Don't Come To Close

Why does the Torah need to introduce the avodah of Yom Kippur with the death of Nadav and Abihu?  The Or Hachaim explains the sin of Nadav and Abihu was as the possuk says בקרבתם לפני ה, they desired to come so close to Hashem that their souls could no longer be contained in the human body.  When one experiences the sight of the avodat Yom Kippurim and experiences a spiritual uplifting, they may be so ceased by a desire to come close to Hashem that they want to rush into the kodesh kodashim to come into the holiest place on the holiest day.  The Torah cautions אל יבא בכל עת אל הקודש.  Such actions, although with good intentions are not favorable as was seen in the incident of Nadav and Abihu.  Instead the kedusha of the day must inspire one to lead a life of kedusha (see Likutay Sichos volume 3.)  

The Rambam at the end of Ch. 4 of Avodat Yom Kippurim describes how the kohan gadol would make a feast when he returned home after Yom Kippur.  Why does the Rambam need to cite this in the Laws of Yom Kippur, is this a law in the avodah itself?  The point of the avodah is to bring it into the house.  To bring the kedusha of the avodah done on Yom Kippur use it to infuse one's life.  This is the completion of the avodah itself (see Likutay Sichos volume 32.)   

This idea is the bridge between the parshiot of Vakra until now and the parshiot that follow.  Most of the parshiot until Acharei deal will laws of korbanot and the erection of the Mishkan.  After the parsha of the avodah on Yom Kippur, the Torah gives parshiot with many commandments which have to do with a person's behavior.  It is the switch from the kedusha of the Midhkan and its offerings and to take that and infuse one's daily life. 

Let Him Greave

דבר אל אהרן אחיך.  We know that Moshe is Aharon's brother, why does the Torah need to specify that here?  Why is there a gap of a few parshiot between the episode of the death of Nadav and Abihu and the subsequent commandments given only in our parsha?  I heard an insight in the name of Rav Nissin Alpert.  When one is in deep pain, they need to be given time and space to be able to move beyond the shock and grief of the moment.  That is why there cannot be commandments directly following the events of Aharons' sons dying.  It is given אחרי which is after some time had passed.  That is why the Torah says אל אהרן אחיך.  These commandments will touch a chord in Aharon and remind him of what happened to his sons.  Such commandments can't be given over as Moshe the teacher but must be given from Moshe the brother.  They must be given with sensitivity and compassion as to not to cause Aharon too much grief.  

A few other scattered points. 

On Chol Hamoed there are speakers in a local shul.  One of them was Rav Aharom Kahn.  He mentioned that there are only two times throughout the year when incorporated into the text in לשנה הבא בירושלים, on Pesach at the end of the Haggadah and on Yom Kippur at the conclusion of neilah.  Why these two times?  Because are entire experience of the holiday is greatly lacking on these two days.  A Yom Tov of Pesach without the actual korban Pesach and a Yom Kippur without the avodah are two holidays where we feel that the day is very lacking without the Mikdash and the korbanot of the day. 

After the avodat hayom the Torah mebtions the issur melacha and the mitzvah of ענוי and only after that is says (16:30) כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם...  Seemingly that possuk should be placed in the context of the avodah which enacts the atonement?  The possuk is not placed in part of the avodah for it the avodah is a chiuv on the tzibbur, it is how the nation achieves atonement.  Then the Torah tells us the specific obligation of the day that everyone must keep, the issur melacha and ענוי.  Another obligation on every individual is כי ביום הזה יכפר עליכם, to do teshuva (see Seforno.)  It is only with this teshuva that is 'לפני ה, private between each individual and Hashem that one reaches תטהרו, complete cleansing. 

