Nine Points from the Parasha: Parashat Tzav

1. Saying thank you - When a person is in trouble and he makes it out safely, he needs to bring a special Korban called Korban Todah. In the future, when nobody will commit sins, we will only have the Korban Toda available to give. This is because the sense of gratitude is eternal, and is something that we always need to develop. We should never take things for granted and be aware of our surroundings. Rav Nachman of Breslov says that now that we do not have sacrifices, we have to thank HaShem with our mouth and heart. When we do these things, it represents joy, as opposed to tribulations and sadness. The more we see things in a grateful perspective, the more we lower the bitterness and difficulties in life.

2. Keep your fire lit - The Pasuk says regarding the elevation offering, “And the fire of the altar should be kept aflame on it all night until the morning.” The Lubavitcher Rebbe says that this fire burns in every person's heart, and it too needs to be kept aflame constantly, as it is that fire that drives us to serve our creator and do what’s right. However, just like the fire on the altar, the fire needs to be actively kept alive. One needs to add wood to the fire and to increase its flame, because it will not stay lit by itself. It is our responsibility to fuel ourselves to keep our energy going and to constantly be determined to fulfill our G-d given mission. Once someone asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe how he felt, and he responded that he was happy, but not satisfied. We can never be satisfied, as we would be extinguishing our fire, so to speak. Also, like how fire has many colors in it, we too should use different tactics to be motivated in any case we might find ourselves, as long as we keep consistent.

3. The reason for the sacrifices - The Rambam says that the reason HaShem commanded us to offer sacrifices was to help the Jewish people  stay away from idol worship. If HaShem would have told them to serve him without any sacrifices, they would not have listened to HaShem and not serve Hashem at all. The only way they could serve HaShem is by having some substitute for the non Jewish people’s form of worship. The Nachmanidies criticizes the Rambam’s explanation, and offers a different reason. He says that when one offers a sacrifice, he sees the animals and it’s physical similarities to him. He thinks to himself, “This was really supposed to be me, as I committed a crime against HaShem.” This leads him to do Teshuvah for his acts. We can learn from the first explanation of the Rambam that we should try our best to accommodate people's wants, and to find ways to compromise. It’s better to give in a bit then to not be able to work together at all. There is no way to fully go against someone’s wants and to continue to cooperate healthily. We have to work with each other, not against each other.

4. Korban Shlamim - The Korban Shlamim, which literally means “the peace offering,” is offered when someone experiences a miracle and is in order to thank HaShem for it. This Korban is cleverly designed to publicize HaShem’s miracles. For the Korban Shlamim, one needs to offer a lot of meat, and he is obligated to finish it all on the day and following night that he sacrificed it. Because it is so much, anyone who offers it will most definitely invite his friends and family to celebrate with him so that he can finish it all in it’s small amount of time. Those that he invites will ask him why he is celebrating, and he will recount all the miracles that happened to him. This is why the Gemara says whenever someone gives Korban Shlamim, he brings peace to the world. Another reason why it is called Shlamim is because it is the only Korban that everyone gets something from it. Part is fully burned on the altar, part is given to the Kohanim, and the rest is given to the owner. Rabbi Hirsch says that Shalem represents true perfection. Perfection does not mean to get along with someone without some sort of dispute between them. It means that you work as a team, and there is internal harmony. He is thanking HaShem because he wants to be close to HaShem.

5. Is being vegan a good thing? - It's mentioned in the Torah four times in different places, once in our Parsha, and three more times in Chumash Devarim, that a Jew may not eat blood. There are many reasons for this commandment. The Rambam says that in those days, they used to eat blood thinking that through that, they would become friendly with the demons so that they would tell him the future. The Torah tells that we have nothing against blood, in fact we even use blood for some of our holiest services. But, like many things we safeguard from idol worship, also here we do. But, the Ramban says the reason why we do not eat blood is because blood carries life, so to speak. Therefore, if we allow people to eat blood, they will not respect life. So, according to what the Ramban says, the reason is to respect all living beings. Rav Cook explains based on this that this is a hidden rebuke for those who eat meat in general. Eating meat is a compromise for the weakness of a person that did not get over their urge to kill. The purpose of refraining from eating blood is to accustom him to refrain from killing any living being. Based on Rav Cook, veganism is actually a good thing.

