Parsha Tzav - Leviticus 6:1

Parshat Tzav
Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36

The kohanim were given the mitzvah of Terumas Hadeshen; the lifting of the ashes of the daily Olos offerings. They were told to keep the fire on the altar burning continuously. Aaron, Kohen Gadol, was instructed to bring a meal offering each morning and evening.

Additional laws were given specifying the duties of the kohanim and the portions of the offerings they were to receive as their portion. They could eat of the meal, sin, and trespass offerings only if they were ceremonially clean, and only within the Court of the Sanctuary.

In an elaborate ceremony held in the Court of the Sanctuary, Aaron and his sons were installed in their offices by Moses. The installation was witnessed by all of the people. After the kohanim had bathed, Moses dressed Aaron in his distinctive garments (see illustration in the Introduction to Sefer Vayikra), and anointed the Tabernacle and its contents (the Ark, the Table of the Showbread, Candelabra, and the Altar of Incense). Additionally, the Altar of Burnt Offerings, and the laver (along with its base) were also anointed. Aaron was then sanctified by having anointing oil poured on his head. The remaining kohanim were also anointed and this process continued for seven days during which time Aaron and his sons remained within the Court of the Sanctuary.

This parsha is called tzav, which means “command”. It is a call to action and comes from the same root as mitzvah. The word tzav reminds us to act quickly and forcefully in the performance of mitzvos. The sages compare this to the actions of Abraham and the ak’dah. When G-d asked Abraham seemingly offer his son Isaac to

G-d, Abraham did not waste any time. In fact, the sages derive this connection between Abraham and the commandments to Aaron from the verses in the parsha (6:2):

“Command Aaron and his sons saying: This is the law of the burnt offering (Ha’Olah), such burnt offering on its firewood upon the altar…”

The word for “firewood” is mo’k’dah with the letter mem written very small in the chumash and Torah scroll. This is very similar to the diminutive alef in parsha Vayikra. The small mem makes the word mo’k’dah look like ok’dah which can be read as ak’dah. The word ok’dah has a gematria of 115 which is the same as the word yaleh, which means “went up”. It also has the same gematria as the word nisah , which means “tested.”

The word Ha’Olah is usually translated as a “burnt offering”, but the word olah means ‘to lift” or “to elevate”. The word aliyah also means “to go up”. Abraham presented an “elevation” offering to G-d by climbing Mt. Moriah with Isaac during the ak’dah. Abraham was tested in a way that goes back to the meaning of the word nisah and its relationship to the word ok’dah.

Tzav and Olah teach us to elevate ourselves spiritually by running to do mitzvos. There is a further connection between the elevation aspect of the olah and our covenant with G-d. The gematria of olah is 111, the same as the word l’himol, which means “to be circumcised”. This is the secret of the brit milah. It is an “elevation” covenant with G-d and the Jewish people.

G-d commands us to be an Am Kadosh, a Holy People. We are not expected to be angels but human beings. As human beings, we make mistakes and have the capacity to learn from them. The parsha discusses the sin offering known as a chatat. This was to be offered in the same location as the olah. The chatat was brought by a person who sinned and now wanted to repent. From this, the sages derive that we should not embarrass or shame someone (bushah). Since the offerings were made in the same place, an observer could not be sure if the person was making an olah or chatat offering. The gemara in

Bava Metzia 59a, states that insulting or embarrassing someone is worse than physical murder. A knife kills once, but harmful words (loshen hara) can kill thousands of times and even over long distances.

The story is told about Rabbi Akiva Eiger. He once invited a poor person to his home on Friday night for Shabbos dinner. At the meal, a beautiful white tablecloth was spread out. When the poor man lifted his cup of wine, he accidentally spilled the wine all over the tablecloth. Needless to say, it left an ugly red blotch. Seeing the poor man squirm in his chair in embarrassment, and with everyone at the table looking, Rabbi Eiger lifted his cup of wine and “accidentally” dropped it onto the tablecloth. As the poor man looked on with great relief, the sage said, “It seems as though the floor is shaking, doesn’t it”.