Krias Hatorah On Pesach

The Rambam Tefillah (13:8) says  וּמשֶׁה תִּקֵּן לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיְּהוּ קוֹרְאִין בְּכָל מוֹעֵד עִנְיָנוֹ. וְשׁוֹאֲלִין וְדוֹרְשִׁין בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם בְּכָל מוֹעֵד וּמוֹעֵד. וּמַה הֵן קוֹרִין. בְּפֶסַח בְּפָרָשַׁת מוֹעֲדוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים. וּכְבָר נָהֲגוּ הָעָם לִקְרוֹת בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן (שמות יב כא) ״מִשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ לָכֶם״ וּמַפְטִירִין בְּ(גמרא מגילה לא א) ״פֶסַח גִּלְגָּל״. וּבְיוֹם טוֹב שֵׁנִי (ויקרא כב כז) ״שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶשֶׂב״ וכו.

Why does the Rambam start we read from תורת כהנים and then tell us the custom is to read that on the second day, just tell us the readings?  The source of the Rambam is the Mishna in Megillah (30b) and the Gemarah on the last amud where the Mishna tells us to read תורת כהנים and the Gemorah says the minhag but how can the Gemarah deviate from the Mishna?  It is clear from the Rambam here that he views the kria on the holiday as connected to the law of שׁוֹאֲלִין וְדוֹרְשִׁין בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם בְּכָל מוֹעֵד וּמוֹעֵד.  There are two aspects to this law of שׁוֹאֲלִין וְדוֹרְשִׁין בְּעִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל יוֹם בְּכָל מוֹעֵד וּמוֹעֵד.  One aspect is to review and know the laws of the holiday.  Another aspect (discussed here,) is to be highlight the event that occurred on the holiday. It is these these two elements which the Rambam wants to highlight exist in the kria of the holiday.  The מן הדין kria is the reading of the kedushat hayom which tells us the issur melacha and dinim of the holiday.  That is what the Mishna says.  There must be a reading from תורת כהנים on the holiday.  The נהגו reading is that of the activity pertinent to the day.  (The Ran in Megillah explains that we read שור או כשב on the second day because it mentions the omer which we start counting.)  We choose where to put that reading where it most reflects the omde of the day for that must be mentioned as well.  That is what the Gemarah is telling us.  There is no contradiction between the Mishna and the Gemarah, they compliment each other (base upon what my wife's cousin wrote.) 

In the discussion of why there is no hallel on Purim the Gemarah Megillah (14a) says that we say shira on leaving slavery.  Rashi says as we see that Klal Yisroel said the shirat hayam.  The Turay Even asks but that was a one time shira, where do we see that creates a general obligation to say hallel? 

Rashi in Beshalach (14:5) says since in the morning of the seventh say of leaving Egypt Klal Yisroel said shira, therefore we say shira on the seventh day of Pesach.  What does he mean we say shira, it is the kria of the day, not shira?  We see that the kria of the shira on shevii of Pesach is not just a regular halacha of kria of the moad but is considered a shira.  That is the kium of shira every year.  The yesod of this idea is in the Yerushalmi Sotah (5:4, 24b) that the obligation is לאמר לדורות, the obligation of shira is every year (from Emrei Chayn on Megillah pg. 162.)  

Five Steps To Freedom

What is the difference between the דכפין that we invite to eat and the יצטרך that we invite to partake in  the pesach?  Why are some invited to partake of the pesach and some invited to eat? השתא הכא, לשנה הבאה בארעא דישראל, השתא עבדי, לשנה הבאה בני חורין.  What is the difference between being in Eretz Yisroel and בני חורין?  

The number four is greatly associated with the seder.  There are four sons, four cups of wine, four terminologies of geulah.  However, almost behind the scenes, the four become 5.  There is a fifth cup of wine which is dubbed the cup of Eliyahu according to many customs.   This in turn corresponds to a fifth terminology of geulah.  In addition, Rav Levi Yitzchak Schneerson notes that there is a fifth son in the hagaddah which goes unmentioned.  To save my hand from typing I will just paste what he writes and for further explanation see this video:

 

