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Home -> 5778 -> Tazria

כל ימי אשר הנגע בו יטמא טמא הוא בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

Moshe Marcovich
In Tazria, 5778

All the days that the affliction is upon him, he shall remain impure; he is impure. He shall stay in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

Not only must the metzora be isolated from pure, healthy people, but even those who are also impure are to be isolated from him (Rashi). The commentators debate concerning the identity of these impure ones to whom Rashi refers. Some say this refers to individuals who are in a severe state of impurity, such as those who have been in contact with the dead. They are not banished from all three camps – as are those who are afflicted with tzaraas. Others contend that Rashi refers to other metzoraim, who may not stay together outside all three camps. Rashi explains why…

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Home -> 5778 -> Tazria

וטמא טמא יקרא

Moshe Marcovich
In Tazria, 5778

He is to call out: “Contaminated, contaminated!” (13:45)

The metzora, individual afflicted with a spiritually-originated form of leprosy, is isolated. In an effort to safeguard people from coming in contact with him, he must warn people to stay away by calling out: “Contaminated, contaminated!” Chazal (Moed Kattan 5a) offer another reason for his declaration of spiritual contamination. Letting people know of his circumstances, informing them of his pain, will motivate them to pray for his recovery. A homiletic rendering of the pasuk is very appropriate and practical. V’tamei, one who is himself contaminated – ie, one who is a victim of his own shortcomings – will make a…

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Home -> 5778 -> Shemini

ובגדיכם לא תפרומו

Moshe Marcovich
In Shemini, 5778

And do not rend your garments. (10:6)

In order not to interfere by casting a pall of grief on the joy of the inauguration, Hashem forbade the usual display of mourning, even to the brothers of Nadav and Avihu. The Sefer HaChinuch (149) says that the Kohanim are prohibited from entering the Sanctuary with disheveled, long hair – out of respect for the Bais Hamikdash and the service which they perform. This also applies to the clothing worn by the Kohanim that may not be torn. Obviously, since we no longer have the Bais Hamikdash, these laws transfer over to the Mikdash Me’at, miniature sanctuaries, the batei…

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Home -> 5778 -> Shemini

וידם אהרן

Moshe Marcovich
In Shemini, 5778

And Aharon was silent. (10:3)

With two words, “And Aharon was silent,” the Torah presents its standard for confronting tragedy, for dealing with grief. While this spiritual plateau is reserved for the “Aharon Hakohens” of our People, it is vital that we understand the profundity of his reaction, to achieve an understanding of his response to this tragedy. In this way, we are able to develop a deeper appreciation of his greatness and we have a model of the sublime level of spirituality to which we should aspire. When a person is, lo aleinu (not on us), confronted with tragedy, he, by nature, seeks an…

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Home -> 5778 -> Shemini

וידם אהרן

Moshe Marcovich
In Shemini, 5778

And Aharon was silent. (10:3)

Aharon HaKohen received schar, reward, for his silence and acceptance of Hashem’s decree. As a result of his silence, Hashem rewarded him with a “private” detailing of the mitzvah/prohibition against Kohanim entering the Sanctuary after having imbibed an intoxicating beverage. We are taught that every punishment and reward coincides middah k’neged middah, measure for measure, with the sin or mitzvah that catalyzed it. What is the middah k’neged middah whereby Aharon’s silence led to a private hearing of the mitzvah? The Bais Aharon quotes Chazal (Berachos 60a), “One must bless on bad (sad) tidings, as he does on good (happy)…

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Home -> 5778 -> Shemini

ויאמר אל אהרן קח לך עגל בן בקר לחטאת

Moshe Marcovich
In Shemini, 5778

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

Various levels of atonement coincide with different transgressions. “One size fits all” does not fit all in reference to penance, because sins occur on various levels. Two people might commit the same act of infraction; yet, their modes of atonement are different. Although, on the surface, their sins may appear similar, Hashem gazes into the hearts and minds of the sinners and distinguishes between them. Aharon was commanded to bring a calf as a Korban Chatas, sin-offering, to let him know that, with this calf, Hashem would grant him atonement for his actions in creating the Golden Calf (Rashi). Klal…

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Home -> 5778 -> Tzav

השיבה שופטינו כבראשנה

Roberto Szerer
In Tzav, 5778

Hashivah shofteinu k’varishonah. Restore our judges as we had originally.

In the brachah of Hashiveinu, Return us, we asked Hashem for personal, individual teshuvah, return. Each Jew should find it in his heart to realize that he is distant from where he should be, from where Hashem wants him to be. The blessing of Hashivah shofteinu, Restore our judges, our leaders, is a plea for collective teshuvah, for all of Am Yisrael, wherever they may be spiritually, physically, geographically distant from Eretz Yisrael, to all come together as one nation, under Hashem, serving Him in a unified and united manner. We understand that it is all about leadership – from…

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Home -> 5778 -> Tzav

זאת התורה לעולה למנחה ולחטאת ולאשם ולמלואים ולזבח השלמים

Roberto Szerer
In Tzav, 5778

This is the law of the Elevation/burnt-offering, the meal-offering, the sin-offering and the inauguration offering, and the feast peace-offering. (7:37)

There are three forms/categories of korban, offering/sacrifice. This means that individuals from varied backgrounds and circumstances determine the category of korban which they offer. Horav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zl, explains the following Chazal (Midrash 3:5) which relates that King Agripas, who was quite wealthy, approached the Kohen in charge of the daily service and said, “I want to bring one thousand Olos (burnt-offering) today. I do not want anyone else to occupy the Mizbayach, Altar, other than me.” (Essentially, one thousand korbanos would preclude anyone else from bringing a korban.) Along came a poor man, and, in his hands, he…

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Home -> 5778 -> Tzav

אם על תודה יקריבנו

Roberto Szerer
In Tzav, 5778

If he shall offer it for a Thanksgiving-offering. (7:12)

a Korban Todah, Thanksgiving-offering, to express his gratitude to Hashem and as a manner of declaration that he acknowledges that no one other than Hashem saved him. Hakoras hatov, recognizing the benefits/good that we receive from others, is a critical mitzvah, quality, which defines a human being. One who is a kafui tov, denies the good that he receives, is deficient in humanness. It is a never-ending mitzvah which one cannot completely repay, because we do not know the complete extent of the benefit and consequences that we have received. Indeed, Horav Moshe Aharon Stern, zl, explains that it is…

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Home -> 5778 -> Tzav

אש תמיד תוקד על המזבח לא תכבה

Roberto Szerer
In Tzav, 5778

Fire shall be kept continually on the Altar; it shall not go out. (6:6)

In the standard calculation of the Jewish day, daytime follows night. We daven Maariv, the Evening Service, hence ushering in the new day. Shacharis, the Morning Service, is actually the second service of the day. In the Mikdash, Sanctuary, it was the reverse, with evening following daytime. The way of the world is that the symbolic evening precedes the symbolic day. This means, explains Horav Nissen Alpert, zl, that (most often), before man is privy to “light,” to see what becomes of his toil and labor, he must sit it out in “darkness,” wait in hope that his efforts will…

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