Shemini – Page 5 – Peninim on the Torah

ויהי ביום השמיני קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו ולזקני ישראל

It was on the eighth day, Moshe summoned Aharon and his sons and the elders of Yisrael. (9:1)

Thrice daily, we recite the prayer, Al ha’tzaddikim v’al ha’chassidim v’al ziknei amcha Bais Yisrael v’al pleitas bais sofreihem, “(May Your mercies be aroused) upon the righteous, upon the pious, upon the elders of Your People, the House of Yisrael, upon the remnant of their sages.” We must recite this prayer with consummate kavanah, intention/devotion. Chazal understood the value to the Jewish People of these varied leaders, without whom we would not exist as a people. We rely on them, and we are unable to function without them. Therefore, it is our obligation to pray for their continued good health….

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וישא אהרן את ידיו אל העם ויברכם... ויברכו את העם וירא כבוד ד' אל כל העם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5775

Aharon raised his hands towards the people and blessed them… and they blessed the people – and the glory of Hashem appeared to the entire people. (9:22,23)

A person can follow all the rules, do all that is expected of him; yet, without that special blessing, that prayer, that everything he has done find favor in the eyes of Hashem, it could all be for naught. Klal Yisrael had done it all, executed everything in accordance with the direction of Moshe Rabbeinu; still, the Shechinah, Divine Presence, had not reposed upon the Sanctuary. Something was missing. Only after they received the blessing of Moshe and Aharon did the work achieve fruition, and Hashem’s Shechinah reposed on the Mishkan. One can have the correct and proper intentions; his…

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ויאמר משה אל אהרן הוא אשר דבר ד' לאמר בקרבי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד וידם אהרן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5775

And Moshe said to Aharon: Of this did Hashem speak, saying: “I will be sanctified through those who are nearest Me; thus, I will honored before the entire people”, and Aharon was silent. (10:3)

Horav Shlomo Levinstein, Shlita, relates that he heard from Rav Eliezer Yehudah Finkel, son of Horav Eliyahu Baruch Finkel, zl, that the Rosh Yeshivah told him the following thought two weeks prior to his petirah, untimely passing. The thought is a powerful insight into Aharon HaKohen’s reaction – or better, non reaction, to the tragic death of two of his sons, Nadav and Avihu. Rashi observes that following the tragedy, Moshe Rabbeinu rendered a powerful eulogy for his nephews. Moshe said to Aharon, “My brother, I knew that Hashem would sanctify His Sanctuary with His beloved close ones. I figured…

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להבדיל בין הטמא ובין הטהור ובין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5775

To distinguish between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten. (11:47)

Due to the spiritual repugnance associated with maachalos asuros, forbidden foods, they affect and compromise the Jewish consciousness, which is particularly sensitive to spiritual incursion. Thus, a Jew whose body has been satiated and nourished on tarfus, unkosher, unclean foods, lacks the spiritual finesse and ethical/moral qualities inherent to Jews who are spiritually refined. Throughout the millennia, Jews have sacrificed themselves to remain loyal to the Torah’s code concerning the laws of kashrus, maintaining a strong degree of personal stringency in adhering to its halachic demands. The following episode demonstrates how a grandfather’s fidelity to the laws of kashrus impacted…

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וישא אהרן את ידו אל העם ויברכם וירד מעשות החטאת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5774

Aharon raised his hands towards the people and blessed them; then he descended from having performed the sin-offering. (9:22)

Negativity can destroy the most auspicious objective. It can undermine the most hopeful prayers. It can impugn the integrity of the most promising career. Some people thrive on negativity, because they cannot handle success. They know that as long as they are negative, they are safe. This is, of course, not the Torah way. Indeed, this is the method employed by the yetzer hora, evil-inclination, to undermine the individual’s efforts at prayer. One should not ignore his own shortcomings, but, when he is speaking with Hashem, he should focus on the positive. Concerning the above pasuk, the Tiferes Shlomo says…

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ויאמר אל אהרן קח לך עגל בן בקר לחטאת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5774

He said to Aharon, “Take for yourself a yearling calf as a sin-offering.” (9:2)

Aharon HaKohen brought a Korban Chatas, Sin-offering, comprised of a yearling calf to atone for his part in the chet ha’eigal, sin of the Golden Calf. Klal Yisrael also brought a calf to atone for their role in making the Golden Calf. Their calf, however, was not a Korban Chatas, but, rather, a Korban Olah, Elevation/Burnt-offering. Why is there a distinction between their korbanos? Horav Yisrael Belsky, Shlita, explains this, based upon the distinction between the varied functions of the Olah and Chatas. A Korban Chatas atones for the maaseh aveirah, actual deed of performing the sin. The sinful act…