What is the nature of this hidden fifth column?  I believe the answer lies in the words of Rav Levi Yitzchak.  The four sons correspond to the hashpa Elokis that is revealed.  The 5 gevurot and 3 chassadim correspond to 8 times the name יקוק which is the numerical value of 208 which is the same as the 4 sons, בן*4 = 208.  The fifth son is hinted to in the 4 times it says אחד = 13*4 = 52, another בן.  This corresponds to the two names of יקוק, 26*2 of the "hidden chassadim."  The fifth son is not yet present.  The fifth terminology, the fifth cup, is for the ultimate redemption which was a process started at yitziat mitzraim but has not yet been completed.  At the seder we emphasize 4 which embodies yizias mitzraim but we hint to the ultimate redemption which is hinted to in the number 5.  (The four corresponds to the four lower levels of the neshema and 5 corresponds to the yechida, ואכ"מ.)  The four terminologies, the four sons, correspond to four paths on the way to freedom and the ultimate geulah, the ultimate freedom, its the fifth step, the fifth son.   

The passage of הא לחמא עניא is describing all five of these steps.  אכלו אבהתנא בארעא דמצרים refers to the lowest level which is that we were trapped in Egypt and had to get out.  כל דכפין ייתי ויכול refers to the next step, after leaving servitude, one is looking to merely eat, to survive on his/her own.  After looking to merely survive, one can then have their spiritual awakening and look to fulfill mitzvot, the korban pesach.  The next stage is to be established בארעא דישראל, as part of a unified nation settled in one's own practices.  The fifth and final stage is בני חורין.  This level will be obtained in the future when the nefesh is totally free and the pursuit of mankind will be to come close to G-d.  On Pesach we celebrate the four levels of freedom that were accomplished through yitzias mitzraim and take a sneak peak at the ultimate redemption (based upon this article.)

Freedom And Liberty

We say in the haggadah (in עבדים היינו) that if Hashem hadn't taken us out of Egypt then we would still be משעובדים לפרעה.  Who says we wolud have still been enslaved, there could have been a revolution and we would have been freed?  In one peshat in the Briskor Hagaddah, Rav Dovid Solevetchik explains that Rav Chayim said besides actually beying enslaved in Egypt, the Jews were a עבדים בחפצא, they had the status of slaves and true the actual slavery might have stopped but their status as slaves would not have been changed.  At the end of Maggid we say in the beracha ונודה לך שיר חדש על גאלתנו ועל פדות נפשינו.  What is the difference between פדות and גאולה?  The Rav cites Rav Chayim that גאולה means a transfer of possession like it says by a filed that returns to the owner in yoval, גאולה תהיה לו.  The word פדות which is used in the context of redeeming maaser sheni and hekdesh means a change in the status of the object, it had kedusha and now it is gone.  Says the Rav in light of the previous Rav Chayim that in yitziat mitzraim Klal Yisroel were נגאלו, they left the domain of being slaves to Egypt and פדות נפשיתו, there status as חפצא of עבדים was lifted.  He says that is what is meant in the לפיכך of the Hagaddah right before the hallel in maggid that we give thanks that Hashem took us out from עבדות לחירות and משעובד לגאולה.  These two praises correspond to the two aspects of being removed from the physical enslavement and the slave status.  What does this mean that one can have the status of a slave even if one is not actually enslaved?  

There are two stories of מתחילין בגנות ומסיימים בשבח which we recount in the hagaddah.  One is the transformation from slaves to free men and the other is the transition form idol worshipers to serve Hashem (see Rambam Chametz U'matzah 7:4.)  Both processes are integral to the story of yitzias mitzraim.  Without yitzias mitraim the physical slavery may indeed have ceased at some point but liberated, Klal Yisroel would not be.  Freedom from slavery does not make one a liberated man.  The liberated man has his own mind, his own perspective, his own culture, his own identity.  The slavery in Egypt stripped the very identity of Klal Yisroel until in their own eyes they became merely Egyptian slaves.  Even if the slave part would be removed they would remain stuck in the paradigm of the Egyptian way of life.  That is how Klal Yisroel would remain עבדים even if the shackles were removed from their feet.  Yitzias mitzraim did not  just  grant Klal Yisroel freedom, it granted them liberty or in Hebrew not merely חפשי but חירות.  Klal Yisroel became a nation devoted to Hashem.  That is the culture, the identity of Klal Yisroel that was defined by yitzias mitzraim and solidified at Mattan Torah.  The praise for גאולה is on freedom, על פדות נפשינו is on liberty.  