6. Be humble - Every morning, the Kohen comes to the Beit HaMikdash. After putting on his special garments, he removes the ashes accumulated from all the sacrifices consumed by the fire throughout the whole night. Why is this the first thing we make the Kohen clean? The Chovat HaLevavot says that the Torah did not want the Kohanim’s high positions to go to their heads. Perhaps one of them may think that they are better than everyone else, so their first job  if the day is a humbling one. This teaches us a very important lesson. When we get a high position, we should always remind ourselves that we are really “Afar Ve Efer” “Dust and Ashes”. Despite this, we should never forget that the world was also really made for us, the Jewish people.

7. Be diligent - Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai says in the Gemara that the word Tzav means to be diligent. Why do we have to be diligent? The answer is that here we have חסרון כיס, a lacking in your pocket, meaning to say a loss of money. The Gerer Rebbe says that we can also explain that  כיס means cover, as all the limbs of the body has a cover, except for the brain. One can pinch his nose, block his ears, and close his mouth and eyes. However, one cannot control what enters his thoughts. Therefore, it takes a lot of strength to think of good things.

8. Even the simplest Jew helps - We sing in Zemirot Shabbat “KeMincha Al Machvat” “Like and offering on a pot.” Why do we mention a pot? There are 5 different types of Menachot, what is so special with the pot? Reb Eliyahu Milupian says that the pot offering is very dry, and therefore the fire even burns the oil. This teaches us that even the most simplest Jew that keeps Shabbat is considered to HaShem like a Mincha.

9. Giving without seeing the results - The Parasha starts with “Tzav et Aharon.”  Tzav is a commandment. The Gemara in Kiddushin teaches us that the verb Tzav indicates that Moshe was supposed to urge Am Yisrael to follow his instructions. The Gemara explains that urging is necessary in instances that strain a person financially. Portions of all other Korbannot were eaten, either by the owner, the Cohanim, or both. Parashat Tzav begins with a discussion of Korban Olah, which is burnt in its entirety on the Altar, with no meat being eaten by the owner or the Kohanim. Knowing the considerable financial strain of buying a bull, which can cost a large sum of money, and then watching the entire thing go up in flames on the Altar might be too difficult for people to bear. HaShem felt that Moshe Rabbeinu had to urge Am Yisrael to bring the Korban Olah. If we take a tour through the Jewish calendar year, we find that many Mitzvot are expensive. On Pesach you have to spend a small fortune on Matzot, wine, meat, and all the other foods that triple in price in honor of Yom Tov. Sukkot with the costs of the Lulauv and Etrog. Plain Tefillin that are considered Mehudar can run in the thousand-dollar range. And we haven't even begun to talk about tuition for Yeshivot. There is no question - being Jewish is an expensive proposition. There is one major difference between Orlah and the rest of the Mitzvot, Orlah you can not see the results of it, but with other Mitzvot you can. Every experienced fundraiser will tell you that it is relatively easy to raise money for a building campaign, because you can show people where their money is going. Many Mitzvot cost money, but there is something to show for the money spent. An Orlah offers no such satisfaction. The owner watches the entire thing literally go up in smoke. The financial strain is magnified in the owner's mind as he watches his Korban burn, and he might decide to refrain from bringing the Orlah offering in the future. HaShem told Moshe to use the term tzav to prevent such an eventuality. The Mishnat Yaabetz says that it is a great Mitzvah to give money to poor people because you don't see fully where the money is going, especially before Pesach.

A Special Message About Purim From Our Rabbi

Dear friends and members of Etz Ahaim,

This coming Thursday is Taanit Esther. The custom is to give Zecher LeMachatzit HaShekel. This year, it’s about eight dollars. We’ll have a basket in the main sanctuary for each one to put the money in this basket. The money will be used for our shul and for the charity fund.

