Sinai Connection

 Parshat Behar opens with Har Sinai and Bechukosai ends אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה י״י֛ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֖ר סִינָֽי.  Why are these parshiot bookended by Sinai?  Why does the parsha of arachin end the sefer? 

The giving of the Torah was forging a connection between heaven and earth.  In the words of the Midrash (Shemos 12:3) משל למה הדבר דומה למלך שגזר ואמר בני רומי לא ירדו לסוריא ובני סוריא לא יעלו לרומי כך כשברא הקדוש ברוך הוא את העולם גזר ואמר השמים שמים לה' והארץ נתן לבני אדם כשבקש ליתן התורה בטל גזירה ראשונה ואמר התחתונים יעלו לעליונים והעליונים ירדו לתחתונים ואני המתחיל שנאמר (שמות יט כ) וירד ה' על הר סיני וכתיב (שם כד א) ואל משה אמר עלה אל ה' .  It was the giving of the Torah that allows Klal Yisrael to infuse kedusha into worldly things. 

The parshiot from the beginning of Shemos through Vayikra have mostly been devoted to the Mishkan and the service done in it.  The Mishkan is  kedusha that is given from Hashem.  Hashem's presence is what gives kedusha to the place and the avodah done to it.  

The end of the book of Vayikra deals not with laws pertaining to the Mishkan but laws which are observed outside the Mishkan.  It is about how man must act properly to infuse kedusha into the places where he lives.  Where does this ability come from?  הר סיני.  when the Torah was given to us at Sinai giving us the capability to bring kedusha down. 

The parsha of arachin teaches us about the intrinsic value every individual has.  It is not just an monetary value but it means every one has a value, something to add, some kedusha to bring forth.  That is why this is the endings of Vayikra.  To tell us all the kesusha from the Mishkan is not staitonery but must be expanded into one's surroundings. 

Feed Them Also

וְיָצָא֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֣יו עִמּ֑וֹ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖יו יָשֽׁוּב.  Rashi - ובניו עמו – א״ר שמעון אם הוא נמכר, בניו מי מכרן? אלא מכאן שרבו חייב במזונות בניו.

Rashi Shemos (21:3) ואם בעל אשה ישראלית הוא, ויצאה אשתו עמו – וכי מי הכניסה שתצא? אלא מגיד הכתוב שהקונה עבד עברי חייב במזונות אשתו ובניו.

The Mishne Lemelech cites different opinions if the obligation to feed the children of an eved is only for the duration of the time the eved would have been obligated or for even beyond that.  The machlokes would seem to hinge on if th obligation to feed the children is because the master assumes the father's obligation since he is keeping all of his profits, or part of one's obligation to their eved to take care of their family as well.    

The Rambam says in Avadim (3:2) אף על פי שהאדון חייב במזוןה אשתו ובניו, אין לו במעשה ידיהם כלום, אלא הרי מעשה ידי האשה ומציאתה לבעלה.  The Ramban in Mishpatim (21:3) says the master takes the place of the husband and therefore gets the מעשה ידים of the wife just as the husband would.  The Rambam seems to go lishitaso that holds the obligation to the children is forever, so too he holds the master does not receive מעשה ידים for it is part of the obligation to take care fo the eved but doesn't give the master any benefits.

Take It Outside

The Midrash has many a derash on בזאת יבא אהרן as to what the word זאת refers too.  One of these derashot is that it refers to Shabbat as in (ישעיה נו, ב): אַשְׁרֵי אֱנוֹשׁ יַעֲשֶׂה זֹּאת.  What is the connection between Shabbat and the Kohan Gadol entering the kodesh kadashim? 