According to Ben Zoma (Berachot 12b) in the times of Moshiach there will be no mitzvah of the daily reminder of yitzias mitzraim for the miracles will pale in comparison to the miracles of the future.  So why will the mitzvah of sippur yitzias mitzraim on Pesach remain?  Miracles of freedom can be eclipsed by greater miraclesof freedom and be neglected but the liberty established at yitzias mitzraim is everlasting.  The mitzvah to recount and relive that story will remain (Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi haggadah pg. 99-101.) 

Daily Freedom

Letter from Lubavitcher Rebbe on the meaning of freedom.  Freedom is for one to be able to use their capabilities to their fullest extent.  For a Jew their capability is to come as close to Hashem as possible and that is why every day one must experience a new level of freedom.  

כל יום-טוב יש לו תוכנו המיוחד, ולכן גם לימודיו והוראותיו המיוחדים, הנוגעים לכל אלה שהיום-טוב ניתן להם, דהיינו, כל אחד מישראל – בתור יחיד והן בתור חלק מכלל ישראל – וכן לכלל ישראל בתור כלל.

אופיו של כל יום-טוב משתקף ומתבטא בשמו של היום-טוב, והמצוות, דינים ומנהגים הקשורים עמו.

.אחד הענינים העיקריים שבחג הפסח נרמז גם בשם שקבעו אנשי כנסת-הגדולה ליום טוב זה – "זמן חרותינו".

והתורה שנקראת "תורת חיים", מורה דרך בחיים – דורשת מכל יהודי לזכור, היינו לחיות מחדש, את החירות, יציאת מצרים, כל יום מימי חיינו. ובסגנון רז"ל: בכל דור ודור ובכל יום ויום חייב אדם לראות את עצמו כאילו הוא יצא היום ממצרים.

הציווי והדרישה הם לכל דור – הן בזמנים שמלכות בית-דוד היתה קיימת זה כמה דורות ובית המקדש היה קיים, והן בזמנים החשוכים של דור השמד, ר"ל.ואל כל יהודי בכל יום. אע"פ שאתמול היתה אצלו "יציאת מצרים", צריך הוא לחיות את "יציאת מצרים" היום מחדש, ומחר עוד הפעם.כי התוכן של "יציאת מצרים" מתבטא בכך שהוא משתחרר מההפרעות והמיצרים העומדים בדרכו ומונעים ממנו להיות מה שהוא צריך להיות ולעשות מה שהוא צריך לעשות.ולכן, ה"יציאת מצרים" של אתמול אינה מספיקה עבור מצבו ודרגתו היום, וה"יציאת מצרים" של היום – לא תספיק עבור מחר.

:האמור לעיל יובהר יותר ע"פ הרעיון דלהלן

בהדרגות שבעולם שמסביבנו – הנה הצומח, כאשר כל הדרוש לצמיחה, אדמה מים ואויר וכדומה, מסופקים לו במילואם – אזי "משוחרר" הצומח מכל ה"דאגות" וההפרעות שלו. ואף שאינו יכול לזוז ממקומו, ו"נגזר" עליו להשאר במקומו כל ימיו – יש לו את מלוא החירות של צומח. כל זמן שאינו אלא צומח – הרי הוא בן חורין באמת.

אבל החי, אפילו כאשר מסופקים כל צרכיו, אכילה, שתיה וכדומה, אבל מוכרח הוא לעמוד במקום אחד – הרי זה אצלו המיצר הכי גדול – מאסר, מאסר הכי גרוע, כי חסרה לו עיקר מהותו.

ואילו האדם, שהוא שכלי, אפילו אם יש לו מלוא החירות של תנועה, אבל כשמרחיקים אותו מחיים שכליים – אזי הוא במאסר, מאסר שגוזל אותו מעיקר מהותו.