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וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5774

And Moshe listened, and it was good in his eyes. (10:20)

Having just tragically lost his two sons, Aharon HaKohen was an onein, one who had just lost a close relative and, thus, could not partake of the sacrificial offerings. Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu that, despite Aharon’s aninus, he was permitted to eat of those sacrifices that had been offered exclusively for the Mishkan’s consecration. Moshe erred by extending this Heavenly dispensation to all korbanos. Aharon was, therefore, correct in not eating from the other sacrifices. Moshe chastised him for not listening to his instructions to eat from all the korbanos. Aharon was very proper, respectfully replying to his brother, “If…

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ואת בת היענה ואת התחמס... ואת הנץ למינהו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5774

The bas ha’yaanah, the tachmos… and the netz according to its kind. (11:16)

The economic situation in Europe between the two world wars was severe. The Jews, who during good times lived from hand to mouth, found this period to be especially disastrous. People worked from dawn until late at night to earn enough to barely support their family. These were the lucky ones who had jobs. The others suffered the pangs of hunger and deprivation. The Chafetz Chaim, zl, was visiting the Polish manufacturing city of Lodz. A large Jewish population made their home there. Understandably, when a person of such distinction visited, lines of people came to greet him, seek his…

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ויבא משה ואהרן אל אהל מועד ויצאו ויברכו את העם וירא כבוד ד' אל כל העם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5773

Moshe and Aharon came to the Ohel Moed, and they went out and blessed the people – and the glory of Hashem appeared to the entire people. (9:23)

Rashi describes what occurred behind the scenes which necessitated the entry of Moshe Rabbeinu into the Ohel Moed together with Aharon HaKohen. When Aharon saw that all of the offerings had been brought and all of the service in the Mishkan had been performed, he was greatly concerned. The Shechinah had not descended to Klal Yisrael. In his great humility, Aharon blamed himself: “I know that Hashem has become angry with me, and it is because of me that the Shechinah has not descended to the nation.” Aharon approached his brother and said, “Moshe, thus you have done to me;…

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ויקריבו לפני ד' אש זרה אשר לא צוה אתם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shemini, 5773

And they offered an alien fire before G-d which He had not commanded them. (10:1)

Emotions motivate a person to scale the highest elevations. When a person is positively motivated; when he is inspired to do good, he can achieve success in what otherwise would be considered a difficult task. Positive emotion catalyzes greatness. There is, however, one caveat: the emotion must be harnessed and focused. To live on emotion alone, without direction and discipline, invites dangerous consequences. A student in a yeshivah was extremely devoted to his spiritual development. A sincere and seriously motivated young man, he would spend twenty minutes in deep devotion as he recited Shemoneh Esrai. Thursday night mishmor, when other…

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ויהי ביום השמיני קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו ולזקני ישראל

It was on the eighth day, Moshe summoned Aharon and his sons and the elders of Yisrael. (9:1)

וישא אהרן את ידיו אל העם ויברכם... ויברכו את העם וירא כבוד ד' אל כל העם

Aharon raised his hands towards the people and blessed them… and they blessed the people – and the glory of Hashem appeared to the entire people. (9:22,23)

ויאמר משה אל אהרן הוא אשר דבר ד' לאמר בקרבי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד וידם אהרן

And Moshe said to Aharon: Of this did Hashem speak, saying: “I will be sanctified through those who are nearest Me; thus, I will honored before the entire people”, and Aharon was silent. (10:3)

להבדיל בין הטמא ובין הטהור ובין החיה הנאכלת ובין החיה אשר לא תאכל

To distinguish between the contaminated and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten. (11:47)

וישא אהרן את ידו אל העם ויברכם וירד מעשות החטאת

Aharon raised his hands towards the people and blessed them; then he descended from having performed the sin-offering. (9:22)

ויאמר אל אהרן קח לך עגל בן בקר לחטאת

He said to Aharon, “Take for yourself a yearling calf as a sin-offering.” (9:2)

וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו

And Moshe listened, and it was good in his eyes. (10:20)

ואת בת היענה ואת התחמס... ואת הנץ למינהו

The bas ha’yaanah, the tachmos… and the netz according to its kind. (11:16)

ויבא משה ואהרן אל אהל מועד ויצאו ויברכו את העם וירא כבוד ד' אל כל העם

Moshe and Aharon came to the Ohel Moed, and they went out and blessed the people – and the glory of Hashem appeared to the entire people. (9:23)

ויקריבו לפני ד' אש זרה אשר לא צוה אתם

And they offered an alien fire before G-d which He had not commanded them. (10:1)

YEARS

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