The Chofetz Chaim ,Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan of Radin, once told the following story:

A call went out over a factory’s public address system one day: “All employees please report to the manager’s office”. Soon, all the employees were assembled in the manager’s as requested. This procedure had been going on each day, for the past several weeks, since the company owner had left on a business trip. The owner had always directed the factory’s operations, but now he had appointed the manager to oversee all the employees and make sure that everything ran smoothly during his absence.

Now all of the employees listened, very bored, as the manager read aloud the instructions left behind by the owner. He carefully pronounced each word kust as the owner had directed and did a masterful job at delivering the instructions.

When the owner returned, he was shocked to see the condition of the factory. Machines need repairs and workers sat around idle. He angrily called the manager to his office for an explanation.

‘Did you follow the instructions I left behind with you?’, asked the owner.

‘Why of course’, replied the manager proudly, ‘I read them to all of the workers every day while you were gone.’

The owner was incredulous. ‘Now I know why there is such a mess’, cried the owner. ‘You only read the instructions to the workers and didn’t bother to see that they were carried out. The lazy workers took advantage of your foolishness and almost ruined by entire business! Do you think that I left behind these instructions only for you to read? I gave them to you so that you would know how to run the factory in my absence. Reading them has not achieved that goal!’

The Chofetz Chaim writes, that the behavior of the manager is similar to people who read the Torah without following up with positive actions. The Torah is not a piece of literature for just reading. Judaism demands actions, as it says in the mishnah , “If a person’s wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom will not endure. However, if a person’s deeds exceeds his wisdom, then his wisdom will endure.”

Let us all pray that we will practice as well as study and make our lives and world a better place. This is the purpose of tikun olam which means “repairing the world”. As Jews, we have the potential to being great strides to make the world a better place. The word tzav, is our call to action. Let us pray that we all heed the call.

