The blessings to see and to be seen #Lekh Lekha#parashathashavua#devartorah

I remember my first pair glasses. They opened my eyes to a bold new world. Before my cataract operations which corrected my vision, I was very nearsighted, meaning only objects close up were sharp and defined. Without my glasses however, I joked that was I legally blind in five states. I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I got my first pair glasses, but I remember how happy I was to see clearer words on blackboards, tiny leaves on trees, and people’s smiles in the distance.

As friends smiled back when I greeted them, I learned that to be seen was as great a gift as the blessing of seeing.

In this week’s Torah portion Hagar she fled from Sarai’s mistreatment. “Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from her.” (Genesis 16:6) Radak (David Kimhi,1160–1235, grammarian, lexicographer, and biblical commentator; France) explains what this mistreatment entailed. “Sarai overburdened her with work, and made her perform the work in an intolerably harsh manner. It is even possible that the word ותענה includes physical as well as verbal abuse of Hagar by Sarai.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Hagar was a lowly concubine, pregnant, and alone, fleeing to the wilderness without help or hope. Seen by God, however, she was empowered in return to see Him. God’s presence was so real she was the first person in the Torah to ever give God a name. “And she called YHVH who spoke to her, “You Are El-roi,” by which she meant, “Have I not gone on seeing after my being seen!” (16:13)

Our seeing God sees us too. Feeling unseen, alone, or like a nobody? Remember we’re really never alone for God is by our side and sees us. In return, we may see Him who is our ever present hope, encouragement, redemption, and joy.

Appreciate and thank God for this gift of amazing sight, to see God’s presence in our lives

 

Why chapter 5 of our massekhet is in the prayer book Zevakhim 47

Today we begin the fifth chapter of our massekhet. Even though this chapter contains basic information about the sacrifices, it is found here near halfway through the massekhet. This chapter opens up discussing where the actual sacrifices need to take place.

“MISHNA: What is the location of the slaughtering and consumption of offerings? The principle is that with regard to offerings of the most sacred order, their slaughter is in the north of the Temple courtyard.

“Specifically, with regard to the bull and the goat of Yom Kippur, their slaughter is in the north and the collection of their blood in a service vessel is in the north, and their blood requires sprinkling between the staves of the Ark in the Holy of Holies, and upon the Curtain separating the Sanctuary and Holy of Holies, and on the golden altar. Concerning all those sprinklings, failure to perform even one placement of their blood disqualifies the offering. As to the remainder of the blood, which is left after those sprinklings, a priest would pour it onto the western base of the external altar. But if he did not place the remainder of the blood on the western base, it does not disqualify the offering.

“With regard to bulls that are burned and goats that are burned, their slaughter is in the north of the Temple courtyard, and the collection of their blood in a service vessel is in the north, and their blood requires sprinkling upon the Curtain separating the Sanctuary and Holy of Holies, and upon the golden altar, and failure to perform even one placement of their blood disqualifies the offering. As for the remainder of the blood that is left after those sprinklings, a priest would pour it onto the western base of the external altar, but if he did not pour the remainder it does not disqualify the offering. These, the bull and the goat of Yom Kippur, and those, the bulls and the goats that are burned, are then burned in the place of the ashes, a place outside of Jerusalem where the priests would bring the ashes from the altar.” (Sefaria.org translation) Future mishnayot will discuss in detail other categories of sacrifices.

In an Orthodox prayer book there are two rounds of study. The Conservative prayer book contains only the first round of study. The first found begins even before the morning’s blessings. The first round is familiar to every regular davener. It includes the blessings for studying Torah, Torah verses (usually the priestly benediction), a Mishna from massekhet Peah, and a selection from the Gemara in massekhet Shabbat. The second round after the morning placings and is all about sacrifices. It follows the same format of round one, verses from the Torah, Mishna, and Gemara. The Goanim instituted this tradition and selected our chapter to be the one studied. One of the distinguishing aspects of these mishnayot of our chapter is that they do not contain any disagreement between the sages! Entering into prayer without disagreement and argument is essential for the proper kavanah, intention.

When the Temple stood, the main mode of worship was animal sacrifice. When the Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, sacrifices were no longer able to be offered up. Instead the rabbis ordained that prayer is a suitable substitute to animal sacrifice. The midrash has Abraham asking God how Israel would achieve forgiveness when the Temple will lie in ruins and they could no longer offer sacrifices. God replied, “Wen Israel recites the scriptural order of the offerings, I will consider it as if they had brought the sacrifices and I will forgive their sins” (Megillah 31a, Ta’anit 27b) Rav Yitzhak said: “The Torah writes ‘this is the Torah (i.e. the teaching),  Of the sin offering’ (Leviticus 6:18) to imply that whoever involves himself in the study of the sin offering is regarded as if he had actually offered a sin offering (Menakhot 110a).

“The section dealing with the sacrifices logically follows the previous prayer, atah hu, which longs for Israel’s redemption. Given the fact that the offerings require the existence of the Holy Temple as the spiritual center of the nation, we pray that God gather us in from our dispersion. Then, her message will become a truly universal one, for God will have set us up  ‘for renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth.’

“The offerings whose laws are about to be recited are all communal ones; the sages chose them because they illustrate our wish that Israel become united as a single nation in God’s service.” (The Complete Artscroll Siddur, Page 30)  

The reward for studying a not very relevant massekhet TB Zevakhim 45

The laws of pigul take up a lot of real estate so far in massekhet Zevakhim. If the priest during one of the four modes of sacrifices thinks to accomplish one of them outside the time limit or outside the Temple precincts, the priest has committed the transgression of pigul. The sacrifice becomes invalid and if one should eat the meat, the punishment is kareit, death by the hands of Heaven. I remember that there is at least one opinion that a priest who invalidates a sacrifice via pigul receives lashes. I believe later on we shall learn that the priest has to cover the cost of the sacrifice so that the person bringing it would not have bear the loss due to the priests misconduct.