Secondly, the Mitzvah of Matanot LaEvyonim is fulfilled by giving money to two poor people so that they should use the money on Purim for whatever he might be missing. Our sages recommend that Matanot LaEvyonim should be the amount of money enough to buy a basic meal (about 8 dollars). All those who would like may give me their money for Matanot LaEvyonim before Purim, and I will give them to those who need on Purim itself.

(NOTE: You can do this by contributing online to the Rabbi’s Charity Fund at https://www.etzahaim.org/donate-to-the-rabbis-charity-fund)

This Shabbat is a very special Shabbat, as it is the Shabbat before Purim. We will be reading Parashat Zachor. It is very important to hear this Parasha and to remember what the Amalekites did to us, especially in our days, when Amalek still continues to wreak havoc. Please come and bring your family. We will also sing before opening the ark the special Sephardic “Mi El Kamocha” that we say once a year before Purim.

By the request of many women in the community, we will have two readings of the Megilah so that we won’t be too pressed for time. We will have one at 8:15 PM and another at 9:30 PM. Also on Purim day we will have two readings: one at 7:30 AM as part of the minyan, and one at 9:30 AM.

I wish you all a meaningful and easy fast, and Purim Sameach.

Rabbi Tal

Ten Points on the Parasha: Parashat Mishpatim

Remember who you’re working for - In this Parasha we start by saying, “These are the laws that should be placed before them,” and we go into details about these laws. The last Mitzvah from last week's Parasha was not to build stairs leading up to the Mizbeach, but rather to build a ramp. There are many explanations of what we can learn from this juxtaposition of these two laws. This question is asked by the Gemara. One of the reasons for this is that we don’t want the Kohanim to run up the stairs hastily out of respect for the Beit HaMikdash. Therefore, the Gemara answers that it teaches us that just as we must build a ramp to get to the Mizbeach so that he shouldn’t be too hasty, so to a judge must be careful and not too hasty with their judgment. Additionally, Chazal teaches us that the Dayan should be humble and should not disrespect or hold himself higher than those who he judges, just as a Kohen should not feel arrogant and walk in a humble manner. The Maharal explains that if HaShem wouldn’t have granted us the power to judge people, we wouldn’t be allowed to, as the Pasuk says that judgment is G-d’s. We are only appointed by HaShem to make peace between people, and the judge’s job is just to spread love and peace amongst Am Yisrael. In other words, the judge is appointed to serve HaShem and not for his own respect, just as a Kohen is appointed to serve HaShem with no feelings of arrogance. What we can learn from here is that we should never judge people, as it is not our place. Even a judge cannot make judgments if he is not appointed for this by HaShem and granted the permission. Likewise, the Gemara in Pesachim says that there are seven things that are sealed from the eyes of people, and one of them is the depth of judgment.

The Laws of a Jewish Slave - There are four laws regarding a Jewish slave.  First, if he worked for six years, he can leave on the seventh with no conditions. Second, if he started the six years single, he leaves single, and his master does not give him a Shifcha Cananit. Third, if he got married to a Jewish woman during his time as a slave, the master must take care of her and their children. Fourth, if the slave master gives him a Shifcha Cananit wife, and they have children, the Shifcha and their children stay with the master. There is a question to be asked here: There are 23 positive commandments in Parashat Mishpatim and 30 negative commandments. Out of all these Mitzvot that we have in this Parasha, we start with the Mitzvah of a Jewish slave. Why is this? There are a few answers:

Reminds us of who set us free, and Shabbat - One answer from the Nachmanidies is that this Mitzvah reminds us of the first commandment of the Ten Commandments, that HaShem is our G-d, and took us out of Egypt where we were slaves. The Nachmanidies additionally says  that it reminds us of Shabbat, as just as the slave goes free on the seventh year, we also are freed on the seventh day of Shabbat.

Who do you serve? - HaRav Avraham HaKohen Kook says that the first thing someone should do before anything is to analyze himself, and sincerely identify his motives in life. A person has to ask himself, “Who am I? Am I someone who is a slave or am I free? Am I a slave to HaShem, serving him wholly, which is real freedom, or am I a slave to money, others opinion, or my Yetzer HaRah?”