	Oceanside Jewish Center Weekly Parsha By Jonathan Wolf
	Parshat Tzav Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36 The kohanim were given the mitzvah of Terumas Hadeshen; the lifting of the ashes of the daily Olos offerings. They were told to keep the fire on the altar burning continuously. Aaron, Kohen Gadol, was instructed to bring a meal offering each morning and evening. Additional laws were given specifying the duties of the kohanim and the portions of the offerings they were to receive as their portion. They could eat of the meal, sin, and trespass offerings only if they were ceremonially clean, and only within the Court of the Sanctuary. In an elaborate ceremony held in the Court of the Sanctuary, Aaron and his sons were installed in their offices by Moses. The installation was witnessed by all of the people. After the kohanim had bathed, Moses dressed Aaron in his distinctive garments (see illustration in the Introduction to Sefer Vayikra), and anointed the Tabernacle and its contents (the Ark, the Table of the Showbread, Candelabra, and the Altar of Incense). Additionally, the Altar of Burnt Offerings, and the laver (along with its base) were also anointed. Aaron was then sanctified by having anointing oil poured on his head. The remaining kohanim were also anointed and this process continued for seven days during which time Aaron and his sons remained within the Court of the Sanctuary. This parsha is called tzav, which means “command”. It is a call to action and comes from the same root as mitzvah. The word tzav reminds us to act quickly and forcefully in the performance of mitzvos. The sages compare this to the actions of Abraham and the ak’dah. When G-d asked Abraham seemingly offer his son Isaac to G-d, Abraham did not waste any time. In fact, the sages derive this connection between Abraham and the commandments to Aaron from the verses in the parsha (6:2): “Command Aaron and his sons saying: This is the law of the burnt offering (Ha’Olah), such burnt offering on its firewood upon the altar…” The word for “firewood” is mo’k’dah with the letter mem written very small in the chumash and Torah scroll. This is very similar to the diminutive alef in parsha Vayikra. The small mem makes the word mo’k’dah look like ok’dah which can be read as ak’dah. The word ok’dah has a gematria of 115 which is the same as the word yaleh, which means “went up”. It also has the same gematria as the word nisah , which means “tested.” The word Ha’Olah is usually translated as a “burnt offering”, but the word olah means ‘to lift” or “to elevate”. The word aliyah also means “to go up”. Abraham presented an “elevation” offering to G-d by climbing Mt. Moriah with Isaac during the ak’dah. Abraham was tested in a way that goes back to the meaning of the word nisah and its relationship to the word ok’dah. Tzav and Olah teach us to elevate ourselves spiritually by running to do mitzvos. There is a further connection between the elevation aspect of the olah and our covenant with G-d. The gematria of olah is 111, the same as the word l’himol, which means “to be circumcised”. This is the secret of the brit milah. It is an “elevation” covenant with G-d and the Jewish people. G-d commands us to be an Am Kadosh, a Holy People. We are not expected to be angels but human beings. As human beings, we make mistakes and have the capacity to learn from them. The parsha discusses the sin offering known as a chatat. This was to be offered in the same location as the olah. The chatat was brought by a person who sinned and now wanted to repent. From this, the sages derive that we should not embarrass or shame someone (bushah). Since the offerings were made in the same place, an observer could not be sure if the person was making an olah or chatat offering. The gemara in Bava Metzia 59a, states that insulting or embarrassing someone is worse than physical murder. A knife kills once, but harmful words (loshen hara) can kill thousands of times and even over long distances. The story is told about Rabbi Akiva Eiger. He once invited a poor person to his home on Friday night for Shabbos dinner. At the meal, a beautiful white tablecloth was spread out. When the poor man lifted his cup of wine, he accidentally spilled the wine all over the tablecloth. Needless to say, it left an ugly red blotch. Seeing the poor man squirm in his chair in embarrassment, and with everyone at the table looking, Rabbi Eiger lifted his cup of wine and “accidentally” dropped it onto the tablecloth. As the poor man looked on with great relief, the sage said, “It seems as though the floor is shaking, doesn’t it”. The Chofetz Chaim ,Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan of Radin, once told the following story: A call went out over a factory’s public address system one day: “All employees please report to the manager’s office”. Soon, all the employees were assembled in the manager’s as requested. This procedure had been going on each day, for the past several weeks, since the company owner had left on a business trip. The owner had always directed the factory’s operations, but now he had appointed the manager to oversee all the employees and make sure that everything ran smoothly during his absence. Now all of the employees listened, very bored, as the manager read aloud the instructions left behind by the owner. He carefully pronounced each word kust as the owner had directed and did a masterful job at delivering the instructions. When the owner returned, he was shocked to see the condition of the factory. Machines need repairs and workers sat around idle. He angrily called the manager to his office for an explanation. ‘Did you follow the instructions I left behind with you?’, asked the owner. ‘Why of course’, replied the manager proudly, ‘I read them to all of the workers every day while you were gone.’ The owner was incredulous. ‘Now I know why there is such a mess’, cried the owner. ‘You only read the instructions to the workers and didn’t bother to see that they were carried out. The lazy workers took advantage of your foolishness and almost ruined by entire business! Do you think that I left behind these instructions only for you to read? I gave them to you so that you would know how to run the factory in my absence. Reading them has not achieved that goal!’ The Chofetz Chaim writes, that the behavior of the manager is similar to people who read the Torah without following up with positive actions. The Torah is not a piece of literature for just reading. Judaism demands actions, as it says in the mishnah , “If a person’s wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom will not endure. However, if a person’s deeds exceeds his wisdom, then his wisdom will endure.” Let us all pray that we will practice as well as study and make our lives and world a better place. This is the purpose of tikun olam which means “repairing the world”. As Jews, we have the potential to being great strides to make the world a better place. The word tzav, is our call to action. Let us pray that we all heed the call.