Pigul is so egregious I have a hard time wrapping my head around why a priest would even have these errant thoughts. On top of that, all these discussions are theoretical. By the time of the Mishnah and Gemara, the Temple has been destroyed and sacrifices have been annulled. Consequently, I find these discussions irrelevant. Today’s daf TB Zevakhim 45 shows that I’m not the only one who feels this way.

The sugiya begins on the preceding daf 44b. “According to the first tanna of the mishna, the bulls that are burned and the goats that are burned, the blood of which is presented on the inner altar, are subject to piggul, whereas Rabbi Shimon rules that they are not subject to piggul. It is taught in a baraita that there is a third opinion concerning the matter: Rabbi Elazar says in the name of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: If in his service of the bulls that are burned or the goats that are burned the priest had an intention that can render the offering piggul with regard to a matter that is performed outside the Sanctuary, i.e., in the Temple courtyard, he has rendered the offering piggul. If his intention was with regard to a matter that is performed inside the Sanctuary or the Holy of Holies, he has not rendered the offering piggul.” (Sefaria.org translation)

After much discussion it concludes: “Rav Naḥman says that Rabba bar Avuh says that Rav says: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, who says his ruling in the name of Rabbi Yosei.

“Does one issue a halakha for the messianic period, when the Temple will be rebuilt? Abaye said to him: If that is so, that such halakhot are not taught, let the tanna not teach all the halakhot of the slaughter of sacrificial animals, i.e., tractate Zevaḥim, as it is entirely a halakha for the messianic period. Rather, one studies these halakhot due to the principle of: Study Torah and receive reward, i.e., one is rewarded for the study of Torah regardless of its practical applicability. Here too, study Torah and receive reward. Rava said to him: This is what I am saying to you: Why do I need a practical ruling of halakha? According to another version, which presents the same answer in different terms, Rava said to him: I spoke in reference to the ruling of halakha, as it is puzzling that a halakhic ruling is given in this case.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Although there’s nothing practical in this tractate when comes to sacrifices, I gained a measure of consolation knowing that I receive a reward for studying this esoteric material and Rava also wonders about issuing a pesak halakha for something so theoretical.

 

 

Pride goes before the fall #Noakh#Noach#parashathashavua#devartorah

People who achieve extraordinary level of fame or reputation while they are still alive are often called “a legend in their own time.” I’m sure we have all met people who were only “a legend in their own mind.” Pride has a way of distorting how we see ourselves while humility offers a realistic perspective.

Excessive pride motivated the generation of the tower of Babel. “And they said, ‘Come, let us build a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves.” (Genesis 11:4)

King Solomon in Proverbs wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18) How true for that generation of the Tower of Babel. Instead of being united and building a tower with its top in the heavens, God confounded their speech so they could not understand one another and scattered them over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:7-9)

The antidote to the poison of pride is service to others. Martin Luther King Jr. taught, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are we doing for others?” Pablo Picasso once said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” I saw H. Jackson Brown’s truth in action with my own eyes when they beheld the people who volunteer at Yad Lakish and other Tzedaka institutions in Jerusalem. He said, “The happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.

There’s nothing wrong with receiving accolades for achievement and for success. The challenge is to say focus on the One who calls us to follow Him. “And Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “After the Lord your God shall you walk, and Him shall you fear, and His commandments shall you keep, and unto His voice shall you hearken, and Him shall you serve, and unto Him shall you cleave” (Deuteronomy 13:5)? But is it actually possible for a person to follow the Divine Presence? But hasn’t it already been stated: “For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and one cannot approach fire.

“He explains: Rather, the meaning is that one should follow the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He. He provides several examples. Just as He clothes the naked, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21), so too, should you clothe the naked. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, visits the sick, as it is written with regard to God’s appearing to Abraham following his circumcision: “And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, consoles mourners, as it is written: “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, buried the dead, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.” (TB Sotah 14a, Sefaria.org)

 

One small step for women TB Zevakhim 32

We have already learned that there are four steps or avadot (עבדות) when offering a sacrifice on the altar. The four steps are: the slaughtering (שחיטה), the receiving the blood into a bowl (קבלה), the transfer of the blood to the altar (הולכה), and sprinkling the blood on the altar (זריקה). Only a priest, a kohen, has permission to do the last three avadot. The first Mishnah in chapter 3 of our massekhet Zevakhim enumerates who else may slaughter the sacrifice besides the kohen.

“With regard to all those who are unfit (meaning non-priest –gg) for Temple service who slaughtered an offering, their slaughter is valid, as the slaughter of an offering is valid ab initio when performed even by non-priests, by women, by Canaanite slaves, and by ritually impure individuals. And this is the halakha even with regard to offerings of the most sacred order, provided that the ritually impure will not touch the flesh of the slaughtered animal, thereby rendering it impure.” (Sefaria.org translation)

There are some surprising and unexpected people who also may slaughter a sacrifice. One of them is a woman! Tosafot ד"ה שֶהַשְחִיטָה כְשֵרָה בְזָרִים וּבְנָשִים supports a woman’s right to slaughter a sacrifice. They write that the Gemara proves that women may slaughter the sacrifice ab initio. They thoroughly reject Hilkhot Eretz Yisrael’s responsa who holds that women may not slaughter the sacrifice because they are weak minded (דַּעְתָּן קַלָּה). Tosefot says this is just an unnecessary stringency.

This is one small step of ensuring equal rights for women. Unfortunately there are men in the government and in other positions of influence who want to take the women’s rights back three giant steps.