The Rambam (end of Ch. 4 of Avodat Yom Hakippurim) says  וְיוֹצֵא לְבֵיתוֹ וְכָל הָעָם מְלַוִּין אוֹתוֹ עַד בֵּיתוֹ  וְיוֹם טוֹב הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה עַל שֶׁיָּצָא בְּשָׁלוֹם מִן הַקֹּדֶשׁ.  Why does this belong in Hilchot Avodat Yom Hakippurim, what does it have to do with the avodah?  The source of the Rambam is the Mishna Yoma (7:4) but the the Rambam adds the words, וְיוֹצֵא לְבֵיתוֹ, why does he add these words?  The Rebbe (Likutay Sichos Acharey volume 32) explains that part of the avodah is to take it out of the kodesh kadoshim, to be able to bring the kedusha into one's life.  The ויוצא מביתו is the conclusion of the avodah, to take the spiritual heights reached in the holiest place and to bring it inot one's house.  

Rav Zevin explains that is the connection of Shabbat and the Kohan gadol entering the kodesh kadashim.  Just as when it comes to Shabbat the point is not merely to have shabbat as a day of holiness apart from the week but to bring the kedusha of shabbat into the week, so too the Kohan Gadol must be cognizant that the kedusha that he feels in the holiest place must be able to be converted into an energy source for the year. 

This is why the parsha starts with a warning from the death of Nadav and Avihu.  They died בקרבתם לפני ה, they were not able to bring kedusha down and their souls expired (see Or Hachayim.)  The Torah is commanding Aharon בזאת, to be able to bring the kedusha outside, not like Nadav and Avihu. 

Rashi at the beginning of Kedoshim says נאמרה פרשה זו בהקהל.  The Balleye Mussar say the point is that it is one thing to remain kadosh when one is in a a log cabin in the middle of nowhere but to remain a kadosh surrounded by people when one encounters with peer pressure and temptations, that is indeed a chiddush.  It is when one is not in a kodesh kadoshim, that proves if one is a kadosh.  

Gone Too Far

The Midrash (15:9)  שְׂאֵת זוֹ בָּבֶל, עַל שׁוּם (ישעיה יד, ד): וְנָשָׂאתָ הַמָּשָׁל הַזֶּה עַל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְאָמָרְתָּ אֵיךְ שָׁבַת נֹגֵשׂ שָׁבְתָה מַדְהֵבָה, רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר שָׁבְתָה מַדְהֵבָה, מַלְכוּת שֶׁהִיא אוֹמֶרֶת מְדֹד וְהָבֵא. רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר מַלְכוּת שֶׁהִיא מַדְהֶבֶת פָּנִים שֶׁל אָדָם בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּא אֶצְלָהּ. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי עַל שׁוּם רֵישֵׁיהּ דִּדְהַב (דניאל ב, לח): אַנְתְּ הוּא רֵאשָׁה דִּי דַהֲבָא. סַפַּחַת זוֹ מָדַי שֶׁהֶעֱמִידָה הָמָן הָרָשָׁע שֶׁשָּׁף כְּנָחָשׁ, עַל שׁוּם (בראשית ג, יד): עַל גְּחֹנְךָ תֵלֵךְ. בַּהֶרֶת זוֹ יָוָן שֶׁהָיְתָה מַבְהֶרֶת בִּגְזֵרוֹתֶיהָ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאוֹמֶרֶת לָהֶן כִּתְבוּ עַל קֶרֶן הַשּׁוֹר שֶׁאֵין לָכֶם חֵלֶק בֵּאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. נֶגַע צָרַעַת זוֹ אֱדוֹם, שֶׁבָּאתָה מִכֹּחָהּ שֶׁל זָקֵן.  What does the 4 different stages of golut have to do with negaim?  There is a golut on the national level and there is a personal golut as well. What the Midrash is conveying is that one who has a nega goes outside the camp as a personal golut for the individual's own sins.  

The Sfas Emes (Tazria 5659) takes a different approach.  The Midrash in Berashis also equates the נהר יוצא מעדן that turns into the 4 rivers with the 4 stages of golut.  In other words, the source of the golut is spreading too far.  The נהר starts off in a good place, in Eden, but then goes outside the boundaries and creates division.  When the boundaries of the מצוות לא תעשה are broken it causes probems. It is when  takes a good thing but takes it beyond the proper boundaries and that causes problems.  The Sefer Yitzirah says that עונג and נגע are opposites.  In other words, the nega is an outgrowth of oneg which has gone outside of its boundaries.  It is too much of a good thing.  The Sfas Emes adds that צרעת has the same letters as עצרת.  It is by gathering in, by not spreading to far, that is the antidote to צרעת.  

