Parshat Pinchas 5780
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the mitzvah of bringing the daily sacrifices in the Beis Hamikdash, and the additional sacrifices, the Karban Musaf, brought on special days. In commanding the sacrifices, the Torah begins with the words (Chapter 28, Pasuk 2), Tzav es Bnei Yisrael, command Bnei Yisrael. Rashi comments that this command follows Moshe’s request to Hashem to appoint a leader for Bnei Yisrael after his death, as he says (Chapter 27, Pasuk 16), Yifkod Hashem; Hashem should appoint. Therefore Hashem responds, Ad She’atah Metzaveini al Banai, Tzaveh es Banai Alai; rather than you command me what to do for my children, command my children on me. And then we begin the parsha of the sacrifices.
The point is clear; don’t command me, I will command you. Moshe’s request even begins with the words (Chapter 28, Pasuk 15), Vayedaber Moshe el Hashem Lamor. The norm is the other way around; Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe Lamor. But why is the mitzvah of the Karbanos selected precisely at this juncture to make this point to Moshe Rabbeinu?
The Sfas Emes explains this Rashi in the following manner. Moshe’s role was to bring the influence of Hashem into our world. He was the conduit through which we received the Torah min HaShamayim. He also brought us the mahn, the Lechem min HaShamayim. As an extension of this role, he requested from Hashem that there be a Divine appointment (preferably his children, as Rashi teaches), to replace him after his death. Moshe was looking for help from the heavens to assist us in our world.
Hashem’s response was Ad She’atah Metzaveini al Banai, Tzaveh es Banai Alai. Rather than you be concerned about Me bringing something down to your world, you inform Bnei Yisrael that their responsibility is to take from their world and bring it back up to Hashem, to its source. And the paradigm for this is Karbanos. When Bnei Yisrael bring animals and sacrifice them to Hashem, we are taking from our physical world and connecting ourselves to Gd. When we slaughter an animal, collect its blood to throw on the Mizbeach, and burn its fat and limbs on the Mizbeach, this is the ultimate in taking the physical and making it spiritual. If Hashem created the world Yesh M’Ayin, our job is to reverse the process and make Ayin M’Yesh. We take the physical, Yesh, and lift it up to a world above and beyond physical matter, Ayin.
Another way the Sfas Emes expresses this dichotomy elsewhere is in the following manner. In parshat Yisro, Yisro tells Moshe he will wear himself out judging the people all day long. We read that the nation was judged by Moshe Rabbeinu (Shmos, Chapter 18, Pasuk 13), Min Ha’Boker ad Ha’Arev. Moshe’s relationship with Bnei Yisrael was Min Ha’Boker ad Ha’Arev, from the morning until the evening; he brought the light from the higher spheres down to the lower spheres. Or as Rashi teaches in our parsha, She’atah Metzaveini al Banai; you are commanding Me to my children in your world. But Aharon, the Kohen Gadol who brought the Karbanos, is described as lighting the Menorah (Shmos, Chapter 27, Pasuk 21), M’Erev ad Boker, from the evening until the morning. The job of the Kohen was to lift up the physical from the darkness of our world, M’Erev, and create great light in the higher spheres of Hashem. Or as Rashi says in our parsha, Tzaveh es Banai Alai.
The Torah in commanding the daily sacrifice, the Olas Tamid, describes it as (Chapter 28, Pasuk 6), Ha’Asuyah B’Har Sinai, was done at Har Sinai. The Sfas Emes learns that this reference indicates that at Har Sinai we committed ourselves to bring the daily sacrifices. And when did this happen?
When Bnei Yisrael said Na’aseh V’Nishma, they put the Asiyah, as the pasuk says Ha’Asuyah B’Har Sinai, before the Nishma, hearing the mitzvah. The Nishma is hearing the word of Hashem from the heavens down to our world. But we were Makdim the Na’aseh; we said first we will do the mitzvos and bring the physical objects and make them holy by bringing them back to their source. And the best illustration of this are the sacrifices. And this is why Hashem now commands them the Karbanos. You already said Na’aseh V’Nishma; now fulfill it. In other words, Ad She’atah Metzaveini al Banai, Tzaveh es Banai Alai. Don’t worry about the Boker ad Ha’Erev; your job is the Erev ad Boker.
Good Shabbos
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