וכן הוא בעולם השכל עצמו – מי שביכלתו להגיע לדרגות הכי עליונות בשכל, ומגבילים אותו לחיים שכליים של ילד קטן – הרי זה המאסר הכבד ביותר עבור ה"אני" האמיתי שלו,

ואם הוא בעצמו מגביל את עצמו בכך – על ידי בזבוז שנותיו ושכלו ואפשרויותיו על אכילה ושתי' וכדומה, ולחיפוש אמצעים להשגת מאכל ומשקה, מבלי להתעלות יותר – הרי, מבחינות רבות, מאסר-עצמי זה מר יותר בהרבה, וגורם תוצאות חמורות יותר.

בני ישראל, שכל אחד מהם יש לו נפש אלקית, חלק אלוקה ממעל ממש, אשר, אפילו כאשר היא מלובשת בנפש הבהמית ובגוף, הרי היא קשורה עם הקב"ה, עם "אין סוף" – שאיפתה לחרות האמיתית שלה, ליציאת מצרים, היא תמידית ו"אין-סופית". היא אינה יכולה להישאר במקום אחד. כל יום, בעלייתה הנוספת ע"י תורה ומצוות, המקרבים לאין-סוף – מרגישה הנשמה בעומק פנימיותה שהמדריגה של אתמול היא היום כבר בבחינת "מצרים", שיש לצאת ממנה ולהגיע למעלה יותר.

Tosefet Shabbat/ Yom Tov

Tosfot in Pesachim (99b) says if one accept the holiday of Pesach early the mitzvah of eating matzah can not be fulfilled during tosefes yom tov because there is a hekesh from matzah to korban pesach where the possuk says it must be eaten after nightfall and during tosefes yom tov it is not yet night.  Rav Elchonon Wasserman points out that if not for the hekesh Tosfos holds that you would be able to fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzah during tosefes yom tov even though it is still the 14^th of Nissan.  How can one fulfill the mitzvah of matzah if it not the Yom Tov yet?  We see, Rav Elchonon says, that Tosfot holds tosefes yom tov makes it as if the chol day ended and the yom tov day started and therefore it is considered eating matzah on Pesach.  Rav Elchonon asks this contradicts Tosfot in Ketubot (47a) that says tosefes yom tov only creates an issur meleacha like that of the yom tov but the din of simcha is not extended.  That Tosfot holds that tosefes yom tov only extends the issur melecha but does not extend the yom tov itself.  In other words the two Tosfot are arguing in the chakirah of the Amek Beracha (Yom Tov) if tosefes yom tov merely extends the issur melacha or the yom tov itself is extended. 

The Gemarah in Berachot (27b) says that one can make kiddush of Shabbat during tosefes Shabbat.  Is tosefes merely adds an issur melacha how does that work?  (According to the Rambam discussed here, that holds one can say kiddush before Shabbat this is not difficult.) The Mishne Berurah (267:5) cites a machlokes if one can fulfill the mitzvah of seudat shabbat during tosefes.  If one can fulfill kiddush, why not seudah?  

The Rama in Yoreh Deah (196:1) cites a machlokes in a scenario where the community accepted Shabbat early and a woman forgot to do a bedikah Friday can she still do the bedikah or is it considered that Friday is over and she missed it.  The two opinions seem to be arguing in the same machlokes as the two Tosfot.  The Gra explains the opinion that you can do a bedikah is because tosefes only makes it considered nightfall regarding kiddush and havdalah as stated both the Tosfot in Pesachim and in Ketubot.  How does tosefes only make it nightfall vis-a-vis kiddush and havdalah?  And how can the Gra lump together the Tosefot in Pesachim and the Tosefot in Ketubot when they are two different opinions? 

Rav Chayim (stencil) asks on the Tosfos in Pesachim that tosefes only extends the yom tov for dinim that stem from the kedusha of the yom tov but matzah is a separate mitzvah?  What is Rav Chayim's question, what difference does it make if the mitzvah is that of the kedashu of the yom tov or a separate mitzvah?   

