CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE WEEKLY SEDRAH - PARSHAS TZAV 5768 - BS"D

2) Ch. 6, v. 13: "Zeh korban Aharon uvonov …… b'yom himoshach oso" - This is the offering of Aharon and his sons …… on the day of his anointment - Every Kohein must bring a meal offering, called "minchas chavitin," on the day of his inauguration. The Kohein Godol brings this offering every day, and it is offered half in the morning and half in the afternoon. Why does the Kohein Godol do this daily?

3) Ch. 6, v. 18: "Bimkome asher tishocheit ho'oloh tishocheit hachatos" - In the place where the oloh will be slaughtered shall the chatos be slaughtered - Where is the "oloh" offering slaughtered? Vayikra 1:11 tells us, "V'shochat oso al yerech hamizbei'ach tzofonoh," that it should be slaughtered on the north side of the Mishkon courtyard. The Avnei Nezer explains that since an "oloh" offering brings atonement for sins in the realm of thought, it is appropriate to have it slaughtered in the north, "tzofone," as this word also means hidden, i.e. to atone for the hidden thoughts.

If so, why does the Torah require one to slaughter the "chatos" offering in the same location, since a "chatos" is brought for an act, albeit unintentional?

4) Ch. 6, v. 21: "U'chli cherres asher t'vushal bo yishoveir" - Rashi explains that the flavour of the sacrifice which was absorbed into the walls of the vessel in which it was cooked become "nosar," left over beyond their halachically prescribed time. Since that which is absorbed into the walls of an earthenware vessel cannot be totally extracted, it must therefore be broken and never used. According to the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam which is mentioned in Tosfos on the gemara Chulin 75a that even the passage of one night is sufficient to spoil the flavour of absorption, "taamo nifgam", this flavour would then not pass on any prohibited flavour into future sacrifices which would be cooked in the earthenware (or for that matter any material) vessel. If so why is it necessary to break the earthenware vessel (Also why is it necessary to kasher the copper vessel)?

5) Ch. 7, v. 15: "Todas shlomov b'yom korbono yei'ocheil" - We see from this verse that a Korban Todoh is actually a Korban Shlomim, but with some variations. They are that the time allowance for consumption is limited to only that day and the next night, and that forty breads must be baked to supplement the sacrifice. Why is the Korban Todoh different in these manners?

ANSWERS:

#1

The reason for this is because Shovuos is the day we received the Torah. The angels were not ready to have the heavens relinquish the Torah. Moshe pleaded the case for humanity to have the Torah by asking, "Do you angels have an evil inclination?" Since chometz symbolizes the evil inclination we make an exception on Shovuos and bring breads that are "chometzdik." (Kli Yokor)

#2

Abarbanel offers 9 reasons, and one more reason is offered:

1) By bringing an offering daily he will repent daily. As the spiritual leader of the generation and its representative in the Beis Hamikdosh, he must be in top spiritual form. Before he can serve as the agent to cleanse others of their sins, he himself must be cleansed (gemara Sanhedrin 18).

2) This will spur others on to bring offerings when they have sinned, as they will surely take a lesson from him.

3) This will keep sinners from being reluctant because of shame, to bring sin-offerings.

4) This will keep poor people who can only afford to bring a meal offering from being reluctant to bring their offerings, as the Kohein Godol himself brings a daily meal-offering.

5) This will bring the feeling of humility into the heart of the Kohein Godol, as his offering is the same as a poor person's.

6) Since he and his descendants will consume the meal-offerings of the bnei Yisroel daily, he must bring his own daily and have it burned in its entirety, to symbolize that his eating of others' is not to stuff his belly, but rather to serve as a form of burning/consumption of their offerings similar to that of the altar.

7) To serve as a daily thanks for receiving numerous "matnos K'hunoh" benefits, not only in the Beis Hamikdosh, but also from throughout the land

8) To make up for the possible shortfall of an incomplete "kmitzoh" portion for the altar.

9) To guarantee on a twice daily basis, morning and afternoon, that public and private offerings are brought - The "korban tomid" is the public offering, and the "minchas chavitin machatzisoh vaboker umachatzisoh bo'erev" is the private offering.

10) Mayonoh shel Torah offers that although a regular Kohein only brings this offering on the day of his inauguration the Kohein Godol is expected to raise himself daily, to grasp new levels of service of Hashem. Thus he goes through a daily inauguration, as his office of Kohein Godol is a new greater responsibility daily.

#3

This question was raised to the Avnei Nezer by his son, Rabbi Shmuel. The Avnei Nezer answered him that an unintentional sin had at its root an emotional drive to commit the sin. Without this a person would be incapable of transgressing even unintentionally. The "chatos" offering not only affords atonement for the act, but also for this reprehensible forethought. Since here too we have atonement for a thought as well as an action, "tzofone" is required. (Shem miShmuel)

#4

Hagaon Rabbi Yosef Shaul Natanson asks this and answers with a mishnoh in Pirkei Ovos (5:5) which says that among the ten miracles that occurred on a regular basis in the Beis Hamikdosh was that the flesh of the sacrifices never spoiled, even if left for two days and a night as with the flesh of a "Korban Shlomim." If this was so, then the flavour which was absorbed from the flesh of the sacrifices in the walls of the vessels in which they were cooked, also didn't spoil. However, they did become "nosar," necessitating the breakage of earthenware vessels.

#5

Since the intent of bringing a Korban Todoh is to offer thanks to Hashem for being saved from one of four most dangerous situations (disease, incarceration, travel over a large body of water, travel through a desert, see T'hilim 107:21,22 and gemara Brochos 54b), these differences from a standard Korban Shlomim maximize the pronouncing of thanks. Since much more must be consumed in a shorter span of time, one must ask his acquaintances to join him. He therefore will express his thanks in front of a large group of people.

This is indicated in T'hilim 116:17,18. "L'choh ezbach zevach TODOH u'v'sheim Hashem ekroh. N'do'rei laShem asha'leim negdoh noh L'CHOL AMO." I will offer a TODOH sacrifice ...... in front of ALL HIS NATION.

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