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Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
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An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. Keep the Flame Burning
This week?s Parsha further discusses the sacrificial offerings described in last week?s reading of VaYikra. It also instructs the kohanim (priests) in various aspects of the sacrificial service. The Parsha begins with G-d?s command regarding the Olah (elevation-offering), which was the first sacrifice to be offered every day by the priests. The Torah says, ?This is the law of the Olah: it is the Olah [that stays] on the flame, on the Altar, all night until the morning, and the fire of the Altar should be kept burning on it? (Chap. 6, verse 2). Shortly thereafter, the Torah says in verse 5, ?And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not be extinguished.? This injunction is again repeated in verse 6.
The question: Why does the Torah repeatedly emphasize that the fire should continue burning on the Altar?
The answer: The Ramban (1195-1270; also known as Nahmanides) says that there are both positive and negative commandments relating to the fire on the altar. Verse 2, which states that ?the fire of the Altar should be kept burning on it?, is a positive mitzvah incumbent on the priests. During the day, says the Ramban, the priests must make sure to add enough wood to the flame so that it will not die out. Verse 5, which states, ?it shall not be extinguished?, is a negative commandment referring to all people (priest or non-priest), warning against putting out the flame, while verse 6 is a special injunction for the priests, warning them to be particularly careful not to allow the fire to go out. Thus, according to the Ramban, the Torah repeats the admonition regarding the fire on the Altar to teach us that there are two aspects of this obligation (positive and negative) incumbent on the priests, as well as a prohibition applicable to any person trying to quench the fire.
The lesson: The fire on the Altar was critically important, as we saw above from the fact that the Torah went to the trouble of delineating various commandments with regard to preserving it. Though seemingly unrelated to our daily lives in the 21st century, the obligation to keep the flame burning is one that should have great resonance for Jews today, for just over fifty years ago, the flame of Judaism was nearly snuffed out in Nazi Europe. Keeping the fire alive is perhaps the greatest challenge currently facing the Jewish people. In 1948, it was the fire of Zionism, burning brightly in the hearts of Jews throughout the world, that helped forge the modern State of Israel. It was that same fire, that same passion, which enabled the Jewish people to rise up out of the ashes of the Holocaust and take their rightful place on the world stage. Sadly, just a few decades later, the fire of Zionism is now coming under attack, as Israel is confronted with a vicious ideological assault. The minions of post-Zionism aim to deconstruct, delegitimize and ultimately demolish the conceptual underpinnings of the Jewish state. A coterie of Israeli academics, journalists and intellectuals has banded together in a transparent attempt to rewrite history and undermine the right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. Through distortions and half-truths, they portray Israel as a state founded through theft and deception, immorally conceived and unjustifiably aggressive. The damage they have wrought is immense, for they have demoralized the Jewish people and attempted to cast doubt on our very right to live in our own land. Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook (Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel during the British Mandate), in his work Orot HaKodesh, wrote that just as it is a prohibition to put out a burning coal on the Altar, so too it is an even greater sin to ?put out a lofty spiritual coal on the spiritual Altar ? that of a Jewish heart?. Indeed, Rav Kook said, one must always seek to add to the fire, such that ?the flame ascends and is elevated, rising up and adding strength and power?? The proponents of post-Zionism are akin to one who has dulled the flame on the Altar, for they have sought to extinguish the coals of ideology, commitment and passion that have kept the flame of Israel alive through the most difficult of times. It is therefore our obligation, like the priests of old, to continue to add wood to the fire, to continue to do what we can to guarantee that the flames of Zionism and Judaism burn brightly. If there are those who seek to douse the flames, we must redouble our efforts to kindle them. We can not allow the flame of Judaism and Zionism to be extinguished.
2. The Remains of the Day
The priest?s first responsibility every day was to perform Terumat HaDeshen ? he would scoop up ashes left over on the Altar from the sacrificial offering of the previous day and place them on the floor near the Altar. After changing his clothes, the same priest would then remove the ashes and take them outside to a pure place. The Torah says, ?he shall separate the ash of what the fire consumed of the Olah offering on the Altar and place it next to the Altar? (Chap. 6, verse 3).
The question: Wouldn?t it have been easier to divide the two tasks (scooping the ashes and removing them) among two priests?
The answer: Rabbi Mordechai Gifter, the late Telshe Rosh Yeshiva, says in Pirkei Torah that ?Rather than having a different kohen [priest] remove the ashes, the Torah instructs the very same kohen [priest] to change his clothing and continue with the avodah [priestly service], because every aspect of avodas Hashem [serving G-d], regardless of how lowly it may seem in human eyes, is in fact truly laudable. One who has performed a seemingly menial and common task has nonetheless fulfilled Hashem?s will and is thus worthy of praise. He is not relegated to a lower status merely because his mitzvah seems to be of lesser significance, for we cannot evaluate the worth of mitzvos?? Thus, according to Rabbi Gifter, the Torah is teaching us not to belittle any part of the service of G-d. Even though cleaning up the ashes may appear to us to be undignified, it is part of G-d?s command and should not be disparaged.