The Minchas Chinuch (19:9) says that if one has a meal at the end of Pesach that extends past the end of the chag then one may eat chametz in the meal once the chag ends even though the individual is doing tosefes yom tov because tosefes only creates an issur melacha but the kedusha of the yom tov does not extend.  He repeats this yesod in mitzvah 323:2.  The Minchas Chinuch holds like the way Rav Elchonon learnt in the Tosfos in Ketubot.  The Alter Rebbe rules the same way as the Minchas Chinuch in Shulchan Aruch (491:3.)  However, he explains the reason differently.  He explains that tosefes yom tov extends the kedusha of the day into the timeframe of chol (either before or after the chag,) so dinim of kedushat hayom apply but chametz is not an issur which derives from the kedusha of the day (it applies on chol hamoad,) but stems from the days of Pesach themselves.  We see from the Alter Rebbe a third way to understand tosefes shabbos/yom tov.  It is not just an issur melacha but on the other hand it doesn't make the chol truncated and it is as if the day of yom tov grew longer.  Rather what tosefes does is to extend the kedusha of the chag into the chol.  The yom tov itself doesn't extend, it is the kedusha of the yom tov which is extended.  That is what Rav Chayim meant to ask.  Matzah has nothing to do with the kedusha of the yom tov, it is a separate mitzvah so how can Tosfot entertain that one can eat matzah during tosefes?  This is the intent of the Gra as well.  Kiddush and havdalah are mitzvot which derive from the kedushat hayom.  Those mitzvot can be fulfilled during tosefes.  However, the specific mitzvot to the chag have nothing to do with kedushat hayom, they are separate mitzvot and one can not fulfill them during tosefes.  This means that it is not considered to actually be shabbos/ yom tov during the time of tosefes and hence a woman can do her Friday bedikah during tosefes shabbos.  This is why some poskim hold that seudat shabbat can not be fulfilled during tosefes shabbos because they hold the seudah is a mitzvah that has to be done on shabbos, it is not a mitzvah linked to the kedusha of the day.  This is how the Gra understood the two Tosfot.  He understood that they are not two distinct approaches to the understanding of tosefes yom tov but rather they are saying the same yesod that the the the previous day is not chopped off and it is considered nightfall early, rather tosefes only extends the kedusha of the day.  (We will have to say that Tosfot held not like Rav Chayim and matzah is a mitzvah which does stem from the kedushat hayom.)  

(This approach is not like the Maharshal and Taz in siman 668:1 and the Taz in 494:1, ואכ"מ.) [Based upon a shiur by R' Elefant of the Mir.  Many of the points mentioned here were discussed on my father's blog 16 years (!) ago here.]

It Follows

Why is the tumah of the metzorah stated in Tazria but the tahara of the metzorah is described in the next parsha, Metzorah?  Why is the parsha of negaim on a house put after the taharah process of the metzorah?  

Rashi (14:34) says that the negaim on the houses is a positive for it allowed for Klal Yisroel to find the treasures hidden in the walls by the previous owners.  This would indicate that negaim are a positive but on the other hand Chazal say that negaim only come as a punishment for averot one has done?   

The metzorah himself is in a despondent state.  Being afflicted with the nage, in a state of tumah, having to distance one's self from the main camp is an experience which most would rather do without.  When one is stuck in such a state, one can not see the taharah process.  When one is stuck they can't see how there will be a way out of the hardship.  The taharah process in not evedent.  Therefore, the taharah process is placed in a separate parsha.  It is only after doing teshuvah that one can see how the nega set one on the path of teshuva.  It is only when one is able to take a more distance look at the nega, as in when it is one the house, when the person himself in not suffering as directly, that one can understand that that the tumah will help find the treasure underneath.  The tumah will lead to one mending their ways to a brighter future.  The parsha of the tumah leads directly into the taharah.  Here, the taharah process of the house follows directly from the tumah (based upon Likutay Sichot volume 27 sicha 2.)