No one is rejected - The Torah says that if somebody steals an ox or sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he needs to pay back five oxen if he stole an ox, and four sheep if he stole a sheep. The general reason why he has to pay more than he stole is to fine him for his crime, especially as it happened very frequently, and they wanted to stop it from happening so much. The Gemara in Bava Kama explains that the difference between the ox and sheep is that when the thief steals the sheep, he has to carry it on his shoulders, and he feels ashamed, and thus has a lower fine. Reb Eliyahu MiLupian teaches something very important from this: The Torah has compassion for every single Jew, even one who steals, as he was created by HaShem. Even someone who is at such a low level is not given up on, and his potential is never thrown to the side.

Convincing a land mine to make peace - If someone finds a thief in the middle of digging a hole in order to break into his house, and the homeowner kills him, he is not held guilty. The reason, as explained by the Gemara, is that if the thief succeeds in breaking into his house and the homeowner catches him, there is a high chance that the thief will kill him, and therefore, it is permissible to kill him before he kills you. But, if we know for sure that he isn’t going to kill, and simply wants the money, like a father breaking into his son’s house, then he is not allowed to kill him and will be held liable for it. We learn here that if you know that somebody wants to kill you, there is no point in making peace with him. It is like a war that you have to win. This is especially so when he says that he wants to kill you, then you must kill him first. Unfortunately, today we practice this principle way too much, and sometimes we put our enemies before our own soldiers. We must know that we cannot take a chance. If the world followed the Torah, we would all be in a better place today.

Never Alone - The Pasuk says that one is not allowed to cause any pain to a widow or orphan. There is a discussion in the Mechilta whether this Halacha applies particularly to an orphan and a widow, or is it simply an example, and it applies to any person. The Nachmanidies explains that the reason for this Halacha is that they are very sensitive, and we should thus speak with them very gently and respectfully, unless he afflicts them for their benefit, like how they taught a child Torah in the past. Reb Hirsch says that many countries discriminate against strangers and take their rights by the law, and we are not allowed to do this. This is why the first Pasuk says don’t discriminate against strangers and take their rights, and is followed by the Pasuk warning us not to mistreat widows and orphans. The Torah is trying to tell us that as a nation, and as a country, we must not mistreat others, like laws against strangers, but additionally, each individual also has to refrain from mistreating others, like afflicting a widow or orphan that is among us. The second part of the Pasuk explains that if someone afflicts a widow or orphan, because they are alone and have no one to help them, HaShem will listen to their prayers. In the second part of the Pasuk, we see that every word is repeated twice redundantly. One beautiful answer is that when a person is alone in a room, or he stands near mountains or an empty cave and he shouts, he hears his voice echo back to him. This reminds us that really, no one is ever by himself, and HaShem is always with him. There was once a motorbike rider that the police would always keep an eye on, for some reason. From time to time, they would stop him and ask for different information in order to catch him making a mistake. Every time he was able to provide any information they requested. Once, after they stopped him and were again unsuccessful in fining him, they asked him how they were never able to catch him, no matter how many times they stopped him. He responded that HaShem is always with him. The cop excitedly responded, “If that’s the case, then I have to fine you for having more than one person on the motorcycle.

Blessed Bread... in every way - The Pasuk says, “You shall worship HaShem, your G-d, and He shall bless your bread and your waters.”  In this Pasuk, it starts out in the plural form, and ends in the singular. Why is this? The answer is that from here we learn that one should pray for others first. When he does so, HaShem blesses him before he blesses the one who he prays for. The Pasuk then continues that HaShem will remove all sickness from amongst you. What is the connection between blessing the bread and removing sickness? We can answer based on Chazal’s teaching that the more properties you have, the more concerns you have. The more someone has, the more things are able to be damaged, and he therefore worries more. HaShem just blessed Am Yisrael that they should have good and plentiful food and water, but this could potentially be detrimental. They would have more food and could be overwhelmed with worry. Therefore, HaShem said that He would not only bless the bread and water, but also add in addition a special Beracha that the people would not be affected by worrying about it. Additionally, we can say, based on what the Rambam says, that many illnesses come upon someone who eats too much, that the food will be blessed, that you won’t have to eat too much of it to be satiated, and they will not become ill.