Counting Inward

Midrash Emor (28:6) רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אוֹמֵר לְעוֹלָם אַל תְּהִי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר קַלָּה בְּעֵינֶיךָ שֶׁעַל יְדֵי מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר זָכָה אַבְרָהָם לִירַשׁ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית יז, ח): וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ, עַל מְנָת (בראשית יז, ט): וְאַתָּה אֶת בְּרִיתִי תִּשְׁמֹר, וְאֵיזֶה זֶה מִצְוַת הָעֹמֶר.  Where did Avraham keep the omer?  And why is that a reason to get Eretz Yisrael?  

The possuk says regarding counting the omer וספרתם לכם ממחרת השבת.  The Kesav Vekabbalah equates this to the possuk said to Avraham, לך לך.  Just as the command to Avraham was an avodah for him to find his inner self, so too the avodah of sefira is for one to be able to purify one's middot to be ready for kabbalas haTorah. The counting of the omer is not just an act of counting days but is a time of purification.  It is only by that process that one can attain kabblas haTorah.  Avraham went through that process of omer, of working on himself, as the Kesav Vekabblah notes עומר means working, שנבלל בו גם כן לשון ההשתעבדות (,אונטערווירפיגקייט, דיענסטבארקייט), מן והתעמר בו ומכרו שפי' ענין תשמיש העבודה in order to obtain Eretz Yisrael. 

Rise Up

The yetzer harah is the שאור שבעיסה, by fighting against it, one rises.  It is there to help one rise up when one fights against.

From the חסד לאברהם (Rodamsk)

This is why the Haggadah must be said דרך שאלה ותירץ because it is only through the questions, the difficulties, the challenges, that redemption comes.  That is the idea of מתחיל בגנות ומסיים בשבח.  By not ignoring or glossing over the failures, the setbacks, but seeing them as a progression to the future, is there a סיום of שבח (see Pachad Yitzchak maamer 17.)

Starting The Seder

The haggadah opens with the passage of הא לחמא עניא  (after בבהילו יצאנו ממצרים for those that follow the Rambam's text.)  There are many questions that are asked on this small passage.  What is the connection between the three statements of the bread our father ate, inviting people and a prayer to be in Jerusalem?  Why are we inviting people after the seder has already started?  Why are we inviting people to come partake in the pesach if we don't have a korban pesach these days?  How can we invite people to eat the pesach offering if one has to have already enjoined the group to be allowed to eat the korban pesach?  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?  

Sometimes one sits down to the seder feeling unprepared.  Despite all the many preparations people make for Pesach, it never seems to be enough.  Sometimes the one leading the Seder himself or those around the table need to welcome themselves to the Seder.  They need to put aside all their deficiencies and conduct the Seder.  The Haggadah attempts to introduce the Maggid section by assuaging a person's fears that they are ill prepared to have a Seder.   הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם.  This bread was eaten in Egypt, Klal Yisrael was a low level, sunk into the tumah of Egypt, yet they managed to get out.   

There are two different levels of people lacking.  There are those that know what to do at the Seder but feel that they are a little lacking.  For those we say כָּל דִּכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכוֹל, those that are hungry for spirituality, those that want more, יתֵי וְיֵיכוֹל, come and partake.  These are those that are far removed that they need a quantum leap to be ready for the Seder and for those we say כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח, those that are not just hungry, but are lacking the essentials, they too can come וְיִפְסַח and jump over the prerequisites normally necessary to be ready.  

הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא – לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵּי – לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.  Just as in the past Klal Yisrael was redeemed despite the fact that they might have been 'hungry' or even 'needy', so too will happen to us.  Hence, we can sit down to the Seder, each person according to their ability and the results will take care of themselves.