torah writes clear prohibitions for leaving over hallowed meat of all sacrifices, save "shlomim" that are eaten for a day, a night, and a day, (Shmos 12:10, 23:18, here, and Vayikroh 22:30). Since "shlomim" have no clear prohibition, but only by inference of limitation of time allotment, the Rabbis did not institute a safeguard. The Meshech Chochmoh goes on to explain why indeed the Torah was not as explicit by "shlomim." The gemara Taanis 30a and Sanhedrin 70a says that meat that is left for longer than the permitted time of eating "shlomim" loses its "geshmak" flavour, to the point that it no longer gladdens the heart (see Dvorim 27:7 "v'zovachto shlomim v'ochalto shom v'somachto"). Since meat that is left over that long deteriorates, the Torah did not find it necessary to express the time limitation with a clear prohibition, "lo saa'seh."

Ch. 7, v. 17: "V'hanosor .. bo'aish yso'reif" - The Chinuch mitzvoh #143 writes that this mitzvoh teaches us the moral lesson of trusting that Hashem will provide for our food needs. Just as the meat of the sacrifice should not be left for numerous days, in spite of the disadvantage that nothing will be left in a short period of time, since the meat will not be eaten sparingly, so too, one should not hunger by eating very small portions, for fear that he will have nothing in the future.

The GR"A says on the verse "Tzadik ocheil l'sova nafsho u'veten r'sho'im tech'sor" (Mishlei 13:25) that the "tzadik" of this verse is one who trusts in Hashem, as per the verse "V'tzadik be'emunoso yichyeh" (Chabakuk 2:4). The tzadik trusts in Hashem that He will provide tomorrow and eats to his satisfaction, while the "rosho," the one who lacks in trust eats a very meager portion for fear that he will have nothing tomorrow.

Ch. 7, v. 29: "Yovi es korbono laShem mi'zevach shlomov" - The N'tzi"v says that this verse teaches us that a person should not feel that it is beyond his dignity to lead a cow or sheep in the very public domain to the Mikdosh. Rather, he himself should bring it, "yovi es korbono," because it is "laShem," a sanctified object that is being sacrificed to Hashem. The words "mizevach shlomov," FROM his "shlomim" offerings, indicating that he need not personally bring all of his sacrifices and it suffices to bring even one, teaches us that if he is bringing numerous offerings it is not required of him to personally bring each one, since he is himself involved in bringing one. The rest may be brought by his workers.

Ch. 7, v. 38: "B'yom tzavoso es bnei Yisroel l'hakriv es kor'b'nei'hem laShem b'midbar Sinoi" - The gemara Z'vochim 98a derives from the word "b'yom" of our verse that the slaughtering and blood service of the sacrifice must all be done by day. We now understand why the verse ends with "b'midbar Sinoi," seemingly superfluous words. The Torah is pointing out that this ruling was given for the time they were in the desert, but not for the first years that they would later be in Eretz Yisroel. When the Mikdosh was in Gilgol, private altars, "bomos," were permitted. The gemara Z'vochim 120a says that slaughtering, etc., of a sacrifice that is offered on a private altar may be done at night according to one opinion. (Meshech Chochmoh)

Ch. 8, v. 3: "V'eis kol ho'eidoh hakheil" - Hashem told Moshe to prepare the priestly garments for Aharon in the previous verse. He then told Moshe to assemble all the bnei Yisroel in front of the entrance of the Ohel Mo'eid, a miraculous feat. He then told all the assembled that what he was about to do was by specific Heavenly command (verse 5). Only then did he proceed to purify and dress Aharon in the priestly raiment. All of this was done in a most public manner to show everyone that Aharon was the chosen Kohein Godol and that Hashem forgave him the sin of the golden calf. (Rokei'ach)

Ch. 8, v. 13: "Va'yachgor osom AVNEIT" - Should not the verse have said AVNEITIM? The Meshech Chochmoh says that the Torah always says AVNEIT in the singular, save in Shmos 28:40, "V'osiso lo'hem AVNEITIM." The Rambam in hilchos klei hamikdosh 8:9 writes that the sash, the "avneit," was 32 "amos" long and 23 finger breadths wide. We thus have a "one size fits all" AVNEIT, hence it is singular. (The exception is where the Torah tells us to make numerous sashes.) All other garments were custom sized for each Kohein. Therefore when the Torah says that they were dressed with "kutonos" and "migbo'os," the plural is used.

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See also Oroh V'Simchoh - Meshech Chochmoh on the Weekly Parsha and Chasidic Insights