Just Do It— A Jewish secret - The Pasuk says, “And he took the Luchot HaBrit, and he spoke in the ears of the people, and they said Naaseh V’Nishma, we will do, and we will listen.” The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat says that when Am Yisrael said those two words, a heavenly voice asked, “Who revealed this secret to my dear children, a secret that only angels make use of?” Rav Kook says that this is our power as a nation, doing things without questioning and only because HaShem said so. Just imagine if we asked questions about all the Mitzvot that the Torah commands us to do. We would not understand why we do what we do, and, as a result, we would not do it. The reason why we, Am Yisrael, have survived as a nation for so many years, through all the different exiles and nations trying to erase us, is because of this.     The simple explanation of “Naaseh V’Nishma” is found in the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot. It says there that if one’s deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom will last, but someone whose wisdom is more than his deeds, his wisdom will not last, as it says, “Naaseh V’Nishma.” We all know that many people like to talk about lofty plans and projects, but our secret is to do without promising, asking questions or for credit, and  just doing it.

Why No Milk and Meat? - Like its name suggests, most of the commandments in this week's Parasha are Mishpatim, which are laws that make sense and are easy to understand their reasons. Chukim are laws that don’t make sense to us. There is one Chok featured in this Parasha of not mixing meat and milk. The Torah doesn’t list any reason for this commandment. However, the commentators offer many explanations. The Rambam says that it was customary by idol worshippers to make sacrifices with milk and meat, and is therefore forbidden. The Zohar HaKadosh says that meat represents strict judgment and milk represents kindness, so we don’t mix the two. HaRav Kook says that the reason for separating these two types of food is because in order to eat meat, we have to reach a high level, because we have to kill the animal in order to eat it. Milk, on the other hand, doesn’t require the killing of an animal to drink its milk. Before Matan Torah, only Bnei Noach were able to consume meat, as we did not know how to slaughter animals correctly. We were, however, allowed to consume milk. The Torah wants to emphasize the difference between them, so we are therefore not allowed to mix them or eat them together.

Give Him Bread, or an Oven? - The Pasuk says, “If you lend money to my people, and the poor amongst you, don’t act like a creditor (and take interest).” There is a great Mitzvah to support poor people in your community, as it says specifically in the Pasuk the poor amongst you. The Pasuk adds the words “my people” to teach us that one should not treat the borrower disrespectfully when lending him money, as he is from HaShem’s nation. The Rambam says that this mitzvah of lending money is preferred over giving a present of money to a poor person, since it’s less embarrassing, and it will prevent him from entering into a situation where he only relies on the gifts of others. However, Abarbanel says that it’s better to give a present, but if the poor person doesn’t want to accept a present, or he’s embarrassed to, then you should lend him money. It looks like the Rambam holds that giving good advice on how to invest money, or helping a person to have the right tools is better than giving someone actual money. Helping someone become independent is a great mitzvah, and only when one is unable to work for any reason should we give him charity, Tzedaka. From the Abarbanel’s perspective, it is not our concern. We should first offer him a present, and only if he doesn’t want a present or is embarrassed should we lend him money.

Help Him, With Him - This principle is quite similar and is connected to the previous. The Torah says, “When you see your enemy’s donkey crouch from underneath his load, and you would have refrained from helping him, you shall surely help with him.” The Gemara in Bava Metzia explains that if the owner of the donkey sits and says that it is your Mitzvah to help and support the donkey, he is not obligated to help, as it says in the Pasuk “Imo” “with him” and not for him. Rabi Shlomo Efraim MiLuntshitz, the writer of the Kli Yakar, says that from this we learn something important when it comes to helping others. He speaks of something very common in his time, where many poor people would rely completely on the community to support them. They did not put any effort into trying to make some money to feed themselves and their family, but rather placed their burden upon others. The Kli Yakar says that there is no Torah obligation to help him, as the Torah specifies that you should help him, with him. If someone doesn’t want to help himself, there is no obligation to help him. Only when someone is doing his best at making ends meet, but doesn’t succeed, are we obligated to help him in any way possible. This doesn’t just apply to the poor, but in general. If someone is not doing his best to help himself, we do not have to help him.