A Thought On Parshas Tzav
A Thought On Parshas Tzav
"...v'chol minchas kohen kalil..."
"...and the entire meal offering brought by a kohen is incinerated..." (4:15)
Many people brought meal offerings - menachos - some of which we learned about last week in these Parsha thoughts. A portion of each mincha was given to the kohanim who participated in the sacrificial process.The rest was incinerated on the altar similar to other korbanos.
Sometimes the person bringing a mincha offering was himself a kohen. After all, no one is infallible and kohanim also had occasions which required atonement. What makes the mincha of the kohen different is that, as our verse explains, the entire portion of meal was burned on the altar. Nothing was eaten. Nothing was given to the kohen. What can we learn from this detail?
The Bechor Shor contrasts the minchas kohen with regular menachos. The latter involved a small portion burned as an offering with the remainder given to the kohanim to eat. We can understand that they were given this privilege of partaking of the mincha, in that they spent their lives in the service of HaShem. Just as one gives up or sacrifices a portion on the altar as a form of atonement, so too is the feeding of pious kohanim a form of offering in that it supports those devoted to avoda. However, when it is a kohen who needs to bring the offering, the Bechor Shor points out, how would his eating any of his sacrifice atone for anything? How would his "full stomach be considered a gift to HaShem"?
I sometimes reflect on some of the mitzvos which we do in the form of eating something: matza, wine, challa, Sukka treats, Chanuka and Purim traditional foods. If we enjoy eating them, are we really fulfilling a mitzva? Are we doing something to please HaShem or eating to please ourselves? To quote the Bechor Shor, is having a full stomach really some form of gift to HaShem? Rather, when we enjoy something in the service of HaShem, it has to be the enjoyment of fulfilling the mitzva which is paramount. We are allowed some subjective delight on the side (think hot cholent on a cold Shabbos day) but let's not fool ourselves into believing that we are atoning for anything if our main objective is to fill the stomach.
May this Shabbos haGadol fill your soul. D Fox
"...v'chol minchas kohen kalil..."
"...and the entire meal offering brought by a kohen is incinerated..." (4:15)
Many people brought meal offerings - menachos - some of which we learned about last week in these Parsha thoughts. A portion of each mincha was given to the kohanim who participated in the sacrificial process.The rest was incinerated on the altar similar to other korbanos.
Sometimes the person bringing a mincha offering was himself a kohen. After all, no one is infallible and kohanim also had occasions which required atonement. What makes the mincha of the kohen different is that, as our verse explains, the entire portion of meal was burned on the altar. Nothing was eaten. Nothing was given to the kohen. What can we learn from this detail?
The Bechor Shor contrasts the minchas kohen with regular menachos. The latter involved a small portion burned as an offering with the remainder given to the kohanim to eat. We can understand that they were given this privilege of partaking of the mincha, in that they spent their lives in the service of HaShem. Just as one gives up or sacrifices a portion on the altar as a form of atonement, so too is the feeding of pious kohanim a form of offering in that it supports those devoted to avoda. However, when it is a kohen who needs to bring the offering, the Bechor Shor points out, how would his eating any of his sacrifice atone for anything? How would his "full stomach be considered a gift to HaShem"?
I sometimes reflect on some of the mitzvos which we do in the form of eating something: matza, wine, challa, Sukka treats, Chanuka and Purim traditional foods. If we enjoy eating them, are we really fulfilling a mitzva? Are we doing something to please HaShem or eating to please ourselves? To quote the Bechor Shor, is having a full stomach really some form of gift to HaShem? Rather, when we enjoy something in the service of HaShem, it has to be the enjoyment of fulfilling the mitzva which is paramount. We are allowed some subjective delight on the side (think hot cholent on a cold Shabbos day) but let's not fool ourselves into believing that we are atoning for anything if our main objective is to fill the stomach.
May this Shabbos haGadol fill your soul. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 10:20 PM
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