A Thought on Parshas Acharei Mos
A Thought On Parshas Acharei Mos
"...v'lo yizbachu od es zivcheihem la'sa'irim..."
"...and they shall no longer sacrifice to demons..." (17:7)
When the Torah instructs us to bring forth offerings to HaShem, we are also warned never to sacrifice to the "forces" and "spirits" with which the heathen nations were obsessed.
Uncharacteristically, Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel comments on the writings of scholars who preceded him. He begins with the cryptic words of Ibn Ezra, who wrote about the Sa'ir haMishtalea'ach (16:8) at the begining of our parsha - "I will reveal to you some of its deep mystery. When you become thirty three you will know it."
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel notes that the Ramban cites this Ibn Ezra. He goes on to write
"I will be the peddler who reveals the secret.
When you reach "33" means when you count
thirty-three verses from the mention of the
sa'ir la'Azazel, you will then know that it relates to
the sa'irim to which we shall not offer sacrifices.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel explains that our verse is the thirty-third verse after the one which first mentions the "sa'ir la'Azazel." He writes that Ibn Ezra wants us to understand that there is a link between the Yom Kippur ritual of casting a goat to Azazel, and our subsequent verse which prohibits our sacrificing anything to a false deity or entity. The avoda of Yom Kippur involved offering a goat to HaShem, after first casting a goat to the barren valley of Azazel. There is no link between the two practices, for our verse cautions us that in no way should we engage in "offering" anything to any alien concept. Our verse reveals, to a degree, an aspect of understanding the casting of the goat to Azazel. It sheds light on the fact that in no way was that goat an offering or a sacrifice. That would be forbidden, as we see in our verse.
However, if Ibn Ezra seeks to "reveal the secret" through this cryptic counting of verses, why didn't he go ahead and explain the deeper secret? What does the Sa'ir la'Azazel represent if it is not an offering or a sacrifice? He reveals to us the allusion as to what it was not, but has not told us what it was!
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel asks us to pay closer attention to the "cryptic 33." He notes that those 33 verses start from the verse which follows the first mention of Azazel. Those verses form a trail of stepping stones to get us to the associated verse which addresses the ban on sacrificing to "forces." However, the original verse remains separate from the cryptic trail. It stands alone. What is the hidden meaning of this verse being disconnected from the rest?
This is to remind us that amidst the revelation of one secret, the Torah masks the deeper secret. The meaning of the Sa'ir la'Azazel remains hidden from us. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel refers to it as sod HaShem li'rayav - one of the holy secrets which are revealed by HaShem only to those who fear him (Tehillim 25:14).
Good Shabbos and hoping to continue these thoughts after Pesach. D Fox
"...v'lo yizbachu od es zivcheihem la'sa'irim..."
"...and they shall no longer sacrifice to demons..." (17:7)
When the Torah instructs us to bring forth offerings to HaShem, we are also warned never to sacrifice to the "forces" and "spirits" with which the heathen nations were obsessed.
Uncharacteristically, Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel comments on the writings of scholars who preceded him. He begins with the cryptic words of Ibn Ezra, who wrote about the Sa'ir haMishtalea'ach (16:8) at the begining of our parsha - "I will reveal to you some of its deep mystery. When you become thirty three you will know it."
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel notes that the Ramban cites this Ibn Ezra. He goes on to write
"I will be the peddler who reveals the secret.
When you reach "33" means when you count
thirty-three verses from the mention of the
sa'ir la'Azazel, you will then know that it relates to
the sa'irim to which we shall not offer sacrifices.
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel explains that our verse is the thirty-third verse after the one which first mentions the "sa'ir la'Azazel." He writes that Ibn Ezra wants us to understand that there is a link between the Yom Kippur ritual of casting a goat to Azazel, and our subsequent verse which prohibits our sacrificing anything to a false deity or entity. The avoda of Yom Kippur involved offering a goat to HaShem, after first casting a goat to the barren valley of Azazel. There is no link between the two practices, for our verse cautions us that in no way should we engage in "offering" anything to any alien concept. Our verse reveals, to a degree, an aspect of understanding the casting of the goat to Azazel. It sheds light on the fact that in no way was that goat an offering or a sacrifice. That would be forbidden, as we see in our verse.
However, if Ibn Ezra seeks to "reveal the secret" through this cryptic counting of verses, why didn't he go ahead and explain the deeper secret? What does the Sa'ir la'Azazel represent if it is not an offering or a sacrifice? He reveals to us the allusion as to what it was not, but has not told us what it was!
Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel asks us to pay closer attention to the "cryptic 33." He notes that those 33 verses start from the verse which follows the first mention of Azazel. Those verses form a trail of stepping stones to get us to the associated verse which addresses the ban on sacrificing to "forces." However, the original verse remains separate from the cryptic trail. It stands alone. What is the hidden meaning of this verse being disconnected from the rest?
This is to remind us that amidst the revelation of one secret, the Torah masks the deeper secret. The meaning of the Sa'ir la'Azazel remains hidden from us. Rabbeinu Chaim Paltiel refers to it as sod HaShem li'rayav - one of the holy secrets which are revealed by HaShem only to those who fear him (Tehillim 25:14).
Good Shabbos and hoping to continue these thoughts after Pesach. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 8:29 PM
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