A Thought on Parshas Tzav
A Thought on Parshas Tzav
"...zos toras ha'olah...al ha'mizbe'ach ko ha'layla..."
"...this is the rule for the burnt offering...on the altar all night" (1:2)
The Torah spells out here the laws and order of bringing the korban olah - the sacrificial offering which was incinerated on the altar. It was unlike many of the other offerings in that it was burned entirely. Individuals bringing this type of korban did not partake of any portion of the meat. It was burned to a crisp until it was a pile of ashes. It was the burnt offering.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel sees in our verse another message, deeper than the obvious. He begins with the word zos - "this is" and says that this word is an allusion to the Jewish people. We are also referred to as "zos" as it is written in the Song of Songs "mi zos oleh" - who is this arising? - which is the lovely young woman of Solomon's metaphor for the Jews who seek the love of HaShem. So our verse saying "this is the olah which is brought on the altar" is a reference to how the other zos - the Jewish people - will be burned over and again in sanctifying the name of HaShem. Those Jewish souls who were taken by the crusades, the inquisition, the pogroms, the holocaust, Daniel Perl, the Fogel family in Itamar who were slaughtered in their sleep - are the ones who have their lives brought up on the altar as they die because they are Jews.
The verse says that the korban olah is brought on the altar kol ha'layla - all night long. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel adds that night is an allusion to exile, the long ordeal of galus. Throughout our exile, our spiritual dark night, our people will repeatedly sanctify the name of HaShem on one "altar" or another. The world reminds us that we are Jews. We express in our prayers that as Jews, we are prepared to sanctify His name. There are many ways in which we can bring about greater sanctity. During the exile, whether in the Diaspora or in the Holy Land, this is the task of our people.
Which altar will we choose as the means for bringing greater sanctity to this world?
Wishing you a good Shabbos and a joyous Purim, the holiday commemorating the many ways in which our people can achieve kiddush HaShem. May the ashes of those who have died al kiddush HaShem not be forgotten. D Fox
"...zos toras ha'olah...al ha'mizbe'ach ko ha'layla..."
"...this is the rule for the burnt offering...on the altar all night" (1:2)
The Torah spells out here the laws and order of bringing the korban olah - the sacrificial offering which was incinerated on the altar. It was unlike many of the other offerings in that it was burned entirely. Individuals bringing this type of korban did not partake of any portion of the meat. It was burned to a crisp until it was a pile of ashes. It was the burnt offering.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel sees in our verse another message, deeper than the obvious. He begins with the word zos - "this is" and says that this word is an allusion to the Jewish people. We are also referred to as "zos" as it is written in the Song of Songs "mi zos oleh" - who is this arising? - which is the lovely young woman of Solomon's metaphor for the Jews who seek the love of HaShem. So our verse saying "this is the olah which is brought on the altar" is a reference to how the other zos - the Jewish people - will be burned over and again in sanctifying the name of HaShem. Those Jewish souls who were taken by the crusades, the inquisition, the pogroms, the holocaust, Daniel Perl, the Fogel family in Itamar who were slaughtered in their sleep - are the ones who have their lives brought up on the altar as they die because they are Jews.
The verse says that the korban olah is brought on the altar kol ha'layla - all night long. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel adds that night is an allusion to exile, the long ordeal of galus. Throughout our exile, our spiritual dark night, our people will repeatedly sanctify the name of HaShem on one "altar" or another. The world reminds us that we are Jews. We express in our prayers that as Jews, we are prepared to sanctify His name. There are many ways in which we can bring about greater sanctity. During the exile, whether in the Diaspora or in the Holy Land, this is the task of our people.
Which altar will we choose as the means for bringing greater sanctity to this world?
Wishing you a good Shabbos and a joyous Purim, the holiday commemorating the many ways in which our people can achieve kiddush HaShem. May the ashes of those who have died al kiddush HaShem not be forgotten. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 7:47 PM
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