The lesson: Israeli society is internally divided, and there are many reasons why this is the case. But a key ingredient in the problem is the basic lack of respect for the roles played by different sectors of society. Some people in the Haredi world look down at secular Israelis, ignoring the important contributions they make in terms of defending the country and physically building the Land of Israel. Some secular Israelis look down on religious people, ignoring their part in preserving Judaism and Jewish values. Each side belittles the ?work? of the other, looking askance at it as if it were as meaningful as cleaning up ashes in the Sanctuary. And yet, as Rabbi Gifter teaches us, it is not for us to judge the levels of service, for even the act of removing the ashes was considered worthy of praise. Of course, each person is entitled to believe that his way is correct, but he is not entitled to denigrate the contributions made by others toward the greater good. If somehow we could find a way to correct this problem, much of the hatred in society would evaporate, perhaps blowing away as easily as ashes in the wind.
3. Pesach - An Insight on Parsley
At the Passover Seder, after reciting Kiddush and washing our hands, we take Karpas (for which many people use parsley), dip it into salt water, recite a blessing and eat a small amount.
The question: What does the Karpas/parsley symbolize?
The answer: The Yismach Yisrael notes that Karpas is something that originates under the earth, amid the dirt of the ground, yet it grows until it is elevated on to our Seder table. This, says the Yismach Yisrael, is an inspiring reminder for the Jewish people, for it shows that G-d can raise us up from the lowliest depths and elevate us to the promised redemption.
The lesson: Never despair. In these unsettling times, when terrorism seems to strike on a daily basis, when innocent Jewish children have been injured or killed by Palestinian snipers and mortar shells, it is difficult not to become disheartened or to succumb to gloom. But Passover is the Festival of Freedom, the celebration of how G-d liberated us from the clutches of the Egyptians, thereby elevating the Jewish people from the lowly status of slaves to the noble status of Divine servants. In every generation, says the Haggadah, a person must view himself as if he too had left Egypt. We all have our own personal Egypts ? the struggles we have overcome, the difficulties we have endured. As a people, as a national entity, the Jews of Israel are now ensnared in the clutches of a foe that seeks not to enslave us, but rather to crush the fulfillment of our age-old dream of returning to Zion. So, on Passover nite, when we take the Karpas, let us bear in mind the message of the Yismach Yisrael: just as the parsley can be lifted from the lowly soil to the exalted Seder table, so too will the Jewish people be lifted up out of the quagmire and elevated to the grandest of heights.
Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. Keep the Flame Burning
This week?s Parsha further discusses the sacrificial offerings described in last week?s reading of VaYikra. It also instructs the kohanim (priests) in various aspects of the sacrificial service. The Parsha begins with G-d?s command regarding the Olah (elevation-offering), which was the first sacrifice to be offered every day by the priests. The Torah says, ?This is the law of the Olah: it is the Olah [that stays] on the flame, on the Altar, all night until the morning, and the fire of the Altar should be kept burning on it? (Chap. 6, verse 2). Shortly thereafter, the Torah says in verse 5, ?And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not be extinguished.? This injunction is again repeated in verse 6.
The question: Why does the Torah repeatedly emphasize that the fire should continue burning on the Altar?
The answer: The Ramban (1195-1270; also known as Nahmanides) says that there are both positive and negative commandments relating to the fire on the altar. Verse 2, which states that ?the fire of the Altar should be kept burning on it?, is a positive mitzvah incumbent on the priests. During the day, says the Ramban, the priests must make sure to add enough wood to the flame so that it will not die out. Verse 5, which states, ?it shall not be extinguished?, is a negative commandment referring to all people (priest or non-priest), warning against putting out the flame, while verse 6 is a special injunction for the priests, warning them to be particularly careful not to allow the fire to go out. Thus, according to the Ramban, the Torah repeats the admonition regarding the fire on the Altar to teach us that there are two aspects of this obligation (positive and negative) incumbent on the priests, as well as a prohibition applicable to any person trying to quench the fire.
