CHAMISHOH MI YODEI'A - FIVE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON PARSHAS TZAV 5775 - BS"D

2) Ch. 6, v. 20: "Vaasher yizeh modimoh al ha'beged …… t'cha'beis b'mokome kodosh" - And if its blood will be sprinkled upon a garment …… you shall launder in a holy place - Why is there a requirement to cleanse the blood of the sacrifice, and why is this said specifically by a "chatos" offering?

3) Ch. 6, v. 21: "Uchli che'res asher t'vushal bo yisho'veir" - And an earthenware vessel n which it will be cooked shall be broken - What happened to all the shattered earthenware vessels?

4) Ch. 7, v. 13: "Al chalos lechem chomeitz" - Besides these the breads that are leavened - This is unique, that the breads are leavened, something that we do not find by other meal offerings. Why so?

5) Ch. 7, v. 17: "V'hanosar mi'menoh" - And that which is left over from it - The Torah expresses this in a fait accompli manner, as if it will likely happen, in contra-distinction with Shmos 29:34, "V'im yivo'seir," IF there will be left over. Why here is being left over expressed as a likelihood?

ANSWERS:

#1

The Toras Kohanim on our verse says that the baked bread should be folded once. The Raavad explains that earlier the bread was folded once into two sections and then again into four. This is indicated by the doubling of the term "pas." Here where it is mentioned only once, the Toras Kohanim says that it is folded only once.

However, the Rambam in hilchos maasei hakorbonos 13:4 says that the Kohein splits each bread into approximately two equal parts so that one half can be offered in the morning and the other in the evening. This is his explanation of "machatzisoh baboker umachatzisoh bo'erev." Each half is then folded once before being offered.

The Raavad disagrees and says that the intention of "machatzisoh ……" is that half of the six breads be offered in the morning and the other half be offered in the evening, but each bread remains whole, but folded.

#2

The Ramban explains that if left unlaundered, the garment will eventually be worn outside the Mikdosh precinct and become invalidated through "yotzei." Rashi and the Rashbam say that the blood will become disqualified with the passage of time at the end of the day, "nosar."

Why this rule applies only to a "chatos" even though the disqualifications of "yotzei" and "nosar" apply to other sacrifices as well, is explained by the Abarbanel. He says that the likelihood of blood landing on the Kohein's garments is greatest by "chatos hapnimi," the sin-offering that is brought into the Sanctuary building. Its blood is applied to the curtain dividing between the Holy and the Holy of Holies, as well as upon the inner golden altar. The Kohein must dip his finger numerous times into the pan of blood before applying the blood, so the possibility of it dripping onto his vestments is great. The Torah therefore rules that the blood be laundered, as above. (Although we don't have all this finger dipping by a standard "chatos," once the Torah required the cleansing by one type of "chatos" the ruling goes across the board.)

#3

The gemara Yoma 21 says that all these shards, if left in the Mikdosh compound, would fill it up. A miracle took place and they were swallowed into the ground. This is one of eight miracles that were a regular occurrence at the Mikdosh.

#4

The Sforno explains that since we are discussing a "todoh' offering, which is brought by someone who has been saved from a life-threatening situation, it is obvious that he has fallen short in his behaviour in some way and has given in to the evil inclination, known as "s'ore sheb'isoh," the leavening agent in the dough.

#5

Perhaps this is because a todoh sacrifice is basically a shlomim, just the todoh has one day less to be consumed. Add to this that there are 40 accompanying breads to the todoh. This makes "nosar" a much greater likelihood. (Nirreh li)

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