"Bigdei Kahuna" Parsha page by Rabbi Yehuda Katz

This Torah thought is being dedicated to my beloved father, Nachman Shimon ben Yehuda Meir Hakohan, Z"L.

VAYIKRA

" He called to Moses....................................(1:1)

Moses only entered the tabernacle (Mishkan) when G-d had summoned him.Targum Yonassan (1:1) provides a reason why Moses refrained from entering the Mishkan as follows (paraphrased, please refer to the original):"When the Torah was given, Mt. Sinai acquired a special holiness because of that occurrence. Its greatness was only temporary,and Moses was prohibited from ascending the Mt. until he was asked to do so by G-d.However, the holiness of the Mishkan was much greater than Mt. Sinai in that its sanctity is of a permanent nature. It is reasonable, then, to assume that Moses would be unable to enter the Mishkan unless invited by G-d.................."(end of quote) We can , Bezrat Hashem, learn a tremendous lesson from Targum Yohanason. Mosha was perhaps the greatest Prophet, and definitely had a very unique and personal relationship with G-d. Yet Mosha understood that "holiness" is by nature sensitive. One can not just rush into G-d's service without any thought or preparation.Moses , therefore, used "Torah logic" to try to at comprehend exactly what G-d required of him.He made deductions from what happened at Mt. Sinai, and then waited for further instructions. Moses was surely a most humble man, not assuming to know all the answers before commencing on a path to serve Hashem. He was deliberate and patient, fully understanding the highly sensitive nature of Holiness. Above all Mosha displayed "good manners" in that he acted in a humble and unassuming manner always cognizant of G-ds presence..............How do we act? Do we always assume to know the proper path? Much can be learned from Mosha's deliberate and patient approach! In order to acquire "Torah logic" we must firstly humble ourselves, and only then can we begin to comprehend the highly sensitive nature of Hashem's service just like Mosha had done. Have a good Shabbos