The lesson: The fire on the Altar was critically important, as we saw above from the fact that the Torah went to the trouble of delineating various commandments with regard to preserving it. Though seemingly unrelated to our daily lives in the 21st century, the obligation to keep the flame burning is one that should have great resonance for Jews today, for just over fifty years ago, the flame of Judaism was nearly snuffed out in Nazi Europe. Keeping the fire alive is perhaps the greatest challenge currently facing the Jewish people. In 1948, it was the fire of Zionism, burning brightly in the hearts of Jews throughout the world, that helped forge the modern State of Israel. It was that same fire, that same passion, which enabled the Jewish people to rise up out of the ashes of the Holocaust and take their rightful place on the world stage. Sadly, just a few decades later, the fire of Zionism is now coming under attack, as Israel is confronted with a vicious ideological assault. The minions of post-Zionism aim to deconstruct, delegitimize and ultimately demolish the conceptual underpinnings of the Jewish state. A coterie of Israeli academics, journalists and intellectuals has banded together in a transparent attempt to rewrite history and undermine the right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. Through distortions and half-truths, they portray Israel as a state founded through theft and deception, immorally conceived and unjustifiably aggressive. The damage they have wrought is immense, for they have demoralized the Jewish people and attempted to cast doubt on our very right to live in our own land. Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook (Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel during the British Mandate), in his work Orot HaKodesh, wrote that just as it is a prohibition to put out a burning coal on the Altar, so too it is an even greater sin to ?put out a lofty spiritual coal on the spiritual Altar ? that of a Jewish heart?. Indeed, Rav Kook said, one must always seek to add to the fire, such that ?the flame ascends and is elevated, rising up and adding strength and power?? The proponents of post-Zionism are akin to one who has dulled the flame on the Altar, for they have sought to extinguish the coals of ideology, commitment and passion that have kept the flame of Israel alive through the most difficult of times. It is therefore our obligation, like the priests of old, to continue to add wood to the fire, to continue to do what we can to guarantee that the flames of Zionism and Judaism burn brightly. If there are those who seek to douse the flames, we must redouble our efforts to kindle them. We can not allow the flame of Judaism and Zionism to be extinguished.
2. The Remains of the Day
The priest?s first responsibility every day was to perform Terumat HaDeshen ? he would scoop up ashes left over on the Altar from the sacrificial offering of the previous day and place them on the floor near the Altar. After changing his clothes, the same priest would then remove the ashes and take them outside to a pure place. The Torah says, ?he shall separate the ash of what the fire consumed of the Olah offering on the Altar and place it next to the Altar? (Chap. 6, verse 3).
The question: Wouldn?t it have been easier to divide the two tasks (scooping the ashes and removing them) among two priests?
The answer: Rabbi Mordechai Gifter, the late Telshe Rosh Yeshiva, says in Pirkei Torah that ?Rather than having a different kohen [priest] remove the ashes, the Torah instructs the very same kohen [priest] to change his clothing and continue with the avodah [priestly service], because every aspect of avodas Hashem [serving G-d], regardless of how lowly it may seem in human eyes, is in fact truly laudable. One who has performed a seemingly menial and common task has nonetheless fulfilled Hashem?s will and is thus worthy of praise. He is not relegated to a lower status merely because his mitzvah seems to be of lesser significance, for we cannot evaluate the worth of mitzvos?? Thus, according to Rabbi Gifter, the Torah is teaching us not to belittle any part of the service of G-d. Even though cleaning up the ashes may appear to us to be undignified, it is part of G-d?s command and should not be disparaged.
The lesson: Israeli society is internally divided, and there are many reasons why this is the case. But a key ingredient in the problem is the basic lack of respect for the roles played by different sectors of society. Some people in the Haredi world look down at secular Israelis, ignoring the important contributions they make in terms of defending the country and physically building the Land of Israel. Some secular Israelis look down on religious people, ignoring their part in preserving Judaism and Jewish values. Each side belittles the ?work? of the other, looking askance at it as if it were as meaningful as cleaning up ashes in the Sanctuary. And yet, as Rabbi Gifter teaches us, it is not for us to judge the levels of service, for even the act of removing the ashes was considered worthy of praise. Of course, each person is entitled to believe that his way is correct, but he is not entitled to denigrate the contributions made by others toward the greater good. If somehow we could find a way to correct this problem, much of the hatred in society would evaporate, perhaps blowing away as easily as ashes in the wind.
3. Pesach - An Insight on Parsley
At the Passover Seder, after reciting Kiddush and washing our hands, we take Karpas (for which many people use parsley), dip it into salt water, recite a blessing and eat a small amount.
The question: What does the Karpas/parsley symbolize?
The answer: The Yismach Yisrael notes that Karpas is something that originates under the earth, amid the dirt of the ground, yet it grows until it is elevated on to our Seder table. This, says the Yismach Yisrael, is an inspiring reminder for the Jewish people, for it shows that G-d can raise us up from the lowliest depths and elevate us to the promised redemption.
The lesson: Never despair. In these unsettling times, when terrorism seems to strike on a daily basis, when innocent Jewish children have been injured or killed by Palestinian snipers and mortar shells, it is difficult not to become disheartened or to succumb to gloom. But Passover is the Festival of Freedom, the celebration of how G-d liberated us from the clutches of the Egyptians, thereby elevating the Jewish people from the lowly status of slaves to the noble status of Divine servants. In every generation, says the Haggadah, a person must view himself as if he too had left Egypt. We all have our own personal Egypts ? the struggles we have overcome, the difficulties we have endured. As a people, as a national entity, the Jews of Israel are now ensnared in the clutches of a foe that seeks not to enslave us, but rather to crush the fulfillment of our age-old dream of returning to Zion. So, on Passover nite, when we take the Karpas, let us bear in mind the message of the Yismach Yisrael: just as the parsley can be lifted from the lowly soil to the exalted Seder table, so too will the Jewish people be lifted up out of the quagmire and elevated to the grandest of heights.