Fwd: Kohanim Without Borders

Tzav MONDAY, APRIL 3 7 NISSAN, 5777 ב"ה וּפָשַׁט אֶת בְּגָדָיו וְלָבַשׁ בְּגָדִים אֲחֵרִים וְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַדֶּשֶׁן אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה (ויקרא ו, ד) He shall then take off his garments and put on other garments, and he shall remove the ashes to outside the camp. (Vayikra 6:4)   Kohanim Without Borders One of the daily tasks in the Mishkan was to clear the ashes from atop the altar and dispose of them outside the camp (in Temple times, outside Jerusalem). Although this task was not an actual part of the Temple service, and the kohen assigned to the job was required to change into clothes of lesser value (so that his priestly garments did not become soiled),  no kohen ever hesitated to do this job (see Rambam, Laws of Temidim Umusafim 2:14). The Jewish people are "a kingdom of kohanim" (Shemos 19:6), and our duties mirror the services performed by the kohanim in the Temple. Their willingness to do any task, even if it required leaving the camp, teaches us that we must not differentiate between our responsibility to our fellow Jews "within the camp" and those who are "outside the camp." We must not say, "I will devote myself to the spiritual needs of those who are already living a Torah life, but the people who are not yet Torah-observant I will leave to others who are more suited to the task." The service in the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash teaches us that this approach is mistaken. The same kohanim—indeed the very same kohen (Rashi on Vayikra 6:4)—who took part in the Temple service would happily take the ashes outside the camp. Like the kohen, we must be ready and willing to change "garments," i.e., to engage a fellow Jew on his level, even if he is still a long way from living a life of Torah and mitzvos. —Likutei Sichos vol. 37, p. 6, ff. 33 Sponsor a Lightpoints email       A project of Or Hachassidus

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Fwd: Limits and Permits

Tzav SUNDAY, APRIL 2 6 NISSAN, 5777 ב"ה זֹאת תּוֹרַת הָעֹלָה הִוא הָעֹלָה עַל מוֹקְדָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ כָּל הַלַּיְלָה עַד הַבֹּקֶר (שמות ו, ב) This is the law of the burnt offering, which is the burnt offering that burns on the altar all night until morning. (Vayikra 6:2)   Limits and Permits After an animal sacrifice is slaughtered and some of its blood sprinkled on the altar, the kohanim burn the choice fats of the animal (and in some instances, all its fats and limbs) on the altar. Though all of this should ideally take place during the daytime, the verse above teaches us that the sacrifice is still valid if the burning of the fats and limbs takes place over the course of the night, and is completed by dawn. The Rambam, however, rules that, "In order to distance from inadvertent transgression, [i.e., the sacrificial parts of the animal not being burned in time,] our sages declared that the fats and limbs of the burnt-offerings should only be offered on the fire of the altar until midnight" (Laws of Maaseh Hakorbanos 4:2). The Torah instructs and grants authority to the rabbis to create "fences" and boundaries (restricting that which is otherwise permissible) in order to protect the Biblical laws from being transgressed (see Vayikra 18:30; Talmud, Yevamos 21a). Nevertheless, the rabbis do not impose such restrictions on conduct explicitly sanctioned by the Torah (see Taz, Orach Chaim 588). Considering that this verse specifically permits burning the sacrificial parts of the animal "all night until morning," how could the sages require (according to the Rambam) that everything be burned before midnight? The burning of the animal parts on the altar serves two purposes. Firstly, it is a component of the sacrificial service. In this capacity, burning the limbs and fats, like the other components of the service, should be done during the day. But burning these parts of the animal serves a second purpose: it prevents them from being leftover until morning, at which point they would be disqualified from being offered on the altar. When the fats and limbs are burned at night, the second objective is achieved, but not the first. Accordingly, the Rambam can explain that the sages are "restricted from restricting" only when the Torah explicitly sanctions fulfilling a positive mitzvah in a particular manner. In instances like burning a sacrifice through the night, however, since the burning at that point is not a positive aspect of the service, it is merely to prevent it from being left past its time, the sages may indeed "limit the permit" granted by the Torah (to burn the sacrifice all night), and require that it be burned before midnight. —Likutei Sichos, vol. 3, pp. 949-950 Sponsor a Lightpoints email       A project of Or Hachassidus ביוזמת ולזכות הרה״ח הרה״ת ר' ישעי' זושא ווילהעלם שליט״א להצלחה רבה לו ולכל משפחתו בגו״ר

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The Best and Finest

	ב"ה כָּל חֵלֶב לַה' (ויקרא ג, טז) ALL FAT IS TO G-D. (VAYIKRA 3:16)  When an animal is offered as a sacrifice, its premium fats—the choicest parts of its flesh—are burned on the altar. The Rambam (Issurei Mizbeiach 7:11) interprets this as a universal principle: “The same applies to everything done for the sake of G-d—it must be of the finest and best. When one builds a house of prayer, it should be finer than his private dwelling. When he feeds the hungry, he should give them the best and sweetest of his table. When he clothes the naked, he should give him the finest of his garments. When consecrating an object to the Temple, he should give the finest of his possessions. And so it is written, ‘All the fat is to G-d.’” The Talmud (Shabbos 133b) teaches a similar principle, yet from a different source in the Torah, and with an entirely different set of examples: “‘This is my G-d, and I will beautify Him’ (Shemos 15:2). This means, beautify yourself before G-d in mitzvos. Make before Him a beautiful sukkah, a beautiful lulav, a beautiful shofar, beautiful tzitzis and a beautiful Torah scroll.” While the Talmud speaks of beautifyingyour observance, the Rambam implies that by bringing an offering of superior quality, you enhance the value and effectiveness of the sacrifice itself. The Talmud’s principle is therefore applicable regardless of the status conferred on the object through its use in the performance of a mitzvah. The sukkah, lulav, shofar, tzitzisand Torah scroll are not “given” to G-d; they remain in your personal possession. Yet by performing G-d’s commands in a beautiful manner, you bring additional splendor to G-d, Whom you are serving. The Rambam, however, speaks only of instances comparable to sacrifices, such as donations to the Beis Hamikdash or gifts to the poor, in which you are parting with the object itself and offering it to G-d. The emphasis is therefore on the object being consecrated. When “all the fat is to G-d”—i.e., your gifts are the choicest and finest possible—then not only is your observance beautiful, but the offering itself is more complete. —Likutei Sichos, vol. 27, pp. 10-14